Heartless Hunk - Ann Omasta Page 0,62
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Shattered Diamonds Sneak Peek
Everyone in my beloved hometown thinks I killed my wife. I never imagined what a lonely place picturesque Brunswick Bay Harbor could be, until I became a social outcast.
I grew up in this quaint seaside town in Maine and never once felt the desire to move away. I have always known how lucky we were to live in such a naturally beautiful location. Even the extra-long winters have never bothered me because they toughened us and made us fully appreciate the rare warm, sunny days.
This lovely town is the perfect place to raise our sweet and sensitive daughter, Hannah. Well, it was, until Claire went missing. Now, the locale is tarnished beyond repair––just like my reputation.
The town’s people have known me my entire life. They watched me grow up. They cheered me on at wrestling matches when I went all the way to the semi-state finals. They watched while I fell madly in love with, and married, my high school sweetheart, Claire. And now they think it’s my fault she’s gone.
Clanging bells from the weather-beaten wooden boats rocking at their docks, along with the high-pitched shrieks of seagulls circling the morning’s lobster catch hoping for a handout, made the perfect background noise as I walked towards Mimi’s Diner––the only place left in town where I felt remotely welcome.
The plump, grandmotherly woman who ran the restaurant that boasted her name was a no-nonsense Down Easter. Mimi wasn’t afraid to shake her finger in your face, if she felt the need to teach you a lesson. She was also one of the only people in town, outside of my immediate family, who didn’t automatically assume that I killed Claire. Mimi gave me the benefit of the doubt, which was a lot more than I could say for most of the people I thought I knew.
The briny air assaulted my nostrils as I walked around the corner onto Blueberry Cove Street. The fresh scent of the sea breeze, mixed with decaying fish and pine trees created a unique odor that was distinct to Brunswick Bay Harbor. Some might turn up their noses at the seafood stench, but to me, it simply smelled like home.
The young couple that passed by on the sidewalk refused to make eye contact with me, but I noticed that the young man tightened his grasp on the young lady’s arm as they moved to the right and as far from me as possible, without actually stepping off the curb and walking in the street.
Their reaction was nothing unusual, but that didn’t keep it from hurting. It was almost as if they thought I was going to jump out at them with a weapon in the middle of town.
I wondered if local parents told their frightened children scary bedtime stories about the lonely author, who murdered his wife and hid her body. As cautious as everyone was around me, I feared it might not be too far-fetched to believe they warned their kids to stay far away from me.
The strange part is that I can’t bring myself to blame them. The spouse is always a prime suspect––sadly. Since Claire’s disappearance remains unsolved, I shouldn’t be surprised that everyone thinks I did it, or at least was involved. If it were someone else, I would probably wonder the same thing.
Understanding it doesn’t make it hurt any less, though. At a time when I’m grieving the disappearance of the one person who meant more than anything to me, hoping beyond hope that she’s somehow okay, and when I most need someone to lean on, the people of my town have turned their backs on me.
People who praised me and gave me high-fives as I strutted through town when I was a high school wrestling star now actively avoided me by dodging into shops or across the street when they saw me coming.
Just ahead of me on the sidewalk, I noticed a tiny leather shoe. A baby had obviously kicked it off. Smiling as I remembered those days with Hannah, I stooped to pick it up, so I could return it to the likely harried