Page 49 of All He Takes
"Find out what?" Ken pressed. "Tell us, you son of a bitch, or else--"
"There's someone else, okay?" Harold lifted his eyes, for the first time, showing real emotion: tears in his eyes. "I'm seeing another woman. I'm in love with someone other than my wife, and that's where I've been going. That's where I was tonight."
Silence filled the room. If this was another lie, Nicky was going to blow a fuse. For now, she had to play along.
"What's her name?" Nicky asked.
"I... I can't tell you her name," Harold said.
"Why not?"
"Because she's married," Harold said. "If her husband finds out, he'll kill me."
"She's married?" Nicky tried to keep her voice calm. "And you're seeing her anyway?"
"I can't help myself," Harold said. "I love her, and I want to be with her. I'm going to leave home--"
"Oh, you're going to leave your wife," Nicky said. "You're going to break up two marriages to be with her? What about your son, Harold?"
"I can't help it," Harold said. "I love her."
"You love her, so you're going to break up a marriage?" Nicky was getting tired of Harold's bullshit. "What is she, your soulmate or something?"
"Yes," Harold said, without missing a beat. "She's my soulmate. I've never met anyone like her, and I know I never will again. She's destiny." He shrugged. "I can't help it."
"Where does she live?" Nicky asked, fighting the urge to laugh at the absurdity of this.
"She's living with her husband," Harold said. "But I'll get her away from him. I've been working on it for a while."
"What's her name?" Nicky asked.
"I can't tell you her name," Harold said. "I'm sorry. I can't. It's too dangerous."
"If you don't tell us, we're going to book you for these murders," Nicky said, keeping her voice stern to show she wasn't messing around. "As far as I'm concerned, Harold, this is just another one of your lies--so unless you want to go to prison, you better tell us the name of this woman who can apparently prove your innocence."
"She's not joking, Harold," Ken added on. "Think about this. Think really hard."
Harold sniffled, before he pathetically nodded. "A-Adaline Jones," he managed. "She can vouch for me... I was with her... I never killed anyone..."
Nicky and Ken both scoffed. This guy was unbelievable.
"You're a real piece of work, Smith," Ken said. "We'll call this Adaline Jones girl and confirm your alibi. But I hope you know how much of a piece of shit you are for what you're doing to your family."
Nicky loathed the man in front of her now more than ever. As a child, she remembered her father would sometimes go out at night for hours to go drinking, and sometimes he'd come home at four in the morning and Nicky's late mother would be yelling at him. Sometimes, Nicky and Rosie would sit the top of the stairs and listen. They'd hear things about "other women." Nicky was sure her father was a serial cheater, and she hated the way it affected her mom.
Now, it was clear--this man, Harold Smith, was a serial cheater. He was a sociopath who was using his wife. He was using his wife's income to support his lavish habits and his new lover's lifestyle, and his wife was none the wiser.
"... I know," Harold said, dropping his hands into his lap. "I know."
"If you love her so much, why don't you just leave your wife?" Nicky asked.
"Because of my son," Harold said. "I don't want to break up my family."
"Wow," Ken muttered, shaking his head. "A real prince."
"I don't want any more lies," Nicky said. "This is your alibi. Adaline Jones. You love her, and you want to leave your wife for her. That's it, right?"
Harold didn't answer. He just looked down at his hands.
