Chương 11
Laura looked at her.
“You think I’m paranoid.”
“I think paranoia can be unreasonable or it can be memory with bad manners.”
Laura almost smiled.
Bell leaned against the counter.
“Was your husband the reason you ran?”
Laura’s expression closed.
Bell held up a hand.
“You don’t need to answer.”
“Then why ask?”
“Because if he was, I need to think about safety differently.”
Laura stared at the covered glass.
“He was part of the reason.”
“Was the other man?”
Laura looked at her.
Bell glanced toward the evidence sleeve.
“The Polaroid.”
Laura’s mouth tightened.
“Part of it.”
“Was he Emily’s father?”
Laura remained silent.
Bell sighed.
“You’re making everybody build a puzzle with half the pieces.”
“I know.”
“That may have kept you alive once.”
Laura looked at her.
Bell continued.
“It may not work anymore.”
Laura lowered her head.
“I know.”
At six thirty, the road reopened for controlled traffic.
The resort offered to move the Mercer family to a private suite and keep their names off internal guest displays.
Daniel declined at first.
Then Emily said, “I want a shower.”
So they accepted.
A security vehicle drove them the short distance up the mountain.
No one spoke in the SUV.
Daniel sat in front.
Emily sat in back beside Laura.
They did not touch.
The resort suite overlooked snow-covered pines and a stretch of gray lake barely visible through morning clouds.
It was absurdly beautiful.
Daniel walked in, looked at the fireplace, the kitchen, the view, and said, “We’re not paying for this.”
The manager, who had escorted them upstairs, said, “Mr. Mercer, given the inconvenience—”
“We are absolutely not paying for the inconvenience of discovering my wife’s legal death status.”
The manager blinked.
Daniel closed his eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
“No problem, sir.”
“There is clearly a problem.”
The manager left quickly.
Emily collapsed onto a couch and laughed into a cushion.
Daniel looked at her.
“What?”
“That poor man.”
“I apologized.”
“You made it worse.”
“I’m under stress.”
Laura stood near the door.
For a moment the scene resembled countless family trips: Daniel complaining, Emily mocking him, Laura preparing to intervene.
Then nobody knew what role she was supposed to play.
She removed her coat.
“I’m going to call an attorney.”
Daniel nodded.
“Fine.”
“After that, I’ll tell you what I can.”
Emily sat up.
“What does that mean?”
Laura looked at her.
“It means I’m done lying.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“But not done withholding.”
“No.”
He looked away.
Laura took a breath.
“If there are details that could put you at risk before we understand what happened to the people involved, I’m going to wait.”
Emily frowned.
“You just said you don’t get to decide for me.”
“I don’t.”
Laura’s voice shook.
“So if you insist, I’ll tell you.”
Emily stared.
“But I’m asking you not to insist until Bell checks.”
Emily looked toward Daniel.
He did not rescue her from the decision.
She rubbed her palms against her jeans.
“How long?”
“Today.”
“Not next week?”
“No.”
“Not another eighteen years?”
Laura winced.
“No.”
Emily nodded.
“Today.”
Laura went into the bedroom to call an attorney.
Daniel stood by the windows.
Emily watched him.
“Dad.”
He looked over.
“You can stop pretending you’re okay.”
“I’m not pretending.”
“You’re organizing.”
He looked down.
He had arranged the room-service menus into a neat stack.
Daniel sighed.
“Fine.”
He sat.
Emily joined him.
For several minutes neither spoke.
Then he said, “I don’t know if my marriage exists.”
Emily looked at him.
“What?”
“Legally. If she was already married.”
“Oh.”
“I know that’s not the important part.”
“It’s important to you.”
Daniel nodded.
“I keep thinking about stupid things.”
“Like what?”
“Our anniversary.”
Emily waited.
“If the marriage wasn’t valid, what have we been celebrating?”
She thought.
“Dinner.”
He looked at her.
“Mostly.”
“And Mom getting mad because you forget to buy a card.”
“I forget once.”
“Every year.”
“I remember the date.”
“You remember after she puts a card on your pillow.”
Daniel smiled despite himself.
Then his face tightened.
“Was any of it real?”
Emily leaned back.
“I don’t know.”
He nodded.
She added, “But I was there for some of it.”
Daniel looked at her.
“It looked real.”
That did more for him than she intended.
Laura returned forty minutes later.
“I have an attorney.”
Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“You had one ready?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
“She’s driving up from Reno when the road improves.”
Emily asked, “What did she say?”
“That I should stop talking.”
Daniel laughed.
“Finally, a professional.”
Laura looked at him.
The laugh died.
“Sorry.”
“No. It was funny.”
He rubbed his face.
“I hate that you still know what I think is funny.”
Laura sat across from them.
“I hate that too.”
Daniel looked at her.
That answer was unexpectedly cruel and tender.
Emily broke the silence.
“Tell us something.”
Laura nodded.
“What?”
“How did you meet Dad?”
Daniel frowned.
“You know that story.”
“I know her version.”
Laura looked at him.
He understood.
The old story was harmless: grocery store, dropped oranges, stupid joke, coffee.
Laura said, “That part was true.”
“All of it?”
“Yes.”
“You weren’t targeting him?”
Daniel asked.
Laura looked offended.
“No.”
“Sorry.”
“You should be.”
He almost smiled.
She continued.
“I was buying groceries. You knocked over a display of oranges.”
Daniel pointed at her.
“You hit the display.”
“I did not.”
“You absolutely did.”
Emily stared.
“This argument survived identity fraud.”
Both parents fell silent.
Then Laura laughed.
Daniel did too.
The laughter lasted only a few seconds.
Emily started crying.
She covered her face.
Laura moved toward her and stopped.
Emily reached out.
Laura sat beside her.
Emily leaned against her mother.
“I’m so mad at you.”
“I know.”
“Don’t say it.”
Laura nodded.
Emily cried harder.
“You hit me.”
Laura closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“You’ve never hit me.”
“No.”
“You scared me.”
“I’m sorry.”
Emily pulled away enough to look at her.
May you like
“Why did you do it?”
Laura looked at the red mark fading from Emily’s hand.
