Calm, Laura, calm,she told herself, and pressed her right thumb into the webbing of her left hand in an acupressure stressrelief point she had learned about. After a few minutes she was at least OK to drive. She was about to pick up the phone and call Elliott when he beat her to it.
“Laura—my boss just pulled me aside and said I had to meet you at the District 3 police station. What is going on? Is Quinn OK?”
“He’s fine, he’s at day care. Elliott, this is crazy. We’re going to be asked about Faith’s death.”
“What?”
“I guess she had some note with names on it. No one knows why or what it means but they could be asking people on the list for alibis and such. I don’t know. I was only told they want to talk to us. Both of our names were on it.”
“That fucking bitch,” he muttered. “That little conniving bitch. I can’t believe she would stoop to this.”
“I wonder how many people she had on the list,” Laura mused. “I mean, we had our problems, she and I, but I can’t believe she would do this either. At least you and I both have alibis. I was working and you were with your friends camping.”
He was very silent and Laura thought the connection might be lost.
“Elliott? Are you still there?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you hear what I said? We both have airtight alibis. We would never hurt Faith. We couldn’t have. We were both in a place with other people.”
Elliott let out a long low sigh before speaking again.
“Laura?” His tone was odd and Laura felt a prickle at the back of her neck.
“Elliott? What? You were camping and I was at work.”
“Honey, I… I… I’ll have to be honest with the police so I better start with you.”
Laura’s hand gripped the phone tightly and her insides turned into a tiny, mushy swamp. Her next words came out in a whisper.
“You were camping, right, Elliott?”
“Of course I was, but… the truth is, I went alone Friday. The guys weren’t going until Saturday. I just needed an extra night away. I’m sorry. Being a parent is a shit-ton of work, especially with you working nights. I just needed a break, that’s all. So I wasn’t actually around anyone Friday but don’t worry, I still have an alibi. They can check the campsite registry if they want, I was there. I went fishing alone before dark and made a campfire, had a few beers, hung out, listened to the Tigers game on the radio, and went to sleep. The next day the guys joined me.”
“You… lied to me?” Her voice got stronger. “You actually lied to me about camping?”
“I didn’t think you’d want me out there alone but I needed that night, Laura, I needed it. I’m falling apart here trying to juggle everything. I don’t want to hate being a parent. I want to love it but some days I hate it and I don’t know what to do.”
“And you think I’m not falling apart?” Laura could feel her voice seething with resentment. “I’m the one nursing Quinn all night and giving him baths and tummy time and taking care of him every morning and getting him to day care and still working full-time at my crazy job. We’re supposed to be partners in this.”
Tears stung at the corners of her eyes. They were both quiet, and a long moment passed.
“I fucked up, OK, Laura? I fucked up. So sue me.”
“I don’t want tosueyou, Elliott. I just want you to be a better dad… and husband.”
The tears started coming now and she couldn’t stop a couple of sobs. He said nothing.
She was just about to tell him to meet her at the police station and they would talk more later when her phone pinged with a text. Looking down, she saw it was from Perry.
When you get back from the police station, come to my office right away. Something else is happening that I need you to know about.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Carol
June 4
