Chapter 6 - The Woman Who Came Out of Claire’s BedroomClaire wanted to believe Ava had misunderstood.
Her daughter had always disliked Ethan.
That truth offered Claire something to hold onto.
A mistake.
A coincidence.
Anything.
“What exactly did you see?” Claire asked.
Ava looked miserable.
“I came by one afternoon to pick up my winter coat.”
“When?”
“Late May.”
Claire remembered the week.
She had been in Dallas for a conference.
“Ethan was staying at the house.”
“I know.”
“And the woman?”
“I unlocked the front door. I heard people upstairs.”
Claire’s stomach tightened.
“People?”
“I thought Ethan was on the phone.”
Ava looked down.
“Then this woman came out of your bedroom.”
“Did you see Ethan?”
“A few seconds later.”
“What were they doing?”
“Nothing.”
The answer came too fast.
“Ava.”
Her daughter met her eyes.
“The woman was buttoning her blouse.”
Silence.
Claire turned her face toward the hospital window.
The betrayal hurt in an unexpectedly ordinary place.
Not in her mind.
In her chest.
Beneath the cracked ribs.
Some part of Claire had still been protecting the romance.
Ethan had tried to kill her, and yet the memories of his affection remained tangled with what she knew.
Now another thread snapped.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I tried.”
“No, you didn’t.”
“I called you that night.”
“You asked if I trusted Ethan.”
“And you got angry.”
Claire remembered.
She had accused Ava of resenting the relationship because Ethan was young.
“I’m sorry.”
Ava’s voice broke.
“I should have just told you.”
Claire shook her head.
“No. I should have listened.”
Deputy Ruiz interrupted quietly.
“Could you identify the woman?”
“I think so.”
Ruiz showed Ava the memorial photograph.
Ava studied it.
“That’s her.”
“Certain?”
“Almost.”
Ruiz left the room to make calls.
Claire sat with the knowledge.
Ethan hadn’t simply lied about his past.
He had brought another woman into Claire’s bedroom.
Into her bed.
Maybe while planning her death.
Ava took Claire’s hand.
“Mom, there’s more.”
Claire nearly laughed.
“Of course there is.”
“When I saw them, Ethan followed me downstairs.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me she was an insurance consultant.”
Claire went still.
“What?”
“He said you were reviewing policies.”
Claire looked toward the door through which Ruiz had disappeared.
The three-million-dollar policy.
The mysterious woman.
Rebecca.
The same woman at Rebecca’s memorial.
Ruiz returned twenty minutes later.
“We have a probable identity.”
She placed a driver’s license photograph on her tablet.
“Mara Parker. Thirty-six. Lives in Colorado Springs.”
Parker.
Claire stared at the surname.
The same as Ethan.
“His sister?”
Ruiz shook her head.
“Wife.”
Ava whispered something Claire didn’t hear.
The room tilted.
Claire gripped the bedrail.
“That’s impossible.”
Ruiz remained quiet.
“They’ve been married nine years.”
Claire laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
The sound came out broken.
“He told me he’d never been married.”
“He lied.”
“Do they have children?”
Ruiz hesitated.
“One son. Seven years old.”
Claire closed her eyes.
For fourteen months, Ethan had slept in her bed.
Vacationed with her.
Celebrated Christmas with Ava.
Told Claire he couldn’t imagine sharing his life with anyone else.
While a wife waited somewhere else.
“Does Mara know about me?”
Ruiz looked at the photograph again.
“She was in your house.”
Claire felt humiliation become anger.
“Does she work in insurance?”
“Yes.”
That answer was worse.
Ruiz continued.
“Licensed broker until eighteen months ago. Her license was suspended after complaints involving unauthorized policy changes.”
Claire stared.
“What kind of changes?”
“Beneficiaries.”
Everything connected.
Too quickly.
Claire’s mind resisted it.
“So they do this together?”
“We don’t know yet.”
“They target women.”
“We don’t know.”
“Rebecca died.”
“We know.”
“I almost died.”
“Yes.”
“My policy suddenly names Ethan.”
“Yes.”
“And his wife handles insurance.”
“Yes.”
Claire’s voice lowered.
“You know.”
Ruiz didn’t contradict her.
A knock came at the door.
A hospital security officer entered.
“Deputy?”
Ruiz stepped outside.
Claire watched through the glass as the officer spoke.
Then Ruiz turned toward them.
Her expression had changed again.
She returned and closed the door.
“What now?” Ava asked.
“Someone tried to access Claire’s room.”
Claire’s stomach clenched.
“Who?”
“Male. Baseball cap. Left when the nurse asked for identification.”
“Ethan?”
“Security footage doesn’t match him.”
Claire looked toward the hallway.
“Then who?”
Ruiz’s phone rang.
This time she answered without leaving.
“Ruiz.”
A long pause.
“Where?”
Claire watched concern deepen across her face.
“Don’t touch anything. I’m coming.”
She hung up.
“Maya?” Claire asked.
Ruiz nodded.
“They found her car.”
“Where?”
“Near Raven Falls.”
“Was she inside?”
“No.”
Relief lasted one second.
Then Ruiz continued.
“The driver’s door was open.”
May you like
Claire’s hands tightened around the blanket.
“And there was blood on the passenger seat.”
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