Chapter 6: Unknown Number
I picked it up before Tyler could reach it.
"Hello."
Silence.
Then: "Mrs.
Diane."
That voice.
Careful.
Practiced.
Warm in a way that had no warmth in it at all.
"Marcus," I said.
Tyler stood up so fast his chair scraped the floor.
I held up one hand to stop him and pointed at the chair.
He sat back down, barely.
"I think we got off on the wrong foot tonight," Marcus said.
"I'd really like the chance to explain."
"You're welcome to explain to Detective Rourke," I said.
"I can give you his number."
A short pause.
"I don't think that's necessary.
This is a misunderstanding, Mrs.
Diane.
I understand why you reacted the way you did.
I'm not angry."
"I'm not concerned about your feelings toward me."
"You should be thinking about Tyler's feelings," he said.
"He's going to be very confused right now.
He's going to be looking for someone to blame, and I'd hate for that to land on you."
I looked at Tyler.
He was watching my face, trying to read the conversation from one side.
"Is that a threat?" I said.
"It's a concern," Marcus said.
"I care about Tyler.
I've cared about him for seven months.
Whatever you think you saw in some photograph, that doesn't change what he and I have built."
"What you've built," I said, "is a lie.
You asked my son where I lived.
You asked if I had a security system.
You asked about his cousin Lily.
You walked into my basement and the first thing you did was find the window."
Silence.
"You're very observant," he said finally.
His voice had changed.
The warmth was gone.
What was underneath it was flat and deliberate.
"Tyler told me you were sharp.
I should have taken that more seriously."
"You should have," I said.
"This isn't over," he said.
"I want you to understand that.
Tyler is an adult.
He can make his own choices.
And when he hears my side of this — when he understands what you've done tonight — he's going to have to decide who he believes."
"Then I suppose he'll decide," I said.
"Goodbye, Marcus."
I ended the call.
Tyler was on his feet.
"What did he say?
What did he want?"
I set the phone down.
"He wants you to doubt me."
"What?"
"He's going to contact you.
He's going to tell you his version of tonight, and it will be reasonable and calm and it will make me sound like a frightened woman who saw a face in an old photograph and overreacted." I looked at my son.
"I need you to be ready for that."
Tyler stared at me.
"You think I'd believe him over you?"
"I think he's very good at what he does.
And I think you loved him."
Tyler's phone buzzed on the counter.
May you like
We both looked at it.
The screen read: Marcus.
