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TWENTY-EIGHT

SARAH MORGAN

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Jess asks, taking the envelope from my hand. She’s seated across from me, dressed in a muted pantsuit. “If we go this route, there’s no going back.”

“I’m sure.” I lean back in my chair, looking out the large windows that line the sidewall of my office. The morning sky is a sea of gray overstuffed clouds, ready to burst at any moment. Even they can only take so much before they fall apart.

“I just want to be certain,” Jess says. “I know initially your main goal was to keep your separation private and quiet, and I can’t guarantee that anymore with this route. If anything, I can guarantee the opposite. It will be messy.”

I swivel my head from the window. “It already is.”

“Okay, I’ll get it filed right away and will request an emergency hearing to expedite the process.” She slips the envelope into her briefcase and gets to her feet. “I’ll be in touch,” Jess adds as she heads for the door.

Before leaving my office, she pauses and delivers a sympathetic look. “Take care of yourself, Sarah.”

“I always do.”

Jess tightly smiles and exits my office, leaving me alone again. I didn’t want to have to go this route, but Bob has left me with no other choice. I know he’s got something up his sleeve, some plan he’s working on. The warning he whispered under his breath— or in prison —changed everything. Plus, I can’t trust him to take care of Summer. The one night he had her, she got hurt because of his negligence, and I can’t take that risk again—not with my daughter. I wanted this separation to be quick and quiet. But no, he had to make things difficult.

That reminds me. I pick my phone up from my desk and type out a text.

Hey, Alejandro. It’s Sarah. I just remembered that I forgot to pay you for your work.

Three dots appear on the screen seconds later, bouncing up and down.

Did u forget on purpose just so u can see me again?

Did you purposefully forget to ask for payment, so you could see me again?

His message hits my screen before I can even set my phone down.

...Maybe ;)

I move my mouth side to side, deciding what to say.

I can swing by today and drop it off.

If it’s no trouble. Otherwise, I can come by your place.

It’s fine. I’ll come to you.

Do you need my address?

Already got it.

Stalking me??? ;)

I literally gave you the keys to your apartment...

There are two soft knocks on my office door before it clicks open and Natalie, the foundation’s receptionist, pokes her head in. “Sarah, sorry to bother you, but there are two police officers asking to speak with you.”

I keep my composure while trying to think of all the reasons they’d be here. I know Bob’s been up to something, but would he involve the police any more than they already are? He wouldn’t be that stupid, would he? There’s also the reopening of the Kelly Summers investigation. I know they have to reinterview everyone, but I figured that would be much more formal, like setting up a time for me to come down to the station. Regardless of why they’re here, I can’t turn them away.

“Go ahead and send them in, Natalie.”

She nods and disappears from the doorway. Letting out a heavy sigh, I sit up straight in my chair and stretch my neck from side to side, cracking it in the process. Let’s get this over with.