Chapter 6 - The Wrong Savior
Morgan lowered her phone.
Evelyn noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Morgan stared at her.
For the first time, she wondered whether the elderly woman's grief had been real.
Or whether she'd been watching a performance.
"Where were you last Thursday?" Morgan asked.
Evelyn blinked.
"What?"
"The day we met on the bus."
"Why?"
"Because you knew my husband was going to give me a necklace."
Evelyn looked away.
"I told you I recognized the situation."
"No."
Morgan shook her head.
"You recognized me."
"That's different."
"How?"
Denise remained near the kitchen counter.
Her phone was within reach.
Morgan stepped closer to Evelyn.
"You knew my name."
Evelyn didn't answer.
"You knew I was married."
Silence.
"You knew Julian was going to give me a necklace before he gave it to me."
Evelyn lowered her head.
"Yes."
Morgan felt anger rise through her fear.
"Then tell me how."
Evelyn pressed her palms together.
"Because someone told me."
"Who?"
Another pause.
"Evelyn."
The older woman looked up.
"Adrian Vale."
Morgan's breath caught.
"Adrian's dead."
"No."
Evelyn shook her head.
"He isn't."
Morgan stared.
"How do you know?"
"Because he contacted me."
"When?"
"Three weeks ago."
"What did he want?"
"To warn me that another woman was in danger."
Morgan laughed once.
It was a hard, humorless sound.
"From the same people who hurt Rachel?"
"Yes."
"And you believed him?"
"He knew things nobody outside the investigation should have known."
"What things?"
"He knew Rachel's final phone call."
Morgan froze.
Evelyn's eyes filled.
"He knew what she said to me before she died."
Denise moved closer.
"How could Adrian know that?"
"I don't know."
"Did he tell you where he was?"
"No."
"Did you meet him?"
Evelyn shook her head.
"He called."
Morgan folded her arms.
"Then how did you know where to find me?"
"Adrian gave me your bus route."
Morgan looked at Denise.
Everything was beginning to feel like a carefully arranged game.
"And the jewelry store?"
"He told me where you might take the necklace."
Morgan's voice hardened.
"You followed me."
Evelyn nodded.
"I was afraid to approach you openly."
"Why?"
"Because Julian had started watching my house."
Morgan stared.
"Did you tell Adrian where I'm staying?"
Evelyn's face changed.
Just slightly.
Enough.
Morgan's stomach dropped.
"You did."
"I thought he was helping."
"When?"
"This afternoon."
Denise immediately picked up her phone.
"We need to leave."
Morgan didn't move.
She stared at Evelyn.
"What else did you tell him?"
"That the police had the necklace."
"Anything else?"
"No."
"Think carefully."
Evelyn began crying.
"He asked whether you had spoken to a lawyer."
Morgan's entire body went cold.
"What did you say?"
"I told him I wasn't sure."
Morgan stepped backward.
Adrian wasn't simply monitoring her.
He was trying to determine how much she knew.
And Evelyn, desperate to solve her daughter's death, had been feeding him information.
Denise called Officer Ruiz.
He told them to remain inside and lock the doors.
A patrol car was on its way.
Morgan turned to Evelyn.
"Why should I believe anything you've told me?"
Evelyn wiped her eyes.
"Because Rachel was my daughter."
"That doesn't mean Adrian didn't use you."
"I know."
Evelyn's voice broke.
"I know that now."
A loud noise came from the hallway.
All three women froze.
Someone had dropped something heavy outside Denise's door.
Then came a knock.
"Building maintenance."
Denise shook her head.
She hadn't requested maintenance.
The knock came again.
"Ma'am, there's a water leak from the unit above."
Morgan slowly backed away.
A man's voice spoke through the door.
"Ms. Bennett?"
Denise's eyes widened.
The man had used Morgan's name.
Morgan reached for her phone.
The stranger spoke again.
"Your husband asked me to check on you."
Then a second voice came from the hallway.
Familiar.
Smooth.
Calm.
"Open the door, Morgan."
Julian.
She stared at the lock.
And heard him say, almost gently, "We can do this the easy way."
May you like
A pause.
"Or I can tell the police what you've been hiding."
