Page 4 of Drowning in Lies

"Ma'am, please, you really need to go inside for now," he spoke over my objection, his tone compassionate yet leaving no doubt that it wasn't a request, but rather a demand.

Chris led us inside, and we sat at the table in the breakfast nook, which looked out over the lake. We could still see, but we couldn't make out what they were saying as the crew lining the dock and the water's edge occasionally called out to each other.

I barely said a word, sitting stoically at the table while Chris paced, and Sherry held my hand and cried softly. From time to time, she would take a tissue and dab gently at my face, wiping away tears I wasn't even aware of.

After about ten minutes, Chris knelt beside my chair. "Lila, do you want me to call Scott?"

At the mention of David's brother, I closed my eyes for a second and took a deep breath. I nodded and he stepped away, pulling out his phone as he walked into the living room. I could hear the low murmur of his voice for a few minutes before he walked back into the kitchen.

"He's on his way."

"Thank you," I whispered, not ready to think about dealing with my brother-in-law quite yet. He and David were exceptionally close, but Scott and I had never really gelled. We were polite, even friendly at times, but we weren't close. Quite frankly, he could be a real asshole, and brash and cocky seemed to be his typical persona. He had been married and divorced twice, and couldn't understand why David and I had wanted to "tie ourselves down" at such a young age. We had met at a party in college when David was a senior and I was a freshman. We dated for three years, as David established his career as an architect, and I completed my English degree. We married two years after I graduated, and even now, over three years later, it seemed like Scott still didn't approve.

When he arrived about fifteen minutes later, he was pale and obviously shaken. He quickly demanded an update, and Chris filled him in on what we knew so far. Scott turned to me and leaned over to hug me. It was the first time I could ever remember him doing that.

"How are you holding up?" He asked softly, pulling back to stare down into my face.His voice was hoarse, and his expression was full of concern, as he gently wiped a tear from my cheek.

I'm not sure why exactly, but that small glimpse of kindness from such an unexpected source caused the floodgates to open, and I broke. All the grief and hurt of the past seven months came flooding over me, causing fresh waves of pain that stole the breath from my lungs. Scott pulled me up out of the chair, wrapping his arms around me as he led me into the living room.

Chris and Sherry were right behind us, as Scott sat me down on the couch. Chris and Sherry flanked me, huddling around me as if they could create a physical barrier to help ward off any new pain. Scott began to pace around the room as I continued to sob, to the point I was rocking back and forth in an unconscious effort to soothe myself.

After several long minutes, I was overcome with exhaustion. The stress of the day had caught up with me. My crying slowed to shuddering breaths interspersed with choked sobs, as I tried desperately to get myself under control.

A few minutes later, a solemn Det. Horton came in through the back door and into the living room, trailed by Officer Fremont who had waited in the kitchen while I'd had my breakdown.

"Mrs. Montgomery, I'm sorry, but the diver has located a body which matches your husband's description. The team is in the process of retrieval, at which point we hope to be able to make a positive identification."

I stared up at him, forgetting to even breathe for a moment.

"I need you all to remain inside while the team works, please. And again, ma'am, I am very sorry. If you need anything, please let Officer Fremont know. I'll be back in as soon as I can."

We sat there in stunned silence, for several long moments. Suddenly, Scott whirled around, grabbed a picture frame from the mantle, and threw it across the room with a roar filled with anger and pain. Officer Fremont jumped up and grabbed him, urging him to calm down. Scott shrugged out of his grip and stalked to the front door, throwing it open and storming outside.

"It's OK, I'll go talk to him and try to get him to calm down," Chris told Officer Fremont.

The officer looked at Sherry and me, huddled together on the couch. "Can I get either of you ladies anything?"

I shook my head, and Sherry whispered "No". She grabbed my hand and squeezed it as we heard raised voices from the front yard. Clearly, Scott wasn't calming down. Officer Fremont stepped outside to help diffuse the situation, and the three men walked back in a few minutes later. Scott muttered a quiet apology as he flopped down in the recliner, resting his head back and staring up at the ceiling.

The tension in the room was palpable, and I was almost to my breaking point again. I got up and started pacing, unable to sit still one second longer. Det. Horton walked back inside a moment later and came to a stop a few feet away, watching me with a steady gaze.

"We have made a positive ID, based on the photos you gave us. It is your husband. I am truly sorry for your loss, Mrs. Montgomery."

Chapter 3: The Widow

So that was it. This morning I was a wife. Now I was a widow. I could feel my body shutting down, as my vision tunneled and grew dim, and then my legs gave out.

The next thing I knew, I was lying on the couch with a paramedic leaning over me. Over her shoulder, I could see Sherry crying as Chris held her wrapped tightly in his arms.

"Just lie still, ma'am. You fainted, and I need to check your vitals, so bear with me," she said kindly.

After determining that I was OK, she helped me sit up, and asked for someone to check to see if I had any orange juice in the house. "It will help with your blood sugar. I'm sure you haven't eaten this evening and that will not help your body deal with the shock," she advised.

There was a flurry of activity outside as the search and rescue team loaded up their equipment. When I looked out the back door, I saw the area around the dock and the boat cordoned off with that yellow crime scene tape they use on TV. I saw Chris step out onto the front porch with Det. Horton. Scott was nowhere in sight, and Sherry told me she thought he had gone outside again.

She hugged me tight, and I welcomed the comfort. "We probably need to make some calls to notify people soon. We can do that for you if you'd like?"

"Um, yeah, let me think," I paused, trying to get my brain to fire on all synapses again. "I need to contact Randall, David's partner at the firm. And David's Aunt Jenny, unless Scott is already calling her. There are several cousins, but Jenny can let them know, I'm sure. The guys in his golf league, and there are a couple of fraternity brothers that he is still close to."

---