Prologue

I knew as I drove down the lane to my home later that night that Sherrie was angry with me. I couldn't help it but that wouldn't make her any more forgiving. When I called to tell her I was taking a later flight because I had to stay longer than planned, she calmly told me that I could just stay there overnight if I wanted to. Since it would be too late to go to the dinner party, it made little difference to her. Then she proceeded to tell me how much she had been looking forward to this night out with our friends and that she should have known that I would do something to mess it up. While I tried to make some inane promise to make it up to her, she just told me to go back to my meeting. Angrily I told her that maybe I should just stay there tonight and let her cool down. She hung up with a slam.

Of course, I had no intention of staying over rather than going home so now, hours later and tired from a late flight it was just past 11:30 at night. I was tired, cranky and not in the mood for what I expected was waiting for me. Well, that was the price I paid for being in demand as a reference source in criminal cases. In this case, my wife's anger was the price. I turned into my street and saw my house just ahead. As I got closer, I saw a car that I didn't recognize sitting in my driveway. My initial thought was that Sherrie had gone out for the evening and some of her friends had stayed with her afterwards. It had been a lot of years since Karen so my thoughts were innocent.

I got out of the car, grabbed my overnight and briefcase and went in through the garage entrance. That led me directly into the kitchen. As I opened the door, I heard Sherrie laughing and saw her sitting there talking with a man that I didn't know. He was younger than I, tall and very well built with sandy colored hair and blue eyes. I immediately disliked him. I shut the door to the garage with more force than necessary to gain Sherrie's attention.

When she saw me, Sherrie's face turned red and I thought I saw a brief flash of disappointment before she turned away. The young man looked up as I came in and I saw a smile form on his face, a smile that I didn't much care for. Ignoring me, Sherrie stood up, still chuckling, as did he and they moved out of the kitchen into the foyer where Sherrie must have said goodnight. Just as I was about to follow them to see what was taking so long, I heard the door open and then close. I waited as Sherrie came back into the kitchen.

I controlled my anger well enough to speak calmly.

"May I ask who that was and why he was in my kitchen at midnight while I wasn't here?"

"You can ask, but I don't think it's any of your business. He was my guest and that's all you have to know."

As tired as I was, I guess my judgment was not what it should have been, because her answer, combined with my irritation, forced me to respond in a way not typical for me.

"I will ask you one more time, and this time I expect an answer. Who the fuck was that man in my goddamned kitchen!?"

Sherrie stepped back and dropped down into one of the chairs, her mouth open and her eyes wide. I had never talked to her like that before. She was caught stuttering an answer and she cowered down with her head between her hunched shoulders.

"Tha... that... , that was Brian Market. He's a good friend. Of Marilyn's I mean. I was at her place tonight and she asked him to follow me to be sure I got home all right. We pulled in just before you did. That's all it was."

I just glared at her as I listened to her answer. I had never thought to doubt my wife before this but with her attitude on the phone and her attitude when I walked in, I had doubts for the first time in our 3-year marriage. I suddenly remembered Karen.

"Why would anyone have to follow you home from Marilyn's place? It's only two blocks for Christ's sake. And why would you allow him in the house at midnight when I wasn't home?"

"Why wouldn't I? He was simply making sure I got home and I was being courteous. Maybe Marilyn was worried about me. You certainly weren't! You weren't even here."

I decided that I wasn't going to do this now. I was tired, I was angry, and my wife was being bitchy. Nothing good was going to come from this. Without another word, I turned, walked away and went upstairs to get ready for bed. A good night's sleep was what I needed just now and tomorrow was Saturday. I could sleep in and deal with her then.

I took a quick shower, brushed my teeth and toweled my hair dry enough to sleep and climbed into bed. I decided to read for a few minutes to unwind. I pulled a novel out of the side table and began. After about five minutes, Sherrie walked quietly in and went in to get ready for bed. I said nothing.

Sherrie came back into the bedroom and climbed into bed. She lay back with her hands across her bosom and watched me as I read. She seemed like she wanted to say something but I calmly closed my book after folding the corner of the page to mark my place and put it aside. I turned off the bedside light and lay back, turning my back to her to discourage any conversation.

"Stuart, I'm sorry for answering you that way. It was inappropriate for me to have had Brian in my home with you gone, especially this late at night. It was really very innocent as I told you but still, it should not have happened. I'm sorry."

I listened, accepted what she told me but for some reason, I wasn't satisfied. Something was nagging at me. I decided not to make an issue of this tonight when I was tired and ready for a fight.

"Goodnight Sherrie. We'll talk tomorrow."

She obviously wanted to continue with her explanation and her denials but I refused to respond to anything more so she finally gave up. I woke once about an hour later to feel her shaking beside me, crying quietly. For some reason that gave me some satisfaction, enough to get back to sleep. I was exhausted and slept until well into the next morning. It was a weekend so I didn't have to go in today. I needed the day off anyway.

I normally didn't eat breakfast so when I did get up, I went to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and padded out to the mailbox to get the paper. This was my morning routine and I saw no reason to break it, just because I was still furious from my wife's actions of the night before. She wasn't anywhere around so I took my newspaper to the patio and enjoyed the silence with my coffee and paper. I wanted the time to think of what it was that had me so upset.

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