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“I told you everything.Charles and I don’t discuss his work.”
“Everything?”
“Yes.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes.”
“You know, at the end, the more you tell us, the less painful it will be for you.”
“I told you everything I know!”I shouted.
“You sure about that?”
I felt my cheeks growing hot.The clock was ticking, and I needed these men to do whatever it was they’d come to do and to get out of my kitchen before my children were dragged into this mess.“Yes, I told you everything!”
“Then why don’t you tell me about his latest trip.About the documents you found.”
My stomach turned.I’d only told one person about that, and that was Denise.She’d been so sure Charles was having an affair, suggesting that was the reason for his uptick in travel, suggesting that was the reason for the growing silence between us.I wouldn’t have told her, had I not been so concerned with defending my marriage.And they weren’t documents—they were maps.The letter stated he was supposed to deliver them, but he hadn’t.I’d checked just the night before.
The man’s partner pulled a pistol out of his jacket.
I was terrified, wondering what he was going to do.I suspected he was going to kill me.He had that look in his eyes, like he didn’t care one way or the other.Like I was no one to him.He might even make it look like a suicide.But I was going to fight for my life.I wasn’t going to just give up.
“Listen to me, Grace.If you try to do anything funny, I will kill you.If you try to run, I will kill you.If you start screaming for help, I will kill you.Do you understand?”
“Yes,” I told him.
“Good.So we understand each other.”I noticed how he repeated nearly everything he said.How he repeated everything I said.He wanted to make sure we were on the same page, but it also suggested he was experienced at whatever it was he was here to do.
He walked over to the sink and stopped at the back door, fixing the lock.“Now,” he said, turning back.“Here is your phone.I’m going to let you call Charles at the office.”
He handed me the phone.I was afraid to touch it.I was afraid to move.I was afraid to do anything.He had his pistol trained on my head, and there was no doubt in my mind he would use it.
“Don’t be scared.It’s not going to bite.”
The taller of the two once again took his gun and set it on the table in front of me.He seemed to know I wouldn’t know the first thing to do with it, even if I could beat him to the punch.
He gave me a terse nod.“Now, call your husband.”
“My husband?”
“Yes, I want you to call him.”
I knew this was going to be bad for Charles.If I got ahold of him, that is.I knew I had to try and warn him somehow.If I could get away from these men, it would be the best thing.“What should I tell him?”
“Tell him to come right away.Tell him if he doesn’t come in five minutes, we’re going to kill you.”
“It takes longer than that for him to drive home.Especially with traffic.”
“He’ll get the gist.”
I took the phone from the man.He dialed, and I waited.The cord wasn’t quite long enough, so I tried to lean closer to the receiver.The man motioned for me to move toward the wall.I could barely stand up, I was shaking so much.Could I make it out the back door without getting shot in the back?I didn’t know.I only knew that lock was meant to slow me down.
“Charles,” I said when he answered.Part of me was grateful to hear his voice, the other part felt like I was luring him into a trap.
“Grace, are you all right?”He could sense right away that something was wrong.“Are the kids okay?”
