The Anniversary (27 page)

want to do that.”

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“Then she should be very careful. If she has the money, hire 17

private security. If not, do whatever she can to make sure her 18

house is protected. Get a good alarm system. Does she live 19

alone?”

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Melanie hesitated. While that was the impression she’d had, 21

she realized she didn’t know. “Except for her child, I think so.”

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“Well, let’s just hope this whole thing is a false alarm. Maybe 23

it’s a practical joke.”

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“Right,” said Melanie. A joke. At the thought, her spirits 25

briefly lifted.

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“So what do you think?” Jamison asked. “What do you want 27

to do?”

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“Well . . . what if you go to the Maine police and tell them 29

that you have some potentially significant information. That 30

you’ve talked with someone in possession of a watch that might 31

have belonged to Diane. I have the watch right here. I could give 32

you the serial number. If it belongs to her, she probably has the 33

documentation somewhere. You usually need to take it in when 34

you get a watch like this serviced.”

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“And if it turns out to have belonged to Diane? They’ll want to 36 R

talk to this woman.”

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“I could go back to her then. Explain that she has to talk to the 1

police. That she really doesn’t have a choice.”

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“They could do their best to protect her. Keep her identity 3

confidential.”

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“I’ll tell her that,” said Melanie, though she doubted that Cal-5

lie would be reassured. Callie, she had a strong feeling, wasn’t 6

used to trusting people.

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“Okay, then. I’ll make the calls first thing tomorrow morning.

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You want to give me the watch information?”

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“It’s a Cartier Panther. Panther’s the model. Let’s see, there are 10

two numbers on the back — eleven-twenty and then, below 11

that, one-five-seven-four-eight-zero-CD.”

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In the background, she heard the scratch of pen on paper.

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“I was thinking about fingerprints,” she said. “Do you think it’s 14

worth trying to lift them?”

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“Let’s wait on that. Let me talk to the guys in Maine first.”

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“Sure. Okay.”

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There was a break in the conversation, as if each of them was 18

waiting for the other to speak.

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“So, how
are
you?” he asked again. “God, it’s been a long time.”

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“Yes,” she said. “It really has. It seems like another lifetime.”

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“Still practicing law?”

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“I’m at a firm in New York now. Harwich and Young.”

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“Sure. I’ve heard of it.”

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“I’m actually up for partner soon. Things are looking pretty 25

good.”

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“Congratulations.”

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“Well, we’ll see. And you? How’ve you been?”

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“Let’s see. I guess it’s been about three years since I left the Bu-29

reau. I took a year off after that. I needed to spend some time with 30

my kids. Get my life together. I started this new gig last year. Cor-31

porate security. Employee background checks. Psychological as-32

sessments. After September eleventh, the industry exploded.

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It’s . . . different from what I did at the Bureau, but I’m not sure 34

that’s a bad thing.”

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“And your wife? How’s she doing?”

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“She’s . . . well, she’s fine, but we’re not together anymore. We 2

split up about four years ago. Mainly my fault, I think.”

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“I’m so sorry,” said Melanie.

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“It was for the best,” he said. “It was hard for the kids at first, 5

but I think they’re doing okay now. Both of them were already in 6

college. That made it easier.”

7

“I got divorced too,” Melanie said. “At just about the same 8

time.” She didn’t mention her engagement. She didn’t mention 9

Paul.

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“Ah, Melanie. That’s tough.”

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“No kids, though,” she said. “And we weren’t together so 12

long.”

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“Still. It’s never easy.”

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“No,” she said. “It’s not.”

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A pause.

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“You know,” he said. “I’m in New York a fair bit. It would be 17

great to get together.”

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As he spoke, she realized that she’d been waiting. “I’d like 19

that,” she said.

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Tuesday, April 25

Th e Windham College cafeteria had embarked on a some-1

what unsettling series of meals with themes. Some of them were 2

pleasant enough, mildly appealing diversions: Cajun Day. Choco-3

late Madness. Veg-Stravaganza. But on other days, Callie had to 4

wonder what drugs they had in the kitchen. Today, for example, 5

had a carnival theme, complete with carousel music. The sound 6

screeched out tunelessly from somebody’s old boom box.

7

Callie slid her tray past the steam tray, Martha trailing behind 8

her. Foot-long hot dogs and hot pretzels. A lurid vat of yellow 9

popcorn.

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Callie turned to Martha. “Salad bar?” she asked.

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Martha wrinkled her nose. “Absolutely,” she said.

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They found two chairs at the end of a table in the crowded din-13

ing room. As she speared a leaf of lettuce, Callie thought about 14

Thursday’s party. She’d broached the subject with Tod last week, 15

and he’d happily accepted. She hadn’t described it as a fix-up, 16

just an informal dinner. Along with Martha and Tod, she’d de-17

cided to invite the Creightons. Anna spent so much time at their 18

house, she really owed Mimi and Bernie. Besides, this way Anna 19

could stay with Henry Creighton and his sitter.

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Callie looked at her watch. “I’ve got to shop for the party this 21

afternoon. The rest of this week is crazy.”

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“Are you sure I can’t bring anything?”

