Page 48 of You'll Never Know
I shake my head.
“She picked flowers. She hid them in these funny places only I would find. In my purse. In my makeup drawer. All around my closet. I even found one in the pocket of my jacket once. I sometimes spotted her in the garden picking them. Evelyn didn’t always know how to talk to me, but she always made sure I knew I was loved.
“Evelyn seemed to improve from there, especially when Don fostered her creativity. She had real artistic talent. He helped her channel that talent. We flew to Italy a few times, and he introduced her to the greats. Botticelli and Caravaggio. Da Vinci. Raphael. After that, she really took off. She went to college and got a job in graphic design after graduation.”
“She was able to do that?” Ben asks, before adding, “I’m sorry if that’s a rude question. I don’t know much about autism.”
“Oh, yes. She was more than capable of living life on her own. And once she started to do that, it was a huge relief for Don. For both of us, really. Things settled down. It relieved the pressure. Evelyn flourished. We thought she was going to be okay.”
“What changed?” I ask.
“She met someone.”
I straighten. “Who?”
“A man. His name was Adrian Wallace.”
“A romantic interest?” Ben asks.
Paula nods. “Yes. It wasn’t the first time she dated someone. There were a few men before Adrian, but they never lasted. Adrian was different.”
“Different how?” I ask, feeling myself being pulled into the story against my will. “He didn’t treat her well?”
“Quite the opposite, actually. He treated her very well. They shared the same taste in music. Both of them loved art. Adrian was very attentive to her needs. He worshiped the ground she walked on. He was very kind to both Don and me. He seemed like a real catch.”
Ben tilts his head. “And that was a problem, why?”
“It wasn’t,” Paula says. “Not in and of itself.”
“What, then?” I ask, my impatience building.
Paula takes a drink of water, then sets the bottle aside. “I didn’t trust him at first. Don didn’t either. He seemed a little too eager to please Evelyn. He was a little too interested. It wasn’t normal. Like I said, even though Evelyn wanted to connect with people, it was difficult for her. Especially when it came to men. She didn’t know how to talk to them. She was, well, awkward. Most men weren’t willing to put up with that aspect of her personality.”
“But Adrian was?” I ask.
“Yes. He was quite taken with her. Don and I couldn’t put our finger on it. The relationship moved really fast.”
Ben shifts in the chair. “Honestly, a lot of couples move quickly. Besides Evelyn’s autism, that doesn’t sound all that out of the ordinary.”
“That’s what I told Don,” Paula says. “It took a while, but Adrian grew on me. I could see why Evelyn was so infatuated with him. He was easy company. Very likable. But Don never came around. He was always a little suspicious of Adrian. Well, more than a little. A lot. I eventually had to tell him to calm down, especially after they moved in together.” She shakes her head. “That didn’t go well at all. We only found out because we stopped by Evelyn’s condo for lunch and Adrian’s things were everywhere. She told us then, just blurted it out. ‘We live together now.’ We were both shocked. They’d only been together for four months. Don flipped his lid.”
I shift on the couch. I can’t handle this any longer. As sad and complicated as Evelyn’s story is, it doesn’t change the fact that she killed my family. I need to know where this is going.
“What does any of this have to do with me?”
“Bailey,” Ben says, casting me a mind-your-manners look. “Let her finish.”
“It’s okay,” Paula says, surveying me. “If I was in your shoes, I’d ask the same question. But I’m not sure what I have to share with you will help you find much peace.”
I feel my skin prickle, goosebumps rising along my arms. The way this woman is looking at me—like whatever it is she has to share will upend my world—sets off an internal alarm. For the briefest of seconds, I consider telling her to keep it to herself, but I know I can’t do that.
“Please, just tell me,” I say, bracing myself.
Paula raises her hand as if to rub her cheek, hesitates, and then returns it to her lap with a sigh. “The day your family died, Evelyn wasn’t the one driving. Adrian was.”
Chapter 26
GRANT
