Chương 10
“Hands where we can see them,” the officer called.
Raymond froze.
Slowly, he withdrew a small folded piece of paper.
Not a phone.
Not a weapon.
A receipt.
He held it between two fingers.
“I didn’t know what else to do.”
Naomi took it before Claire could.
Raymond looked at Claire.
“Judith threw the rolling pin away.”
Claire stopped breathing.
“When?”
“The next morning.”
“Where?”
“She put it in a trash bag from the kitchen.”
“Which trash?”
Raymond licked his lips.
“The commercial dumpster behind the strip center on Bee Cave Road.”
Ortega’s words from earlier returned immediately.
The rolling pin was gone.
Claire stared at Raymond.
“How do you know?”
“Because I drove her.”
Daniel made a sound behind his teeth.
Susan gripped his wrist harder.
Raymond pointed toward the receipt in Naomi’s hand.
“I bought gas across the street.”
Claire looked at the printed timestamp.
Five forty-eight in the morning.
The day after the assault.
Raymond’s voice dropped.
“There’s something else.”
Claire raised her eyes.
He looked suddenly terrified.
“Evan wasn’t worried about your phone.”
Claire felt cold spread through her chest.
“What was he worried about?”
Raymond looked at the open doorway.
Then he said, “The drive under his desk.”
Claire looked at Raymond for several seconds before she trusted herself to speak.
“What is on it?”
Raymond shook his head.
“I don’t know exactly.”
“That’s not good enough.”
“I know.”
His voice thinned.
“I know.”
Daniel stepped closer to the bed, but Susan kept one hand around his wrist.
Claire ignored them.
“How do you know Evan was worried about the drive?”
Raymond glanced toward Naomi.
“Because he came home yesterday and tore the office apart looking for it.”
Claire’s pulse quickened.
“Looking for it?”
“Yes.”
“You mean it’s missing?”
Raymond nodded.
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
“Who took it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did Judith?”
“No.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she was screaming at him about losing it.”
Claire looked at Naomi.
Naomi’s face remained composed, but her posture changed.
She stepped away from the wall.
“Raymond, are you saying a potentially relevant electronic storage device disappeared from the house after police began asking questions?”
Raymond rubbed both hands over his thighs.
“I suppose.”
“That is not a difficult question.”
He looked miserable.
“Yes.”
Claire’s mouth went dry.
“Did Evan say what was on it?”
“He said records.”
“What kind of records?”
“He wouldn’t tell me.”
“Did he call it a backup drive?”
Raymond looked surprised.
“Yes.”
Claire felt the room narrow.
She pictured the green light beneath the desk.
The folders with dates.
The old password.
The cloud files that had frightened Evan enough to ask police about electronics.
“What did he say when he couldn’t find it?”
Raymond swallowed.
“He asked me whether Claire had ever gone into the office alone.”
Daniel gave a low, disgusted laugh.
Claire did not.
“What did you tell him?”
“That you had.”
“How often?”
“I said I didn’t know.”
“Then what?”
“He asked Judith whether she had cleaned the desk.”
Claire leaned back.
“Did she?”
“She said no.”
“Who else has access to that room?”
“Anyone in the house.”
“Cleaning service?”
“Twice a week.”
“Which days?”
“Tuesdays and Fridays.”
Claire looked at the wall clock.
It was Thursday.
“Did they come after I left?”
Raymond shook his head.
“Judith canceled Tuesday because of the police.”
Claire looked at Naomi.
“That narrows it.”
Naomi held up a hand.
“It narrows nothing we can prove yet.”
Claire exhaled sharply.
Raymond flinched at the sound.
She turned back to him.
“Why tell me now?”
He stared at the floor.
“I didn’t sleep.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“I kept hearing you.”
Claire went still.
Raymond’s eyes remained lowered.
“In the kitchen.”
Daniel moved again.
Susan tightened her grip.
Raymond continued.
“You were asking us to call an ambulance.”
His voice broke slightly.
“I went to bed and kept hearing it.”
Claire felt anger move through her so cleanly that it almost steadied her.
“You heard me while I was still there too.”
“Yes.”
“You ate dinner.”
“Yes.”
“You opened wine.”
Raymond looked up.
His eyes were wet.
“Yes.”
Claire wanted him to suffer.
The feeling was immediate and ugly and honest.
She wanted him to wake every night hearing her ask for help.
She wanted him to lose every quiet dinner for the rest of his life.
Then another thought arrived.
“What changed?”
Raymond blinked.
“You didn’t come here because you developed a conscience overnight.”
Daniel glanced at her.
Raymond’s face tightened.
Claire continued.
“Evan got suspended.”
“Yes.”
“Judith is scared.”
“Yes.”
“And now whatever was on that drive is missing.”
Raymond said nothing.
Claire leaned forward.
“Are you afraid they’ll blame you?”
His silence answered before his mouth did.
Finally he whispered, “Evan already is.”
Susan released Daniel’s wrist.
Claire watched Raymond carefully.
“What did he say?”
“That I had let things get out of control.”
Claire almost laughed.
“He said that to you?”
“He said I should have stopped Judith before you got hurt.”
Daniel muttered, “At least one accurate sentence.”
Raymond looked toward him.
Daniel’s expression made him look away quickly.
Claire felt no satisfaction.
“Did he say you took the drive?”
Raymond hesitated.
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“No.”
“Did you touch it?”
“No.”
“Ever?”
“I don’t think so.”
“That means yes or no.”
“No.”
Claire studied him.
Raymond had lied to police once already.
Nothing about his fear made him trustworthy.
“Why should I believe you?”
He seemed to have no answer prepared.
That was the first thing about him she believed.
“I don’t know,” he said.
Claire looked toward Naomi.
“Can Ortega come back?”
“I can call him.”
Raymond rose too quickly.
“I can’t stay.”
Security shifted in the hallway.
Claire’s voice hardened.
“Sit down.”
Raymond stopped.
For years he had watched Judith order everyone around the house.
Claire had never once spoken to him that way.
He sat.
“Did Evan know you were coming here?”
“No.”
“Judith?”
“No.”
“Where do they think you are?”
May you like
“Driving.”
“That doesn’t make sense.”
