Page 20 of You Know Why

“Yes.”

“And he . . . left you there, alone, at the airport?” I hear the disbelief in his voice. Three hours ago, I would have mocked the idea, too.

“Yes. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“I’m sure there’s an explanation,” he says. “That doesn’t sound like the Trey we know at all.” His voice sounds funny, but I can’t put my finger on it. I feel like I might just pass out.

“No. It doesn’t.”

“What can I do to help?”

“Just . . . if you hear from him, please call me right away.”

“I will. What else do you need?”

“Nothing. I’ll keep in touch.”

“All right. I’ll take a look on this end, see if anything shows up. Maybe he left something on his desk or in his files. If I find anything, I’ll reach out immediately. What else can we do for you? Do you want me to have Pat call?”

This little bit of compassion threatens to swamp me.

“Not right this second. I’ll be in touch if I find out anything more.”

“Then you take care, Brookie. Be careful. This sounds very out of character, and I’m worried for you.”

I hang up and give myself a second to have an internal meltdown. Why would Trey lie to all of us? What in the hell is going on? This is way beyond worrying he might be having an affair. That email last night seems more critical now. Something huge is happening. Life altering.

I fear my husband is in grave danger.

I pack up Trey’s suitcase, square my shoulders, and return to my kids.

An Offer You Can Refuse

Juice boxes and Fruit Roll-Ups have been dispensed, and Four and Neve are curled together like little shrimp on a couch, under Eden’s jacket. She must have kids of her own; she seems very intuitive with them. She sees me at the window and gets to her feet with a smile.

“Any news?” she asks quietly, so as not to disturb the kids.

“No. Nothing. My sister is booking me a hotel. I’ll take them off your hands now. Thank you. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate your help.”

“It’s not a problem. And honestly, there’s no reason to get a hotel. Why don’t you stay with me overnight?”

“I couldn’t possibly impose like that. Really. We’ll be fine.”

The woman smiles. “Yeah, I understand. I’m practically a stranger. We haven’t even been properly introduced. Eden Barrow. Obviously, I work for the airline. And I did go to high school with your husband, even though he didn’t want to talk about it.”

“Brooklyn Locke. Brook. Nice to meet you. And he wasn’t feeling well, so I’m sorry if he seemed rude. He’s not a great flier.”

Eden tilts her head, looking confused. “That’s odd.”

“It is?”

She waits a beat. “He’s never mentioned Chloe to you, has he?”

“I’ve never heard her name, no. Why? Were they serious?”

Eden nods. “You could say that.” She looks like a curious bird, watching me. Something about it feels . . . wrong. Trey’s reaction to Eden comes back to me. She freaked him out, and I’m starting to understand why. She’s very intense. I want to pump her for information, but I also want to get far, far away from her. Like, right now. I take a step backward, and she steps forward, filling the gap.

“You really don’t know, do you?”