Page 6 of The Right to Remain

“Handwritten. On a green notepad.”

Her eyes narrowed with confusion. “That would be our grocery list.”

“I don’t think so. Across the top, this one says, ‘Things Stressing Me Out.’”

He held it so that she could see. It was inside a plastic evidence bag. Helena reached for it.

“Don’t touch, please,” the detective said. “It’s a chain-of-custody thing. I don’t want to have to put you on the list of people who handled an evidence bag.”

Helena withdrew her hand. “Sorry.”

“Is that your husband’s handwriting?” he asked.

She took another look. “Yes. It looks like Owen’s.”

The detective slid the evidence bag into a large manila envelope.

“What’s on the list?” asked Helena.

“Would you like to read it?”

“Yes.”

The detective hesitated. “We don’t have to do this now.”

“I see no reason to wait.”

“Fair warning: You might find it disturbing.”

Helena raised an eyebrow. “After what happened here tonight, you’re worried that I might find alistdisturbing?”

The detective seemed to take her point. He removed the bag from the envelope and held it close enough for Helena to read the handwriting through the plastic. It was on a lined sheet of paper from the same green notepad they used for groceries. Even though each item was numbered, it was hard to tell if there was any particular order to this rambling list of “Things Stressing Me Out.”

1. Work

2. BB’s mom

Helena paused. She took the second one personally. She continued reading.

3. Money

4. BB’s mom

5. The media

6. BB’s mom

7. BB’s mom

A double whammy at 6 and 7. She read on.

8. Debt

9. BB’s mom

10. BB’s mom

11. BB’s mom