Chapter 7 - The Story He Planned to Tell
Morgan didn't open the door.
Instead, she turned on her phone's recording function.
"Go away, Julian."
A soft laugh came through the door.
"Come on, sweetheart."
"How did you find me?"
"Does it matter?"
"Yes."
Julian sighed.
"You're making this harder than it needs to be."
Denise was already speaking quietly to 911.
Evelyn sat motionless at the kitchen table.
Morgan raised her voice.
"What do you want?"
"My wife."
"Then why did you put something inside that necklace?"
Silence.
For the first time, Julian had no immediate answer.
Morgan pressed on.
"The police have it."
"I know."
"They're testing it."
"I know that too."
His calm frightened her more than shouting would have.
Then Julian said, "That's actually why I'm here."
Morgan frowned.
"What?"
"You've made some pretty serious accusations."
"I haven't accused you of anything yet."
"You've taken a gift, tampered with it, and reported it to the police."
He paused.
"That's not going to look good."
Morgan stared at the door.
"What are you talking about?"
"I spoke to an attorney."
"Congratulations."
"He thinks you need help."
Morgan felt her stomach sink.
"Help with what?"
Julian lowered his voice.
"Your anxiety."
Denise mouthed, Don't respond.
But Morgan couldn't stop herself.
"What anxiety?"
"You've been stressed for months."
"Because you've been spending our money."
"You've been having trouble sleeping."
"Because you keep us in debt."
"You've been accusing people of things that didn't happen."
Morgan went still.
There it was.
The same pattern Evelyn had described.
The worried husband.
The unstable wife.
The prepared explanation.
Julian continued.
"I have messages from you."
Morgan frowned.
"What messages?"
"About feeling watched."
"About being afraid."
"About not trusting anyone."
Morgan remembered sending him messages after she'd met the woman on the bus.
At the time, she'd thought she could trust him.
He'd kept every word.
"I was frightened because a stranger warned me about you."
"And that sounds reasonable to you?"
Morgan looked toward the ceiling.
She understood now.
Julian wasn't simply trying to get her home.
He was building a story.
A story in which she was confused.
Paranoid.
Dangerous to herself.
A story that might explain anything that happened next.
"You need to leave," Morgan said.
Julian's tone hardened.
"Morgan, open the damn door."
"No."
A sharp impact rattled the frame.
Denise flinched.
"Julian!"
"Open it!"
Then another man spoke.
"That's enough."
A deeper voice.
Controlled.
Morgan didn't recognize it.
Julian muttered something.
The other man answered.
"Not here."
Morgan moved toward the peephole.
Denise grabbed her arm.
"Don't."
But Morgan had already looked.
Julian stood in the hallway beside a tall man wearing a black coat.
The man turned slightly.
Morgan saw his profile.
Close-cropped hair.
A scar above his right eyebrow.
Adrian Vale.
Alive.
Morgan stumbled backward.
"Oh, my God."
Denise caught her.
"What?"
"Adrian."
"Who?"
"Julian's partner."
"The one who died?"
Morgan nodded.
"He's standing outside."
The hallway fell silent.
Then Adrian spoke directly toward the door.
"Mrs. Bennett."
Morgan couldn't answer.
"You've been given some very bad information."
She stared at the wood.
Adrian continued.
"I can explain everything."
Morgan found her voice.
"Then explain why everybody thinks you're dead."
A pause.
"That's a long story."
"Try."
Adrian sighed.
"Your husband owes money to people who don't forgive mistakes."
Morgan looked at Denise.
Adrian continued.
"People who believe your grandmother's property belongs to them."
Morgan froze.
"What does my grandmother have to do with this?"
"More than you know."
"Then tell me."
Another pause.
"Ask Julian what he found beneath the cottage."
Morgan's heart slammed against her ribs.
Beneath the cottage?
She remembered the screened porch.
The apple trees.
Grandma Clara baking cinnamon rolls on Sunday mornings.
What could possibly be buried beneath that house?
Morgan stepped closer to the door.
"What did he find?"
Julian's voice returned.
"Morgan, please."
For the first time, he sounded afraid.
Adrian spoke over him.
"Something your grandmother should never have kept."
May you like
Morgan stared.
Then Adrian added, "And something people have already killed to get back."
