“Does he usually drive your SUV?”
“Recently.”
“How recently?”
“For about a month.”
“Several times?”
“Several times a week.”
She glanced toward the driveway.
“That seems convenient.”
“I know.”
“Do you trust him?”
The question stung.
“Yes.”
“Completely?”
I hesitated.
Nora squeezed my hand.
“I’m not trying to make you suspicious, but something doesn’t add up.”
Before I could answer, my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
“This is Maia.”
“Ma’am, this is Officer Ben.”
My pulse quickened.
“Did you find something?”
“We did. I’d rather discuss it in person.”
“When?”
“If possible, today.”
“Is it serious?”
There was a pause.
“Yes,” he replied. “I also think you should come alone.”
Officer Ben was waiting in an interview room when I arrived.
He gestured toward the chair across from him. “Thank you for coming.”
“You said you found something?”
“We did. First, I want to reassure you that we no longer believe a crime took place.”
“What about the disturbed soil?”
“The groundskeeper thought someone had tampered with a grave. The cemetery manager later determined that only the flower bed had been disturbed.”
I released a breath.
“So, what happened?”
Officer Ben slid a photograph across the table.
It showed a granite headstone surrounded by white lilies.
The name carved into it was Lena.
Below it were the words, “Beloved Mother-to-Be.”
“What does this have to do with me?”
“The groundskeeper found a waterproof tin beneath the flowers. The cemetery permits approved keepsake containers, but he did not know whether this one belonged there.”
Officer Ben paused.
“It contained photographs, handwritten letters, an engagement ring, and ultrasound images. Ethan’s name was on the envelopes.”
A strange heaviness settled over me.
“Who was Lena?”
His voice softened.
“She was Ethan’s fiancée.”
The room seemed to shrink.
“He was engaged before me?”
“Yes.”
“And she was pregnant?”
He nodded.
“She died?”
“There was a car accident several years ago. Neither Lena nor the baby survived.”
I swallowed hard.
“I never knew.”
He placed another photograph before me. It showed a younger Ethan with his arm around a pregnant woman.
They looked happy.
Not posed. Not uncomfortable.
Happy.
“I’ve been married to him for almost six years.”
“I’m sorry.”
“So, why was he there all night?”
“The groundskeeper found fresh flowers, a cleaned headstone, and a new letter. It appears Ethan spent several hours there before replacing the tin.”
“So all of this happened because he was visiting them.”
“Yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“But why lie to me?”
“I can’t answer that.”
Neither could I.
When I reached home, Ethan was standing outside.
The moment he saw my face, his shoulders stiffened.
“You talked to the officer.”
“I did.”
He did not ask what I had learned.
