Page 132 of Say Yes to the Death

“Unlikely. He’d have to admit he got his ass handed to him by a proposal-planning badass.”

“He deserved it,” she said, sitting up and draining the rest of her water. “Luke?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Oh god. What now? Did you schedule a brunch with our moms tomorrow?”

She glared at him. “Don’t even speak that into existence. No, I need to tell you something about Barney.” It was time he knew the truth. The whole truth. Punishing him had solved nothing. If they were going to rebuild whatever this was, honesty had to come first.

“Okay. Go ahead.” Luke sat up and stared at her patiently.

Claire took a deep breath. “It’s a long story. Let me start from the beginning.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

To Do:

- Plan a vacation. For real this time.

- Email Dr. W for clarification on anniversary date

A barbed wire fence surrounded the walls of the penitentiary. A line of crows huddled together on the guard tower, cawing wistfully into the humid afternoon. A handful of inmates stood on a cracked asphalt basketball court. They stared, utterly still, as Luke’s car entered the grounds. Claire had not yet acquired a new car, and something about the idea of driving a van promoting “Happily Ever Afters” to a prison seemed a little too macabre.

After the explosive family dinner, Claire had decided to try honesty with Luke. She told him the truth about her visit to Barney in prison and her fears about ESA. He hadn’t taken any notes or even mentioned the documentary in light of her revelation. Maybe he had left the real Luke in California.

Her palms grew sweaty, and her heart throbbed in her throat. She slid down in her seat, avoiding the gaze of the inmates. There was no use in pretending this wasn’t going to happen. She was minutes away from facing her almost-killer. Was she ready? Could someone ever really be ready for something like this?

“It’s okay,” Luke said, reaching across the gap and squeezing her knee. “He’ll be in cuffs. The guards will be in there with you.”

She stared at him. “Yeah, and so will your mom. It’s bad enough being in a twelve-by-twelve concrete room with one person who wants to me dead, let alone two.”

“She doesn’t want you dead.” He cracked a smile. He had shown up that morning with a new haircut that, in spite of the current state of affairs, kindled something below her belt.

“That’s comforting.” She hurriedly checked her hair and makeup in the mirror. It was no use; she still looked like a sleep-deprived banshee. She had planned to face Barney looking calm and unaffected, but apparently that wasn’t in the cards.

Luke parked by a line of black sedans and unmarked police cars. Claire stepped out and slammed her door. Several of the prisoners whistled, but she didn’t acknowledge them.

“Well, if it isn’t Officer Absentia,” Luke muttered, waving at Officer Schiccitano. He sat in the front seat of a cruiser, pretending to read the newspaper. He nodded at them. A barely visible earpiece nestled in his ear.

Claire nudged him. “Hey. He does his best. The police have limited resources. He can’t watch me all the time.”

“Claire.” A masculine voice came from behind her.

She jumped. How did her father move so silently? And why hadn’t she inherited that ability? Dishes rattled in her kitchen when she walked by. He was like a panther.

“Jack.”

“Thank you for being here today,” he said, reaching for a handshake. She returned the gesture without comment. He had neglected to mention his wife’s dietary restrictions and drawn a gun during her dinner party. There was no need to be overly nice. “You’ll be in a conference room with Mr. Windsor and his attorney. A couple of guards will be present, too, but that’s it. The rest of us will be observing remotely.”

“Including Luke? You promised.”

Jack sighed. “Yes, including Luke. Here’s a tablet and pencil if you want to take notes, but you’ll want to keep all other belongings in the car. Phone, keys, wallet. Visiting rules are strict.”

Luke popped the trunk, and Claire tossed her purse inside. Leaving her lifeline to the world in a hot trunk surrounded by prisoners. No big deal. Their current clients had been instructed to contact Mindy for the day if needed, but you never knew when a proposal disaster might strike.

“Deception, control, body locations,” she whispered to herself, averting her gaze from the inmates on the basketball court. “Should have done my power stance.”

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