An inconvenient wife, p.11
An Inconvenient Wife, page 11
She could see the tightness around his mouth. It must not have gone well with the shareholders. He came closer, reaching over and touching her cheek. He smelled of whiskey. “I came back early from the city. I met with the police.” His gaze fell on the marsh, where the body was found.
“It was Caitlyn,” he said then. “I identified her body.”
20
Kate jumped up and wrapped her arms around him. He held her tight for a moment, then pulled away. She peered up at his face but couldn’t read him. It was as though he’d slipped on a neutral mask.
“You’re sure?” she asked.
He nodded. “It was the tattoo.”
“Tattoo?”
“A rose. On the inside of her thigh.”
Kate caught her breath. Caitlyn had been Hank’s “rose without a thorn.” He’d made that declaration to the press when he announced their engagement. Kate had coined the term for him. It was her job.
“Who could have—”
He put his hand up, stopping her from continuing. “It was a horrific act of violence. Despite my, um, feelings for her, she did not deserve such an end. I have already spoken with her parents and expressed our condolences.” He reached over and stroked her arm. “I’m glad you’ve been here for Anna and the children, but I do wish you hadn’t taken your little trip into the city today.” His tone was stern, as though she were a disobedient child.
He knew. Despite Anna’s assurances that Will Stafford was to be trusted, clearly he couldn’t be.
“Why was Culpepper at your apartment?”
Kate was struck by the change of subject, as though Caitlyn’s murder was a mere footnote to her meeting with Culpepper. He was looking at her expectantly. She thought about his question. How had he found out? While Alex might have managed to evade the paparazzi, Will must have followed her from Times Square without her noticing him. Was this why he’d been so distracted on the way home?
“I know Culpepper was there, so don’t even try to say he wasn’t. I want to know why,” Hank prodded.
“I asked him where Caitlyn was.” She might as well tell the truth. “Jane Rocheford said she was missing. He was the one most likely to know where she might be.” The words caught in her throat as she realized Jane had been right to be concerned.
“Why did you meet at your apartment?” Hank’s eyes narrowed as he studied her face.
She needed to turn this conversation around. “I thought it would be the best place to stay out of the eye of the media.”
“There are eyes everywhere, Kate.” His tone was ominous, and she made a mental note to keep that in mind. Her life was no longer hers. She was going to be watched, not only by the media but by her husband. She’d made that choice willingly; she was now beginning to realize what it meant.
“You could have asked him over the phone,” he admonished. “You know the police want to talk to him?”
Alex had said that. That the police were trying to reach him. She remembered Anna saying Pawlik had asked if Alex was with Caitlyn the night she was here. Could Alex have been involved in Caitlyn’s murder?
She shivered involuntarily. She’d met him alone in her apartment, and he had frightened her. She should be more careful. Even if Alex wasn’t involved in Caitlyn’s death, someone was, and he was still out there somewhere.
“I understand you’re not used to this. The fact that you cannot come and go as you wish anymore. We have security for a reason. I know that will be difficult for a while, but you’ll settle into it.” He hesitated, then added, “I don’t want something to happen to you like what happened to Caitlyn. You’re too precious to me.”
Hank was so concerned about security, her security, but was he doing anything about the fact that the cameras at his house hadn’t recorded anything? Cameras that might have helped the police find the person who murdered Caitlyn? But before she could ask about that, he continued.
“I’m sorry our marriage has to start out this way, but I promise it will be over soon and I can devote more time to you then.”
“Devote more time” to her? Kate knew the way Hank worked. Tudor Enterprises always came first.
“We never got a proper honeymoon,” he reminded her. “Maybe we should leave for Tuscany as soon as all this”—he waved his hand in the air—“is over.”
“I’ve got everything I want right here.”
He gave her a smile and reached for her, grazing her lips with his. “It’s too crowded here.” He stepped away. “Right now, though, I’m going to go upstairs and take a shower.” He picked up his brown leather carryall from where he’d dropped it on the patio tiles and disappeared into the house.
He was right. The house was too crowded. Kate hadn’t expected the sheer mental exhaustion of having children around. And then there was Maril. Sometimes Maril wanted to be best friends, but then there were the times when it was more than obvious that Maril wanted to drive a wedge between her and Hank. She shouldn’t be surprised; Maril was so loyal to her mother that any idea of befriending her father’s newest wife would be complicated.
The cool evening air caused goosebumps to rise on her skin—or more likely it was the thought of Caitlyn’s body in the marsh. She felt a sudden rush of sadness. The young woman had been unpredictable and even unstable at times, but she had also embraced life to its fullest. Her laughter could light up a room, and Kate was hard-pressed to think of anyone—man or woman—who hadn’t been captivated by her. For all the trouble Caitlyn had caused, she didn’t deserve to die.
And what about her pregnancy? The police would know about that; there would be an autopsy. Did they tell Hank when he was there today? Did he know?
Kate glanced toward Anna and Joan, their hands still clasped together. There was no sign they’d noticed Hank’s return, and she certainly didn’t want to interrupt their moment of tranquility. They’d learn about Caitlyn soon enough.
