Page 34 of The Liar I Married
“If your recollections are true, this is a matter for the cops.” Alex stops in front of his garage and waits for the door to slide open. He drives inside and then turns to look at me. “Honestly, I couldn’t write this stuff. It’s not as if he was left out of the will. Most normal people could live comfortably on that amount for the rest of their lives. How much does he need?” He scratches his cheek. “Unless he has a gambling problem or something like that? Have you known him to gamble?”
I shake my head. “Not in any normal way, no, but investments are always a gamble.”
“That’s food for thought. Wait up and I’ll get your walker and we’ll go inside.” He smiles at me. “On the subject of food, I’m starving, and I make a mean omelet. We’ll talk about this in the kitchen while I’m cooking.”
I sigh; the idea of being away from Dolly makes me light-headed. “That sounds like a plan.”
THIRTY-SEVEN
After breakfast, Alex shows me around the house. It’s neat and tidy, and the house is beautifully furnished, with comfy modern furniture. His taste runs to clean lines, glass-topped wooden tables, swirls of color spread across the rugs, but all the walls are white. The background is perfect for his pictures. The landscapes are like windows to another space. I look at him. “For a writer, your house is spotless. Many don’t have the time to fight deadlines and clean house or the spare cash to pay for a cleaning service. I was lucky, I had a housekeeper to help me clean up after the girls. She did most of the cooking as well.”
“I have a service, they do the house and the yard, although I created the backyard myself over a year or so.” Alex indicates to my walker. “I assume your clothes are in here. Do you need help to hang them in the closet?”
“Yes, thanks.” I open the seat of my walker and scoop up my underwear. “Are the drawers empty?”
“Yeah.” He pulls one open for me. “There you go.” His gaze locks with mine. “Will you be okay watching TV for a time? I have a deadline for some edits I need to finish.”
I inhale the smell of cedar from the drawer; it’s lined with clean paper with pine cones on it. I add my meager amount ofunderwear and then return his gaze. “I’d love to watch TV. I’ve been isolated for so long, breathing fresh air is a treat.”
An hour or so later, I’m sitting on the sofa in the family room, watching TV, when the room fills with red and blue flashing lights. Someone is hammering on the front door and Alex comes out from his office where he’s been working on his book to answer it. People are rushing in the room and a burly cop forces Alex onto his knees and cuffs him. John comes in behind them and stares at me. I’m trembling so much my teeth are chattering. “What’s going on?”
“Did this man kidnap you?” A man wearing a suit with a badge on his belt, stands in front of me.
I shake my head. “No, he did not. I called him and asked him to come and get me because the nurse that was looking after me was drugging me. I have reason to believe my brother has been trying to kill me.” I wave a hand toward Alex. “Leave him alone, he’s only trying to help me.”
The cops allow Alex to stand and he rubs his wrists.
I look at him. “I’m so sorry, Alex, I never meant for this to happen.”
“It’s okay.” Alex’s mouth twitches into a wry smile. “Someone needed to help you.”
“What’s all this about your brother trying to kill you?” The man in the suit is staring down at me again. “And while I’m here, I’d like to ask you some questions about your accident.”
I lift my chin. “And you are?”
“Detective Jack Marshall. Your husband called us after your nurse found a telephone number and we traced it to Alex Harris. He mentioned he’s an acquaintance of yours but has no idea why you’d call him. I was informed you had memory loss. Obviouslythat problem has been resolved. I figure you need to tell me what’s been going on.”
I take my time and start from the beginning, leaving out the personal bits about John, me, and Ms. Lawson. “My husband had it in his head that I was involved with Alex and had me followed. Michael told me I had an overactive imagination but kept feeding me lies to keep me off balance. He intimated that John was having an affair with his company’s lawyer. I believed it and when John asked her to move into our guesthouse, I decided to leave. Michael jumped into the car and we argued, he hit me in the temple and grabbed the steering wheel. He put me into that tree. I didn’t try to kill myself or leave a suicide note. I was heading for my grandmother’s home.”
“One moment.” The detective held up the hand with a pen in it to stop the conversation. “We know the SUV was new. Was Michael inside the vehicle before the night of the accident?”
I shake my head. “No, and he wasn’t wearing gloves.”
“Okay, it’s in the police yard as the accident is still under investigation.” The detective makes more notes. “I’ll have it dusted for prints. Go on.”
At last, proof that I’m telling the truth. I suck in a breath. “Weird things started happening in the house.” I tell him everything in as much detail as I can recall. “The last straw was when Michael told me I’d been pregnant before the wreck and killed my twins. I was screaming at him when Dolly the nurse stuck me with a needle. I woke up unable to move and strapped to the bed.”
“I visited her.” John sits beside me on the sofa. “I was with her until three in the morning. I didn’t discover she was missing until lunchtime. I was in a meeting.”
“You left her there after all that’s happened?” The detective raises both eyebrows.
“I didn’t believe she was in any danger at the house.” John meets his gaze. “I gave the nurse instructions not to give her any medication and asked the housekeeper to keep an eye on her.” He turns to look at me. “Why didn’t you tell me everything? You didn’t mention anything about him accusing you of killing our unborn children. You never mentioned you were pregnant before the car wreck.”
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I look at him.It’s now or never. Am I crazy or am I sane?“I wasn’t. Michael tried to convince me that I’d imagined the girls, that I’d conjured them up during my coma. I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure if I was losing my mind.” I turn to Detective Marshall. “I asked after them a thousand times but no one would tell me anything. I still don’t know if they’re dead or alive.” I spin around and glare at John. “Now can you tell me the truth about my girls?”
“I told you not to worry about anything when you asked me. Dolly told me the doctor insisted I keep things general and not speak about family. We didn’t know if you’d planned to kill yourself and the twins. It made you an unfit mother. You’re not allowed to see them until we get this sorted. If I break the ruling, they’ll be placed in foster care.” John grips my hands and stares into my eyes; he looks stricken. “I believed I was doing the right thing, Jessie. It was tearing me up inside, seeing you so upset. You don’t need to worry a moment longer. The girls are fine. They’re with your mother. They were in Florida, as I couldn’t look after them alone. Our housekeeper left the week after you wrecked the car.” He sighs. “They’ve been here since you woke from the coma. Your mother took them straight to your grandmother’s house and they gathered some flowers for you. Dolly sent them away. She knew you weren’t allowed to see them. I can see now that Dolly and Michael are working together and I played right into their hands. Everything they’ve said is alie. I’d like to know the reason they wanted to harm you. Do you know what’s going on, Jessie?”
Relief rushes over me and I nod. “He wants my money but I’m not sure why as he inherited a ton from Grandma’s will.”
