Charlotte sat, clenching her hands into fists in her lap. “You aren’t even going to deny you were having an affair with her?” She hadn’t actually prepared herself for this possibility. She’d been so sure he would deny everything. Hell, he hadn’t even admitted to an affair in the police transcript she’d read.
“What would be the point?” He looked at her with sad, tired eyes. “It ended thirty years ago. I was married at the time. So was your mom. We were in love, but we were trying not to hurt our families ... our kids in particular. But I’m divorced now. My kids are grown, and lying to you feels like it would hurt you more than telling the truth.”
“You ... I ...” She was at a loss for words, angry tears gathering in her eyes.
“In anticipation of your next question, no, I don’t know what happened to her.” He looked down at his hands again. “We’d decided the affair would be enough, at least until our kids were grown. Neither of us wanted to break up our families. I was at a conference in Virginia the week she disappeared. The sheriff’s department checked my alibi. I didn’t hurt her. I wouldneverhave hurt her.”
“I have no idea what to say to any of that.”
He nodded. “I’m sorry I lied when it happened. I was scared, and I was trying to protect my family. I truly had no information about Terri’s disappearance. If I had, I’d have spoken up immediately.”
“What do you think happened to her?” Charlotte asked.
“I don’t know.” His expression seemed earnest, but Charlotte didn’t know him well enough to know if he was a good liar. “And it’s eaten me up inside all these years, not knowing. Maybe I shouldn’t tell you this, but ... Terri was the love of my life. I never fully got over her, never remarried after my divorce.”
“Oh,” Charlotte mumbled, more uncomfortable than ever.
The grief on his face seemed real and startlingly raw. “I can’t imagine her leaving you behind, so ... I’ve always assumed she’s no longer with us. I’m sorry.”
Charlotte inhaled sharply. Deep down, she’d always believed the same thing, but ithurtto hear it from this man. Most people she knew—including her dad—perpetuated the idea that her mom might still be alive. Perhaps that made it even more jarring to hear Svenson say he thought she was dead.
So few people had ever admitted that to Charlotte before.
How dare this man—her mother’s lover, of all people—be the one who gave her brutal honesty, while her own father still tried to keep an unlikely fantasy alive?
Charlotte’s vision blurred. Her throat ached. Suddenly, she was on the verge of tears. She swallowed hard, then pinched the skin between her thumb and index finger. It was a trick she’d learned after her momdisappeared, when she’d heard kids whispering about her and needed to fight back the tears. Thankfully it still worked.
“You must have a theory of what you think happened,” Charlotte insisted.
“Honestly, I think it must have been something random. I assumed she met with some kind of random accident or crime, because I don’t know what the alternative would be.”
Charlotte stood on wobbly knees, suddenly desperate to get out of here. “Thank you for your time.”
He nodded, reaching for something on his desk. He held out a business card. “If you ever have more questions, or ... for any reason. Feel free to get in touch.”
She grabbed it, muttered another thank-you, and bolted for the door. Out in the corridor, she leaned against the wall, gulping air. Why did he have to be sonice? Was this another dead end? Would she ever know what happened to her mom, or was she destined to spend her whole life chasing a woman she’d never find?
Chapter Six
“That’s a lot of wine for the two of us,” Marin said with a laugh as Charlotte entered her apartment on Thursday evening, holding a tote that contained three bottles of wine. “Although Idohave a pullout couch if you want to get drunk and crash here tonight.”
Charlotte grinned. “Honestly, I brought a variety because I didn’t know what you like. A client gave me this awesome sampler basket that I wanted to share, but I’m not opposed to crashing on your couch either. I don’t have any appointments until after lunch tomorrow.”
“And I have nothing on my calendar until late afternoon,” Marin told her. “I’m volunteering at a Pride Coalition meeting on campus.” Her cheeks warmed slightly as she remembered the things she’d confessed to Charlotte the last time they talked. She was out now, at least with one person, and it feltamazing. She was still in a little bit of disbelief that she had someone she could be completely herself with now. It was a heady feeling.
“That’s awesome,” Charlotte said, walking toward the kitchen with her wine tote. “Will this be your first LGBTQ event?”
“It will, although it’s a student group. I’m just there as a faculty advisor. So, I’m also going to see if there are any adult groups in the area that I could get involved with.”
“I hope you find one.” Charlotte lined up the wine bottles and turned to face her. “What do you want to start with? I brought white, red, and sparkling.”
“Which goes best with pizza?” Marin gestured to the box on the counter. “The students upstairs assured me this is the best place in town, and I splurged on cheesy breadsticks, too, because ... why not?”
“Why not indeed?” Charlotte said, eyes sparkling. “And using that philosophy, I think ... whichever you’re in the mood for. Who cares if it goes with pizza?”
“Good, because I have a feeling red would be considered the proper pairing, but I prefer white. Maybe we could start with that, and then if I successfully get my online-dating profile set up, we can open the bubbly?”
“Ilovethe way you think.” Charlotte reached for the bottle of white. “Got a corkscrew?”