Kate picked up her phone, tucked the tablet under her arm, and headed upstairs after her husband.
He was still in the shower. Kate peered into the mirror at her reflection. The stress of the past days showed in the bags under her eyes. The window was open, and the lace curtain fluttered with the breeze. Long Island Sound spread out beyond the house, a couple of sailboats moving across the water. The children’s voices rose off the lawn, their chatter disappearing over the horizon.
It was almost as though nothing had changed, that Caitlyn wasn’t dead, that someone hadn’t murdered her.
Kate rounded the bed and tripped over something. Hank’s brown leather carryall. She leaned over and grabbed it, putting it on the bed. She unzipped it and saw Hank’s toiletry bag, a couple of pairs of boxers and socks, and two golf shirts.
She fingered the fabric of his shirt, taking out the clothes he’d already worn and dropping them in the wicker laundry basket next to the dresser. It was busywork, she knew, as she tried to sort everything out in her head. How was she going to ask him about Caitlyn’s pregnancy?
Something was at the bottom of the case. She tried to close her fingers around it, but it was stuck in the seam. She lifted the bag and dug her fingernail into the crease. It came loose, and when she opened her hand, the light hit it and it glinted brightly.
It was a diamond ring.
Caitlyn’s ring.
21
Kate studied the marquise diamond in a French-cut basket setting. It was elaborate and overstated. Kate’s round diamond in a simple gold setting was all she’d wanted. But Caitlyn was all about making statements, and this ring had been front and center in a magazine article about the young actress’s engagement to Hank. Kate herself had guided the press coverage along with Jane Rocheford, and she oversaw the photo shoot. There was no doubt in her mind what she was holding.
How did it end up in Hank’s carryall?
The question tugged at her as she thought about how her husband had come home unexpectedly, acting so normally, as though he hadn’t just identified the headless body of his ex-wife—his pregnant ex-wife—found on his property.
If she said nothing, then it was as though it never happened, she’d never found the ring and she could pretend that nothing was wrong. That was probably the smart move. She could put it back in the carryall and no one would be the wiser. Except for her.
Kate went out onto the balcony. The sun was low over the horizon, bright pink and orange streaks coloring the sky. She sunk down into one of the chairs, the ring still in her palm, biting into her skin.
“Kate?”
She hadn’t heard the shower turn off, but she wasn’t startled. It was as though she’d been expecting him. That he’d known what she’d found and that she needed to ask him about it.
Hank caressed her shoulder and leaned down to kiss her neck. He was wearing a plush white terry cloth bathrobe. His hair was wet, slicked back behind his ears.
Kate wriggled away. He gave her a curious look, frowning, and then sat across from her, the small table between them. Kate held her hand over the surface, opened it, and the ring dropped with a small clink.
She raised her eyes to meet his, which glanced so quickly at the ring that she almost missed it.
“Where did you find it?” he asked, as though the ring was merely something he’d misplaced.
“I was unpacking your bag. It was stuck in the seam.” She stared him down, daring him to tell her about it, how he had gotten it.
“What do you want me to say?”
“How did it get there?”
“I must have left it there.” His response was casual, as though she’d asked how the weather was.
“What I’m asking is, why is it in your possession?” She was aware her tone was formal. She should have pretended to merely be curious, not confrontational. But it was too late now.
He smiled, a long, lazy smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “She gave it back to me.”
“When?”
“When I told her I wanted a divorce. You wouldn’t think that I’d let her keep it, would you?” A menacing tone crept into his voice, a warning that she shouldn’t question too much. She’d heard it before, but she’d never been on the receiving end.
Caitlyn wouldn’t have given him back that ring. This was the same girl who was going to blackmail him with his second wife’s diary for leverage so he would give her more money. Why would she give up this incredibly expensive diamond ring? Caitlyn could have sold it for thousands of dollars. Tens of thousands.
His mouth twitched. She nodded, worried that she’d say the wrong thing, so she said nothing.
“Do you think that I did it? That I killed Caitlyn and then took her ring?” he asked.
“No.” It was barely a whisper. She cleared her throat. “No, of course not,” she said more loudly. “That’s not what—”
“We can’t begin a marriage with you suspecting me of anything,” Hank said, his voice steady, calm. As though he hadn’t accused her of just that: suspecting him of being involved with Caitlyn’s murder.
She reached over, put her hand on his knee, and attempted a reassuring smile. “No, I don’t think anything like that, of course,” she said. “It was a surprise, finding her ring. It doesn’t seem in her character to have given it back willingly.”
“No. It’s not.”
Kate waited for him to continue, but he didn’t.
“We shouldn’t have secrets,” she tried.
Hank stared at her, his eyes dark, the anger brewing behind them. “There are no secrets, Kate. You know better than to push. If you do, then I’m not responsible for what might happen.”
The threat lay between them. She considered carefully what she would say next. “I’m sorry.” She touched his hand. “I’m not, well, I’m still getting used to this. Being your wife, I mean.”
She’d played this wrong at the start, but that was the right thing to say. He closed his hand over hers and lifted it to his lips. “I know you’re having a tough transition,” he said. “But I hope you know how much I love you and how much I want this marriage to work.”
