‘Certainly, to begin . . .’ Evans launched into her testimony, but Noah already knew the fiber evidence. They had found two white threads from his oxford shirt on Anna’s dress, and they had found a blue thread from her checked dress on his khaki pants. Noah remembered that sundress, which she’d worn to the barbecue that had turned into a nightmare. It had only gotten worse after Maggie had come down, after having listened to Anna.
Noah! Maggie had charged downstairs into the basement. Her face had been red, her eyes had glistened with angry tears. She held her phone in the air like a flaming torch. What the hell is this?
I don’t know what you mean. Noah hadn’t been able to see what was on the phone.
This is a text I just got. It looks like a picture of you in a hotel room. This is you, isn’t it? Maggie had thrust the phone at his face.
Maggie, hold on. Noah had put up his hands, reflexively. It had looked like him in the photo, going out a door. But he hadn’t known who had taken it or when.
Who took this photo?
I don’t know.
Oh, come on! This is a hotel room. I enlarged the photo. You can see the notice on the back of the door. It says checkout time is noon. What time did you check out, Noah?
I don’t know, Noah had started to say, then he’d seen the phone number that had sent the text, a number he recognized. Jordan’s. She must’ve taken the photo as he was leaving her hotel room in Miami. He remembered she’d had a phone in her hand, but he hadn’t realized she’d taken a picture of him.
Noah, is this recent? When was this taken? Who took it?
Babe, I can explain –
So start explaining. Because I’m getting a suspicion that this is from Miami and it was taken by you-know-who. Maggie’s eyes had flashed with fury. How does she know about our party tonight? How could she know that unless you told her? What the hell were you doing in her hotel room? You just told me that you didn’t see her down there!
Maggie, listen, I’m sorry, but nothing happened. Noah had tried to take her arm, but she’d smacked it away.
You just told me you didn’t see her.
I’m sorry –
So you saw her? So you lied before? You really did? Maggie’s eyes had widened, her worst fears confirmed. I believed you, Noah! I believed you and I thought you were faithful to me! You told me you didn’t see her down there, but you did, didn’t you?
Yes but –
What am I supposed to think about this? What did you do?
I didn’t sleep with her, I didn’t even kiss her.
Bullshit! You were in a hotel room! She got a picture of you leaving!
Because I didn’t stay. I wouldn’t stay and she was mad –
Noah, what were you doing in her hotel room in the first place? And why did you lie to me about it? How am I supposed to believe you? And what is going on with you?
Maggie, wait – Noah had put his hands up again, seeing that she had been losing control. Tears had spilled from her eyes. Mucus had bubbled in her nose.
Noah, my daughter cried herself to sleep! She told me that you’ve been trying to molest her! You’re telling me you didn’t! How am I supposed to believe you now?
Maggie, what does Anna have to do with it? These things aren’t related –
Yes they are! How stupid do you think I am? You have no credibility with me! You’re, like, a predator!
No, I’m not!
You’ve got a thing for young girls. Jordan was always too young for you! It’s disgusting!
I know that, she was a mistake, it was after Karen –
Stop using Karen for an excuse! I’m so sick of hearing about your grief! How inconsolable you were! I’m the one who picked up the pieces! And now, when I finally get what I want, my own daughter coming home, this is how you repay me? This is what you do? Attack her in a bathroom?
No, I’m telling you, don’t connect these things –
How can I not, Noah? I thought you never lied to me, but you lied to me tonight. That text is proof!
I did lie to you about that, but I’m not lying about Anna –
Liars lie, Noah, that’s what they do! I don’t know what happened to you. I don’t know if you’re going through a midlife crisis. I don’t know if the fact that I brought Anna home made you crazy, maybe got you thinking about young women again. Maggie’s lips had curled into a sneer of revulsion. Noah, you’re forty-three! A father. A stepfather. It’s disgusting! She’s underage! I should turn you in to the police, do you know that?
Maggie, wait! Noah had said, panicky. He’d taken a step toward her but she’d moved back into the hallway. Maggie, listen, you’re getting this wrong. I’ve never lied to you before –
Before when? Before tonight? Before Jordan? Before Anna?
Honey, you can’t, you have to believe me –
The hell I do! Maggie had pointed a shaking finger at him, crying harder. Get out of this house tonight, Noah! I don’t care where you go! Go see Jordan! Bring her some effing carbohydrates!
Maggie, no, please –
I don’t want you in this house! I need to think and I need to talk to my daughter!
Maggie, please, just let me explain –
There’s nothing more to explain. You don’t have anything more to say, do you? Maggie had put her hands on her hips, her eyes boring into him. She’d been looking at him as if she’d never seen him before.
Maggie, stop, slow down, I’m not what you think –
That’s what I’m worried about. Now get out!
‘I have no further questions, thank you, Ms Evans.’ Linda turned to Judge Gardner, and Thomas rose.
‘Your Honor, I have cross-examination.’
‘Proceed.’ Judge Gardner gestured, and Linda returned to her seat as Thomas came forward.
‘Ms Evans, you testified that you found certain threads of the victim’s on Dr Alderman, and conversely, you found certain threads of Dr Alderman’s on the victim, isn’t that correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘It’s true, isn’t it, that your experience and expertise do not reveal to you how those fibers were exchanged, now do they?’
‘That’s true,’ Evans answered, after a moment.
‘And in your expert opinion, isn’t it possible that those fibers could have been exchanged while Dr Alderman was engaged in efforts to resuscitate Anna?’
‘Yes.’
‘You also testified that you found certain hairs of Anna’s on Dr Alderman, and conversely, Dr Alderman’s hairs were also found on Anna, isn’t that correct?’
‘Yes.’
‘And again, in your expert opinion, isn’t it possible that those hairs could have been exchanged while Dr Alderman was engaged in attempts to resuscitate Anna?’
‘Yes,’ Evans answered after a moment.
‘Your Honor, I have no further questions,’ Thomas said, turning away.
Noah felt like cheering, but he kept it inside. Thomas had scored off an important witness.
But Noah didn’t know if it was enough to save him.
Chapter Fifty-six
Maggie, Before
Maggie sat in the backyard in the dark, having texted Kathy and asked her to call ASAP. She could imagine what Kathy would be doing right now, hurrying the boys to bed, letting the dog out one last time, and twisting the deadbolt on her front door, believing she had locked the danger outside, keeping her family safe. Maggie would’ve been doing the same things, assuming that the bad guys were outside, somewhere else, not under her roof. But she would never think that again.
Maggie eased back on the chaise lounge, clutching her phone. The barbecue smells hung in the air, and the lanterns were still lit, strung from tree to tree along the back fence. The folding chairs and card tables had been put away in the garage, and the cast-iron racks rested atop the grill, since Noah always insisted on cleaning them. It was almost impossible to believe that a man so picky about a barbecue grill could be the same man who would molest his stepdaughter.
Maggie couldn’t believe she was thinking about a divorce, but she was. She loved Noah, or who she thought Noah was, but the foundation of their marriage was shifting beneath her very feet, like a domestic earthquake, the tectonic plates of their very lives, disjointed and broken.
Suddenly her phone rang, and the screen lit up with a picture of Kathy in a tiara, from her last birthday. Maggie picked up. ‘Kath –’
‘OMG, that party was so great! I’m so happy for you!’ Kathy sounded like she expected a gossipy rehash, juicy fun for them both.
‘Thanks, but something’s the matter.’
‘What’s up?’
‘It’s bad. Very bad. Are you somewhere you can talk?’