The Last to See Her

by Courtney Evan Tate

  “Well, as far as I know, we’re here because something happened to Gen. Nothing happened to her husband,” Jenkins pointed out. “So she didn’t do a thing with that gun.”

  “But why did she think she needed it? Did Thad ever get physical with her? Perhaps when she confronted him and wanted a divorce?”

  “Not that I know of. I never saw any bruises, and I did watch for them. The day after she confronted him, she called me and checked in. I’d asked her to.”

  “Do you usually do that with your clients?” Hawk asked.

  Jenkins shook his head. “Not usually, but sometimes. I think I already said—Gen was a good gal. I felt bad for her. With it being her sister and all, it was a double whammy. She didn’t think she had anyone to talk to.”

  “She didn’t have any friends?”

  “From what she said, Meg was her best friend. After this happened, she withdrew a little. I think she was afraid to trust anyone.”

  “She trusted you,” Hawk pointed out.

  “Yeah. I guess she did.” Jenkins looked down, almost pained. “It looks like I let her down, though.”

  “Have you had personal interaction with either Thad or Meg?”

  Jenkins thought about it. “I may have bumped into them while I was staking them out, but they never knew what I was doing. It was just real casual.”

  “Do you have a take on the situation?”

  Jenkins shrugged. “They did her dirty, for sure. She didn’t deserve it. What do you think happened to her? Do you think it’s him?”

  “We don’t know.”

  “She asked me if she should get a restraining order.”

  “She was afraid of him?”

  “She felt like she didn’t know him like she thought, like he was cold and emotionless. He got kinda detached there at the end. She felt like he wasn’t who she married. And she asked me if she should file an order. She was concerned about doing things the right way.”

  “Did she file that restraining order?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did she ever confront Meg?”

  “That, I don’t know. I kept asking her, and she kept saying she wasn’t ready. Thad had taken up with that other gal, and Gen had gotten a bit of validation from that...like some satisfaction that Thad had cheated on her sister, too. Maybe she finally confronted her in New York City, and this is how it’s turned out.” His face looked pained.

  “So you think it could be Meg?”

  “I don’t know, Detective. I don’t have anything to base that on. I’ve just seen it all, and probably you have, too.”

  Hawk couldn’t argue with that, either.

  “Have you ever had an occasion to speak to her parents, or do you know about her background?”

  “Her parents are older, obviously, but they are still together, I know that much. She went to see them in Wisconsin once while I was working for her. They sounded like a normal family. Her mom liked to cook. Gen was going to help her with some pies or somethin’ like that. Just her and Meg, no other siblings. I’ll tell you somethin’, though. Meg seemed like a decent person, too, just like Gen. I don’t know how she got wrapped up with someone like Thad, but probably was reeled in the same way as her sister. Either way, that man gives me a bad feeling. Always did.”

  “Gut feeling?”

  Jenkins nodded. “Yep. You know the one.”

  Hawk did. He’d had it many times himself in the past.

  “Okay. Well, can I call you with any other questions?” Hawk asked. Jenkins nodded.

  “Hell yes. I’ve got a soft spot in my heart for Gen. Like I said, she didn’t deserve this. I want her found. If you need any help, I’m happy to do it.”

  “Noted,” Hawk said. He didn’t anticipate the need, but it was a nice offer.

  “One last thing,” Jenkins said, pausing at the door. “You’ll probably get a lot more info out of her pink journal. So look for that.”

  Hawk stooped and picked up the journal in the trunk. It was brown, but he showed it to Jenkins anyway.

  “No. That’s not the one. Like I said, it’s pink. And smaller than that. Purse-sized. She took all kinds of notes in it.”

  “Did you think her behavior was normal?” Hawk asked him. “Seems to me that she was pretty obsessed.”

  “She was definitely obsessed,” Jenkins agreed. “But you know as well as I do that people act in all kinds of ways when their spouse steps out on ’em.”

  Hawk nodded, and closed the door behind the man.

