AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Prosecution: Noting for the jury that Mrs. Tate hasn’t answered the question, though I think it says enough. How did you feel when you discovered that Roman had a mistress?
Eliza Tate: If you’re talking about his relation ship with Penny, that was hardly his first affair.
Prosecution: Your husband’s affairs don’t bother you?
Eliza Tate: You can’t possibly understand our relationship. I knew Roman was flawed when we married, but our love goes deeper than that.
Prosecution: Are you saying you’d do anything for your husband?
Eliza Tate: I didn’t murder anyone, if that’s what you’re asking. And if you actually wanted to find out who did, then I’d look to someone with real motive. The woman he knocked up and left for broke has a pretty good reason to want him dead.
NINE
Seven Months Before
July 2018
What a night, Eliza thought, reminiscing first about her evening at the country club with the Tates, then her impromptu nightcap with Anne as she pulled her convertible into the driveway. Eliza parked, frowning at the blue vintage Corvette taking up her spot. She was too tired to entertain. All she wanted to do was climb in bed and sleep and then hope tomorrow dawned sunny.
“There’s my sweetheart.” Roman sounded chipper as he greeted Eliza in the entryway. Too chipper. “I got the message you’d be late.”
“Sorry for the short notice,” Eliza said. “I hadn’t planned on meeting Anne tonight, but she said it was urgent. By the way, Anne was thrilled with the babysitter you sent her way.”
“No problem. Penny’s a nice girl, and she needed the work.”
“Win-win.”
“Certainly is,” Roman said. “Anyway, I have a little something for you.”
Roman changed the subject, dipping out of sight and retrieving something from the kitchen. When he returned, he had a bouquet of flowers in hand.
Eliza looked down, bewildered. “What are these for?”
Roman slid an arm around Eliza’s waist and drew her close. He placed a kiss on her forehead, then inched his way down until his lips were on her neck and Eliza’s body was seamlessly pressed against his. “I wanted to apologize for last night. I don’t know why we always get so heated talking about money. I’m sorry we argued.”
Eliza untangled herself. “You know I hate flowers,” she said, mentally adding the cost of the lush bouquet of Stargazer lilies in his hands and tacking it on to their mounting bills. “They’ll just die in a week.”
“Eliza.” Roman gave a playful tsk. “You’re worth it. You’re my wife.”
“Well, thank you.” She plucked the flowers from his hands and desperately tried to ignore her aching head. She hadn’t had hard liquor in ages. “Do you have company?”
“No, why?”
“There’s a car in the driveway.”
“The car’s mine.”
“You bought…” She cleared her throat. “A car? Without talking to me first?”
“It’s an investment. The value will only go up over time.” When Eliza still didn’t seem convinced, Roman’s eyes shifted from the flowers and back to her. “It’s just money. We discussed this last night. I need to have some freedom and not feel like you’re breathing down my neck with every expense.”
“How much was it?”
“I paid fifty, but it’s easily worth seventy-five.”
“Grand?”
“Of course grand.”
