Page 69 of The Widower
They exchanged a look, and my unease grew. Deep down, I had the sense they didn’t believe me—that they thought I knew where Rudolph was hiding. But I truly had no idea.
“Here.” One of them handed me a card with two phone numbers on it. “If you find out anything, call us within fifteen days. Take care.”
“Why fifteen days?” I asked, but one of them just smiled before they both got back into the car.
I watched as the black sedan drove off, a knot tightening in my chest.
Something told me this wasn’t over—and that whatever was coming, it wasn’t good.
“Did Hanna come in today?”
“Yes.”
I was walking Joshua to school. In the beginning, he didn’t talk much to me, but after becoming friends with Hanna, things started to change. We talked more—mostly about her.
“Did her fever go down?”
“She was fine yesterday. She’s tough.” I winked.
“So... you’ll let me play with her, right?”
“Of course.” I smiled, and his face lit up.
Then an idea crossed my mind. I wasn’t sure he’d go for it, but it was worth a try.
“How about inviting your dad to play with you guys next time?”
“My dad?!” He looked startled—or maybe just surprised. I couldn’t tell which.
“That’s right,” I said with a nod.
“Uh, he doesn’t really like that stuff. I’d rather just play with her.”
“I think it’d be good for him.Your dad spends a lot of time alone.”
“Yeah. He’s been weird ever since my sister died.”
Even at his age, Joshua understood—and felt—the weight of the tragedy that had hit his family. Losing his sister and his mother had taken a toll, and it was clear that something inside him had changed too.
“Joshua…” I crouched down to his level as we reached the school gates. “Give your dad a chance, okay? I know he misses your sister a lot, and he doesn’t always know how to deal with it. He misses you too—he just doesn’t know how to show it yet.”
He looked at me for a long moment but didn’t say anything. I could see the conflict in his eyes, that quiet sadness only kids carry when they’ve seen too much.
Finally, he nodded. “Okay.”
He turned and walked toward the school.
I stood there watching him go, hoping—really hoping—that my words might have given him the courage to try.
CHAPTER 16
“The inevitable happens when two bodies connect.”
ISABELLE CAMPBELL
I glanced outside the mansion and noticed the weather turning dangerous—worse than I’d seen in a long time. The storm was so violent that the thought of leaving and going home actually scared me.
“It would be safer if you stayed here tonight.”
