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Clutching the file, I crossed the room to the shredder, my shoulders relaxing as the reminder of him disappeared. Gone. Just like he was.
Chapter Seventeen
Vivian
Present
Alanis Morissette blaredfrom my phone, “You Oughta Know” fueling my determination to sort out this mess my life had turned into. I needed this morning off to wade through the cobwebs, stop moping about instead of doing nothing.
As I settled into that old, ratty sofa—now covered with two clean quilts—I felt I’d finally made it to my war room, where I could plan with a clear head. It was as if I’d slipped on my last piece of armor and was truly ready to fight. It was time to take back what was mine by any means necessary.
“Hey, got a sec?” I asked when Muriella picked up the phone.
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“There’s a file folder at the bottom of the closet in Daniel’s study. It’s under a tape player. Could you bring it to me?”
“I thought you were going to leave it alone,” she said warily.
“Well, I can’t. I’ve tried, but something about it is bugging me.” I’d been up half the night, and I kept coming back to that fucking autopsy report. I needed a better look at it.
“All right, but I don’t like this. Some things are best left alone.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t seem to get that through my thick skull.”
“As long as you’re aware of that,” Muriella teased. “I’ll bring it to you at lunch. Shouldn’t be a problem to get. Daniel went out of town for a few days.”
“Where?”
“He didn’t say.”
“Wasshewith him?” The thought crushed my heart into a million more pieces.
“Not when he left. I don’t know for certain she isn’t with him now.”
There was a heavy silence between us at the implication of her words. Images of the girl in a barely there bikini on a beach while Daniel watched her frolic in the water had me doubling over in pain.
“We could spy on her,” she suggested. “See if she’s in town or not.”
“I need to know,” I said quietly. That was borderline crazy, but I’d make myself insane thinking about the two of them off on a romantic trip.
“We’ll go before lunch. Otherwise, you won’t be able to eat,” she said.
“True.” I heard the echo of footsteps on her end. “Where are you?”
“I decided to go get the file while we’re on the phone.” A door creaked faintly. “I’m going to put you on speaker.”
I waited impatiently, listening as she made noise.
“You said it’s under the tape player?” she asked.
“Yes,” I confirmed and heard more rustling.
“I’m sorry, V. It’s not here.”
It had been two days ago. That it had been moved only raised my suspicions about the importance of that autopsy.
“I’m going to switch to FaceTime so I can let you look around. Maybe I missed it.”
