Page 29 of Zero Hour

“Yeah. It was several years before I saw her again. I was home on leave, and she looked me up.”

“Did she want to hook up again?”

He shook his head. “No, she wanted to tell me she was married.”

Izzy shook her head. “Oh, no. I’m so sorry, Pat. You must have been gutted.”

“I was, but shortly after that, I found myself back overseas and the years flew by.”

“But hold on, I remember you from when I was little. I remember playing with Joe in the yard.”

“I was married by then. Val and I ran into Astrid and Richard in D.C. They’d recently moved to the same area. We began to see each other socially, and you kids played together. It was nice.”

“But nobody knew about your past relationship?”

He shook his head.

Izzy studied him, like she wanted to say something, but didn’t know how. He took a deep breath.

“It was only when Val passed away, that we grew close again.”

“You got back together? But what about my father?”

Pat clenched his jaw. “Richard was away a lot?—”

She gasped. “So you had an affair? Oh, my God. How did I not know this?”

“I’m sorry, Izzy. We couldn’t tell you. We couldn’t tell anyone.”

There was an awkward silence as she struggled to process what he’d just said. Eventually, she shook her head. “I guess I understand. I barely remember him from those early years. Even when I grew up, he was always away.”

Relief flooded through him. “You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad? I get it. At least she had someone to look after her when my dad was away.” She reached over and patted his arm. “You’re like a favorite uncle, I’m so glad it was you.”

“There's something else,” he said, his stomach in knots.

Crunch time. He couldn’t bail now. He had to see this through.

“What is it? Does it have something to do with how she died?”

“Kind of . . .”

She stared at her glass of wine. “I wasn’t there. A police officer came to find me and gave me the news.”

She must have been devastated.

Pat took her hand and held it in his. “Richard found out about us. That’s why they were arguing.”

“How?” she whispered.

“Honestly, I don’t know how he found out, but he did. He was furious. I felt terrible. I should never have left your mother with him. If I’d stayed—” He broke off as his voice cracked.

“Why didn’t you stay?” she asked, pinning him with her gaze.

“Because that wasn’t the only thing he discovered.”

“What else was there?”

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