Chapter 13 - The Workshop
We did not meet alone.
Martin parked down the street.
Two plainclothes officers waited nearby.
I entered the workshop at 1:14 a.m.
Denise stood beside my workbench.
She looked twenty years older than she had two days earlier.
No makeup.
Hair messy.
Eyes swollen.
A paper grocery bag sat in front of her.
“Where is it?”
She pointed.
I looked inside.
A handgun.
I didn’t touch it.
“Where did you find this?”
“In Raymond’s overnight bag.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
“Why did you have his bag?”
“He left it at the hotel.”
“Why bring the gun here?”
“I panicked.”
“You should’ve called the police.”
“I didn’t know who to trust.”
I almost laughed.
“You really want to say that to me?”
She looked down.
“No.”
I stepped closer.
“Did you know about the life insurance?”
Her head snapped up.
“What?”
“Raymond tried to change my beneficiary to you.”
“No.”
I watched her face.
Thirty-one years teaches you some things.
She was telling the truth.
Or she had become a much better liar.
“Did you know he had my passport?”
“No.”
“Did you know he forged loan documents?”
“I knew about one.”
My jaw tightened.
“Which?”
“The house.”
“Why?”
She started crying.
“We needed money.”
“For what?”
“To leave.”
“There it is.”
“I thought you were going to destroy me in the divorce.”
“There was no divorce!”
“I know!”
Her voice cracked.
“I know now.”
She grabbed the edge of the table.
“Raymond convinced me you were hiding everything. He said you had another woman. Another house. Offshore accounts.”
“And because of that, you stole eighty-three thousand dollars?”
“I thought I was protecting myself.”
“You destroyed my suit.”
She looked ashamed.
“That wasn’t about money.”
“No.”
“It was cruel.”
“Yes.”
“I was angry.”
“At what?”
“That Sabrina still loved you more.”
That surprised me.
“What?”
Denise wiped her face.
“Raymond came back and suddenly she was desperate to know him. She wanted the father she never had. And every time he disappointed her, she came to you.”
I stared at her.
“She came to me because I raised her.”
“I know.”
“She trusted me.”
“I know.”
“You turned that into something ugly.”
“I know.”
She whispered it again.
“I know.”
For a second, the workshop was silent.
Then tires crunched outside.
Too fast.
Denise looked toward the window.
“That’s not Martin.”
Headlights swept across the wall.
A car door slammed.
I reached for my phone.
The workshop door exploded inward.
Raymond.
He should have been in custody.
But there he was.
Face bruised.
Eyes wild.
“You stupid bitch!”
Denise screamed.
I stepped in front of her.
Raymond saw the paper bag.
Then saw me.
“You.”
“How are you here?”
He smiled.
“Bail.”
Of course.
Assault charge.
Released pending the fraud investigation.
“Back up,” I said.
He reached inside his jacket.
My heart slammed.
I shoved Denise behind the workbench.
“Raymond, don’t.”
He pulled out a second gun.
Of course there was a second gun.
“You ruined everything.”
Sirens sounded in the distance.
His eyes darted toward the door.
Then back to me.
“You called them.”
“Yes.”
His hand shook.
“You think you won?”
“I think you need to put the gun down.”
He laughed.
“You took my family.”
“No.”
I stared at him.
“You sold yours.”
His face twisted.
The gun lifted.
May you like
Denise screamed my name.
Then the lights went out.
