Right after our daughter’s funeral, my husband insisted on quickly throwing out all her things from the kids’ room, but while cleaning, I found her note…
«No-no,» Emily hastened to object. «You need to be here when the movers come. I’ll manage myself, really.»
She saw doubt in his eyes. Did he suspect something? Or was it her paranoia?
«Okay,» he finally agreed. «Just don’t stay long. And take a cab both ways. I don’t want you driving in this state.»
Emily nodded in relief. «Of course. I’ll be quick.»
She went upstairs, changed, took her bag. She had to leave the backpack with documents in the hiding spot; too risky to take it out now. But copies of the most important papers were on her phone.
Coming downstairs, Emily found that Michael had ordered a cab for her through an app. «The car will be here in five minutes,» he said. «I’ll track it to make sure you get there okay.»
Emily went cold. He’d be able to see exactly where she went. That ruined the whole plan.
«Thanks, but I already called one,» she lied. «Habit.»
Michael frowned. «Cancel it. Mine’s already coming.»
He insisted too strongly. Emily realized there was no choice; she’d have to take the cab he ordered. But how to meet Alex then?
«Okay,» she smiled through force. «You’re right, it’s safer.»
The cab arrived, and Emily left the house, feeling Michael’s gaze on her back. She gave the driver the address of her office. Let Michael see she didn’t lie about work, and then she’d improvise.
«Riverside Cafe on the waterfront,» she told the driver, texting Alex. «Need urgent meeting, life and death, at Riverside in twenty minutes.»
The reply came almost immediately: Be there. What’s wrong?
«Explain in person. It’s about Olivia’s death.»
Getting out of the cab, Emily looked around. No one was following her, but the sense of danger lingered.
She entered the cafe, chose a table in the far corner, from where the entrance was clearly visible.
Alex appeared ten minutes later, tall, fit, with gray in his dark hair. Years had added wrinkles around his eyes, but his gaze remained attentive, sharp.
«Emily!» he hugged her tightly. «My condolences. I wanted to come to the funeral, but I was on assignment.»
She nodded, feeling tears welling up. «Thanks for coming now. This is very important.»
They sat at the table. Alex ordered coffee, looking at Emily attentively. «What happened? You look scared.»
Emily looked around, lowered her voice. «Olivia didn’t die by accident. Michael arranged the crash for the insurance. Now I’m next.»
Alex looked at Emily with a long, studying gaze. Concern was in his eyes, but also professional caution, a detective used to separating facts from emotions.
«That’s a serious accusation,» he said finally. «Do you have proof?»
Emily took out her phone, opened the folder with photos of the documents. «Olivia compiled a whole dossier on Michael, found his correspondence with some mechanic about dealing with the stepdaughter problem, here are the insurance policies on both of us, here are statements about his debts, here are photos with his mistress.»
Alex carefully scrolled through the shots; his face grew more serious. «When did you find this?»
«Yesterday. Olivia left a note in her textbook, knowing I’d be going through her things. Michael is rushing to clear everything out, destroy it; he scheduled movers for today.»
Alex thoughtfully tapped his fingers on the table. «The correspondence indirectly points to crime preparation, but there’s no direct evidence of his involvement in the crash here; we need something more concrete.»
Emily leaned forward. «So find it, check Olivia’s car, question that mechanic, find out who the woman in the photo is, do something before he kills me too.»
Alex covered her hand with his. «I’ll help you, Emily, but we need to act carefully; if Michael is really a killer, he’s dangerous, especially if he senses a threat.»
He took a sip of coffee, thinking over the situation. «Olivia’s car has already been scrapped; police closed the case as an accident, but I can request a re-examination based on new circumstances.»
Emily nervously glanced at the cafe door. «I have little time. Yesterday he spiked my wine, then gave me some pills; I pretended to take them.»
She took the tissue with the two white pills from her pocket. «Here they are. I don’t know what they are, but definitely not my usual medicine.»
Alex carefully took the tissue. «I’ll send them for analysis; if it’s something dangerous, we’ll have direct evidence.»
He photographed the pills, wrapped them back in the tissue, and put it in his inner pocket. «You can’t go back home; I’ll arrange a safe place.»
Emily shook her head. «Can’t. He tracks my cab through the app; if I don’t return, he’ll know I know something; besides, the original documents are still at home, in the hiding spot; I need to get them.»
Alex frowned. «Too dangerous. Let me send operatives.»
«No.» Emily almost cried out. «No police at the house. He’s cunning, will deny everything, make me look crazy. The documents are my only protection.»
Alex sighed. «Okay, but I’ll give you a bug, a small microphone; you’ll record all conversations with him. If lucky, he’ll slip up.»
He took out a tiny device the size of a button from his pocket. «Attaches to clothing, or put in pocket; battery lasts a day; recording goes to my server.»
Emily took the microphone, hid it in her blouse pocket. «How do I contact you if something happens?»
«Call this number,» Alex wrote digits on a napkin, «any time, and send messages every three hours. If you miss even one check-in, I’ll come with a SWAT team.»..
