Chapter 5
Waiting nearly drove Enzo insane.
He filled the time by investigating the house.
Lucinda had controlled far more than mail.
During the year after Mara left, she helped reorganize Lily’s childcare.
She approved staff.
Managed visitors.
Handled family events.
Greta had joined the estate after most of those decisions were made.
The employees who had worked there during the separation were harder to find.
One former driver agreed to speak.
Thomas Avery remembered the night Mara left.
“She had one suitcase.”
Enzo looked at him.
“You drove her?”
“Yes.”
“Where?”
“Palmer House.”
“A hotel?”
“Yes.”
“I was told she went to the airport.”
Thomas looked shocked.
“Not with me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Lucinda said Mara wanted privacy.”
Enzo closed his eyes.
“How long was she there?”
“Three nights, I think.”
“And after that?”
“I drove her to her sister’s house in Milwaukee.”
Enzo remembered Mara’s sister, Danielle.
They had never liked each other.
After Mara vanished, Danielle stopped answering Enzo completely.
He assumed she blamed him.
Maybe she did.
Thomas continued.
“Mara kept asking whether you were coming.”
Enzo looked at him.
“What?”
“She thought you were meeting her at the hotel.”
“I was told she refused to speak to me.”
Thomas went pale.
Neither man spoke for several seconds.
Second clue.
On the night Enzo believed Mara had abandoned him, Mara had apparently been waiting three miles away for him to arrive.
Enzo remembered that night too clearly.
Lucinda sat with him until almost dawn.
She told him Mara needed space.
She told him chasing after a woman who chose to leave would only humiliate him.
Enzo had believed her.
Worse.
He had been grateful.
Miriam called that evening.
Mara had responded.
Not by phone.
By email.
Six sentences.
She would speak only through counsel initially.
She did not consent to Enzo knowing her current address.
She wanted confirmation that Lily was safe.
She wanted photographs.
And she wanted one question answered.
Did Enzo really tell Lucinda he never wanted to hear my name again?
Enzo read the sentence repeatedly.
Then gave Miriam his answer.
“No.”
“Anything else?”
He looked toward Lily playing with Greta in the garden.
May you like
“Yes.”
“Tell her I should have asked that question three years ago.”
