Chương 8
“I don’t know.”
“Good.”
Mara heard bitterness in her own voice.
“Now we both don’t know.”
Two uniformed officers appeared at the forward door.
Neither rushed.
One was a broad-shouldered Black man in his forties with tired eyes.
The other was a younger woman carrying a small notebook.
They spoke briefly with the flight attendant.
Karen went rigid.
Mara noticed her right hand slide toward her purse.
“Don’t,” Mara said.
Karen stopped.
“I was getting my wallet.”
“Wait until they ask.”
Karen stared at her.
“You’ve watched too much television.”
“Maybe.”
Mara kept her eyes on Karen’s hand.
“But you’ve already lied to me today.”
Karen looked away.
The officers approached.
The older officer introduced himself as Officer Benton.
The younger one was Officer Ruiz.
Benton glanced at Noah, then Louise, then Karen.
“Who received the message?”
Karen raised her hand slightly.
“I did.”
“Can I see it?”
Karen hesitated.
Mara watched her make the decision.
Then she unlocked her phone and handed it over.
Benton read the message.
His expression barely changed.
“Do you know who this refers to?”
Karen looked at Mara.
“Yes.”
Mara’s shoulders tightened.
Benton noticed.
“And why would someone care that you found her?”
Karen took a breath.
“This may relate to a federal investigation.”
Ruiz’s pen stopped.
Benton looked at Karen again.
“What kind?”
“I’m not sure I’m authorized to discuss it with local law enforcement.”
Benton handed the phone back.
“You’re not required to tell me anything you don’t want to tell me.”
Karen nodded.
“But if you believe you’re in immediate danger, it helps if I understand why.”
Karen looked toward Mara.
Then at Louise.
Then at the brass key still clenched in Mara’s hand.
“I don’t know if we’re in immediate danger.”
Benton followed her gaze.
“What’s the key?”
Mara closed her fingers around it.
“Something my husband left before he died.”
Benton’s face remained neutral.
“And his death is connected to this?”
Mara answered before Karen could.
“We don’t know.”
Benton nodded once.
“That’s an important answer.”
Karen looked at Mara.
Mara ignored her.
Benton asked, “How did your husband die?”
“Car crash.”
“When?”
“Five months ago.”
“Was it investigated?”
“Yes.”
“Any indication of foul play?”
“No.”
Karen shifted.
Mara glanced at her.
Benton did too.
“You disagree?”
Karen said, “I think there may be information the investigators didn’t have.”
“Such as?”
Karen hesitated.
“A report that he believed he was being followed.”
Mara turned sharply.
“You said he told you.”
“He did.”
“That isn’t a report.”
Karen stared at Benton.
“He also emailed me.”
Mara felt something inside her go still.
“You have that email?”
Karen did not look at her.
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“In my records.”
“You never said there was an email.”
“I said he told me.”
“You let me think it was only a conversation.”
“I didn’t say only.”
Mara stood so quickly Noah startled.
“You do that on purpose.”
“Mara.”
“You use exact words so you can technically tell the truth while hiding half of it.”
Karen’s face tightened.
“It kept me employed for seventeen years.”
“And did it keep Daniel alive?”
The words left before Mara could stop them.
Karen recoiled.
Louise whispered, “Mom.”
Mara closed her eyes.
The anger remained, but shame joined it.
Benton stepped slightly between them.
“Let’s keep this calm.”
Mara nodded.
“I’m sorry.”
Karen said nothing.
Benton looked at Karen.
“Do you still have access to that email?”
“Yes.”
“Can you show it to me?”
Karen unlocked her phone and opened a secured email application.
She searched Daniel’s name.
Mara moved closer without asking permission.
The message was short.
The date was two days before Daniel died.
Karen opened it.
Mara read the first line.
Gray SUV again tonight.
The second line made her grip the seatback.
If this gets worse, I’m moving the originals tomorrow.
The third was worse.
Do not contact Mara unless I miss Friday’s check-in.
Mara looked at the date.
Daniel died Thursday night.
Her voice came out barely audible.
“What Friday check-in?”
Karen stared at the screen.
“The one he never made.”
Mara read the date again even though it had not changed.
Thursday night.
Friday check-in.
A single missing morning had sat hidden behind five months of casseroles, condolence cards, insurance forms, and people telling her accidents did not need reasons.
“What happened if he missed it?” she asked.
Karen did not answer immediately.
Officer Benton noticed.
“Ma’am?”
Karen locked the phone, then unlocked it again as if she needed the small delay.
“The attorney was supposed to trigger a release.”
“Of what?” Mara asked.
“Whatever Daniel had deposited.”
“With who?”
“The attorney.”
“No.”
Mara held up the brass key.
“This opens something.”
Karen looked at it.
“I think the release probably told someone where.”
“Probably?”
“I was never part of the full plan.”
Mara laughed once without humor.
“You were part of enough.”
Officer Ruiz glanced toward the empty aircraft door.
“Mrs. Mercer, do you have somewhere safe to go when you leave here?”
“My sister is in Phoenix.”
“So not here.”
“No.”
“Anyone meeting you?”
Mara nodded.
“My mother is driving down from Fort Collins.”
Karen looked sharply at her.
Mara caught it.
“What?”
“Did you tell anyone she was coming?”
“My mother?”
“Yes.”
“She knows our flight number.”
“Anyone else?”
“Why?”
“Because whoever sent me that knew I found you.”
Mara’s skin went cold again.
Officer Benton said, “That could mean they saw you together on the plane.”
Karen looked at him.
“From where?”
“Passenger.”
“Crew.”
“Someone you contacted.”
“I contacted no one after boarding.”
Benton nodded.
“Then we don’t jump to conclusions.”
Mara appreciated the sentence and hated it at the same time.
She wanted conclusions now.
She wanted someone to point at a person, a cause, a mistake that could be named and punished.
Uncertainty had already taken five months of her life.
Louise tugged Mara’s cardigan.
“Can Grandma still come?”
Mara looked down.
Her daughter’s bravery had started to thin.
May you like
She was eight again.
That frightened Mara more than the message.
