Page 95 of Always Right

There it is.

There's her fear.

"You found something," I stated, without bothering with a greeting. I figured it wasn't needed.

"I did. Are you at your house? I'm on my way."

"Nope. Heading to the restaurant. "

"I see." There was a long pause, one that told me what I already knew. "Your wife will need you for this, so you may want to head back."

***

Envelopes gave me fucking nightmares.

For a long time they had. Every time I received one, it meant bad news. Of course, our private investigator Mark Wilson had one in his hands as he walked in. We didn't bother cleaning up the kitchen, instead inviting him to the living room where Hannah sat on the sofa while Isa and Isa played in their playpen.

Hannah bit her lip, tapping the wood floor with her foot while she waited for Mark to speak. It wasn't long, only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity before he said anything.

"Eugene Calvin," Mark began, taking out his phone and showing us a picture. The man looked nothing like I remembered. His hair was disheveled and he looked like he hadn't shaved in weeks. Hannah nodded slowly and I gripped her hand, holding it tight. "He is in New York...has been for a while now. Couldn't place him in every place where you've been for the past year, but I was able to gather enough to where I know it is him who's been stalking you."

Hannah sighed next to me, one full of relief, like just knowing who it was helped ease her worry.

It made me furious.

"He lives in the rough side of town with a roommate but I don't think he's involved. The man is only at his house to sleep and shower so it's mostly Eugene there. Roommate says Eugene has anger issues and is paranoid about everything."

I scoffed. "Well that's ironic."

Mark shrugged, fixing his eyes on Hannah. I would have been pissed for him staring her down, but when I noticed the pity in his eyes, I realized there was more...and it was about to get worse.

"What is it?" Hannah tensed next to me, like she knew too. "What else did you find?"

Mark cleared his throat, clearly dreading this part of his job. Hannah's eyes followed the movement of his hands as he pulled out a photograph from the envelope, and held it out to her.

"Charles Carson, your father, has been in New York since the week you went to Colorado."

She blinked, taking the photo from Mark's hands. Her father looked...healthy. He'd returned to Pennsylvania, stating that he wanted to start over and it was his home...but why the hell would he be in New York and not tell her? Didn't he want to be near her? His granddaughters? “By your reaction I am assuming you weren’t aware.”

Hannah set the photo on the table and ran a hand over her face. She pushed back the tears, and mustered a quiet “no” as Mark sat on the small sofa. Nothing I did would give her comfort so instead, I simply held her hand in mine.

So maybe he was in New York and didn’t tell her, but it couldn’t be much more than that, could it?

Mark took out several pictures from the envelope, setting them on the wooden coffee table in front of us. Charles was standing in front of a motel in one, and in the following pictures, he was seen with another man...Eugene, talking comfortably. Hannah could only stare at the pictures, gripping my hand tighter. I could feel her pain, her confusion and heartache as she started to draw her own conclusions.

“Given the history, I’ve been looking into him possibly working with Eugene.” Mark stated the obvious, as if Hannah didn’t think the same thing. “However, in some of these pictures which I was able to acquire through a business security system, they seem to be having some sort of disagreement so I’m not sure.”

Hannah looked up at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact with both of us. “He promised he wouldn’t do it again.”

Her whispered words and heartbreak made me physically sick. Her dad was tearing up the little hope and trust she had left. She would never trust him again. She would never let him into her life or our girls...and I didn’t blame her.

Mark sighed, glancing between the both of us. “Like I mentioned, I can’t say for sure that he is involved but I am convinced he knows something due to the timing of events.”

“It’s easier if I just talk to him, no?” Hannah stood up, pacing in front of both of us. I could tell her mind was working over time, trying to make sense of the situation when all I could see was that her father had betrayed her. “Maybe he could tell me what is going on...explain what is happening...”

Clearing his throat, Mark shook his head. “That will tip Eugene off and we don’t know what this may cause. He doesn’t seem too...stable.”

Hannah scoffed, her hands in fists by her side as she prepared for what was to come. She knew it was over—the peace, the calm that had surrounded us for the last few weeks. It was all gone in an instant.

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