She had laughed.
She had not asked what forms he meant.
Trust lives in small omissions too.
You do not ask because you believe you will have years to learn the boring details.
“He made me beneficiary?” Emily asked.
Detective Ward’s expression softened by one degree.
“Yes.”
Emily turned her face toward the window.
Rain blurred the glass.
Nathan had loved her in paperwork too.
That hurt in a place morphine could not reach.
Diane’s version, when it finally came through her attorney, was polished.
She said she had been worried about Nathan.
She said she believed Emily was rushing him.
She said Cole Whitaker had been hired only to frighten him into returning home, to make him think clearly before making permanent decisions.
She said she never meant for anyone to die.
People who set fires always claim they only wanted warmth once the house is gone.
