Page 1 of The Note

THE NOTE

Prologue

It was meant to be a harmless prank. Not even a prank, not initially. An inside joke, only for the three of them. But now she was locking her apartment door behind two departing police officers.

She had managed to sound appropriately earnest but unworried when they began asking questions. After all, why should May Hanover, of all people, be nervous around police? May was the good girl, always. The one who only needed to be told once by a teacher to open a book to a specific page. The teenager who drove strictly within the limits of her learner’s permit. Even her pug, Gomez, seemed to understand at an instinctive level why he neededto break away from his neighbor buddies to ride the building’s service elevator while they strutted brazenly with their humans through the lobby.

May, simply put, was a rule follower. A rule enforcer, in fact. It was a trait that had helped her succeed in life, but, as she had learned, could also lead to trouble.

Josh emerged from the bedroom where he’d gone to give her privacy when the police arrived. Gomez waddled slightly behind him. “Was that about Roland Shaw?”

Shaw was the man she’d convicted in her final in-person trial as an assistant district attorney after he was found breaking into his next victim’s apartment. “How’d you know?” Could a question be a lie? That one probably counted. So many lies since she’d gotten home yesterday from her long weekend in the Hamptons.

“That was a major case for you. I recognized the big guy from the news.”

The trial was before she and Josh had found themselves suddenly living together. Before they were engaged. The media coverage consisted of two small articles in thePost,including a photograph of a defiant-looking May flanked by two detectives in the courthouse hallway—one of them the “big guy” Josh recognized. Whereas May was obsessed with all things crime-related—in her job, the news, truth or fiction—Josh found it all,quote, “dark and depressing.” But Josh was interested in all things May-related. Of course he had followed the coverage.

“The DA’s Office got an inquiry from another jurisdiction and needed to clear something up,” she said. Misleading, but technically true.

“They couldn’t just call you?” he asked.

“Actually, he called, but I didn’t see the message.” That one was a full-on lie. “Guess he’s training a new guy and wanted a change of scenery.”

“Well, I’m glad they were quick. I really wanted a Negroni but thought the sound of a cocktail shaker might be inadvisable while you were in official law enforcement mode.”

“Another reason why you should stir,” she said.

“I like what I like.”

“Make two? I’m getting back into my comfy clothes.”

She called Lauren once she was alone in the bedroom.

“Hey there, woman. We were just saying we miss you.”

“Yes, we miss you!” Kelsey called out in the background. “Come back here right now. It’s boring without you.”

May could hear a few drinks’ worth of enthusiasm in Kelsey’s voice. “You’re clearly having a miserable time. Absolutely suffering.” She felt a knot form in her sternum as she steeled herself toexplain why she was calling. “I don’t even know how to say this, but the police are probably going to call you. Both of you.”

“What? How would they even know about us?” Lauren asked.

“They came to my apartment. They asked who I was with. I didn’t have a choice. They have your names. And your phone numbers.”

“How? Were there cameras or something?”

“No, it was because of me. I’m so sorry.”

What had she gone and done? No one was supposed to know about any of their stupidity. And now something really, really bad was going to happen—she could feel it. Something she couldn’t control. She wanted to open her mouth wide to scream—to scream impossibly loudly again, like last time.

Part One

The Best Trip Ever

SIX DAYS EARLIER

1

May stood before her open closet, finding a reason to hate everything in it. Her clothes consisted of either suits and sheath dresses or jeans, tees, and hoodies. She was utterly unequipped for a girls’ weekend at the beach.

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