CHAPTERTHIRTY-SIX
CLAIRE
Acold rain fell as Claire stared out the car window.The weather seemed to have little effect on the city's nightlife.Theatergoers hurried along Broadway’s soaked sidewalks, but Claire barely noticed.In truth she hadn't noticed much of anything for hours.She’d powered off her phone and sat alone on a deserted bench near the park until dark clouds drove her into the shelter of a cab.Later, she ducked into a popular watering hole, but the drink she nursed for an hour did little to calm her nerves or clear her head.Restless and unable to think straight, she stepped back into the rain and flagged down another taxi.
She focused her attention on the young cab driver, humming softly with the love song on the radio.In a different frame of mind, she might have joined in, thinking of Jay waiting at the top of New York's most famous building.Before the night ended, she would hear that same song again in another cab while cruising the crowded streets, struggling to make sense of the unexpected phone call and the cruel twist of fate that left her completely numb.
"Uh, ma'am?You did say Empire State Building, right?"the cabbie repeated.
"What?Oh, yes," she answered.
"Well, this is it."He pointed out the window."We're here."
She stared up at the iconic building and watched a steady stream of tourists enter and exit, seemingly unfazed by the rain.Nervously, she slid the diamond key pendant back and forth along the chain around her neck.The curtain would rise for Nancy Chen soon.She was already more than a half hour late for their movie-inspired rendezvous.Would Jay still wait for her?And what could she possibly say when their eyes met?
Sorry I’m late, but I just found out I set a chain of events into motion that caused your wife’s death.
“Ma’am?”The cab driver spoke again, his eyes questioning her in the rearview mirror.
"Sorry.Would you mind going once more around the block?"
She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the headrest, searching every corner of her mind for a plan.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-SEVEN
JAY
Jay tried Claire’s cell once more, clenching his jaw in frustration when it rolled to voicemail again.He’d called the suite several times too, but she never answered.What is going on?Why isn’t she answering?
He had less than five minutes to reach the Empire State Building, and he wanted to arrive before Claire.They’d agreed to meet at the top.Between the rain and the Friday-night crowds, he prayed he’d make it on time.He slipped his hand into his jacket pocket, his fingers brushing against the small box inside.He’d spent the entire afternoon working through his game plan but still couldn’t decide.Should he propose at the top of the famous landmark?After the Nancy Chen concert?Once they returned to London?He didn’t know when the right moment would come, but he prayed it would happen sooner rather than later.
The memory of the night he proposed to Hope still gnawed at him.He’d done everything he could to make the night unforgettable.For months, he’d teased her about surprising her with the biggest diamond he could find.Then, when she removed the black silk blindfold and discovered they stood alone in the middle of Dodger Stadium, she seemed less than impressed.
She barely spoke as they shared a bottle of champagne behind home plate.And when he pulled the tiny velvet box from his jacket pocket, she offered only a small nod.
“I thought you might be leading up to this,” she’d said.
He slipped the ring onto her finger and discovered it didn’t fit.She made some sort of quip, and they laughed about it at the time.Looking back now, he recognized the absence of genuine emotion in her eyes.
So why had he tried so hard to make it work?They’d been happy dating, hadn’t they?Living together felt easy enough.Marriage seemed like the next logical step, the natural progression of their relationship.Now reality stared back at him.He saw clearly how he had spent years of both their lives trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.
Physically, he and Hope looked perfect together.Professionally, they respected independence and ambition.Both valued academia and carried their intelligence with ease.And yet a detachment always lingered between them.He'd never been able to put his finger on it.
Not until now.
Not until Claire.
He and Claire thrived because of each other, not in spite of, as it had been with Hope.A certain degree of competition had existed between Jay and his late wife.Their worlds had stayed so separate that the few hours they shared weren't enough to bring them together.
His cell phone rang with an unknown number, jarring him back to reality.
"Claire?”he answered.
"No sir, it's Twigg."
"Oh, Twigg."Jay sighed."Thanks for calling me back."
"My sincerest apologies for missing your call."
