As for me, it was difficult to admit, but I felt a sense of calm settle over me as all this gossip filtered into my brain.
While my husband was serving a sentence for a crime he didn’t commit and, to that day, after I went to sleep, he got up and jacked up the AC so high I woke up with a frozen nose every morning and he did this because the heat, stench and feel of that place had beat into his bones and he needed that cool, clean air to beat it back, I liked knowing that Misty wasn’t living the dream she’d lied her way into.
Sure, I couldn’t say I wanted her dead. But I could say I felt that maybe there was justice at work out there in the universe knowing she’d lived her own version of five years of hell.
And it made me feel better that, if she’d lived, she wouldn’t have what Ty and I had.
So she’d betrayed him and used him and when he was down, she stepped right on him to haul herself up to what she thought was the next level of life and bought herself misery, heartbreak and, eventually, being dragged to a wood in the middle of the night and shot to death.
She definitely deserved misery and heartbreak, if not being murdered, so I felt that yes, maybe there was justice at work out there.
And I just hoped it kept working so my man could eventually really breathe free and live with a clear name.
I left the tees where they lay and headed out to the mailbox thinking about what I was going to do the rest of my day. It was late morning and considering I got up at an ungodly hour to shower with Ty, after he left, I’d cleaned the house and done the laundry. Then I’d gussied up to go into town. We needed some groceries. I wanted to stop by La-La Land to get a latte and maybe something for dessert because Shambles made the best of everything sweet, Ty had a sweet tooth and he’d told me the day before that he’d been home now for months but had yet to wander into La-La Land and I felt it a moral imperative to introduce him to their goods which were good. I was also thinking of going to the mall and getting some fabric to make curtains for the guest bedroom. There were horizontal blinds in there but the room needed color, the walls were an eggshell white but it was utilitarian. Maybe I’d head to the hardware store and get some paint chips. In fact, Ty and my room could use some work. I’d get some paint chips for that room too.
I was thinking all this as I got the mail and brought it back. When I started sifting through and opening mail, my head was filled with possible colors, color combos, maybe a new comforter cover and sheets for Ty and my bed, not to mention, looking into filling our room a bit by setting up a reading area because winter would be on the mountains soon and I’d need it when I lost my deck.
So I wasn’t paying attention to what I was doing until I slid my finger into the side of an envelope, tore it open, pulled out and unfolded a tri-folded sheet of paper, turned it over, saw it was handwritten, looked at the salutation then the closing signature and went still.
I realized my error right away. I’d opened Ty’s mail accidentally.
But I couldn’t stop myself from reading it.
Ty,
I did wrong, I did bad and I know I’m going to pay.
But before I do, I have to do right.
I sent this to a girlfriend of mine in Maryland. I told her, if anything happens to me, to put it in the mail to you. I also sent her some other things. They’ll go to other people.
And they say that I lied about not being with you that weekend. They explain that Arnie came to me asking me for a favor and that I’d be compensated. I won’t say how and the other stuff won’t say how either. That doesn’t matter and it would hurt another good man who got caught in the net.
I’ve done enough of that.
But in that stuff I said straight out that I lied and Arnie Fuller asked me to do it and compensated me for doing it. I was with you that weekend, all weekend. You didn’t attend a poker game and you didn’t kill a man because that whole time you were with me.
I would say I’m sorry but I expect you don’t care if I am. I would explain why I did what I did but I expect you don’t care why either.
But I will say that I’m glad you’re happy. I met your wife and saw her with you at the garage so I know that to be true. I talked to Stella and she said you’re doing great and moving on. You were always a strong guy and I guess I figured you’d make it and I wasn’t wrong.
I still wish I didn’t do what I did to you and not just because I have to write this letter and what it means that you’re reading it. I’ve been thinking about it for years, five years, and I thought it would be worth it but it wasn’t.
I hope what I’ve done will be enough to clear your name and right the wrongs done to you.
And that’s it, I guess. There isn’t much more to say.
I made a lot of mistakes in my life, you were always a good guy and the biggest mistake I ever made was doing what I did to you.
I hope you live free and happy.
Misty
By the time I was done reading it, I didn’t know how I managed it because my hand was shaking so hard.
But I managed it and when I was done I managed to move across the kitchen to the side counter by the stairs to get to my purse and grab my phone. Then I managed to find Ty’s number, hit go and put it to my ear.
Three rings then, “Mama.”