To Love and to Perish - By Lisa Bork Page 0,14
the phone from my ear and checked the screen to make sure we were still connected.
“Isabelle? Is everything all right? How are Jack and Cassidy?”
At the other end of the line, I heard Isabelle burst into tears.
FIVE
I HAD TO ASK Isabelle to repeat herself three times before I clearly heard the words in between her sobs, “Jack is … having … an affair.”
Was it something in the water? An epidemic?
My response was automatic and emphatic. “He is not.”
Jack worshiped Isabelle. He bought her the finest jewels and the fanciest trips … and oh my god, had he just been making amends with gifts all these years? I reassured myself and her. “He loves you.”
“Ray loves you, too, but he spent a whole year with Catherine.”
Ouch. “We were separated for two years before he met her. The divorce papers were signed.” Signed but never filed. Still, technically Ray was not a cheater. “Have you and Jack separated?”
“Not yet, but I’m thinking about it.”
I moved farther away from the auctioneer as he geared up to sell the next car, not wanting to miss a word of what Isabelle had to say. “Why? What happened?”
“You remember my cousin, the one who thought her husband was having an affair. Remember, she figured out the password to his business AOL account and found out his only business was monkey business?”
“Yes.”
“Well, Jack has a new AOL business account, and he didn’t share the password with me. And he’s acting all secretive, hanging the phone up when I come in the room. Plus we haven’t had sex in two months.”
“Is that all?”
“Isn’t that enough?” She sounded outraged.
Not really. The whole world had gone nuts. At least, all the people significant to my universe were losing it. Me, well, I’d never been sure I had it in the first place.
“Two months is not that long, Isabelle. It’s not unheard of, you know.” I didn’t care to elaborate, but I knew this for a fact.
“We used to do it every night.”
“EVERY night?” I tried to imagine that level of … well … enthusiasm. Jack and Isabelle had been married almost ten years. They each owned a thriving business. They had an active five-year-old. Good grief, they had that kind of energy? I felt like a slacker.
“Yes.”
“Well, even an Energizer battery needs recharging eventually.”
Silence.
“I’m sorry, Isabelle. I simply can’t picture Jack with anyone but you. Have you asked him about all this?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“He said he wasn’t having an affair. That he would never love anyone but me. That he was too tired, too busy at work. That things will get back to normal soon. You know, all the lies a cheater would say.”
I rolled my eyes, thankful she couldn’t see me. “Isabelle, I know your cousin believed her husband’s lies for a long time and felt like a fool afterwards, but I think Jack’s telling the truth. I don’t know anyone more in love with his wife than him.”
“Then you ask him.”
“What?”
“You ask him why he’s hiding things from me. You ask him why he doesn’t want me anymore.”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why not? You’re my best friend. You’re his friend, too. You could ask him.”
“I don’t think so.” I could, but I really didn’t want to get involved. It was between the two of them. Isabelle and Jack were reasonable adults. They would sort it out on their own in no time, without any interference from anyone else.
“Then I guess I’ll hire a private investigator.”
Or not.
_____
Cory and Danny reappeared outside the auction tent seconds after I hung up with Isabelle. Cory’s fists were clenched, his lips flat lined. “Why didn’t you tell me, Jo?”
“About what?” Danny averted his eyes as I spoke.
“About the news report. About the woman Brennan killed.”
I caught Danny peeking at me out of the corner of his eye. Apparently, he’d been paying attention to the news report on television last night in the restaurant, too. Why he’d chosen to repeat the story now at the track, I’d never know.
“Cory, I was waiting until we were alone to discuss the whole situation.” I raised my eyebrows and tipped my head toward Danny, who had turned away.
“Danny knows everything. He saw everything.”
“What do you mean, everything?”
Danny glanced at me over his shoulder. “I saw the guy lying in the street.”
“You were supposed to stay put.”
“I did. He was right in front of me.”
So much for protecting our boy from ugliness and evil. I wondered what else Danny had seen but didn’t think now was the time