Page 12 of The Perfect Divorce

“I will, Dad!” Summer’s muffled voice reverberates from the other end of the house.

I look to Bob, my expression asking,What happened to swimming?Without me needing to speak, he explains, “The wind picked up and the lake was colder than someone expected.”

I return my attention to the sink, glancing out the window above it. A fissure of lightning flashes across the sky, followed by a crack of thunder seconds later. Rain bursts from the clouds all at once, hammering down with no mercy. Neither of us reacts to the storm outside because there’s already a much more powerful one brewing in here.

“A few boards on the back deck need to be replaced.” Bob slips his hands into the pockets of his slacks and rocks back on his heels. “Actually, the whole thing should be replaced. I don’t want Summer getting hurt, so I’ll work on that.”

He’s clearly looking for an excuse to spend more time here.

“Bob, you don’t even own a drill,” I quip.

“I meant I would hire someone to fix it.”

“It’s fine.” I blow a piece of loose hair out of my face. “I’ll take care of it.”

He presses his lips firmly together and takes a small step into the kitchen. “Can I help with anything?”

I shake my head and scrub harshly at a pan coated with oil.

“How about a glass of wine?” he asks.

I want a glass of wine, but I don’t want one from him. I don’t want anything from him, except his signature on a set of divorce papers. “No, I’m fine.”

Bob lets out a tired sigh, lingering between the dining area and the living room. I can feel his eyes, begging me to meet his gaze. They’re practically burning a hole in my skin, but I don’t look. I just keep scrubbing.

He finally gives up, and his feet pad against the floor, growing a tiny bit quieter as they reach the rug in the living room. My eyes briefly land on him as he plops down on the couch. The back of his head blocks out a chunk of the TV screen, and I wonder if he sat there just to annoy me, but I don’t say anything. You have to pick your battles, and he and I are already at war.

A pretty news anchor appears on the screen with a graphic over her right shoulder that I can’t fully see because of Bob’s big head. I rinse off a pan, set it in the drying rack, and fish out another dirty dish from the sink.

“Breaking news out of Prince William County,” the anchor announces. “Former sheriff Ryan Stevens has been arrested on suspicion of DUI and vehicular manslaughter... but that’s not even the worst of it. Channel 5’s Gretchen Waters is live outside the sheriff’s office with the latest.”

Just as I expected. The news finally hit, although I’m assuming Sheriff Hudson kept it buttoned up as long as he possibly could.

The screen cuts to a young reporter with glossy brown hair and a bold lip, standing in front of the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office. The reporter presses a finger to her ear, waiting for her cue to start. There’s clearly a slight delay. When the signal comes through, she drops her hand, positions her mic a few inches from her mouth, and puts on her most serious reporting face.

“I’m standing outside the Prince William County Sheriff’s Office, where longtime former sheriff Ryan Stevens was taken into custody early Tuesday morning on suspected DUI and vehicular manslaughter charges.According to the police report, Stevens was heavily intoxicated when he ran a red light, striking and killing local forty-four-year-old woman Jackie Clarke, who was out on an early-morning run. We send our deepest condolences to the friends and family of Jackie Clarke.”

I return my attention to the sink and continue washing a dish, my hand moving the wet sponge in slow, soapy circles.

“About an hour ago, we received an anonymous tip pertaining to the arrest of former sheriff Ryan Stevens,” the reporter continues. “According to our source,Stevens’s DNA profile was entered into the Combined DNA Index System to establish if it was a match to evidence collected from a hit-and-run accident occurring late last summer, which took the life of fifty-seven-year-old Tim Redding. No link was found, and that case remains open. However, in a bizarre turn of events, Stevens’s DNA profile matched evidence connected to a double homicide case that happened more than a decade ago.”

The dinner plate slips from my hand, shattering against a pot soaking in the sink.

“Turn that up,” I yell.

Bob frantically reaches for the remote and increases the volume.

“Twelve years ago, the murder of Kelly Summers and her unborn child rocked this small community for its brutality and highly publicized trial proceedings.”

My eyes widen as I dry my hands with a dish towel and slowly walk toward the television—where the past is rearing its ugly head. This is what I was afraid of. I could kill Stevens right now. I probably should have years ago. He was always a slippery loose end.

“Former sheriff Ryan Stevens led and oversaw the Summers homicide investigation and quickly zeroed in on literary author Adam Morgan, who had been having an affair with the victim. Her body was found in his home, and he was the last one to see her alive,” the reporter continues. “Adam was famously defended by his wife, Sarah Morgan, a high-profile DC attorney, but was found guilty and ultimately received a death sentence. The case was further publicized after Netflix released the docuseriesDid He Kill Her?—which detailed the events surrounding the murder of Kelly Summers and the trial that followed.

“A little over a year ago, Adam Morgan was executed by lethal injection. The discovery that former sheriff Stevens’s DNA profile matches evidence collected from the victim’s body calls into question the validity of the case against Adam Morgan. So the question now is, was the wrong man put to death? We’ll have more on this story as it develops. I’m Gretchen Waters with Channel 5 News.”

Bob turns slowly in his seat, his mouth parted and his skin ashen. My hands start to tremble. This is the last thing I need right now... another problem. I take a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm myself so I can think.

“Sarah.” Bob’s voice shakes. “We should talk about this?” It comes out as both a question and a statement.

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