“You just what, huh?” Cole snapped. “You think I’d hurt her? You think I’d do something to her?”
“Well, like you said, Cole, sometimes the pieces don’t fit. But with this argument and her cheating on you, the pieces seem to be falling right into place!” Emily snapped.
“I can’t believe you have the nerve to come in here and accuse me of this! I would NEVER hurt Blair! EVER!” Cole spat as his fists tightened at his sides, the veins in his arms rising to the surface as his cheeks grew redder and redder.
“Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have—”
“Yeah, you shouldn’t have! You shouldn’t have come here! You shouldn’t have ever butted into her life! You shouldn’t have ever gotten involved!” Cole yelled as he marched toward the front door, reached forward, and pulled it open. “Now, get out.”
“Cole, can we just please—”
“I said get out!” Cole snarled. Emily stood, her legs trembling beneath her, ready to give out at any second. She pushed him too far. Any chance she had at getting the truth from Cole was now up in flames. Emily stepped through the doorway and into the hallway of the apartment complex. She turned, staring back at Cole as his eyes burned into her.
“I’m sorry.” Emily nodded, combing her hair behind her ears.
“Me, too,” Cole said as he grabbed the edge of the door and slammed it shut.
***
Emily twirled her fork through the alfredo sauce on her plate as she listened to the rain pound against the roof high above. She played the conversation she had with the sheriff over and over again, how Blair was sleeping with Professor Alden and that he might be a viable suspect. He said he’d follow up with the lead, but there was only so much they could do.
“Are you not hungry?” Hank asked as his deep voice smashed through Emily’s trance.
“Oh, not really.” Emily forced a smile as she reached forward and grabbed her glass, taking a long sip of the ice water. She’d give anything to pop open the secret bottle of wine she had in the fridge, just down the whole thing and soak in the tub for the rest of the night.
“Did Cole have anything to say?” Hank asked as he stared back at Emily from across the small kitchen table.
“Nothing that I didn’t already know.”
“Emily, talk to me,” Hank said.
“I am talking to you.” Emily snapped, dropping her fork on the edge of the plate as it clattered against the rim.
“Barely.” Hank sighed, leaning back in his chair as his strong arms crossed over his chest. “I want to help you get through this, but I can’t do that if you don’t talk to me.”
“What do you want me to say, Hank? This isn’t something that I can just get through! This isn’t something that’ll just go away!”
“I know that, Emily.” Hank sighed as he scooted into the chair beside her and placed his arm around her. “I just want you to talk to me. If you want to cry, then cry. If you want to scream, then scream. I want you to know you’re okay.”
“You know, all I keep picturing in my head is my mother.” Emily nodded, staring down at the untouched pasta. “I promised myself that I would be a better mom than she ever was. I promised myself that I’d cherish my daughter and love her and protect her,” Emily said as she struggled not to choke, the tears running down her cheeks. “I’m just so scared that I’m going to end up just like her. I don’t want to lose Blair the way my mother lost me.”
“Listen to me,” Hank said as he lifted his hand and grabbed her chin, turning her face toward his. “You are not Roberta. You are not your mother. You have done everything you can do, Emily.”
“It just doesn’t feel like enough. I feel like I should be out there. I feel like if I was doing enough, she’d be here with me.” Emily sobbed.
“You have done more than your mother ever would have,” Hank said as his hand glided up her chin and cupped the side of her soft, pale cheek. “You have been a great mom and a great woman, and there’s not a damn thing that she can do or say to take that away from you.”
“She hasn’t even called.” Emily sniffed. “She probably doesn’t even know.”
“And she doesn’t deserve to know,” Hank said. “She was never here for the good times, so she doesn’t need to be here for the bad. I know you have regrets and I know you’re terrified of just an ounce of her residing inside of you. But you are not her, Em; you could never be,” Hank said. Emily smiled as Hank raised his other hand, running his finger through her warm tears and swiping them from her face. Emily jumped in her chair as the sound of her ringtone flooded the kitchen.
What if it was the police?
What if they found something?
Emily jumped from her chair and rushed to the counter, snatching her cellphone from the charger as she answered.
“Hello, this is Emily.”
“Hi, Miss Keller. This is Officer Hale of the Elwood Police Department,” the deep voice rang out through the speaker and into her ear.
“Yes, did you find Blair? Is she all right?” Emily asked as she turned to see Hank walking toward her.
“No, ma’am, not yet. But we did find something rather odd. You said that Blair spent the last year in Greece, correct?”
“Yes, she was there studying abroad. Why? What does that have to do with anything?”
“Well, we checked with the airlines and we also ran a scan on her passport. We also called Basler and confirmed with the dean and board of education.”
“Confirmed
