Josh
Six Years Ago
Josh woke to the worst hangover he’d had in years. He rolled over, groaning. The light pierced his eyes and he flung a pillow over his face.
He didn’t remember coming home, getting undressed. Clearly he’d been sick—there was a trash can by the bed.
It took a moment for the horror of the previous evening to catch up with him.
Derek fucking Allen.
He managed a shower, pulled on his jeans and a T-shirt, and went downstairs to find Aubrey sitting on the couch in the living room, drinking a cup of tea and looking extremely pissed off. Even Winston looked mad at him.
“Hi,” he said.
Her head didn’t move. “You’re alive then?”
“Apparently. I’m a little hazy on what happened.”
“Cab dropped you off at three. Poured you onto the doorstep. You could have called.”
“I would have. Honey, I’m so sorry. I . . . lost myself last night. The pressure, school, everything, I just—”
Aubrey stood up. “Stow it, Josh. Don’t dig the hole any deeper.”
He couldn’t help the tone in his voice. “What do you want me to do? What do you want me to say? I’m sorry, okay? I had a bad day and I tied one on.”
Her eyes were sad, so sad. “You seem to be having more and more bad days lately, Josh. I have to go to work now. I already called you in sick. Try to get some sleep.”
She left, and the dog skulked out of the living room behind her, through his doggie door into the spacious backyard.
He rubbed his forehead. Advil, water. Stat. Then he could go on feeling shitty about things.
His cell phone started to trill. He put his hand in his pocket. The number was unknown.
He ignored it. The phone rang again. Same unknown number.
Then a text came in.
Did you have fun last night, lover boy?
There was a photo attached to the text. He opened it, saw the picture, and his heart stopped. He didn’t remember. He didn’t remember at all. But there he was, clear as day, getting a blow job from a strange woman, in the same clothes he’d worn last night.
“Fuck!”
A second text came in.
Meet me at Dragon Park - Blakemore entrance - 20 minutes, or the photo goes to your wife’s phone.
It felt profane to meet Derek Allen at Dragon Park. The park was theirs, his and Aubrey’s. He’d courted her there, made love to her in the soft grass, carved their initials into the lovers’ tree. They’d played there as children, and as adults. How dare Derek Allen ruin it for him?
He jogged down the street to the park, repeating the same words over and over in time with his feet. What have you done? What have you done? What have you done?
Allen was sitting on the stone wall facing the dragon. Josh walked the last few steps, fists clenched. He wanted to kill this man, wanted to bash his head against the rocks. He had to keep his temper in check.
The park was quiet this morning, deserted. The skies were cloudy and dark. Rain was coming, forcing its way into town, keeping people inside. He stepped over a small pair of yellow rubber boots that had been left behind, wondering if the child who’d left them was barefoot now.
Allen didn’t smile. “Have I made my point yet?”
“You have. What the fuck is this? You followed me?”
“Oh, not me. A private investigator. You’ve been under scrutiny for a while now.”
Josh collapsed against the stone wall. “Why? Why me?”
Allen shrugged. “Because no one will ever believe you could do something illegal. You have the face of an angel. You’re connected, and you already have a path in. You shouldn’t break the law, Josh. Bad things happen.”
“And if I don’t agree?”
Allen did smile now, wide and amused. “What would Aubrey think if she knew you’d been with another woman?”
“I don’t remember anything about last night.”
“And you think that will make it okay for her? You’ll lose her, and I don’t think you want that to happen. I’m not asking for much. A few pills. And you get the money to move into a surgical residency and live the life you want. Simple. Easy.” He snapped his fingers, then stood up.
“You’ll show up here on Wednesday nights with the product. Eight p.m. You might want to up your jogging program so it will be a regular thing. Drop them in the old oak tree over there, it has a nice hole for them. And don’t get caught.”
“What about the money?”
“I’ve opened a bank account for you.” He handed Josh a checkbook. “Don’t spend it all in one place.”
“How am I supposed to explain this money to Aubrey?”
“You’ll figure it out. You’ve been lying to her for years. What’s one more?”
“You’re a son of a bitch.”
Allen smiled cheerily. “I am at that. But one who’s going to make you rich. So play nice, there’s a good boy.”
Josh bit back a retort. “And the picture? Is that the only one?”