Page 161 of Dying to Meet You

“I noticed that, too,” I say. “We seem to be an evolving story. Now what did you want to tell me?”

She purses her lips. Then she sits down in Harrison’s chair and speaks to me in a hushed voice. “Listen, I took some photos of Tim’s notes,” she says quietly. “They’re not the kind of notes I would expect from a journalist writing a story. They’re more like full-fledged journal entries.”

“Like... dear diary?”

“Almost.” She spares a glance toward the door, as if to make sure it’s still closed. “I could get fired for sharing them with you.”

“But you’re going to anyway?” I guess. “I won’t tell a soul.”

“I feel like I owe you.” She pulls her iPad out of her shoulder bag and flips open the cover. “Read this. Just this page. It says a lot.”

June 3rd—

Made a decision today. Not an easy one. But R’s daughter called me out. Was at Black Cow with J...

I blink at the page. This is about Natalie? Black Cow is a burger joint with excellent fries. She goes there with her friends.

Didn’t notice N until I paid the bill and J went to the ladies. N comes up to me @ the bar, red face, so angry. Accuses me of cheating on her mom. Says I should be ashamed, and she saw me going through R’s phone.

Didn’t even defend myself, because she’s right. Not about cheating. But she’s right on the basic facts. I met R for research purposes. She’s spectacular. Maybe even perfect. But I can’t think of a way to come clean that doesn’t make me sound like an ass & a thief. Which I guess I am. Plus, my job is in NY.

Will do the right thing and let her go.

“Oh shit.”

“Yeah,” Riley says quietly.

“My daughter didn’t mention to me that she’d told him off. Maybeshe thinks I’d be mad.” I feel a rush of love for my girl and her righteous anger on my behalf.

Riley takes the iPad back. “I just thought you needed to know. He thought you were spectacular. Maybe even perfect.”

“Nobody is perfect.”

But poor Tim. He made me feel unlucky. Then he turned out to be the unluckiest of all.

“You described your relationship to me, and now that I’ve read this, I know you were telling me the whole truth.” She taps the iPad and then puts it away. “My job is brutal sometimes. I have to look at everyone like a would-be criminal.”

I lean back against the pillow and think that over for a minute. “For fifteen years, I’ve been looking at the men in my life as would-be criminals. And, unlike you, it’s not because of my job.”

“It’s your hobby,” she says. And we both laugh.

65

Tuesday

Natalie

When she hears the car pull into the garage, she’s in the kitchen putting groceries away with her grandfather.

“They’re back!” her grandpa says. “I’ll put the coffee on. You open the door and then hold the dog. Can’t let ’er jostle your mom’s hand, okay?”

“Yeah, I got it.” Natalie pulls the door open and then intercepts Lickie when she comes flying through the kitchen to investigate. “Sit,” she says.

Lickie sits.

“Good girl,” Natalie whispers. She’s been told to monitor Lickie carefully and to be both firm and calm with her. They have to watch closely for any signs of doggie PTSD. There’s a risk that Lickie could become quicker to violence after her justified attack of She Who Must Not Be Named.

Natalie won’t let that happen.