What Have You Done(43)

“I got the mail,” she said. “Do we really owe this many people money?”

“I’m sure we do.”

She handed her husband the bills and made her way into the kitchen, where she opened the refrigerator and grabbed a beer. “You want anything?”

“No, I’m good.”

“How about Chinese tonight? I don’t feel like cooking.”

“Okay.”

Liam stood in the hallway flipping through the envelopes, reading none of them. He hadn’t been expecting Vanessa so early, and now she’d be home the entire night. He glanced at the closet door. He’d have to be careful.

She appeared from inside the kitchen, her hair up in a neat little bun, her scrubs still on, her stethoscope hanging from her neck. “It was funny,” she began. “Today I’m at work, and I’m pissed about last night, then all of a sudden I start missing you. Can’t really explain it. Just a feeling that came over me. By lunch, I don’t care about being mad anymore and start thinking how much I wanted to be with you. I couldn’t wait to get home.”

“I missed you too. I’m sorry I’ve been in such a crappy mood. This case at work has my head all screwed up.”

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“It’s okay.” Vanessa took a sip of her beer. “I’m sorry too. I haven’t been around lately, and then when I am, I expect you to drop everything so we can spend time together. That’s not fair. I promise I’m not hiding in my work. Some of these extra shifts are mandatory. The census really picked up over the last week, and we’re understaffed as it is.”

Liam put the envelopes on the table and walked over to his wife. “It’s okay. No more apologies.”

Vanessa giggled uneasily. “If the counselor finds out about us working like this again, she’s gonna flip.”

“This is life. Some days are going to be busier than others. When things get to be too much, we drop what we’re doing and come home to each other. Like tonight.”

“Yeah, like tonight.” Vanessa smiled and kissed her husband. “You think we can save us, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“I love you, Liam. I don’t want to lose you.”

“You won’t.”

They kissed again, and then Vanessa pulled away. “I need a shower. Order the Chinese, and I’ll meet you upstairs. I’m in the mood for a comedy. I have enough drama in my life.”

“I have something for you.”

“What?”

Liam reached into his pocket and came away with the charm bracelet. He held it up so she could see it clearly.

“My bracelet!” Vanessa cried. “I’ve been looking all over for it. Where’d you find it?”

“Sean’s boat.”

It was subtle, but Liam could see his wife’s jaw clench for a moment. She looked at him and smiled. “Sean’s boat. Of course. I went over there the other night, about a week ago now, I guess. I wanted to talk to him about us. Get some advice. You don’t realize this, but sometimes you’re so hard to talk to. I needed to get some things off my chest, and Sean offered to be a shoulder to lean on.”

“Did it work?”

“I guess. We’re about to spend the night together watching movies and eating Chinese, right?”

“Right.” He handed her the bracelet. “Go take that shower.”

Vanessa nodded and made her way upstairs. Liam followed her to the bottom floor landing.

“Can I ask you something?”

Vanessa stopped on the first step. “Sure.”

“Did you work Saturday night?”

“No, I was off.”

“So you were home when I was out with Sean and the guys from work?”

“Yup. I watched Jaws on the DVR like I do every spring, and then I went to sleep. Woke up in the middle of the night, and you were a crashed-out drunken mess on the couch. Why?”

“Just another opportunity for us to spend time together, and I screwed it up.”

Vanessa began walking up the stairs. “You can make it up to me with some sweet-and-sour soup. Go.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Liam watched his wife walk up the stairs. For a brief moment, he forgot about Kerri and the case and his fingerprints and only thought about his wife. But when she was gone, his world was his again. He didn’t have much time.

The bathroom door closed upstairs. Liam scurried to the front door, eased it open, and ran out to his car, where he reached into the back seat and retrieved a small black bag. He was back inside within seconds.

The shower upstairs was running. Liam placed the bag on the bench under the stairs and unzipped it, quickly pulling out a small spray bottle. He’d have about ten minutes. Not much time.

After leaving Sean’s house, doubts had begun to creep into his mind about his innocence and his theory that he was being framed. He still couldn’t recall anything about the night Kerri was murdered, and although his heart wouldn’t let him believe he could do such a thing, facts were facts. Everything pointed to him.

Liam walked to the closet and pulled his Timberlands out into the hall. He remembered Vanessa yelling about him leaving them out the morning after he woke in the tub. That could only mean he’d been wearing them the night before. Part of him wanted to run from whatever he might discover, but he had to know. There was no other way.