  Jenkins was certainly soft on Gen. Hawk wondered if it made him biased. On the other hand, the man did have decades of experience. He probably had a good feel for the situation.

  Sitting by the window, Hawk stared down at the street. This apartment had spectacular views of the city. He watched the people rushing along, and something surprised him.

  Meg was sitting on a bench.

  Her head was bent, and to his surprise, it appeared as though her shoulders were shaking.

  She was crying.

  He kept watching her as he called the department to make sure there hadn’t been any sign of Gen back in New York.

  There hadn’t.

  39

  Gen, Now

  “I hate you,” the woman said to Gen, and it was hard to call her an it when she pulled down her hood and dark curls fell out.

  Gen stared up at her, sitting in her urine-soaked pants and dirty shirt. “Why?” she asked simply. “I don’t even know you. I saw you with my husband. That’s all I know of you.”

  “You took him from me,” the woman said. “You took him. I was all alone. Do you know what that feels like?”

  Gen swallowed hard. “I didn’t take anyone,” she croaked. Her throat was so dry. “Can I have a drink of water, please?”

  The woman grabbed a bottle, tore off the lid and dumped it on Gen’s face. Gen licked at it, trying to get as much as she could.

  “You took my brother,” the woman whimpered, and Gen froze.

  “Your brother?” she asked, confused. Was this all a mistake?

  Jody glared. “My brother. I had him a long time before you did. And you ruined everything. He stayed away because of you. But I have him back now, and you’re not getting him. You can’t have him back.”

  “Your brother?” Gen asked, everything coming together in her muddled head. “Thad is your brother?”

  Jody nodded. “Of course.”

  Gen’s head spun. Why hadn’t he ever told her?

  “Where do you live?” she asked Jody, the woman she’d thought was sleeping with her husband, but clearly she was completely mistaken.

  “In Chicago, USA,” Jody answered, proud that she could recite her address. “I know the door code, too, but I’m not supposed to share it.”

  Something was off about Jody, but Gen couldn’t put her finger on it. She was almost childlike.

  “Of course not,” Gen agreed, shifting on the ground. “You should never share something like that. Not with anyone. Not even your sister.”

  “I don’t have a sister,” Jody told her. “Only Thad.”

  “But I’m married to Thad,” Gen pointed out. “So technically, I’m your sister. It’s nice to meet you. I wish I’d met you long ago. Why didn’t I?”

  “Because. Thad said you wouldn’t understand,” Jody said uncertainly. “You seem smart, though. I bet you would’ve.”

  “Of course I would’ve,” Gen answered kindly. “I always wanted another sister anyway.”

  “You did?” Jody couldn’t help asking.

  Gen nodded. “I only have one. Two would be nice.”

  She knew something clearly wasn’t right with this woman. She just didn’t know what.

  “Does Thad take care of you?” she asked politely, trying hard to lull Jody into feeling that she could
trust her. Jody sat down, out of reach, and stared at her almost in wonder.

  “Yes. He pays for my apartment. And he came to see me a lot. And now he lives with me. And I won’t let you take him away again.”

  “Oh, sweetie, I don’t want to,” Gen assured her. “I promise. Your brother is a good man, a good person, and I used to love him very much. But we don’t want the same things out of life anymore. I want to move away to a farm. Thad wants to stay in Chicago.”

  “He wants to stay with me!” Jody lifted her chin. “He’d never let you take him away.”

  “No, he wouldn’t,” Gen rushed to agree. She was stunned, and looking at Jody, she could see the family resemblance. She and Thad shared the same eyes, the same nose, the same dark hair.

  “How did you know where to find me the other night?” Gen asked curiously. “You took me, right?”

  Jody nodded proudly. “I followed you.”

  “How did you get to New York?” Gen asked, because it didn’t seem possible that she traveled alone.

  “I have Thad’s credit card,” Jody answered. “He thinks I’m on a school trip.”

  “You go to school?”

  “I go to a special school, for special people. I have friends there.”

