The Good Twin(36)

Ben awoke when he heard a loud noise out back. His head was throbbing, and the TV was still running. He glanced at his watch—2:00 a.m. He stumbled to the back door, opened it, and looked around. No one. He glanced down at the welcome mat and saw a bulge underneath and quickly pulled it up. He tore open the manila envelope that had been placed there, and finally, there was the phone, along with his wife’s diamond wedding band. Ben hadn’t even asked Clark to return the ring. For a hit man, he has scruples. Also inside was a small white envelope. He opened it, and a small key dropped into his hand. A note said, Leave the balance at Box 2119, Mail Connections, 350 W. 41st Street.

He grabbed everything and returned to the den. His hands trembled as he opened up the photos icon on the phone. The first picture was of Charly, in the bedroom upstairs, her eyes open in a fixed stare, a red mark around her neck. He felt himself relax. It had gone as planned. He swiped to see the next picture, then gagged, and ran to the bathroom and threw up. On the camera was a picture of Charly’s decapitated head, and next to it, her dismembered hands, the ring that had just been returned still on her finger.





CHAPTER 26

Ben called me early Monday morning to say he’d gotten the proof that Charly was dead. He told me to close up the house and call a limousine service to drive me into the city. I realized money didn’t matter to him, but that seemed like such a waste when a bus in town would take me into Manhattan. Still, I suppose it wouldn’t do for Charlotte Gordon to be pulling a suitcase through Port Authority, so I did as Ben asked.

Before I left, I turned off the main water supply and made sure the sheets were clean, the bed was neatly made, and the dishes were put away. The house looked like Ben’s parents had left it. Then, I faced my hardest task. I called Jake.

“I’m leaving High Falls,” I told him.

“When?”

“Today.”

There was silence on the phone for a beat. “Are you going back to the city?”

“No. I’m heading to California. I’ve been offered a job there.” I figured I might as well keep my excuses simple. I’d used that before with Brian and Gus, and it had worked fine.

Another beat of silence. “I thought we were starting something. Something special.”

I wanted to reach out through the phone and hug him, tell him he was right, that I did have feelings for him. Instead, I said, my voice soft, “No, Jake. I told you at the start that it was just a friendship.”

I spotted the limo driver pulling up to the house and quickly ended the call. All the way into the city, I felt miserable. Jake was the last person I wanted to hurt, yet I knew I had.

Two hours later, I pulled up to Ben’s townhouse. The driver brought my suitcase up the front steps, then left when Ben opened the door. He didn’t look good at all.

“Are you okay?” I asked once I was inside.

Ben nodded. “It’s just . . . the pictures of her. They were disturbing. It’s hard to get them out of my head.” He took my suitcase and brought it into one of the guest bedrooms on the second floor. “You should have everything you need here. Get settled. I’m heading into the office.”

Like the rest of the house, the room was decorated beautifully. On top of the queen-size bed was a coverlet that had a floral top in colors of brown, gold, and black and a gathered skirt in a simpler flowered design, trimmed with black lace. A dozen assorted pillows in the same colors were piled up under the beige, tufted, upholstered headboard. A Persian rug covered most of the wood floor. The room had its own bathroom and a bow window overlooking the backyard.

I unpacked my clothes and decided to explore the kitchen. It was a cook’s dream. It had a Wolf range and built-in Sub-Zero refrigerator, two Miele dishwashers, and a center island that was ten feet long, with a sink in the middle. The appliances were all stainless steel, and the cabinets were a warm off-white. There was a full set of All-Clad Copper Core cookware, and on the counter, a Thermomix food processor and a Hobart mixer. I’d worked in enough restaurants over the years to appreciate the quality and expense of this kitchen.

I decided to surprise Ben with a home-cooked meal tonight. I grabbed the house key he’d left me and headed over to a market I’d passed on the drive in. As soon as I walked in, the man at the cash register called out to me. “Mrs. Gordon, I heard about your father. I’m so sorry.” I quickly ran through the list of names Ben had given me of people Charly came in contact with. There was a “Joe” in this market. I hoped that was this man. “Thanks, Joe. I appreciate it.” He nodded back, so I’d passed my first test. Tomorrow, when I went into the gallery, it would get harder.

I picked up the items I needed, then headed back to the townhouse. When Ben walked in at 7:15 p.m., he called out, “What smells so good?”

“Coq au vin,” I answered.

He walked into the kitchen and looked around. “You’ve made dinner?”

“Yep,” I answered with a smile.

“Smells delicious, but going forward, check with me first. Once the prenup is canceled, I expect to be going over to my girlfriend’s after work most nights.”

“No problem. I just couldn’t let this gorgeous kitchen go to waste.”

Ben smirked. “Well, that’s one way you’re not like your sister. She rarely stepped foot in the kitchen. We bought takeout every night.”