The Wife Who Knew Too Much(44)
“Yes. What happened?”
“She killed herself.”
Suicide? That wasn’t what the probation officer had said. I had questions, but they would sound suspicious enough that I couldn’t ask them with Liz standing right outside my car.
“Can you hold on?” I said into the phone, and lowered the window again.
“Liz, I’m sorry. I need some privacy.”
She shook her head, turned, and walked away, and my heart sank. She was going to lose patience with me. But what could I do? I hadn’t heard from Connor in weeks. Nina was dead. We had to talk. This was too important.
“I heard she drowned,” I said to Connor, once Liz had gone. “What makes you think it was suicide? Did she leave a note?”
“No. We found an empty bottle of pills. She’d been despondent. The theory is, she took an overdose and threw herself in the swimming pool.”
Guilt weighed on me. “Oh, no. Because you told her you were leaving her?”
“I never went through with that. The day we got back to the States, she saw her doctor. She was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I couldn’t leave her when she was dying. I would’ve felt too bad about myself.”
“Cancer?”
“Lung cancer. She was a heavy smoker when she was younger. She’d been feeling ill for a while. Chest pain, shortness of breath. She had the specialist lined up and went straight there from the airport. She told me it was clear on the X-ray, a big mass on her lung. She was so upset. That’s why I couldn’t return your calls. I needed to be there for her. I just never thought she’d do something like that. God, I feel so guilty.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I didn’t want it to end like that.”
“Of course not. Still, that’s a relief.”
“A relief?”
“I’m sorry, that came out sounding selfish. I just meant, I’m relieved that it had nothing to do with us. With you and me.”
Or with Derek. Thank God.
“Right. But still. If anybody knew about us, they might think there was some connection. We should hang up. We can’t talk. Not until things settle down.”
I’d been imagining that now we could see each other. He didn’t even want to talk?
“We’re talking now. I don’t understand. What’s the problem?”
“I shouldn’t have answered. But when I saw your number come up—well, I didn’t think. All I knew was, I wanted to hear your voice.”
“I want that, too. I want to see you, be with you.”
“Me, too, Tabby. Believe me.”
“I’ve missed you so much. I can’t wait another minute. I know things are crazy for you. I can drive down there right now.”
“No, you’re not listening. It’s not possible.”
“I can help. I can be there for you.”
“If anyone finds out about us, it would look terrible.”
“We’ll just say I’m your friend.”
“Who’s gonna believe that? It’s too risky.”
“I don’t understand. You said her death was a suicide. If that’s true, what is there to worry about?”
“There’s been no ruling yet. The police are investigating. You know how cops are. They rush to judgment. It’s always the husband, even in cases where there’s not a lot of money at stake. Here, there’s a fortune. If there was even the slightest hint that I had a motive—”
“A motive beyond the money? Like, another woman? Me?”
“Exactly. That’s the classic scenario, right? If anyone found out about us, frankly, I’d be in deep shit.”
“But if she really killed herself, won’t the evidence show that?”
“I’m no expert. But my sense is, this is one of those murky situations. They can make it look bad for me.”
“How long will the investigation take?”
“It’s not just the investigation. There’s the estate.”
“Estate?”
“I’m trying to get a handle on it. I have a call in to her lawyer. I don’t know if there was a will. I don’t know what the story is. That could take a long time to resolve, and until it’s settled, I need to lead an exemplary life.”
“So, we have to sneak around?”
“Not sneak around. We can’t see each other.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know. A year, maybe more, maybe less.”
“A year? No. Connor—no.”
“Does it matter? I’m committed to you, Tabby. I found you again after so long. I’m finally sure of what I want in my life, and it’s you. I know that in my heart. You need to know it, too. We can wait another year. What’s one more year if we know we want to be together forever?”
“Connor, this won’t be a normal year. I’ve been trying to get in touch for days. There’s something you need to know, something important.”
“What is it?”
I told him.
22
MRS. TABITHA FORD
October
It was dark and rainy as the plane came in for landing. I’d only flown a few times in my life, and never into New York City. Awestruck by its beauty, I craned my neck to see the skyline from my sumptuous seat in first class. The lights of the skyscrapers disappeared into the clouds, giving off a soft glow like a watercolor painting. Connor had an apartment in one of those towers. It wasn’t officially his yet, but it would be, along with Nina’s entire fortune, once the will was settled. Which meant that it would also be mine, since Connor and I were now married.