Chapter 4 - The Woman in the Parking LotThe next morning, Ethan took me to the mechanic who had inspected Lily's car.
His name was Marcus.
He recognized me immediately.
“I'm sorry for your loss.”
“Did Lily tell you she was having problems with her brakes?”
“Yes.”
“Did she come back?”
“No.”
“Why?”
He looked uncomfortable.
“She called me the day before the accident.”
My heart stopped.
“What did she say?”
“She asked whether someone else had brought her car in.”
“What?”
Marcus looked at Ethan.
Then at me.
“She said she found something strange under the hood.”
“What?”
“A piece of wire.”
My blood ran cold.
“What kind of wire?”
“A thin copper wire wrapped around one of the brake components.”
“Could that cause an accident?”
“If placed correctly, yes.”
I closed my eyes.
“Did she tell you who might have done it?”
“No.”
Marcus hesitated.
“But she said someone had been following her.”
I looked at Ethan.
“Who?”
Marcus shook his head.
“She never told me.”
Then he reached beneath the counter.
“I saved something.”
He handed Ethan a security camera still.
It showed Lily standing beside her car.
And behind her...
A black SUV.
Ethan zoomed in.
My stomach dropped.
I recognized it.
It belonged to Richard.
“No.”
Ethan looked at me.
“Mom.”
“That's my husband's car.”
Marcus nodded.
“Lily noticed it too.”
“When?”
“The day before she died.”
I felt like the floor had disappeared.
Richard had told me he was working late that evening.
He had lied.
We left the shop.
On the way home, my phone rang.
Richard.
I answered.
“Where are you?”
“Why?”
“I know about the car.”
Silence.
Then:
“You need to come home.”
“Why?”
“Because there are things you don't understand.”
I gripped the phone.
“Did you follow Lily?”
“No.”
“Was your SUV near her car?”
“I don't know.”
“You don't know where your own vehicle was?”
“Mom—”
I interrupted him.
“Did you take out a two-million-dollar insurance policy on Lily?”
Silence.
That silence was enough.
My voice trembled.
“Richard?”
“I didn't kill her.”
I froze.
He had never denied it before I asked.
He had only denied it now.
“Then tell me what happened.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“Because you won't believe me.”
“Try me.”
He lowered his voice.
“Your husband is lying to you.”
My heart stopped.
“What?”
“Don't trust him.”
Then he hung up.
I stared at the phone.
Ethan was driving.
“What did he say?”
I looked at him.
“He said Dad didn't kill Lily.”
Ethan frowned.
“Then who did?”
May you like
I didn't answer.
Because the question had already begun haunting me.
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