  “Good. Everyone needs friends. So Thad thinks you’re on a trip?”

  “Yes. And I didn’t lie. I am on a trip.”

  “By yourself, though. He doesn’t know that.”

  Jody immediately looked guilty. “I had to.”

  “Of course you did. Because you thought I was going to take him away. But I won’t. You can let me go, because I’ll never take him away.”

  “I don’t know what to do with you now,” Jody told her. “I hadn’t thought that far ahead.”

  “You’ll have to let me go,” Gen answered her calmly. “There’s nothing else to do.”

  “That’s not what happens in movies,” Jody said. “Because then everyone would find out. Thad can’t know, Genevieve.”

  “I will never tell him,” Gen swore. “Let me go, and I’ll never tell a soul.”

  “I don’t think that’s a smart thing to do,” Jody answered thoughtfully, as though she were considering the odds. “I found your ring. And I gave it back to your sister so she can give it to Thad. It wasn’t nice to throw it out, Gen. It cost a lot of money.”

  “You saw my sister?” Hope rushed through Gen.

  Jody shook her head. “No. I left it in her hotel.” Gen deflated.

  “You’re a smart girl,” Gen told her. “You know that it’s smart to not get into trouble for taking me. If you let me go, no one will know.”

  “I’m not smart,” Jody confided. “I hurt my head a long time ago. My mama and daddy died, and my head got hurt. But Thad was fine and he takes care of me now.”

  Gen quickly put two and two together. The accident that killed their parents had injured Jody. It was tragic, and even more tragic that Thad thought he had to hide it.

  But that didn’t help her now.

  “You are smart,” Gen told her. “I think everyone is smart in their own way.”

  “Could I get into trouble for taking you?” Jody asked, doubtful now. “Are you lying? It’s not nice to lie.”

  “It’s against the law to take me,” Gen explained. “Do you know what a law is?”

  Jody nodded. “Yes. There are too many laws. That’s what Thad says.”

  “Sometimes. But one big law is that you can’t hurt anyone else. And keeping me here is against the law. But see, I understand that you didn’t know that. So I’m not mad. Just let me go. Take off this tape, and I’ll leave, and you’ll never get into trouble. I’ll even help you get back home, and Thad won’t have to know.”

  Gen lied as well as she could, hoping that Jody wouldn’t be able to tell.

  Jody seemed to consider it.

  “That bad man that was there the other night. I saved you from him,” Jody said proudly. “He was going to hurt you. But he didn’t. Because of me.”

  Gen froze. She’d forgotten. She was dazed, and dehydrated, and not thinking clearly. She’d forgotten about that man. The man she’d hired. The man who would make sure that Meg wasn’t safe.

  She screamed as loud as she could, writhing against her restraints, as Jody watched, appalled.

  40

  Gen, Then

  Gen chewed on the end of her pen.

  It’s time. I’ve got to do it. I can’t stand to see his cheating face every night. I’ve got so many photos that I can use to prove it...yet I haven’t gotten a single answer yet that will explain WHY. I guess he’s the only one who can tell me that. Well, he and Meg.

  I haven’t decided how I’ll confront her, or when. I’m not going to do it yet. I want to wait for the ideal moment.

  She drew stick figures of a man and woman holding hands, and then scribbled through them so hard her pen tip broke. She closed the journal and went to the gym. She’d been going for weeks now. Not so that she could look better for Thad—in fact, that thought made her laugh. She liked the feeling of control, of being badass. She couldn’t control what her husband had done to their marriage, but she could control herself. She got fit, was getting stronger by the day.

  Kickboxing classes were her favorite. She could use all of her pent-up rage and legally hit someone over and over. She pictured Thad or Meg as the face of her opponent and then no one stood a chance. She tapped into her inner fury, and it was a well that ran deep.

  The funny part was that Thad hadn’t even noticed. He hadn’t noticed her muscles firming up. He hadn’t noticed exercise clothing in the hamper. He hadn’t noticed her burgeoning self-confidence. Why? Because he didn’t notice her at all. More and more, as the days went by, he was buried in his phone whenever he was at home. Gen assumed he was texting Meg.

