I text Grant back and say I’ll call him when I get in my office. I feel a surge of relief. It’s done. Troy is headed to Utah to be buried in his ex's front yard.
I get back on the road to head for 11 Wall Street and 18th Broadway, and the skies have darkened. I hear thunder booming in the distance. When I pull into the underground parking of the New York Stock Exchange, the rain begins pelting the ground.
I walk into the building and to the trading floor, but before I can focus on anything else, I have to contact Grant, so I quickly walk to the bathroom. I have to make it quick. Inside, the marbled counters are clean, with gold faucets and the white tile glistens. I check under all the stalls just like they do in the movies, but I see and hear nothing, so I quickly punch in Grant’s number.
“Hey,” he says.
“So, give me the rundown.”
“A couple of friends came Saturday night and picked up the body. They should arrive in Grantsville tomorrow night. They’ll dump him and then bury him. It will no longer be our problem any longer.” Yeah, it will be Deanna’s, and I know she doesn’t deserve this, but I don’t know any other way. But she may still get off because there isn’t evidence of the exact date he was dumped. Since there will be no other leads, they will investigate his acquaintances and friends. They may even suspect Melanie.
I already have an airtight alibi for the weekend – Friday, I stayed at home with the kids; Saturday, I went into the city and met my friend (Grant), and went off-roading. I went Sunday to East End Trees and went home and planted all day. On Monday, I took the kids to summer camp. Since medical examiners won’t have an exact day and time of his death, I have four days covered.
“I’ll let you know when it’s final.”
I push end on the phone and leave the bathroom. I head to my station and start work to keep myself from thinking about it for another day or so.
I stay longer to make up the morning not being there, and then my phone rings around 7:30, and it’s Wyndham Summer Camp. My heart starts racing. They only call if it’s an emergency.
“This is Jeff,” I say, my voice shaky,
“Hi, Mr. Patterson; this is Sylvia, the Wyndham’s director.”
“Yes …”
“Kiersten fell off a log coming across the river and landed pretty hard. We’re at the hospital, and it looks like she broke her arm, but the X-rays haven’t come back yet.” She gave me the address, which is about 20 minutes away. Here, she wants to talk to you.”
I hear my sweet daughter’s voice, but she doesn’t act hurt. “Hi, dad,” she says almost cheerfully.
“Hey, you OK?”
“Yeah, just fell and hurt my arm.”
“Ouch. I’m on my way.”
“It’s OK. I really want to stay, please.”
I ask to speak to Sylvia again and get her opinion.
“Well, if it’s broken, they will cast it, but I suppose she could still stay. She just needs to be careful not to get it wet.”
I give her the OK, and she says she’ll text me once they get the X-rays back. I get back to Kirsten and tell her I love her and to be careful. She seems so happy that I’m letting her stay at camp. I can breathe, too, knowing nothing serious happened.
About ten minutes later, I get good news. The arm isn’t broken, just sprained.
I stay at work for a while longer and then head home. It’s been a long day, and I want to crash on the couch with a cold Coors and maybe put on Netflix. It will just be me – again.
___________________________________________________________________
I’m up and ready for work by 8:30 on Tuesday morning. I have to get there on time today, as I’ve already taken a week off and came in late yesterday. It’s already a day past when Troy should be home. Melanie will be wondering why she can’t get a hold of him, and in a few days or sooner, she will know he’s no longer at the cabin, and the search will commence.
Sometime tonight, his body will be in Grantsville. My life has completely changed within one week, and so has Melanie’s. I would love to see her face when she finds out the love of her life is gone. Will she understand what it feels like to lose someone and her family?
After working the day, I arrive home and walk into the house through the garage, which opens into our kitchen. I hear Melanie on her phone in the living room, her voice frantic.
“I haven’t been able to reach him for two days!”
I smile – just slightly. I know I shouldn’t, but I enjoy listening to her freaking out. And it’s only been about 30 hours, not two days.
“Okay. Yes, he was at our cabin the last time I talked to him. He would be there for the weekend and then head back to Long Island.” She then gives the officer the address to the cabin.
My smile fades. Our cabin? No, it’s my cabin.
“Alright, thank you, officer. Please let me know.”
I open the fridge door and grab a beer, feigning surprise when she enters the kitchen. “You’re home,” I say.
“Yes.” She plants her hands on her hips. “I can’t get a hold of Troy.”
“Oh?” Again, I act surprised. She was going to leave me for him, but they were in the middle of working out the living situation since Troy lives in Utah and she is in New York. Now, there’s no reason for her to leave.
“He went to the cabin for the weekend and … don’t look at me that way,” she says when I act shocked. “No one goes there anymore. He needed some time away, so I gave him permission to go. Anyway, he was supposed to be back yesterday morning.”
“It’s my cabin, Melanie, not yours. It’s been in my family since the 80s. But why am I even surprised since you don’t care about your family anymore.” I then tell her about Kirsten.
“She sprained her arm and is still at summer camp?” Her voice rises higher.
“Yes. It’s not broken, and she needs to be careful, but other than that, she’s fine.”
“Why didn’t you call me?”
“Because it wasn’t a big deal. And isn’t it interesting that the camp called me, not you? You were in Florida. Were you going to rush home?”
Melanie opens her mouth and then shuts it again.
“Yeah, didn’t think so.” I rifle through the pantry, trying to figure out what to eat since it’s past 6:00 p.m., and I’m starved. I barely got coffee and a donut this morning. I feel a headache coming on, and I know it’s because I haven’t eaten all day. “I’m hungry, so I’m going to grab a burger. Are you hungry?” I don’t know why I care, but I do.
“Yes. C-can I come with?”
“Sure,” I say. At least she’s not ignoring me. Maybe I can get the old Melanie back, the one I fell for over a decade ago. “And maybe Troy decided to stay a little longer at the cabin and will be back tomorrow,” I add. I have to placate her for tonight.
“Yeah, maybe. Let me grab my purse and do something with my hair; it’s a mess,” she says.
When she leaves the kitchen, I notice she leaves her phone on the counter. I quickly pick it up and put in her password. She gave it to me long ago, “just in case,” she said. I hear her go upstairs and know I have a few minutes. I scroll through her messages to Troy.
MELANIE: I CAN’T WAIT FOR YOU TO COME BACK I MISS YOU
TROY: DITTO
MELANIE: IT’S TIME TO TELL HIM
TROY: I KNOW. LET’S DO IT WHEN YOU GET BACK FROM FLORIDA
MELANIE: REALLY? OKAY. I’M NOT SHOWING YET, BUT I WENT TO THE DOCTOR LAST WEEK AND THEY DID AN ULTRASOUND. CAN’T WAIT TO HAVE YOUR BABY BOY!
I throw the phone down and stare at it. She’s having HIS son? The world is spinning, and I must sit down before passing out. I just had her unborn son’s father killed.
My plans to save our family just vanished.
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