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To make things worse, it was frigging cold. The temperature kept dropping and dropping. Despite how layered up I was, I could feel the wind chill penetrate my ski jacket. Penetrate my bones. Moreover, the snow that had started off with light flurries when I got here was now coming down in full force. The slopes had emptied. There were only a few skiers left besides me. I was at the start of another run and told myself this was my last one. It was too risky, plus I was eager to get back to the hotel.
As soon as I got back, I was going to call my sister. Cecilia was smart. Shrewd. She’d know how to handle Tanya. Maybe she’d think of a way to get Natalie to reconsider the divorce. Lots of couples who despised each other lived under the same roof because it was easier that way. And cheaper. And that would solve the Tanya problem. Maybe give me and Nat a fresh start. Especially if I went back to therapy.
A win-win for everyone.
Halfway down the steep, narrow, tree-studded slope, I had to stop thinking about the mess I was in and focus solely on my run with every molecule of my brain. The snowstorm had morphed into a full-blown blizzard. The whoosh of the wind mingled with the whoosh of my skis grating against the accumulating white powder. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as I struggled to navigate the treacherous terrain. Literally trying to keep my head above the ground in these life-threatening conditions. Behind my goggles, I could barely see two feet ahead of me.
A whiteout.
I silently cursed.
Until I could curse no more.
Everything faded to black.
FIFTY-SIX
NATALIE
Morning came. Fully awake, I searched the bed next to mine. Matt was gone. Perhaps he’d gone for a jog around the lake—something he always did.
What wasn’t gone was the gun. It was still under my pillow right where I put it. I heaved a sigh of relief. As long as it was in my possession, I was safe from my husband.
Clutching it like my life depended on it, I ambled over to the window and opened the curtains. Unlike sunshine-filled yesterday, today’s sky was overcast. The lake gray. I remembered a snowstorm was expected in the early afternoon with a prediction of up to two feet of snow over the next twenty-four hours. I scanned the lake. Matt was nowhere in sight. A wicked thought flashed into my head. Maybe while he was jogging he’d drop dead of a heart attack; it was a possibility as his father had a heart condition. I smiled to myself. That would certainly put an end to my worry of Matt harming me. Furthermore, it would spare me from going through the hassle of an expensive, draining divorce. And dealing with that sleazeball lawyer. I’d inherit everything. The house. Our assets. Plus the five million from his life insurance.
And most importantly, it would spare me from doing anything rash. I may have been born from evil, but I was no Lady Macbeth. I was not going to let my bad dream become a premonition.
The chime of my phone broke into my jumble of thoughts. The gun shook in my hand. I’d never liked this gun—and in fact, I’d always been afraid of it. And still was. But as long as I had it, nothing could happen to me. Gripping it, I traipsed over to the night table and managed to get to my phone before it stopped ringing. I was relieved to see it was Tanya. I swiped answer.
“Good morning, honey.” Thanks to the gun in my hand, my voice sounded confident and, in fact, cheery. “Is everything all right?”
She let out an audible sigh. “Oh, Natalie, thank God you answered. I was so worried.”
“About what?”
“You know. About Matt. About you.”
I curled my finger around the trigger. Involuntarily. I couldn’t stop myself. “Sweetheart, there’s absolutely nothing to worry about. I’m perfectly fine and everything’s under control.”
“Phew!” she breathed out. “Do you want to meet me for breakfast?”
“Sure. I’d love to!” And not having eaten dinner last night, I was starving. “Just give me a few minutes to get showered and dressed. I’ll meet you downstairs in the restaurant. Grab a table if you get down there before me.”
As I hung up, I noticed my phone’s battery power was down to five percent. I set it back on the night table and plugged it in. I might as well leave it here and let it charge while I was at brunch. Plus, leaving it here would spare me from having my meal rudely interrupted by The Whisperer.
What I was not leaving behind was the gun. Maybe Matt wasn’t really planning to kill me, but I couldn’t take any chances. After all, I knew all too well what even the most innocent people were capable of. With a shiver, I put the cold metal weapon into my handbag. Along with my plastic vial of Xanax.
Fifteen minutes later, I was downstairs. Showered and dressed in a fashionable pair of ivory leggings, an Irish fisherman’s sweater, and a pair of creamy fur-lined Uggs. Carrying my large luggage-brown Prada bag over my arm, which felt especially weighty on account of the gun, I breezed into the dining room and spotted Tanya seated at a table. She waved at me.
“I’m starving,” I said, settling into the chair across from her. She looked anxious.
“Natalie, I hope you’re not mad at me.”
“For what?”
“For spilling the beans on Matt.”
I gave her a reassuring smile. “Of course not. I’m glad you did.”
