Crazy In Love (Secrets of Suburbia #3) - Ivy Smoak Page 0,15
said.
I could have imagined it, but I'm pretty sure he stared down at my hand that had lifted the bucket. My left hand where I'd forgotten again to put my rings on. Did he see the tan lines? Was he just trying to see if I was single? Was he a spy that Detective Torres planted to see if I seemed like a devastated housewife with a missing husband?
I grabbed the bucket with my right hand and shoved my left hand into my jacket pocket. It was tempting to try to explain my lack of rings away. To talk about my husband who was missing. To say I was so spaced out I didn't remember to put them on. That I thought cleaning would keep me distracted while the police tried their hardest to find him. But it all felt forced.
Besides, what were the odds that he was actually working for Detective Torres? There was no reason for anyone to be suspicious of me last week. Unless someone had been monitoring all my recent Google searches about how to tie someone up and gag them. Or all that information I read about date rape drugs. Or the fact that for the first time since I moved into my home, my house wasn't decorated for Christmas at all. My house was pretty much the only one on our street that wasn't lit up at night. I needed to make some changes before I got caught.
"Anything else I can help you with?" he asked with a smile that made it seem like he was on to me.
"I would like to buy one of those light-up reindeer in the display up front. The Rudolph one."
"The one with the red nose?"
What other reindeer has a red nose? "Yup. My husband will love it."
He didn't seem to react at all to the mention of my husband. Which was good. He wasn't interested in me or the case I was accidentally creating against myself.
"Great, I'll go grab you one and I'll meet you at the register."
I breathed a sigh of relief when he disappeared down the aisle. I'd never told him my name. I wasn't completely incompetent. But I had used my credit card when I'd checked out last time. He must have seen my name on my card. So maybe I was a little incompetent as a criminal. But it was my first time. And everyone made mistakes.
Detective Torres would never come here and question the staff. There was no reason for him to. And even if he did? The guy helping me probably wouldn't even be working. I winced when he met me at the register. He was wearing a manager badge. Crap. I memorized his name like he'd memorized mine. Don't mess with me, Jerry.
Jerry was a situation I might have to rectify at some point. But for now I was in the clear. After all, this guy didn't even seem positive that Rudolph had a red nose. Surely he'd forget about me by next week. I paid in cash this time so I would stop leaving a paper trail. I was getting better at this. Even the best criminals had a learning curve. Take Adeline Bell and Violet Clark. I watched my neighbors’ cases like a hawk, but they weren't necessarily role models. They both almost got caught. I wasn't planning on an almost.
I carried my bucket outside, humming Baby It's Cold Outside to myself. And I sang along to Christmas music the whole way home. I even hummed as I put on my wig and mask and walked into the basement with my new supplies.
I'd righted him before I left and made sure both his wrists were bound again. He was turned away from the pee on the floor like he was embarrassed, but he looked up at me as I walked toward him.
For a moment I expected a “welcome home.” But he was gagged.
"I’m in a Christmassy mood today," I said. "And I got a surprise for you at the store." I put my new purchases, minus the reindeer, in the corner and then placed the soapy bucket down and began sopping up the mess. His urine wasn't very pungent, fortunately for all of us. And he luckily hadn't rolled around in it when I tased him. It was a Christmas miracle.
I looked up at him after a few minutes of silent scrubbing. He was staring at the bleach I'd just placed in the corner.