Page 46 of The Note

She had stuck to the plan, denying knowing anything about it.

You said this couple you saw was bickering. Did it have anything to do with a note?

I have no idea. I couldn’t actually hear what they were saying. It was just clear they were arguing. And they were pretty far away. That’s why I can’t be sure it was even the same guy.

Did you see a white car with a note on the windshield?

No.

Did you leave a note on anyone’s car windshield?

Of course not.

Instead of having time to warn Kelsey, she watched helplessly as her friend stepped onto the back deck with the detective.

*

In the kitchen, she replayed the interview in her head. Much of it had been a rehash of what she had already told Danny Brennan at her apartment—the couple arguing, the missing-person flyer, the pit stop at the American Hotel to see if anyone else had noticed.

Even though the interview had remained informal and non-confrontational, there had been a bizarre, almost schizophrenic tone to it as the detective lurched between chitchat (how long had the trip been planned, who found the house, what rental agency had they used), extremely narrow questions (whether she recognized a specific telephone number), and repeated questions about Marnie Mann and whether May knew that Kelsey’s husband had been murdered, the case still unsolved.

At least he hadn’t pressed her when she said she knew nothing about the note left on Smith’s car. He didn’t seem to know the note was written on the type of napkin used at the American Hotel. He also didn’t indicate he knew what the note said. But how had he known about it at all?

She was continuing her search of David Smith’s social media accounts when her phone buzzed on the kitchen counter. It was Josh. She answered with an abrupt “Hey.”

“Hey.”

As whole seconds passed in silence, she thought maybe she shouldn’t have even answered.

“Are you mad at me?” he finally asked.

Was she? Was she mad? No. Just disappointed. Disappointed in herself for being in this situation. Disappointed in him for being jealous of Nate. Disappointed in herself for giving him a reason to be suspicious of her. Disappointed inthemfor not being the kind of couple where she immediately told him what was going on when Danny had shown up at the apartment asking questions—or even when she first found out that Kelsey had left the note.

“He’s Kelsey’s brother,” she said. “That’s all.”

“And also your ex-boyfriend.”

“From fifteen years ago. Sorry, but you sound ridiculous, Josh.”Sorry.Always sayingsorry. A word he hadn’t uttered yet.

“When we first met and did the whole so-what’s-your-history thing, I was the one who said that none of that should matter. That nothing good comes from thinking of the person you’re with as having been in love with someone else. You’re the one who pressed the subject. You were the one who was curious, who said it was part of getting to know each other better. But whenever it came to that one particular dude, you didn’t want to talk about it. You clammed up, locked down like Fort Knox. He’s obviously a sore spot for some reason, like he’s still in your head—so yeah, I guess I’m jealous. I’m sorry.”

“That wasn’t the kind of sorry I was hoping to hear.”

“Okay, you’re right. I’m actually sorry. I acted like a Neanderthal. Is that better?”

“A little bit.”

“Me caveman. Me big dumb jealous caveman. Me fucked up. Me so sorry.”

“Okay, that’s better.”

“But will you admit you get weird when the subject of Kelsey’s brother comes up?”

“Why do you care?”

“Because we’re getting married. I care about all of it.”

“Yeah, I get it.”

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