Page 26 of What the Wife Knew

“No, of course not.” Thomas’s voice didn’t waver that time.“She asked to, but no. There are confidential records in the office.”

“Dr. Linfield—”

“Thomas.”

Not Tom. He wanted the full Thomas. Might be a rich-guy thing. Same with why Richmond was never Rich. “I don’t want to fight with you.”

“I don’t want that either.”

“You’re welcome to join me in the office while I sift through Richmond’s things, but I’m sure you have better things to do.” This seemed like the right time for a full-throated bluff. “Or we can call Elias Zimmer and he can explain my rights to you as Richmond’s spouse.”

“Elias?”

Throwing Elias’s name around worked, too. Good to know. “My attorney.”

“I didn’t realize.” Thomas stood up and pulled a set of keys out of his pants pocket. “But you’re correct. I don’t have the time to sit in here all afternoon.”

He was a man who made people wait and never apologized for it. The medical industry thrived on that sort of thing. He had abig, important airabout him just like Richmond. That hadn’t turned out so great for Richmond.

Thomas opened the door and gestured for me to go inside. The office had a very different look from the waiting area. A massive mahogany desk filled the far end of the room. Bookshelves and filing cabinets lined two walls. This room did bear Kathryn’s mark. The soothing medium blue paint and fancy charcoal drawings of what looked like the kids when they were youngergave the space a more refined, high-end look. That likely made it easier to charge the rates Richmond did... or had.

“Is there something specific you’re looking for?” Thomas asked.

Good question. This likely amounted to a wasted enterprise. Richmond wouldn’t store his secrets somewhere so obvious. The best way to get information stood in front of me.

“We, of course, removed all of the patient files,” he continued.

That answered that. “The safe.”

Thomas didn’t act shocked at the suggestion. “I don’t have the key.”

“I do.” I held it up. At least I assumed it was a safe key. It had been in one of Richmond’s dresser drawers and had a label that said “safe,” so I took a shot. The lack of a safe at the house pointed me here.

“Bottom left drawer.” Thomas sounded resigned to let my fishing expedition happen.

The red leather desk chair had anI’m the bossfeel to it. I could almost imagine Richmond lounging there, dreaming up new ways to be an asshole.

I opened the drawer in question, hoping the safe required a key and not a code because I had no idea what Richmond’s secret password might be. A black box was hidden inside. One turn and it opened.Jackpot.This might be the first time my luck held in months.

I tried to pull the safe out but the damn thing seemed to be attached to the wood. What I really wanted to do was load the contents of the office on a truck—all of it—and take it back to the house to sift through in private. Thomas didn’t strike me as a guy who would let that happen.

A quick visual inventory turned up some personal items. A few envelopes I didn’t want to open in front of Thomas. Assorted files, including one marked with each kid’s name. A binder with clippings from articles about Richmond. Of course he kept them here, where he could read them every day. Narcissistic jackass.

No matter what was in there it was all going home with me. I scooped out the contents and dumped it all on the desk. “Do you have a box?”

“I need to look through every item. There could be confidential information in there.”

“We both know it would have been reckless to keep patient information locked away where no one else could find it. This is clearly personal material, right?”

Thomas wore the frown of a man not accustomed to being told no. “I have to insist—”

Enough of this. “I talked with Peter Cullen the other day.”

Now Thomas looked horrified. All wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open. “Why would you do that? What about the litigation?”

Legal proceedings. Elias needed a lecture about his gatekeeping tendencies.

“I know about the issues between Peter and my husband.” I didn’t. And if I had to say “husband” one more time I was going to lose it.

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