It must be Detective Rodriguez. He called me hours ago, back when I was in the city, to let me know they were going to arrest Millie. Iโm hoping this is a follow-up call to let me know that she is safely behind bars.
Hopefully, this will not be as upsetting as the last call.
โHello?โ I say into the phone, trying to sound like a heartbroken widow. Those acting classes I took in college are paying off. I deserve an Academy award for my performance in front of Millie.
โMrs. Garrick?โ Itโs Rodriguezโs voice. โThis is Detective Rodriguez.โ โHello, Detective. Iโm hoping you have that woman who killed my
husband safely behind bars!โ
โActuallyโฆโ Oh Lord, now what? โWe have not been able to locate Wilhelmina Calloway. We came to her apartment with an arrest warrant, and she wasnโt there.โ
โWell, where is she?โ
โIf we knew, we would have arrested her, wouldnโt we?โ
Again, I feel that skip in my chest. โWhat are you doing to find that woman? Sheโs very dangerous, you know.โ
โDonโt worry. Weโre going to track her down eventually. I promise.โ โGood. Iโm glad you have a handle on things.โ
โBut thereโs one other thing I need to talk to you about, Mrs. Garrick.โ What now? I glance in the direction of the bathroom. I donโt know why
Russell is still in there when he knows Iโve gotten out. Heโs going to get all pruny. โOf course, Detective.โ
โSo hereโs the thing.โ Rodriguez clears his throat. โThe building manager for the penthouse has been out of town the last two days. Over in
Europe, and we couldnโt get a hold of him. Anyway, I finally talked to him this afternoon, and he told me something really interesting.โ
โOh?โ
โHe said that thereโs a security camera at the back door of the building.โ I think my heart stops for a good five seconds. โExcuse me?โ
โSomehow we missed it,โ he says. โHe says he puts it out of sight because the residents donโt like to feel like theyโre getting spied on. And hereโs the funny partโyour husbandย was the one who provided the security equipment from his company about a year ago, because he was worried about that back entrance.โ
โHeโฆ he did?โ I choke out. There is a crash that seems to be coming from the bathroom, followed by a splash of water, but I ignore it. If Russell tried to get out of the bathroom and fell, heโs just going to have to get up on his own.
โYeah, and we just got done reviewing all the tapes. And itโs crazyโ according to those tapes, your husband hasnโt been in that apartment inย months. Like, the entire time Miss Calloway was working there. So I donโt know how she was having an affair with him in the apartment if he was never even there. You know?โ
My mouth feels almost too dry to get out any words, but I manage to say, โMaybe they were meeting somewhere else?โ
โMaybe. Except I donโt see any credit card bills for hotel rooms or anything like that.โ
โOf course he wouldnโt pay with his credit card. Then I would see it. He probably paid cash.โ
โYou might be right,โ Rodriguez concedes. โBut hereโs theย reallyย crazy part. The night that your husband was murdered, he didnโt show up at the back entrance untilย afterย the time when the doorman saw Millie leaving the building.โ
โThatโฆ thatโs strangeโฆโ
If he saw that footage, he must also know I was in the building at the same time Douglas was murdered. And if he knows that, Iโm in very deep trouble.
โListen,โ he says, โI was wondering if you could come to the station to clear up some confusion on our parts. Weโre sending a squad car over to your house.โ
โIโฆ Iโm not at my house right nowโฆโ
โOh yeah? Where are you then?โ
I pull the phone away from my ear. Detective Ramirezโs voice sounds suddenly distant: โHello? Mrs. Garrick?โ
I press the red button to end the call and drop the phone on the counter, like it might scald me. I lean over the kitchen sink, pushing away a wave of nausea and dizziness.
I canโt believe there was a camera at the back door. I askedย specificallyย about it, and I was told there wasnโt one. But that was before Douglas so kindly provided one, because of course he would do something like thatโ thatโs the kind of concerned, generous, technology-loving geek my husband was. Or maybe it was yet another attempt to document me screwing around behind his back.
If there was a camera, it will be enough to exonerate Millie. And place a very big nail in my coffin.
I rub my temples, which have started to throb. I have to figure out a way to spin this, because I amย notย spending the rest of my life in prison. But I have some ideas. I already played the role of the abused wife so well for Millie. Iโll just have to tell the story of my terrible, abusive husband. Maybe on that fateful night, he was coming at me, ready to beat me senseless, and I did what I had to do. Self-defense is legalโit was him or me.
This could work.
โRussell!โ I call out. โWe need to talk.โ
Russell is a huge complication. If the police went through the video feed of the back door, they would have seen him entering that night as well. But perhaps thereโs nothing to tie him to me directly. He and I have to get our stories straight. I hope he isnโt a baby about this whole thing. I can imagine him breaking down and telling the police the entire sordid story.
I sprint over to the bathroom. Russell is not going to be happy to hear thisโit was too much to expect entirely smooth sailing. We will get through this, one way or another. Iโve been in bad jams before and got out of them.
โRussell,โ I say again, โwhatโโ
As I walk into the doorway of the bathroom, the first thing I see is all the red. So much red, swimming before my eyes. The water in the tub that used to be clear, bordering on foggy, is now a deep crimson color. I lift my eyes and locate the source of the blood, coming from a gaping wound on Russellโs throat.
And then I look at his face. At his slack jaw. At his eyes, staring straight ahead, unblinking.