Page 119 of Caper Crush
“I can take a walk and come back,” William says. “I have to make some calls anyway.”
“Do you want to use my office?” Annabelle asks.
“Sure.”
She unlocks the door to her office and invites William inside, clearing away some papers on the desk and locking them in a file cabinet. As always, I’m impressed by how neat Annabelle’s office is. Above the desk hangs a photo of Edmund and her in front of the tree house we played in as children. My dad built the tree house in our brownstone backyard, and Annabelle and I first bonded as I gave her a tour, showing her the wooden kitchen and the secret door that hid an interior ladder. An interior ladder led to a deck on top with outdoor beanbags.
Behind the desk is a photo of Edmund and her as children. She points the two photographs out as what Edmund gave her. We leave William alone in the office and return to the living room. Annabelle sits on the couch. I sit across from her and wait.
“I’m using Edmund as an emotional crutch, and it’s not fair to him. But I’m also afraid to tell him that I just want to be friends.” She twists her wedding ring.Interesting that she’s back to wearing it.“You know Edmund. Do you have any advice on how to tell him?”
A happy warmth radiates through my chest. It’s been a long time since Annabelle and I have talked relationships. In high school, we did all the time, but then we both went to different colleges, and somehow, we grew distant. Plus, I don’t want her to date Edmund.
But then an icy shiver snakes through me. I don’t want to give advice on her relationship with Edmund. And if she breaks up with Edmund, he may destroy the paintings.
“Is there some reason you need to tell him this now?” I ask. “Does he think that you are more than just friends?”
“I got drunk at Dad’s party, and I told Edmund how much I appreciated him and how he’s always been there for me. I went on and on. I don’t know. That was my first party officially without David, and I felt so alone.”
I hug Annabelle. “You’re not alone. You can always come and stay at my apartment. Did anything happen?”
“No, thankfully,” Annabelle says. “He’s dating someone. And that’s the thing. I’m not attracted to Edmund. We can only be friends. But I definitely led him on that night. And since then too. He keeps calling to get together, and I keep saying yes. When I should be working. He’s been over here most nights, cooking me dinner. But I hate coming home to this empty house.”
“Even with Pepper?” I ask.
“David had Pepper last week. We’ve worked out a shared custody arrangement.”
“But if Edmund is dating someone, then won’t he be okay that you’re just friends?”
“He said he thought he should break up with her last night when we were at this art show,” Annabelle says. “That’s why I have to say something. But I couldn’t do it last night.”
“Why not?”
“He was bubbling over with happiness, and I didn’t want to hurt him.”
“It’s better for him if you tell him. Then he can move on emotionally,” I say. “What art show did you go to?”
“One down in Tribeca,” she says. “There was a forged painting. The police came and took possession of it. It was dramatic.”
Edmund was at the art show last night.Probably to see my reaction.
“That’s why I want to tell him tonight,” she says. “We’re having dinner at his place. He’s cooking.”
I am torn. If she tells him …
“You can’t tell him that you just want to be friends after he’s cooked you dinner,” I say. If he’s even free for dinner. The police are questioning him now.
“Should I suggest we just meet for coffee? That I have to work late?” Annabelle asks.
“What time are you guys meeting?” I ask.
“Five thirty, but that was when he was cooking.”
My phone beeps.
William:We should go to the art gallery. Officer Johnson called. Edmund denying. Says Lena must have done it.
He must have broken up with Lena.
