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Before she could stop herself, she flew against him. Looped her arms around his neck and held on tight. And she sobbed into his strong shoulder. Allowed the smell of him to envelop her.
She couldn’t do this alone anymore.
11
The Widow
11:00 p.m.
Pettit Residence
Penrose Drive, Brentwood
“Are you quite sure you can trust her?” Laney asked as soon as the door was closed behind their departing guest.
Ellen wrapped her arm in her old friend’s and ushered her deeper into the house. “We have nothing to worry about.”
Laney was a worrier, and with her ill health Ellen would have preferred to protect her from the unpleasant details. Her insistence there was nothing to worry about was perhaps a bit optimistic.
Laney turned to Ellen. “She didn’t sound as confident as you and I. Are you certain this was the right move? There seems to be so much room for error. What if she can’t pull it off?”
“When the police asked for a second interview,” Ellen explained patiently, “this step became necessary. Sometimes the authorities don’t do their due diligence, and it becomes essential to prompt their movements. Jessica can do this. She is stronger than you think.”
More worry clouded her dear friend’s eyes. “But she’s never assumed such responsibility before. How can you be sure?”
Ellen smiled. “I’ve watched her for a very long time. You must trust me. She’ll do fine.”
Laney nodded slowly, a signal that she wasn’t entirely convinced. “I should get ready for bed. I’m very tired.”
Ellen gave her a hug. “Tomorrow will be better.”
Her friend’s worried expression relaxed into one of knowing. “You’re right. Good night.”
Ellen watched Laney walk away. There were people in this life who were very special. Laney was one of those people. She had given so much in her life. It was simply wrong that the damned cancer would take her from her friends and family far too soon.
Laney deserved a long and happy life. Why was it that those who didn’t deserve that never seemed to be the ones stricken with cancer or some other hideous disease?
Fuck cancer.
There was nothing more Ellen could do to help her friend. She had ensured she received the very best medical care. She would see that Laney was as comfortable as possible for the remainder of her life.
The rest she had taken care of already. Ellen never left anything to chance.
She shifted her attention to the other matter. The detectives were finally on the right track. It was quite sad that nearly forty-eight hours and an additional nudge were required to put them there. Really, no wonder these cases went unsolved more often than not.
Ellen retired to her room and prepared for bed. Her fingers hesitated while unbuttoning her blouse. The memory of Jarrod helping her undress each night slipped unbidden into her thoughts.
She hadn’t expected to allow him quite so close, but she was only human after all. He had made her feel so alive. His every touch had set her on fire no matter how she tried to ignore the sensations. Shehadn’t wanted to enjoy their time together. But she hadn’t been able to help herself. He had been a master at manipulation, particularly the physical kind.
The others could never know. Ellen could never be seen as weak. Her strength was the glue that empowered the others.
She hadn’t intended for this project to expand into such a brazen and provocative scheme. For the love of God, at the age of fifty, she hadn’t expected to marry at all. She had lived by the adageWho needs the frustration?But then when marriage proved necessary to the objective, she had gotten wholly caught up in the moment. She had rationalized the fairy-tale wedding with the idea that those who knew her publicly would expect such a display.
The wedding hadn’t been held in a church, though the place had once been a church. Yellow roses, Ellen’s favorite, had set the theme. The bridesmaids and the maid of honor, dear Laney, had worn that same soft shade of yellow. Crisp white walls and a bow-trussed ceiling of reclaimed wood represented the perfect balance between contemporary and classic inside the venue.
It had all been the perfect, grand wedding expected for a woman of her status. The perfect illusion.
All the tiny broken pieces inside her screamed with the pain she was not supposed to feel. She should never have allowed herself to get caught up in that illusion, not even a little bit. But she couldn’t change that now.