“I do,” she said. Kate gently pulled her hand out from Hank’s. She touched the ring that lay on the table between them, then raised her eyes to his. “What will you do with it?” she asked.
He picked it up and twirled it a little, then took her hand, slipping the ring on her finger. It was dazzling, belying the ominous chill that rushed through her.
She swallowed hard and pulled it off, letting it drop. “No,” she said, her voice low, husky. “It’s hers.” Did he think they were interchangeable? That one would replace the other and not be aware of what had come before? What was he looking for in all these wives?
Kate wanted to feel special, and having that ring on her finger made her feel as temporary and replaceable as the others.
Hank was sitting back, an amused look on his face. “I shouldn’t have done that,” he said, but his expression told her he didn’t mean it.
“What about the baby?” she asked. She couldn’t stop herself. She wanted to lash out at him for making her feel so small.
“What baby?” His expression didn’t change, but she heard something different in his tone.
“Caitlyn’s baby.” When he didn’t answer, she added, “She was pregnant, Hank.”
His hands curled into fists and his jaw tensed as he got up slowly. Kate struggled not to look away from his glare.
“You’re playing with fire, Kate. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave this alone.”
22
Kate bit down her own anger. “I just want to know if you knew she was pregnant,” she said.
He stared at her, and she couldn’t read his expression. Finally, he said, “No, no, I didn’t know. At least not until the police told me. How did you find out?”
“Alex told me. He said she told him it wasn’t his.” She was treading on thin ice, but she had to know. Had to know if there was any possibility that her husband was the father of Caitlyn’s baby.
“I’m not sure why this concerns you,” he said, his expression daring her to ask.
Before she could decide exactly how to proceed, his phone buzzed. He went into the bedroom, grabbed it off the dresser, and put it to his ear. “Yes?” he barked as he closed the French door behind him, leaving her alone on the balcony.
Hank wasn’t going to tell her anything. Not even if she came right out and demanded to know. She could hear him murmuring to whoever had called; then it was quiet. She got up and pushed the door open. He didn’t even look at her as he grabbed his carryall off the floor and put it on the bed, pulling clothes out of the basket where she’d put them and stuffing them inside.
He was leaving.
He was angry with her. Angrier than she’d ever seen him. And it looked as though he was following a familiar pattern: he’d leave the house tonight, barely saying goodbye—and she might never see him again. That’s what he’d done with Caitlyn at the end. What he’d done with Catherine. He just left. Cromwell would pick up the pieces, formalize everything, and Hank didn’t even have to participate.
Was she becoming as inconvenient as the others?
This was the beginning for them. She shouldn’t have confronted him with the ring. With Caitlyn’s pregnancy. She knew better than that. And yet she wanted answers.
If she were truly honest with herself, she wanted to make sure that he hadn’t had anything to do with Caitlyn’s death. Or with her pregnancy. For some reason the latter was bothering her more than the possibility of the former, since he’d been with her the past two weeks and couldn’t possibly have killed Caitlyn. But had he chosen Caitlyn to sleep with, when he was telling Kate she was the woman he wanted to marry?
She was jealous of a dead woman. A murdered woman. What was wrong with her?
“Where are you going?” she asked, forcing her tone to stay neutral.
He gave her a tight smile. “I’ll be back in two days. Emergency board meeting in Frankfurt. Lindsey’s meeting me at the airport.”
Lindsey. That’s right. Kate hadn’t seen her since that day at Anna’s, the day they found the body. But it wasn’t a surprise that Hank had spoken to her, that he’d arranged for her to go with him. Lindsey was his assistant. Kate had to stay behind.
“You have to leave right now?”
“Yes.” His tone was curt. He wasn’t going to say any more. He’d made it clear what her place was. “You should go downstairs.”
“Is Tom going with you?”
Hank cocked his eyebrow at her. “Why do you need to know?”
“No reason.” She hesitated a moment. “I’m thinking about heading back to the city. I have to pack up, call the movers.”
He gave her a genuine smile mixed with relief. “That’s an excellent idea. Make sure you have them move what you want to keep to the penthouse. Everything else can be sold.”
Granted, she had some furniture that was falling apart and needed to be replaced anyway. But most of what was in that apartment meant something to her, and she resented the implication that she would so easily discard her old life for her new one. Some things needed to make the transition with her. It wasn’t time to get into that now, though. She forced a smile. It was easier to maintain harmony at the moment.
Hank was looking at her expectantly, and for a second, she wondered if he could read her mind, but that was silly.
She nodded. “First thing tomorrow. I’ll set it all up.”
Hank stopped packing and moved around the bed, his arms around her. “We’re going to be so happy,” he whispered in her ear, “as long as we put all this unpleasantness behind us. I’ll meet you in the city and we can plan that honeymoon I’ve promised you.”
She wanted to believe him, believe in him. But to call Caitlyn’s murder unpleasant, she wasn’t quite sure how to respond to that except by extricating herself from his embrace. He didn’t seem to notice. Kate wrapped her arms around her torso, hugging herself tight as he finished packing. “You’re always leaving,” she said before she could stop herself.
