Paul started after him, but Bennie grabbed him by the upper arm.
“Don’t even think about it. They’re watching us, see?” Bennie nodded toward the cops across the street, who were exchanging amused glances.
“I don’t care.” Paul yanked his arm free.
“You want to help your wife or you want to prove your manhood?”
Paul stopped, breathing hard. Blood dripped onto his shirt and tie. “The guy—”
“Let’s go. We have something important to do.”
34
Julia stood with Bennie and Paul in front of the new floorboards in Kay’s living room. Paul had calmed down after the fight with Alex and returning to Kay’s house, the scene of her murder, had affected him. Julia found herself staring at the floorboards and remembering the bloodstains that had been there, and the sight renewed her determination to find out who killed Kay. Not only to free Courtney, but for Kay’s own sake.
Bennie slid out her phone. “I’m going to take pictures. You never know what will become important.”
Julia nodded. “I guess I shouldn’t have put the room back together.”
“It’s okay, I’ll take your pictures from before, too. It’s good to compare. Where was the missing basket?”
“Right there.” Julia pointed, and Paul remained silent, gazing at the new floorboards.
“Thanks.” Bennie started taking pictures, but Julia caught a glimpse of Paul, whose face looked ashen under his bloody cut, which had begun to swell.
“Paul, you okay?”
“Fine. Excuse me, I want a glass of water.” Paul headed for the kitchen, and Julia followed him, leaving Bennie behind.
Paul went to the cabinet, then filled a glass with water, gulping it thirstily.
“Paul, are you okay? Does your cut hurt?”
“No, it’s not that.” Paul finished the water and set the glass down with finality. “It’s not about me. ‘For once,’ Courtney would say.”
“Then what’s it about?”
“I just got a wake-up call, and I’m waking up. Courtney walked in on Kay’s killer. She could have beenkilled, too. I could have lost her. I should have been with her. I should have been here.” Paul shook his head, stricken. “I didn’t need to go to that conference. I only go to hang with our accounts.”
Julia didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing, and she could see Paul needed to talk.
“You know, I work for my father in my grandfather’s business. Fire suppression and damage restoration. We install sprinklers, foam. It almost runs itself. My father runs it to hand it to me. You know what my job is? Not to fuck it up.”
Julia didn’t know much about Paul’s business because he never talked about it.
“So I think I got used to maintaining. Going with the flow. Doing no harm.” Paul shrugged. “I never was a go-getter like Courtney, I never had to be. I mean, we’re both in sales, but shesells. Shehustles. They say if you can sell a copier, you can sell anything. What I do is glad-hand. Drink and golf with the accounts. Let them win when it’s credible. That’s why my marriage is failing, and Julia, it’s failing.”Paul looked her sharply in the eye, as a revelation dawned on him. “I maintain, and I’m a great maintainer, but I just figured out you can’t do that with marriage.”
Julia didn’t interrupt him, and Paul spoke with uncharacteristic vehemence.
“Everybody says you have to work at marriage. What they don’t tell you is that if youdon’t, it dies. Maybe that’s what ‘grows apart’ means, but I don’t think so. I think it means you put your marriage on autopilot, then one day, you realize your wife could have been shot to death because you thought it was more important to order another round of Maker’s.”
Julia realized he was right. She’d been happily married, but it was work. She thought of her in-laws in Tuscany, wanting to move in.
“If I had been here, I could have protected her.” Paul’s eyes glistened. “I could have told the cops what I saw. They would’ve believed me. She would’ve had a witness. She wouldn’t be in jail if I had gone with her.” Paul met her gaze, pained. “Julia, what’s up with that Alex guy? Is there something I should know?”
Uh-oh.“Alex runs the clean-ups. He’s an old friend of Courtney’s, from summers here.”
Paul blinked swollen eyes. “Tell me, is something going on with them?”
