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As I look over at Liz, I purposely put a shocked expression on my face. “You mean Trent is a liar? That’s just so surprising. I mean, after he cheated on his fiancée the day before her wedding, I never would’ve expected to hear such a thing.”
“Your sarcasm is not needed, Ethan. Don’t be an ass in front of Ms. Douglas,” Liz warns.
I smile sheepishly at Peyton. “I apologize. I just don’t like the guy.”
The corners of Peyton’s mouth turn up in suppressed mirth. “I’ll just continue. According to the records we uncovered, Mrs. Angela Ellington has spent the last several years dealing with some mental instabilities. At the request of Mr. Ellington, she was evaluated and then ordered into involuntary inpatient psychiatric centers a few times. It’s stated that she was declared a harm to herself and to others and refused medication.”
At this point, Peyton stops and raises her eyebrows as she gauges our reaction. My first thought is that I kind of feel bad for Trent. If he’s been trying to help his wife all these years, that must have weighed on him. He’s still a bastard, but still, that would’ve been difficult.
Liz seems surprised. “That’s terrible. I wonder why Trent didn’t mention all of this. Is his ex-wife currently in the psychiatric hospital?”
Peyton continues. “Well, a couple of things. First, Mrs. Ellington is not currently in the psychiatric hospital, nor has she been for the last year. Second, she’s not his ex-wife yet. They have petitioned for divorce. However, it is not yet done. The divorce is not as amicable as you’ve been led to believe.”
Liz’s surprised look turns into one of shock. “He’s still married? How can that be? Are you sure?”
“I’m positive. Mr. Ellington knows a lot of important people, and it’s clear that he didn’t want any of this to get out. I’ll admit that it took a lot of digging and a lot of money exchanged hands for me to get ahold of this information. But, yes, he’s definitely still married.” She cuts a glance at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll be submitting my very exorbitant bill for all the money I spent to obtain this information.”
“Of course. That’s expected and understood,” I say in agreement.
“This is all awful,” Liz says. “But what does this have to do with me?”
Liz leans forward, an almost hopeful look on her face. She doesn’t want Trent to have anything to do with the notes. I can see it in her face. I, on the other hand, would love for it to be that asshole. I’d like nothing better than to get him away from Liz.
Peyton takes the envelope she’s holding and begins to empty out the contents. “Mr. and Mrs. Ellington, though not yet divorced, live in separate homes. We were able to get inside Mrs. Ellington’s home. Don’t ask me how,” she warns.
She spreads out several photos in front of her. She picks up the first one and hands it to me. “We found a stack of blank white note cards that match the ones you received from the stalker. These were found in Mrs. Ellington’s desk. We also found a sample of her handwriting. Though not a perfect match to your stalker notes, it’s similar enough to warrant a second look. And third, we found a bike in her basement that matches the description of the bike from when the fourth note was left.”
Liz is shaking her head in disbelief. “No, this can’t be right. Why would Mrs. Ellington target me? It doesn’t make sense. She doesn’t know me. I haven’t done anything to her.”
Peyton takes one last photo out of the envelope. “I believe this may answer your question. We found this in the same drawer where the blank note cards were found.” She hands Liz a photo.
Liz opens her mouth in shock. “Oh my God.”
She throws the photo onto the table, almost as if burned. It lands on the table face down. The look on Liz’s face makes me not want to look at it. As I yank up the photo and turn it over in my hands, I immediately understand why she was so quick to drop it.
It’s a photo of Liz and Trent walking out of a restaurant. Liz is several months pregnant, and Trent’s arm is around her. The intimate way he is leaning into her body, smiling and talking to her, makes them appear as though they are in love.
I have the urge to rip the photo into pieces. I wonder if Trent’s wife, Angela Ellington, felt the same way when she saw it. Jealousy is a huge motive.
“That photo is not what it looks like,” Liz says vehemently, shaking her head.
“I understand,” Peyton says soothingly. “No judgment here. Are you able to tell me approximately when this photo was taken?”
“I think it was about four months ago,” Liz says.
“And the notes started shortly after,” Peyton comments, nodding her head. “It makes sense.”
I get up from my seat on the couch and pace in front of them. “Alright, I think it’s fairly obvious that Mrs. Ellington believes her husband is cheating on her, and she’s decided to target Liz. We need to go to the police with this information.”
“I agree, Mr. Anders. However, they won’t be able to do anything just yet. Everything we have is circumstantial, and no crimes have beencommitted. Not to mention, we broke into Mrs. Ellington’s home to obtain the proof.”
“So, we just let her continue to terrorize Liz?” I say scathingly. “That’s not acceptable.”
“Ethan, calm down,” Liz says. “Let’s listen to what she has to say.”
“How can I calm down?” I roar.
“Mr. Anders, you hired me for a reason. Please have a seat, and I will continue,” Peyton commands firmly.
