Chapter 9 - The Number on the Cover

It was my private cell number.

Written in blue ink.

Beneath it, Lena had added three words.

TRY HIM AGAIN.

I sat with that photograph longer than I could stand.

“Where did you get the number?” I asked her.

“Your wife’s sister gave it to me.”

“When?”

“Two weeks ago.

She said I could call if there was ever an emergency.”

“Did you?”

“Twice.”

There were no missed calls from Lena in my recent history.

I opened the blocked-number list.

Her number was there.

I stared at the screen.

Margaret had used my phone the week before.

She said the nursery app needed to be reconnected.

I had handed it over while signing papers.

I couldn’t prove that was when it happened.

But Lena’s call log showed the attempts.

And mine showed the block.

I had made myself unreachable inside my own home.

Ruiz photographed the relevant screens and asked me not to change anything until the information was preserved.

Meanwhile, the torn notebook pages began to matter less than Margaret had hoped.

Lena had photographed several of them.

Ruth admitted removing the book.

She claimed Margaret told her it contained private financial information.

Ruiz didn’t tell me everything Ruth said.

She didn’t need to.

The shape of it was clear.

Margaret had expected to control the story even after we caught her.

That evening, Caroline’s sister, Julia, came to the hospital.

She hugged the boys.

Then she asked me to step outside.

“I told you something was wrong.”

“I know.”

“You said Margaret knew what she was doing.”

“I know.”

Julia’s eyes shone.

“Caroline trusted you to show up.”

There was nothing cruel about how she said it.

That made it hurt more.

“I’m here now.”

“Stay when it gets boring.

Stay when it’s hard.

Anybody can show up for a crisis.”

I nodded.

When we returned, Noah was crying because Lena had gone to the restroom.

I picked him up.

He fought me.

I stayed gentle.

Stayed standing.

Stayed there.

Eventually, his head settled against my shoulder.

Then Ruiz called again.

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Margaret had made a formal accusation against Lena.

And this time, she had put my name in it.