Page 76 of What the Wife Knew

Thomas stepped out of the car. Not Peter. Thomas in Peter’s car. Thomas who should be at the police station. Should be anywhere but here.

This was a very different version of Dr. Thomas Linfield than I’d seen before. The dapper, always-politicking professional in the expensive suit had been replaced by this guy. Harried and in a hurry. Fidgety and glaring as he dodged around the front of the car.

His uncombed gray hair stuck out from beneath a baseball cap he probably grabbed to disguise his appearance. He wore wrinkled chinos and a sweater. The whole look clashed with what I knew about him and his pampered existence.

And the gun. That was new.

“Thomas, I don’t know—”

His wild eyes didn’t blink. “We have unfinished business.”

Chapter Fifty

Her

Present Day

Do not show fear.

I focused on the order to keep my brain from seizing in panic. A deep inhale and maybe I could push out intelligent words, something other than the gibberish rushing into my mind.

I looked to my right then left in search of a weapon. Anything to knock that gun out of his hands. “What exactly is the plan here, Thomas?”

“Get inside.”

Not today. Not ever, actually. This was my house. My yard. I was in control... except for that gun. That was a huge fucking problem.

“You’re a doctor, not an assassin. Do you think you can make me disappear?” He probably could but the point was to stall. I needed time. I really needed a mother who cared enough to check on me and look out the window then call the police, but that wasn’t happening.

“I’m not going to tell you again, Addison.”

Apparently we were on a first-name basis, which didn’t fit with the weapon or the thick layer of desperation pulsing around him.

“I have thousands of dollars invested in security. I’m being watched by the whole damn town. There is no way for you to come on this property and not be noticed.” Please have him be too far gone to notice the side of the house blocked any view nosy people loitering on the street might have.

His nervous squirming suggested his sole focus was on me. On breaking through and unleashing some twisted revenge for a sin he’d convinced himself I’d committed.

“I waited to come here until the press left,” he said.

“How enterprising of you.” The buzz of activity at the front gate had provided an unexpected level of protection. Not that I wanted the daily scrutiny back, but three acres stretched on forever when you needed someone to hear you scream. I could fight back but I couldn’t outrun a bullet. “Where’s Peter? That’s his car, right?”

“He’s in his garage.”

“You confronted him?” That would kill any innocence claim on Thomas’s part.

“I took his keys.”

“You mean attacked him and stole them.” Peter didn’t hand them over. No way.

“I was careful. Came up from behind. He didn’t see my face.”

Sounded familiar.

“Curled up on the garage floor, he begged me not to go into the house. After all the big talk about taking me down and hiring lawyers,hepleaded withme. Then he passed out.”

Thomas sounded unhinged in a way that differed from Richmond’s murderous rages. Thomas lacked Richmond’s narcissistic core. Where Richmond’s ego blocked him from seeing hispotential downfall, Thomas had clarity. He knew he had something to lose, which made him very dangerous.

“Peter probably thought you were robbing him and he was worried about his wife.” I put my hands on my hips and tried to wriggle my fingers to touch my back pocket and slip out my cell. Elias liked to come running. This time I needed him to bring the entire police force with him. “She’s struggling, Thomas. Her son died and—”

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