Page 92 of Happy Wife

What the fuck does Fritz know anyway?

“Wow, you’re vertical.” Este chases a mosquito out of the house and slides the door shut again. It’s been so hot here the past few days, and I can feel the AC trying to keep up. The house has the edge of humidity to it.

“My back hurt from being in bed too long.” I can feel Este eyeing me as I pull some last little wedge of a casserole out of my refrigerator. The kitchen counter is littered with dishes and half-full glasses of almost every different kind of beverage.

“Where’s Alma?”

“There’s a clause in her contract that she gets bereavement if someone dies. Ironic, isn’t it?” I put the casserole in themicrowave and dump out a few glasses, but putting them in the dishwasher feels too hard. At least they’re in the sink.

I absentmindedly walk to the front window as Este goes over to finish the dishes for me.

That’s when I see the police car pull into my driveway. And then another one. Then three more.

I should have seen this part coming.

“Uh…Nora…,” Este says.

Ardell gets out and a dozen officers exit the cars behind him.

They’re coming for me.

Ardell makes eye contact with me and holds my gaze.I’ve got you now.

I open the front door, and Ardell closes the distance, saying something that I think sounds like “official capacity,” and then I’m sure I hear the words “search warrant.”

The reporters are shouting questions from the street, and I’m horrified as Ardell hands me a piece of paper.

“Nora, we have a search warrant for the house and cars. Are both cars here?”

“What?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to step aside and not touch anything.”

I look down at the piece of paper he’s handed me, but I can’t make out what it says. Este pulls it from my hand.

“Is this really necessary? What the hell are you looking for?”

“I’m afraid I can’t discuss that with either of you.”

Ardell nods back at his team and they all start filing in the house, none of them making eye contact with me. Out the window, I see a team of divers heading down toward the dock.

“Mrs. Somerset, you can’t be here when they search the premises. Anyway, I’m going to need you to come to the station with me to answer some questions. I can drive you down.”

Mrs. Somerset? Is he for real?

Este instinctively steps in front of me. “What for?”

“I need her to come down to the station with me, and I think it’s best that she does so willingly.”

“Am I under arrest?” I am so confused about what is happening.The room is spinning a little and I don’t really know what to do. I reach out to Este, my hand gently squeezing her arm.

“We just need you to answer some questions at the station.”

“Oh. Okay. I, uh, just need to get my shoes,” I say as I walk off dazed in search of some sneakers.

“Nora, you need to call Fritz,” Este says behind me.

I don’t want to.