7

 

At breakfast the next morning, Cora yawned at least a dozen times, nibbled at her prune Danish and watched the steam curl from her husband’s freshly filled mug. Ed was oblivious to the chaos that hampered her sleep the night before. The normal night sounds were bad enough, but when police lights swirled on the bedroom wall, she nearly came unglued. Ed snored right through the cops questioning Wendell outside the bedroom window.

Ed sniffed the Half and Half before he added it to his second cup of coffee. He popped a bite of coffee-soaked Danish into his mouth, licked the goo from his fingers, and grabbed the newspaper. He tossed her a playful wink over the top of his half-moon reading glasses, and was soon lost in the sports section.

Cora’s heart melted. Was he really capable of plotting against her? Surely not.

The clock hands seemed to move with unhurried calculation. She tapped her manicured nails on the table as Ed reached for another Danish. Why did the man have to pick today of all days to dilly-dally over breakfast, when she had special plans for the day? He’d have to leave soon, but if she hurried him along, he’d suspect something. Cora blew on the rim of her cup, then sipped the vanilla coffee. Patience was a virtue, right?

The commitments for later that day made her stomach plunge. Like it or not, the decision was made, and it was time to get it done.

The grandfather clock chimed and pulled Ed from the wonderful world of sports. He took the last swig of coffee and pushed his chair from the table. “I gotta get moving. Why didn’t you tell me it was so late? I have a lesson in fifteen minutes.”

She smiled and cleared her partially eaten breakfast. “I didn’t want to rush you, dear.”

As he left the house, Cora spied the latest stack of mail left on the counter. With the exception of their church newsletter, all of it was Ed’s…again.

Time to get a life. When she took the bundle to his office, her eyes were drawn to a blue folder on the desk. The temptation was too great. A peek inside revealed a new life insurance policy. Made out in her name?

“Well, well, well. The plot thickens.”

Why hadn’t Ed mentioned it? That wasn’t like him. They always made those decisions together. That booger just replaced George at the top of her suspect list.

Cora headed for the master suite to lay out her favorite turquoise pantsuit. Melodious strains of Vivaldi’s Spring gently swelled in the background while the deep garden tub filled with water. She sank into a mound of luxurious bubbles. If this didn’t relax her, nothing would.

The bath water swirled down the drain as she patted dry. Why couldn’t her problems vanish that easily?

A muffled thump from the bedroom sent a shiver of panic through Cora. “Ed? Is that you?” She hesitated a moment and listened. No answer. “Lupe?” The housekeeper wasn’t due until later. Why would she come early? Her heart rate soared. She threw on her satin robe and peeked out the bathroom door.

At that moment, the phone rang. This could be a lifeline if someone was in the house. Her bare feet slapped on the tile floor as she hurried to answer it.

“Good morning, Cor-rah,” the gruff voice greeted her. “Were you surprised to see your husband still alive this morning?”

Shock held Cora speechless as a wave of apprehension swept through her.

The caller continued. “I’ll admit you threw me off with the Lone Ranger standing guard with his gun. But he won’t be in my way much longer. How much do you treasure your friends?”

She stood frozen to the spot and struggled to regain a sense of balance, the phone still clutched in her shaky hand.

“So, did you find my small memento in your top dresser drawer?”

How was he able to see inside the house? Her gaze traveled to the bedroom windows. The blinds were closed, draperies drawn. Maybe there were hidden cameras after all. She slammed the receiver down, and clasped the robe tighter to her chin. Should she dress in the closet? No, that would be too Superman-ish.

Cora ran to the dresser. The drawer was open a crack, and a strap of her slip hung out. Wait. She didn’t leave it like that. It could only mean one thing. The noise hadn’t been her imagination. Someone had been there while she was in the tub. The thought brought an involuntary shudder.

Her hand reached into the top drawer. A photograph lay partially hidden beneath her rumpled lingerie. She stared in disbelief at the image of herself in the arms of another man. On the back of the snapshot, the block letters read: “Does your old man know?”

Cora felt violated. In her frenzy, she emptied out the whole drawer and chucked the silky contents into the laundry hamper. “He touched my things. They’re all soiled,” she said through gritted teeth. “And, where did he get that old picture?”

She struggled to shove the empty drawer back in place, and remembered there were two callers. The man’s accomplice was a Hispanic woman. Lupe? Her knees weakened, and she leaned against the dresser for support. Lupe was the only other person who could be in her dresser without causing suspicion.

Thoughts bounced around as Cora dressed and plotted an immediate escape to Phoenix. She rubbed her forehead. That left a lot of time to kill until 2 p.m.

The bedroom door swung open with a bang, as Ed entered the room. Startled, Cora snatched the photo from the dresser top and threw it into the emptied drawer. She slammed it shut and turned to face him with a fake smile.

“What are you doing, Cora?”

Was he accusing her of something? As nonchalantly as possible, Cora walked to the bed and sat down. “I have a few errands to run, dear. I was going to call you.” She slipped on her knee-high stockings and looked at him. “Were you in here a few minutes ago?”

“Of course not.” His eyes narrowed. “What kind of errands?”

Of all the times for him to start prying. “Well, if you must know, Mr. Nosy Parker, there’s medicine and dry cleaning to pick up, and I have a hair appointment. If there’s time, I’ll stop at the library, too. There’s a book about American citizenship Lupe wants to read.”

When Ed didn’t respond, she changed the subject. “What happened to your shirt?”

“Pastor Luke brought his new puppy to the clubhouse. Little Skipper got overexcited when I picked him up.” Ed opened the closet door, pulled the stained golf shirt over his head, and reached for a clean one.

Cora shook her finger. “Don’t you dare put that smelly wet thing in the hamper.”

“Would I do that?” He laughed. “You know me pretty well, don’t you? I’ll toss it in the tub. Listen, why don’t you go into Phoenix with me? I need to pick up those trophies for the tourney on Saturday. We can run your errands and grab a bite to eat.”

Cora rubbed lightly scented lotion into her dry hands and watched him in the mirror. “I’d rather go alone this time.” That wasn’t entirely true. She needed him now more than ever, but she couldn’t bring herself to confide in him, yet.

He called from the bathroom. “Any particular reason you don’t want to come with me?”

The suspicious tone grated on Cora. She had to think fast. “Didn’t you say Hank Arthur is lined up for a golf lesson this afternoon?” She retrieved her purse, and dropped a handful of breath mints into the zippered pocket. “I have a hair appointment and won’t be home until later. You’d be too late for Hank’s session.”

“Oh, I guess you’re right.”

“Look, Ed, I’m not running away from you.” Cora turned to face him. “Please understand, I’m stressed out and need to get away from the phone.”

As Cora backed away, he caught her arm. His voice lost its harsh edge. “Level with me, Toots. Something isn’t right. I feel you’re holding back, not telling me everything. We’ve never kept secrets from each other even when things were tough.” Ed took her hand and kissed it.

Never kept secrets? Well, there was a questionable insurance policy on his desk that said otherwise. Not telling him everything? Cora sniffed. Maybe not, but one thing was for sure, today would begin a new chapter in her life. She desperately hoped for a positive outcome.

Cora hated to build a wall between them, but she had to leave before this last surge of fortitude waned. “I’ve got to go, Ed.” She grabbed her purse and hurried to the door.

He pointed to her feet. “Aren’t you forgetting a little something?”

Cora looked down. “Oh, hush, and tuck your shirt in.” She put her shoes on and stomped out the door. So much for dramatic exits.