Page 45 of Vanishing Point
“Why?” she asked, through a mouthful of potato salad.
“I need some help.”
“With what?”
“Buying a ring.”
She made a noise perilously close to a squeal that had Grady looking over at her, but she waved him off and grabbed Thomas’s arm. Shook it.
“Chill out,” he muttered.
“Chill out? You’re going to ask her tomarryyou.”
“Firstly,shh. Secondly, maybe. It’s too soon. I know it’s too soon. I just… But if I had a ring, then… Well, I could be ready. Whenever. Soon. Not soon. I don’t know.”
“Monday Grady’s helping out at the saloon so I’ve got the kids once I’m off work. But Tuesday I could manage it.”
“Okay. Tuesday it is.”
VI CONSIDERED THEwhole baby shower thing a success, if only because Thomas had been in a great mood ever since. And okay, it had been a success because Mags had gotten to play with other kids. Vi had gotten to talk to Hilly about nursing and…
And maybe there was a future there. In her old plans. No, she didn’t want to be a doctor anymore, but there were a million other healthcare options, and she could hardly spend the rest of her life cowering in other people’s houses, hoping cooking and cleaning offered enough to offset her existence.
Maybe thirty-three was a little old to be starting completely over, but she alreadyhad. What was one more thing?
Monday afternoon, the postal inspector had called her and confirmed their meeting the following morning. She’d been unwilling or unable to give any updates over the phone, and it left Vi with a mix of dread and anxiety. She tried not to let any of that show, but Thomas seemed to see right through her.
He was dressed in a suit for his day in court, and studied her with concern in his eyes. “Maybe I should be here.”
Vi straightened his tie for him. “Don’t be ridiculous. You weren’t here last time, and I handled it. Besides, if you don’t go to court, doesn’t that hurt the case?”
He didn’t say anything to that, and she knew how important this case was to him. He hadn’t given her a lot of specifics, but she knew it was the woman who’d been assaulted the nightEric had last texted her. She knew Thomas thought this was an important step toward proving the man also killed his wife.
“I’ll text you right when we’re done with all the details. Franny’s going to take Mags out for breakfast, then maybe to the park if the weather cooperates. I’ll meet them there after the meeting with the inspector. I might head out to the ranch, but I’ll let you know if I do.”
“Right. Well, that would be good. Going to the ranch, I mean.” He smiled, but there was somethingoddabout it. “I might be a little late tonight.”
She stared at him, something strange and foreign in her gut. At least foreign when it came to Thomas.
She was pretty sure he was lying.
But why would he lie to her about being late? Something with the case? Maybe he just was keeping details of it away from her since it was a domestic assault.
“I have to go. Make sure it’s Franny and the postal inspector at the door before you open it, okay?”
Vi nodded. He leaned in, gave her the usual kiss goodbye. Then scooped up Mags until she squealed in delight.
Usual.Because this was usual and their life and she needed to stop being paranoid. Thomas didn’tlie. Not to her.
He put Magnolia back down, grabbed his bag, and then was off, reminding her to lock the door behind him.
Franny arrived on time as promised. Mags was babbling a mile a minute as they left. Then Vi was left in Thomas’s house alone. Everything was quiet.
Too quiet. Too much space for her thoughts to whirl. Worry that Eric wriggled out of whatever he almost had pinned on him. Worry that Thomas was lying about something weird.
So, she threw herself into deep-cleaning the kitchen until her alarm went off, giving her a five-minute warning before theinspector was to arrive. She cleaned herself up a little bit, and the doorbell rang, two minutes before nine.
Vi dutifully checked her phone—where Thomas had added the security app so she could see the door camera as well. Standing on the stoop was the postal inspector, just as she was supposed to be.
