I unscrewed the lid and tipped the contents in his direction. Three small vials sat in the jar and clinked against the side. Mini test tubes, labeled A, B, and C.
Christopher slid them out one at a time, keeping them lower than the window level.
A was empty, while B contained a gray solution, and C a pale blue one. We’d found what Brandon may have injected himself with. It meant I needed to look for information about A, B, and C in the folders on his computer. I hadn’t known what to read, so narrowing the search would be helpful. It also meant he may have injected himself at home and not the lab. Perhaps before work. He’d collapsed at work so initially, they would have searched the lab, not his house. They’d injected him with drugs to make it look like an overdose for the authorities.
“When the antivenom arrives, let’s try that. I still think the coma is due to anaphylactic shock. If that doesn’t reverse it, we can try again with these.”
“You know you’re brilliant,” Christopher leaned over to kiss me.
I warmed inside at his compliment as I closed the jar and returned it to my bag.
“Let’s go put that in my fridge, in case it needs to stay cold,” he said. “Have I ever told you how much smart girls turn me on?”
One phrase, one look, and I was wet again. All thoughts of the investigation slipped away. He had an adverse effect on me because now all I wanted was to get him home so we could be naked. He excelled at changing the subject and my focus.
“Take me home.”He gave me a knowing glance, started the car, and revved the engine.
. . .
November sped by as we waited for the antivenom to arrive. A few weeks after checking Brandon’s place, I arrived home from karate and jumped in the shower, expecting Christopher any minute. He’d planned to pick up Mexican after his workout. I’d given him a key, just like I had one for his house, as we spent an even amount of time at the two houses.
Through the noise of the streaming water, came the sound of the front door closing.
The thick bank of steam inhibited my vision as I’d forgotten to turn on the fan.
There were no further noises. I half expected Christopher to join me in the shower like he’d done earlier that week, but he didn’t. Maybe the door had been my neighbor’s or my imagination. I hurried and jumped out to dry off. If he wasn’t here, he would be soon.
I looked up. Someone had drawn a large heart in the condensation on the mirror. I smiled because Christopher must be here.
I walked into the bedroom and dressed in clean clothes, all the while expecting to hear Christopher’s voice. While putting on my jeans, I glanced at the bed. A single red rose rested against my pillow. I picked it up and went looking for Christopher. To my consternation, he wasn’t in the kitchen or the living room. The house was quiet, and he wasn’t there.
My forehead tightened in a frown. Maybe he’d left the food in the car and gone outside to collect it. My palms grew sweaty when I checked outside and his car wasn’t in sight. As I watched, he drove up to the curb. He was just arriving. Light-headed, my legs became rubbery, and I wasn’t sure they would hold me up. I sat down at the table, trying not to be sick.
Christopher came in carrying takeout bags. He took one look at my face and dropped them to the floor. He crouched beside me and put his hand on my jaw. When he touched my skin, he read my mind better.
“What’s wrong?”
I didn’t answer. My eyes flicked toward the crimson rose.
“What the fuck? Eric was here? How did he get in?”
I shook my head, not in denial, but because I didn’t know. I was glad Christopher could read my mind because I hadn’t wanted to type Eric’s name. It would be too real. The rose was the first physical piece of evidence. Something tangible, concrete. It was there, not in my imagination. The blood rushed from my face. The note after the gala about the black dress. The familiar handwriting wasn’t Christopher’s. It was Eric’s. He must have been in the house while I slept—months ago. The flower meant he hadn’t given up. How many times had he been here, and I hadn’t known? My blood chilled.
My icy hands shook as I picked up my phone.“Didn’t see him. I was in the shower. Left this in the bedroom.”He’d watched me shower. The heart on the mirror. I wanted to throw up.
Christopher grabbed my hands. His hands felt hot compared to mine.
“Has he been here before?”
His voice was too loud. Anger rolled off him in waves and filled the room.
A tear escaped. It rolled down my cheek and splattered on my pants. I slipped my hands free and picked up my phone.
“I think so.”I bit my cheek and waited for Christopher to yell.
“This is going to take too long.” He grabbed my phone. “Let’s try an experiment.” He hauled me to my feet and led me to the bedroom door.
I wasn’t sure what he had planned.
