Page 64 of Never Lie
“Are you kidding me? You really don’t want to look? Whoareyou and what have you done with my wife?”
I grimace. “I’m sorry. I just… I don’t know if it’s a crime scene or something. We don’t want to disturb it. Like, what if there are fingerprints we need to preserve?”
“Nah. It’s probably just where the doctor stashed her jewelry or something.” He winks at me. “You could have your pick of it.”
Does he honestly think I would ever touch her jewelry? I wouldn’t. I’m sorry I took her sweater even though I was cold. It’s burning my skin.
“It’s not a big deal.” He shrugs. “Let’s just open it.”
“No, please—”
But Ethan isn’t listening to me. He reaches down, grabs the handle, and hauls open the lid to the hidden compartment.
And when I see what’s inside, my heart drops.
Chapter 36
ADRIENNE
Before
When Luke returns with the keys, I’m already waiting at the front door. I fling it open before he even has a chance to knock. He blinks in surprise, his hand frozen in the air.
“Hello,” I say.
For the first time, I realize he has not shaved today. He’s got that stubble on his chin that he always used to have when he worked at the clinic. Once we started dating, he began shaving daily, because he knows I prefer it.
“Hey.” He shoves his hand into his pocket and fishes out the keys. He drops them in my hand like they’re made of something dirty. “Here.”
“Thank you again.”
“Uh-huh.”
“You, uh…” I scratch my neck. “You got everything off the computer?”
“I said I did, didn’t I?” There’s an edge to his voice that’s unfamiliar. He’s always so kind and even-tempered, it’s hard to hear him talk to me this way. “But like I told you, I can’t be sure there aren’t other copies somewhere else in his house.”
“Did you look around?”
“No.” He glares at me. “I didn’t.”
“Oh.” I cough. “And, um, you didn’t… watch the video, right?”
“No, I watched it.”
My face burns. “Luke, you promised you wouldn’t!”
“Well, it’s too late. I watched it.” He frowns. “I had to find out what was so bad that you were willing to go to so much trouble to get rid of it.”
I hang my head. “I didn’t want you to see.”
“What the hell were you doing?” His usually mild brown eyes are flashing. “You slashed some guy’s tires? Why would you do that?”
“I was having a bad day.” I avert my eyes, unable to look at him. It doesn’t matter anymore what I say. I’ve lost him. “Hasn’t that ever happened to you? You had a bad day and did something stupid?”
“I never slashed anyone’s tires.”
“Well, maybe you’re better than me then.”
