Page 28 of I Know She Was There

“This isn’t about me, Tim. A woman in that house had a terrible accident. She may have even been murdered. You can believe me or not. It doesn’t matter to me what you think.”

“What I think is that you probably haven’t been getting enough sleep. And Tasha called me. Said she dropped by Thursday, and you wouldn’t see her. She’s worried about you. I am too.”

He was turning this into my problem, just like he always did. I locked my eyes with his. “Your concern for my welfare is touching. Had you not told me repeatedly to stay the hell away from you I might even believe you care about me.”

“All I know is you shouldn’t be involved in this disappearance.”

“Aha,” I crowed, my pointer finger in the air between us. “You think what’s going on here is shady too!”

He shook his head. “I don’t know what to think. All I know is you’re still my wife, and you shouldn’t be mixed up in someone else’s relationship.”

Stillhiswife. I didn’t know how to respond to that. For months he’d been trying to distance himself physically and emotionally from me, and now he was reminding me we were still married.Afterhe sent out divorce papers? I stared at him.

He looked down. “I don’t know what’s going on with this couple. I don’t really know her, but he’s a good guy.”

He didn’t sound so good to me. Moving away suddenly, leaving his coworkers in the lurch. Maybe even killing his wife. A thought struck me, prompting me to ask, “How do you know where they live?”

“I’ve been here before. I dropped him off when his car was in the shop and Annie was away.”

“I don’t recall you mentioning the Connollys.”

“I don’t recall having to report to you my every activity,” he retorted, his tone dripping acid.

My face pinked, making me glad it was dark. “I only meant?—”

“Doesn’t matter, Caroline. Just stay away from this place, okay?”

“Why?”

He sighed. “You’ve got enough going on right now. Do you really need more drama in your life?”

He was right, of course. I had my hands full raising Emmy on my own. I bit my lower lip to keep my accusations to myself. Hurling nasty words at Tim only made him turn away from me.

“I never made it to the house,” he said. “I’ll swing by next Wednesday after work and take the tools?—”

“And Emmy,” I finished. He always took Emmy when he swung by.

He grunted. “Do me a favor and stay outside. Your hovering makes me claustrophobic.”

“I don’t understand why you never want me there, Tim. It’s not as though I’m going to force you to take me with you when you leave.”

He sighed. “You’re doing it again, Caroline.”

“I’m not, I’m just saying I can load up Emmy’s things for your visit while you?—”

“I don’t need Emmy’s things, you know that.”

“Of course.” His apartment was fully stocked with his own baby items. God forbid he use anything tainted by my touch. “But I can’t just leave her?—”

He sighed. Ran a hand over his forehead again. “I don’t have the energy for this, Caroline. When you see me pull up front, go for a drive or take one of your weird walks.”

“Fine, but?—”

“No buts,” he cut in sharply. “I can’t endure these verbal battles every time we meet.”

As I walked home, I thought about Tim’s unceasing belligerence toward me and his unexpected appearance on Pine Hill Road. I supposed I understood why he’d lost patience. He’d never been particularly tolerant of my foibles, and when I’d slid into postpartum depression, I’d clearly challenged his limited empathy.

Was that why he’d appeared on Pine Hill Road? Was he concerned I’d run into the couple he’d known and embarrass myself—and him? Or was he, like me, concerned about what had happened to the two of them? Had anything untoward even happened to them?

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