  Sometimes, to amuse herself, when he was buried in his texts, she’d blow her sister’s phone up with random texts and memes, just to slow down Meg’s response time to Thad. He hated to be kept waiting.

  Interestingly, Meg was able to act completely normal with her. Gen couldn’t fathom it. What kind of person was capable of that? They hadn’t been brought up that way.

  She called her now.

  “Hey, sis,” Meg answered. “I’ve only got a second.”

  “A second is all I need.” Gen forced a laugh. “I just wanted to see if you and the boys wanted to come over tonight for dinner.”

  There was a pause.

  “You never host dinner,” Meg said.

  “That’s because I rarely cook,” Gen answered. “But I’m cooking tonight. Be here at seven. It’s like a comet—the occasion only comes around every ten years.”

  “Fine,” Meg replied. “Because this I’ve gotta see.”

  They hung up, and Gen took a cab back home to shower off her sweat. She texted her husband.

  Be here at 7 please. Having Meg and fam over.

  Thad answered almost immediately, something he rarely did.

  Can’t. I’ve got to work late again.

  Thad, you need to be here. I don’t ask for much. Besides, I’m going to cook.

  I need a terrified-emoji, he answered, adding a crying-laughing emoji.

  Just be here.

  Okay. I’ll make it happen.

  Of course you will, Gen thought. You can’t resist seeing Meghan and flaunting it beneath our noses. Her blood boiled at the thought, and she clenched her fist. She chose a simple black wrap dress, and pulled her hair out of her face with a black and ballerina-pink ribbon. She only applied lip gloss. As she smacked her lips, she examined herself. Her skin was still good, she noted. Her hair was shiny. She looked very youthful, actually. She didn’t need makeup.

  She went down to the living room, then called in a food order from a nearby restaurant. When it was delivered, she put it into serving
dishes and set the table, making sure she hid the boxes deep in the trash. She set the food in the oven to keep it warm.

  She’d forgotten perfume, so she went back to her bedroom and dabbed some behind her ears, knees and neck. The scent of vanilla calmed her, and she breathed it in deeply now. This would be the first time she’d have both of them in the room with her at the same time since she’d found out.

  She lit a candle, and turned just in time for a knock on the door.

  Meg’s family burst in, little Joey barreling for Gen’s arms.

  “Aunt Nini!” he hollered, and her heart warmed in spite of the circumstances of the evening. He was such a sweet little thing.

  “Let go of your aunt,” Meg exhaled as she came in holding wine. “You’ll smash her. I bear gifts,” she said, thrusting it at her sister.

  “Thanks,” Gen answered. “Did you think I wouldn’t have any?”

  Meg’s head cocked toward Gen. “Of course not. I was just being nice, weirdo.”

  “I’m happy you made it,” Gen told her. “I was worried you’d get held up at the hospital.”

  Meg stared at her sister again. “It was my pleasure.” There was stiffness there—Gen could hear it.

  “Come in, Joe,” she looked past Meg, and hugged Joe. He felt the same as last time, solid, muscular and smelled like cedar. He smiled down at her.

  “I’m starving, kid,” he told her. “Whatcha gonna feed me?”

  “Italian,” she told them. “Go ahead and sit. We can start with bread while we wait for Thad. Meg, pour the wine.”

  They all sat, and Joey, of course, was next to his Nini. Meg poured them all glasses of red, and Gen passed around the garlic-bread basket. While she chewed a piece, she turned to Joe.

  “How are things going at work?” she asked. He shrugged.

  “Good enough.”

  Meg rolled her eyes. “He’s being modest. He’s doubled his construction crews this year. He’s doing amazing.”

  One thing Gen had always noticed about Meg: she always wanted to point out Joe’s accomplishments when they all got together. Was she embarrassed of his profession, so she tried to make him sound better?