Page 1 of Drowning in Lies

Prologue

I sat stoically as I listened to my brother-in-law Scott give a heartfelt eulogy for my husband David, followed by David's assistant, Vanessa, who sang a tearful rendition of Amazing Grace. She could barely get the words out, her voice breaking as she tried to hold in her sobs.

I caught the eye of the funeral director, who had been so kind and compassionate in helping me with the arrangements. He nodded, and I stepped forward from my seat in the front row. Taking my spot behind the podium, I looked out over the sea of faces, not stopping on any one face until my gaze landed on Scott, who was handing a tissue to a still sobbing Vanessa as she sat down next to him at the end of the front row.

"I would like to take a moment to acknowledge Scott and Vanessa for everything they've done." Vanessa looked up at me with a tearful smile, and Scott nodded his head slightly. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes for a few seconds, needing to center myself for this next part. When I opened my eyes, I kept my gaze steady on the two of them.

"Scott spoke lovingly of David's generosity, but he didn't make mention of just exactly how very generous David was. In fact, I'm sure you'll be surprised to learn that David actually gave Scott over three million dollars in the past two years! The fact Scott was extorting David, and that the money was embezzled from my investment portfolio as well as the architectural firm is worth mentioning though, I think, don't you?" I said with a smile and nodded, as if expecting my stunned audience to agree with me. Scott sat frozen, eyes widening in horror as my words sank in.

"And Vanessa, the way your voice broke when you got to the line 'and saved a wretch like me',well it was very touching. Unfortunately, there's simply no saving a wretch like you, honey." I ignored the shocked gasps and agitated whispers as I continued.

"For those who may be wondering why poor Vanessa is so very devastated today, I suspect it's because she's been sleeping with my husband for the past five months. Why, they became so close that she even slept in my bed frequently while I was out of town caring for my mother during her extended illness," my voice dripped with biting sarcasm as I delivered those words in a sweetly saccharine tone.

By this point, Scott was standing up, clearly ready to bolt. Vanessa's sobs had turned to outraged screeches as she tugged on Scott's arm, obviously worried he was about to take off without her. My attention was caught by the two uniformed police officers who slipped in unnoticed at the back of the room. I couldn't help the triumphant smile that crossed my lips as I watched the scene unfolding before me, and I couldn't wait to see what happened next.

Chapter 1:The Disappearance

Six days ago...

I was running late, something I absolutely hated to do, but it was one of those mornings where nothing had gone right. I was a planner by nature, organized and meticulous, and I liked everything scheduled down to the last detail. My husband bemoaned my lack of spontaneity at times, but it had always served me well even if it wasn't a terribly exciting way to live.

David had gotten up a little later than expected because he hadn't slept well last night, and that had thrown off my whole schedule. Since I was going out for the day, he wanted to take his boat out this morning, and had said he would be out most of the day. I had taken the time to pack a cooler of drinks and sandwiches for him. That - plus a lingering goodbye out on the dock behind our lake house - was the reason that I was now running even later.

I was due to meet friends for a day of shopping, lunch, mani-pedis, and massages, before they joined us here for a cookout this evening. I had precisely seventeen minutes left before I would be late leaving the house, so my anxiety was starting to make its presence known. Taking a moment to breathe deeply and center myself, I ran through my mental checklist of 'must-do's" that I still needed to tick off the list before I left.

Hurriedly applying mascara and a coat of lip-gloss, I fluffed my hair one more time and slipped on my shoes. Grabbing my phone off the breakfast table, I tossed it into my purse and carried it out to the car. I opened the garage door, then ran back inside. I did a couple of last-minute tasks on my list, and was backing out of the garage only two minutes later than I'd planned, which meant I should arrive three minutes early to pick up Sherry and then Vanessa on the way to the mall.

David could say what he wanted about my borderline obsessive need to plan, but if you fail to plan then you plan to fail, and failure was simply not an option for me.

As I headed down our long winding driveway toward the main road, I heaved a sigh of relief. Now I could relax and simply enjoy the day ahead. I had been looking forward to it all week, as a matter of fact.

Sherry had been my best friend since high school, and Vanessa was one of David's colleagues at the architectural firm. She was new to the area, having moved here from the east coast about six months ago. David was a senior partner in the firm, and she was the associate-level architect on his commercial design team. They had recently completed a design for an exclusive new boutique hotel along the river near Louisville, and they'd both put in incredibly long hours at the office.

I had met Vanessa several times and had suggested inviting her along today as a treat, since she'd been working so hard. She and David had both been surprised when I had contacted her at the office earlier in the week, but I had insisted that she join us and wouldn't take no for an answer. She really deserved it, after all.

Sherry was watching for me and stepped out the door as I pulled into her driveway. I took a second to send a quick text to David, asking him to switch the load of towels from the washer to the dryer when he got done on the lake later. He replied within moments, and I tucked the phone back in my purse with a smile as Sherry got her seat belt fastened.

Vanessa's condo was less than a mile from the upscale mall we were heading to, so I had insisted on picking her up as well since it was right on the way. I found a place to park easily since they had just opened for the day, and we made our way inside. We stopped at a little bistro in the food court for iced coffees and croissants before starting our day. We settled into cozy table in the corner with our treats. Sherry and Vanessa had met at a dinner party I had thrown for David's thirtieth birthday last month, and conversation flowed easily between us.

"So which store do we want to hit first?" Sherry asked, popping the last of her croissant into her mouth.

"It doesn't matter to me, but I definitely want to check out that new lingerie store before our spa appointments this afternoon," I said, with an impish smile. "David has been especially...attentive to my needs lately, and I want to get him something special as a thank you. Besides, I need to replace the panties that he always likes to rip off me," I said with a wink and a satisfied grin.

Vanessa choked on a sip of her iced coffee, and I chuckled as I offered an apology. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make it awkward. I forgot you do have to face him at the office on Monday."

Sherry laughed and Vanessa tried to compose herself. "It's all right, I'll just pretend I didn't hear that," she said wanly. She looked a bit strained, and I quickly changed the subject.

After several stops, including the lingerie store which seemed to make Vanessa supremely uncomfortable, we took a break for lunch. We needed a bite to eat before heading to the spa located across from the mall.

We got on the subject of travel, and I told them about the trip to St. Bart's I was planning for our anniversary.

"It's a surprise for David, so please don't say anything, Vanessa. We went there on our honeymoon and barely left the villa for the entire two weeks. David often talks about going back, and I managed to rent the same villa for us! I wonder if we'll actually get a chance to explore the island this time?" I mused with a chuckle.

We finished eating a few minutes later and Vanessa excused herself to the ladies' room. Sherry leaned over and said quietly, "What's up with Vanessa? She seems really uptight today. I didn't notice it the night I met her. Is she always like that?"

"I haven't noticed it before, but she does seem uncomfortable today for some reason. I think I made it worse at the lingerie store. Did you see the look on her face when I asked for opinions on which teddy to buy? I couldn't decide if she was mad or just feeling awkward. I mean, I know she has to work with my husband, but their office environment is very casual and they have worked really closely together. It's not like he's a super strict boss she barely knows."

Sherry rolled her eyes a little and laughed. "Who knows? At least you didn't share any real details about your down and dirty sexy times."

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