Page 85 of Happy Wife

“I have to go. Thanks for coming today, Marcus.”

When I look back at the door, Ardell is gone. I slip out of the nook, brushing past Marcus, and I disappear back into the ballroom.

—

Este and Beau stay with me for an hour after we get home. We are all exhausted beyond words, and we sit in my living room—staring at nothing, barely speaking, and sipping whatever cocktail Este mixed up. As they get up to let themselves out the side door—thepress is still en masse out front—I see Perry is outside, and he’s about to ring my doorbell.

“Who the fuck…,” Este says as she walks toward the door.

I’m on my feet in an instant, feeling fully alert for the first time in maybe days. “I’ll get it.”

Perry, what did you find?

I rush past Este and pull the door open, hurrying Perry inside before the reporters can snap any more photos.

“Come in,” I insist. “Perry. I’m so glad you’re here. What’s up? What did you find?”

“We’re talking to weird old townies now?” Este whispers, but she’s not quiet enough.

Perry looks sheepish. “Oh, Nora, well, hi. So sorry to bother you, I know the funeral was today, and—”

“It’s okay,” I insist.

The only thing that can salvage my day of playing Pretty Princess Funeral Barbie is news about what Perry’s been able to find on Will.

Desperation pinches my voice as I say, “Did you find anything?”

“Find anything?” Este looks at me sideways. “Who is this guy?”

“Este, this is Perry.” I try to speed through the introduction. “He’s a friend of Will’s who—”

“Perry, the weird gray car stalker?” Este looks unimpressed.

I don’t let her rattle me as I continue, “Perry was doing some digging into Will’s phone records to see if he could figure out who Will was talking to the night he…”

“Shouldn’t we leave that to the police, Nora?” Este’s tone is on the edge of scolding.

“You can’t be serious. You’re choosing right now to put your trust in Travis fucking Ardell?”

“At least we know a little bit about Ardell, unlike Pierre here.”

“Perry,” I correct, but I think she’s gotten it wrong on purpose.

“Nora,” she says and pulls on my arm. “Can we talk?”

I shake her off. “No, because I want to talk to Perry.”

Perry looks down at his tattered boat shoes. “I’m afraid I don’t have much of an update today. Some folks back home are still trying to see what they can do.” He’s crestfallen to be letting medown. His eyes go a little watery as he says, “I came to pay my respects. I’m just so sorry about Will’s passing. I wanted a different outcome for this whole thing.”

“Oh.” My gaze falls to the floor.

“Listen.” Este looks to Perry and in her kindest hostess voice says, “Maybe you should come back some other time. It’s been a difficult day.”

Difficult. As if the day was just a tricky puzzle we were trying to solve. Difficulty level: soul-crushing.

There’s no update. Perry doesn’t have anything that will help me. And Dean is still dead. And now there is no more Will. And I am trapped here in this life. A life without Will and without answers. And I’m starting to wonder if Ardell thinks I killed my husband.

I can practically hear it, like the click of a door closing. Or the last tick on a time bomb. Something inside of me detonates. “Fuck.”