Page 8 of Sins of a Husband

I love you, Kat. I’ll be extra quiet when I come in so I don’t wake you. I love you so much.

I love you, too.

I planned on making pasta carbonara for dinner, but now I’m not. I’m not going through all that trouble just for me, so I grab the menu to the Chinese place around the corner. I pour a glass of Pinot and walk into the living where my eyes catch the painting Eyes Without a Face. A chill courses through my body. Why? I have no idea. Oliver is right. The painting is creepy, but I’m drawn to it for some reason.

The ringing of the doorbell startles me from the painting. I open the door and smile at Mr. Kim, who is holding a plastic bag in his hand.

“Good evening, Mrs. Tate.” He smiles, handing me the bag.

“Good evening, Mr. Kim.” I pull some cash from my hoodie pocket and hand it to him.

“Thank you.” He nods. “Enjoy your dinner.”

“You know I always do,” I say. I gently shut the door and retreat to the kitchen, setting the plastic bag on the Caesarstone island. The tantalizing scent of General Taos Chicken wafts up from the container, making me realize how hungry I am. I grab a plate from the cabinet andcarefully scoop a generous serving of the savory dish onto it. Next, I reach for the grease-stained glassine bag and deftly unwrap the egg roll, setting it on the plate next to the chicken.

I look around for my wine glass and remember leaving it in the living room. Taking my plate to the table, I set it down and walk into the living room, where my wine sits on the coffee table. I grab it and momentarily stare at the painting again—Eyes Without a Face.

Chapter Six

TWO WEEKS LATER

“Sorry, I’m late.”Samantha sets her purse in the booth and slides in across from me. “I just got the most disturbing phone call.”

“What happened?” My brows furrow.

“One of my client’s husband was found dead this morning in his hotel room.”

“Oh my gosh. That’s terrible,” I say. “Why was he in a hotel room?”

“He recently moved out of the home and was in the process of looking for another apartment. My client found out he had been cheating on her with the same woman for over two years. The divorce was just starting to get really nasty.”

The waitress walks over and takes our order.

“You don’t think your client did it, do you?” My head cocks.

“Unfortunately, she was the first person who came to my mind, but she has an air-tight alibi for last night.”

“That is just awful.” I shake my head. “How was the poor guy murdered?”

“He was stabbed to death.”

Hearing her say that shook me to my core. An unsettling feeling washes over me as vivid memories of seeing Brian lying on the living room floor in a pool of blood come to the surface.

“Hey, are you okay?” She reaches over and places her hand on mine. “You’re shaking.”

I never told anyone, except for Oliver, what happened back in Maine. As far as other people knew, Brian died in a car accident.

“My blood sugar is probably low.” I force a small smile. “I haven’t eaten yet today.”

“That’s why you’re so skinny.” A smile falls on her lips.

The waitress walks over and sets our grilled chicken cherry salads before us. After what Samantha told me, I immediately picked up my fork and began eating, even though my stomach was tied in knots.

“Travis and I decided to host a dinner party Saturday night. You and Oliver will be there, right?” she asks.

“Oliver is leaving for a business trip on Thursday and won’t return until Sunday.”

“Then you’ll just have to come.” She grins.

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