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She tried the numbers of two more men who had shepherded her around in the weeks since the wedding. Nothing. Tapping her phone against her palm, she shoved away from the counter. She could make the trip to Sofia’s and then to the school in less than an hour. What could possibly go wrong in less than an hour?
She passed the school on the way to her sister’s house, noting the parking lot was full to bursting. Must be some kind of assembly thing or PTO meeting or something today. She let herself in Sofia’s side door with her spare key and set the cake on the counter, jotting a quick note on the pad of sticky notes her sister always kept in the top drawer next to the pantry.
She found Bianca’s trumpet sitting beside the door under a pile of coats and carried it out to her car. In good weather, the school was within walking distance, but she decided not to push her luck. She was likely going to get in trouble with someone over this. Whether it was Aidan or her father. Best to be as cautious as possible.
She didn’t want to park in the bus lane this late in the afternoon, so instead she pulled alongside the curb and jogged through the full parking lot, waiting for the school secretary to buzz her in.
“I come bearing a trumpet for one very upset eleven-year-old,” Viv said, brandishing the trumpet case like a prize.
The secretary smiled. “Oh, thank goodness. She was pretty down about that. If you want to say hi, I can call her up for you.”
Viv glanced out the big windows. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt. “That would be great, thanks.”
It didn’t take long for her niece, all brown curls and boundless energy, to come rushing into the office. Her smile faltered a bit when she noticed it was her aunt and not her mom, but she looked relieved to see the trumpet sitting on the floor.
“Thank you, Aunt Viv,” she said in a rush.
“You’re welcome, bug. Your mom was swamped at the bakery, but she wanted me to tell you she was sorry she forgot and good luck at your audition.”
Bianca sulked, toeing the edge of the trumpet case. “She didn’t say that.”
“Well, it was implied. I left some cake at home for you to celebrate with, okay?”
“What kind?”
“Orange ricotta.”
“Will you teach me how to make it?”
“Absolutely. Now, give me a hug and go kick butt at your audition.” Viv smiled when Bianca wrapped her arms around her waist and gave her a squeeze. “I love you, bug.”
“I love you too, Aunt Viv. Bye!”
She scooped up the case and ran out the door, immediately faltering to a walk when a teacher slanted her a look in the hallway.
“I can’t even remember what it was like to have that much energy,” Viv said to no one in particular.
“Honey, you’re telling me,” the secretary said.
Viv laughed and pushed into the sunshine. When she rounded the chain-link fence and short row of stubby bushes to her car, she froze. All four tires had been slashed, and the rear window looked like it had been smashed with a baseball bat—or maybe a tire iron.
When she moved closer, she realized her driver’s side door was slightly ajar. Rounding the hood, she reached for the handle and cautiously pulled it all the way open, her eyes scanning the backseat to make sure no one had climbed inside.
The glove box was open, and the various things she kept in there were tossed haphazardly onto the floor. The bottle of water she’d left capped in the console had been moved from one holder to the other, and her mirror had been bent down at a violent angle.
The thing that looked the most out of place was a white piece of paper folded up on the dashboard. Before she opened it, she knew the kind of writing she’d find inside. That chilling black Sharpie.
Are you finished playing house yet, you ungrateful bitch?
It took her a few tries to fish her phone out of her pocket with trembling fingers, but when she finally managed to free it, she punched in the first number that came to mind. When Aidan didn’t answer, she tried her brother next.
“Hey, sis, what—”
“Leo.” Viv couldn’t keep her voice from shaking as she glanced around the parking lot and across the street to see if anyone was watching her. “Someone broke into my car. They slashed my tires and left…” She swallowed her panic. “They left a note.”
“What? Where are you?”
“I’m at Bianca’s school. Sofia asked me to drop off her trumpet.”
