Sam stood and stretched. His shirt was untucked, and when he stretched, he revealed a muscular waist. Tessa tore her eyes away before he caught her looking.
“I need to get out of here myself. I’ve got a client early, and I can’t reschedule, but I will cancel the rest of the week. I want to be here with you, this time, every step of the way,” Jill said.
“You can stay here; there’s plenty of room,” Tessa said, hating to see her leave. Their friendship had picked up right where it left off, and despite the years, and Tessa’s refusal of her letters and visits, it was just like old times. Easy and relaxed, with each knowing what the other thought before the words came out of her mouth.
“I know, and I will another time. Maybe tomorrow. I have a bit of reading to do when I get home, so I’ll call it a night. I’ll call you tomorrow as soon as I finish with my patient.” She leaned in and gave Tessa a hug.
“Watch yourself when you leave. Those media whores are still hanging out by the gates,” Tessa reminded her.
Jill laughed. “I’ll watch for them, and if they give me any crap, I’ll flip them the bird. That should give them something for tomorrow’s front page.”
Tessa laughed, too, and for the first time in a very, very long time, she felt just a moment’s happiness. “I don’t know if I’d go that far,” she added.
“Of course I would never do that, but I did get a smile out of you,” Jill said. “Are you okay? Seriously, do you think you’re going to be able to deal with . . . everything?”
“I’m just grateful for the chance,” Tessa said. “It was never going to be easy, I have realized that all along, but I want to do whatever I can to find . . . the person responsible.” She wanted to say Liam, not the wishy-washy “person responsible,” but she didn’t for fear she would actually slip up and tell Jill what she was planning to do when she found the bastard. Even though she had no formal plans, they had to find him first. Then she would seriously begin to plan his death.
“I’ll be here every step of the way,” Jill said. “Now, I’m going to sneak out the back.” She grabbed her giant tote bag, and Sam waited by the door.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” he said to Jill, then to Tessa, “Wait here.”
She sat down on the sofa, totally exhausted. It was almost midnight. Another long day tomorrow, but she didn’t care. She thought about Rosa and her absolute certainty that she had seen Joel running from the house. Covered in blood. It was so absurd, she couldn’t believe Sam was actually considering looking into her claims.
Tessa felt sure the watch found in Joel’s desk was . . . was what? Suddenly, she didn’t know what she felt so sure of anymore. Granted, none of this made any sense whatsoever, but she remembered that day. Horrified hardly described her reaction to what she had seen, but she clearly remembered that when she had seen Joel’s body by the pool’s skimmer, something about it hadn’t seemed right. It was Joel, she knew that, but she had always had a nagging thought that the man that was Joel, the bloated, decomposing Joel, had not been . . . Joel. Of course, scientifically, she knew why the body didn’t appear to be her husband’s body. The face was gone. Slashed so badly with the box cutter that the medical examiner’s office had needed DNA to make an accurate identification. And, of course, the DNA was an exact match, so what was it about his body that had bothered her all these years?
Everything, of course—he was her husband, the father of her children. Their twin daughters. As though jarred by a jolt of lightning, Tessa had a flashback from a conversation she and Joel had had years ago. They’d been having dinner at a fancy restaurant. She was pregnant with the girls.
Tessa asked Joel if there were identical twins on his side of the family. Joel had seemed angry at her inquiry, but then he’d brushed it aside, telling her he personally didn’t know of any twins, but she remembered he had said something about once having heard that there was a set a few generations before him.
Had she imagined his reaction to her question? Had he actually been angry? She didn’t remember the exact tone of the conversation, so it’s possible she was reading more into an old memory than she should.
But hadn’t he acted strangely when they learned that they were having twins? Yes, she was sure he had, but then he had explained it away by telling her it was scary enough being a parent to one child, even more so to two at once. Those might not have been his exact words, but they were close. And he had been rattled when she asked him about it later. She didn’t recall where the conversation had ended, but the discussion of twins had provoked Joel for some odd reason. Of course, once the girls were born, Joel was truly a devoted father. He changed diapers, helped with the 2:00 A.M. feedings, helped her bathe them.
Dear God, had he . . . No! She wouldn’t even allow her thoughts to travel down that sick road. Joel had his faults, but he was a good father.
Sam opened the sliding door, and Tessa jumped. She placed her hand on her heart. “I am definitely jumpy tonight,” she said, her voice sounding fake to her own ears. There was no way she would even consider sharing her thoughts about Joel with Sam.
“I think you’re just tired. Let’s call it a night, and tomorrow,