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“Nope. I’ve got everything in hand.”

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“What are you going to wear?” asked Martha.

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“Oh, it’s totally casual. I may wear a skirt but just because I’ll S 26

be more comfortable.”

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Looking at Martha, her pretty, worn face, Callie felt a need to 2

caution her. “Look, I really don’t know what the deal is with Tod.

3

Rick thinks he’s still hung up on his ex-wife, so I’m not sure he’s 4

available. But he’s a really nice guy. I thought it was worth a shot.”

5

Martha pushed back a wave of hair. It was wavy,
not
fuzzy, 6

whatever Rick might say. “Believe me,” Martha said, “I’m not ex-7

pecting a thing.”

8

“It’ll be fun,” Callie said. “And anyway, who knows?”

9

Martha had started to smile at something over Callie’s shoul-10

der. “Don’t look now, but right behind you, Kabuki Girl and 11

Nathan are having lunch. From the looks of it, she’s talking his 12

ear off. But he doesn’t seem to mind.”

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“You know, I thought something might be going on. When he 14

stopped by the office the other day, she really seemed interested.”

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Callie tried to steal a covert glance, but she wasn’t fast enough.

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At the exact moment she turned her head, Nathan looked up.

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Even at the distance, she saw him flush, then he was on his feet, 18

picking up his tray of food, moving toward their table.

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Watching Nathan’s retreating back, Posy glared at Callie.

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“Damn,” Callie muttered. “Why did I have to look?”

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Then Nathan was in front of them. “Okay if I join you?” Be-22

neath the pink flush of his face, the skin was dry and flaking. The 23

plate on his cafeteria tray held two foot-long hot dogs.

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Martha looked helplessly at Callie.

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Callie balled up her napkin and tossed it onto her tray. “Actu-26

ally, we’re finishing up. We were just about to leave.”

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If Nathan hadn’t shown up, she might have stuck around for 28

coffee. As it was, Callie decided she might as well get moving.

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Tomorrow would be hectic. She had a lot to do. Rick had some 30

sort of training that would take him to Springfield for the night.

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The trip would keep him from helping out with their usual 32

Wednesday pizza.

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She decided to drive out to Atkins Farms to pick up food for 34

the party. The upscale indoor farmers’ market would have every-35 S

thing she needed.

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As she turned off Route 9 onto 47, the mountains rose up around 1

her, cradling her in the restfulness of their ancient rocky hold.

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The landscape never failed to calm her. It was what had brought 3

her here. Before then, she’d been so completely lost, living with 4

Kevin outside Indianapolis. It was during that time, after Anna 5

was born, that she’d started to think about finishing school. She’d 6

discovered Windham’s Abbott Scholars program at a local col-7

lege placement office. But academics weren’t the main attrac-8

tion, at least not initially. What had captivated her at the start 9

was a campus photograph. The brochure showed Windham’s red-10

brick buildings nestled against the mountains. Instantly she’d 11

been transfixed, had thought,
I could be happy there.

12

The Atkins Farms parking lot, jammed on weekends, was half 13

empty today. Callie quickly found a parking space and headed for 14

the long, low building. Inside, she took a sensual delight in the 15

jewel-like mounds of produce. Red tomatoes. Purple eggplants.

16

Dark, leafy greens. She grabbed a shopping cart and reached for 17

her list. First stop, the meat counter. She’d decided to cook a pork 18

roast, easy and always good. The menu was wintry for this time of 19

year, but nights were still quite cold. She’d serve the roast with 20

spinach, spiced onions, and red potatoes.

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In less than an hour, she was finished.

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She put her bags in the back of her Subaru and headed back to 23

Merritt, munching on a cider donut as she listened to NPR. Traf-24

fic was picking up now, as the early shift headed home. By the 25

time she pulled into the driveway, it was almost three o’clock.

26

She saw it on the porch, a white florist’s box. Instantly, she 27

thought of Rick with an upwelling of warmth. He knew that 28

she’d been stressed lately, and there’d been some tension between 29

them. Her hesitation over his proposal. Anxiety over Anna. But 30

as usual, Rick was reaching out, trying to bridge the gap. Looping 31

the grocery bags over one arm, she reached down and picked up 32

the box.

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Sun poured through the windows as she stepped into the 34

kitchen. She put down the bags on the counter, then turned to S 35

open the box. Carefully, she peeled off the gold seals that held R 36

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the top in place. She took off the cover, looked at the flowers, 2

and instantly went numb.

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Roses. Red roses.

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She felt a mounting panic.

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The scent floated up in a cloying cloud, everywhere at once.

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She was hot, cold, dizzy. Her heart raced in her chest. As if from 7

a distance, she watched herself slowly back away. When she 8

reached the other side of the room, she stood there, silent, help-9

less. And still she could smell the flowers, their violent, deep per-10

fume. She wanted to scream, to break something, but she couldn’t 11

seem to move. All she could do was stare, aghast, at the box of 12

long-stemmed flowers. He knew how much she hated roses.

13

What had he been thinking?

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What had he been thinking?

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And then, skin prickling, she realized.

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The roses weren’t from Rick.

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