Page 13 of What the Wife Knew

“A liar.” I waited to see how that would land, but he stayed quiet. “Oh, did you think yourdo you know who I amgarbage would work on me?”

To be fair, it worked on a lot of people. He’d scammed and lied his way into a prominent position and sterling reputation, neither of which he deserved.

His hand balled into a fist on the table. “I’ll play along. What’s the goal here?”

“I know what you did back then. What really happened.”

“I saved my high school from a massacre. I was the hero that day.” He shoved away from me and started to stand up. “So why don’t you slither back to whatever street corner you usually work. You’re losing money in here.”

A typical response and not a very original one. Instead of continuing the argument, I slipped a piece of paper out of my purse and placed it on the table. “That’s a map. A map you drew twenty-seven years ago.”

He glanced at it but his expression didn’t change. “I’ve never seen that before.”

Very cool. Impressive, but then he’d had a lot of practice perfecting his lying game. “It’s a map of the high school you attended. All part of the plan you created then put in motion when you were a senior. Just seventeen and already ruthless.”

He slid back into the booth but not as close to me this time. “You should write fiction.”

“It’s your list ofthings to dothat day.” I pointed to the notes on the side then to the stick figures and where they stood on the crude floor plan. “Your drawing.”

His expression didn’t communicate anything. If he heard the gallop of his demented past catching up with him, he hid it well.

“Did you dream up this little scam all on your own?”

So charming. “Being a condescending asshole isn’t going to stop this conversation or what’s about to happen to you.”

“You’re pathetic.” He let out a dramatic sigh. “You have some big fantasy in your head about hitting the jackpot by besting someone far superior to you.”

I looked around. “Is this mythical person in the room with us now?”

“This is quite a con.” He shook his head in a gesture designed to dismiss me. “But the free ride you’re hoping for? Not going to happen, honey.”

“Well,sweetie.” I used the tip of my finger to circle the first-floor lockers on the map, a location that played a prominent role in his heroic fable. “This area should look familiar. Should I read the list to you?Enter building through door closest to the gym at—”

“I can read.” No hitch to his voice. Only a slight uptick in anger.

“The staging of a scheme this big must have been difficult. Pretty sinister stuff for a high school kid. People died.”

“I know what happened.”

“Do you? Because this is one of several items, all debunking your hero story.” I pushed the map closer to him. “Every single one of those items is in my possession. Put together, they show what a twisted fuck you really are.”

“Someone sold you a wild story. Sorry to spoil your hoped-for payday but this document is fake.” He picked up the paper, crumpled it in his fist, and stuffed it in his suit jacket pocket.

“You know it’s a copy, right? I have the original. All the originals.”

“What’s the goal here, Janet... or whoever you are?”

“To dismantle your life.” Destroy everything he had and everything he cared about, ruin his reputation, take what I could get, leave him begging for relief... then end him.

Fury radiated off him now and threaded through his voice. “This is asinine.”

His eyes narrowed and I almost laughed at how the scowl fit the real him better than those phony smiles. “I can see you mentally plotting, thinking maybe you’ll threaten me or hurt me. Dig up my past. Dispose of me. To be fair, doc, you excel at that sort of thing.”

“You seem to think I’ll write you a big check to keep you from spewing lies.” He scoffed as if he had leverage. “You don’t have the balls for this game, hon. You’re way out of your league. You can’t beat me. I will bury you. I have lawyers. Clout. Respect. Resources. What do you have? Nothing. A piece of paper anyone could have drawn.”

The look in his eyes didn’t match the strength of his mocking tone. Maybe not fear. Not yet. But interest. His mind likely raced, trying to remember what evidence could be out there. What pieces of the truth he thought he’d buried long ago still lingered.

“Imagine how your reputation will crumble when people learn the truth. Your job. Your family. All that money. Those articles about you being a brave little hero.” I made an exploding gesture with my hand. “All gone.”

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