“I’m fine.”
He’s quiet on the other line as he considers this. “I’m sorry this is scary for you, Tess. I wish I could be there for you all the time. I hate that we have to lock up the backyard. I really do. But last month you—”
“It’s okay,” I say.
“You swear?”
“Yes.”
He sighs. “Okay. I’ll try to get home early.”
“Okay…”
I squeeze the phone as I stare at the padlock on the door to the backyard. I take a deep breath, trying to push back the panicked feeling. It’s okay. I’ll get out of here soon. I just have to wait until the afternoon. I can’t do anything to jeopardize that meeting.
“Tess,” Graham says.
“Mmm?”
“I… Listen, I…” He coughs. “I love you.”
I blink at the phone. I’m not sure what to say to that. It’s the last thing I expected him to say.
“I’m sorry,” he says quickly. “I know it’s weird to hear me say that. And you don’t have to say it back—I don’t expect that at all. I know you feel like you don’t even know me. But I know you. And… I just want you to know that… I love you. You’re my wife and I just want you to be safe.”
His voice breaks on the last few words of his little speech. He sounds like he means it. He doesn’t sound like some psychopath who is holding me hostage in my own home. He sounds like a man who is just worried about his memory-impaired wife.
“Tess? Are you still there?”
“I… yes. I am.”
“Okay, good.” He clears his throat. “Just hang in there. I know you’re having a rough day, but I’ll be home early and we’ll have a nice dinner together. Then we can watch The Princess Bride.” He laughs. “For the jillionth time.”
The Princess Bride—my comfort movie. The one my mother and I always used to watch together. He knows my comfort movie. And he’s willing to sit and watch it with me for the jillionth time. My husband is a good guy.
“As you wish,” I say.
There’s silence on the other line. “Um, okay,” he finally says. “Anyway, I better go. But I’ll see you later, Tess.”
That was strange. He has apparently watched this movie with me many many times, yet he didn’t seem to recognize the famous line from it that I just quoted. As you wish. Is that strange? I don’t know. Graham certainly doesn’t seem like any kind of monster from what I can tell. He sounds like he genuinely thinks he’s doing this for my own safety. And maybe he really does.
But either way, I intend to find out the truth.
Chapter 9
Camila makes us a lunch of turkey sandwiches.
I wait at the large wooden table that seats eight in our dining room, feeling slightly preposterous to be sitting here all alone. I thought Camila would make me a sandwich and leave, but instead, she makes two sandwiches and puts her plate down next to mine. She brushes a stray lock of her glossy dark hair behind one ear as she joins me at the dining table.
“This is turkey a la Camila,” she says. “You’ll love it.”
I look down at the fairly ordinary appearing turkey sandwich on the table. It’s cut in half diagonally, the same way my mother used to cut sandwiches when she was still alive. I pick up the half and take a nibble.
“Wow,” I say. “This is delicious. What’s your secret?”
Camila gives another of her throaty laughs. “Actually, it’s this spread that Graham introduced me to. It’s like this crazy pesto guacamole sun-dried tomato thing. It’s amazing. Your husband has excellent taste. Even if he’s a crap cook.”
There’s an affectionate look on her face when she says his name. Even though I only really met Graham this morning, Camila has known him for an entire year. They know each other well.
And Camila is really beautiful.
I watch her chewing on her turkey sandwich out of the corner of my eye. I wonder if something ever happened between her and my husband. After all, I’m not exactly an ideal wife right now. Nobody would blame him if he had a moment of weakness…
No. I need to stop. I’ve got enough to worry about.
“Could we take Ziggy to the dog park after lunch?” I ask.
“Sure,” Camila says. “He loves it there.”
“Great.” I have to suppress my excitement. I certainly can’t tell Camila about the text messages I got this morning or give her any inkling that I’m meeting someone. “Thanks for taking us.”