The Silent Widow

‘It’s about my husband. My ex-husband,’ she blurted. ‘But I need you to hear me out. Don’t jump to conclusions.’

‘OK,’ Nikki said soothingly, as much to calm her own fears as to combat Anne’s. She was encouraged by Anne’s use of the term ‘ex-husband.’ That was new, and Nikki hoped it might mean that divorce proceedings were actually underway. But after everything Derek Williams had told her about Anne’s ex, she still wasn’t sure how best to handle things with Anne. Should she tell Anne what she knew? Warn her that her ex might not be who she thought he was at all? It would risk whatever shreds were left of their friendship, the intimacy between them that had come to mean so much to Nikki. On the other hand, if she didn’t say anything, and Williams was right about Luis Rodriguez’s secret life as a drug lord, and – God forbid – something were to happen to Anne … The whole thing was a mess.

‘What about your ex?’

Anne took a deep breath. ‘He’s here,’ she told Nikki. ‘In Los Angeles. I’ve seen him.’

‘I see,’ said Nikki, with a calmness she was far from feeling. Luis Rodriguez was here? What did that mean for the case, and for her own safety? Did Williams know? Did the police?

Don’t say anything, she told herself. Let Anne talk. Let her come to you.

‘He told me he’s here on business, but I don’t know if I believe him,’ said Anne. ‘I think he came for me. To convince me to go back to him.’

‘I see.’ Nikki struggled to hide her shock. ‘So how did you end up meeting with him?’

‘It wasn’t by choice!’ Anne gabbled defensively. ‘He ambushed me on the street. Right here actually, outside your office. The other day when I came for therapy.’

Nikki felt the hairs on her forearms stand on end. Rodriguez had been here? At her office? That was too close for comfort.

‘I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want …’ Anne wrung her fingers together miserably. ‘I knew how you felt about him already. And I didn’t want to make it worse. With us.’

Nikki reached across to the couch and took her hand. ‘I’m so sorry I made you feel that way. I’ll always be here for you, Anne. I hope you know that.’

‘I do, now.’ Anne sniffed.

‘I’d like to know more about him,’ said Nikki, seeing her chance to get Anne to open up.

Anne looked surprised. ‘Really? Like what?’

‘Anything, really,’ Nikki smiled. ‘I don’t know if you realize but you’ve never even told me his name.’

‘His name is Luis,’ said Anne. ‘Luis Rodriguez.’

‘You never took his surname?’ Nikki asked.

‘I wouldn’t go psychoanalyzing that,’ Anne laughed, delighted that the conversation seemed to be going smoothly for once. ‘I’ve always performed as Bateman so it made no sense to change.’

‘Fair enough,’ said Nikki. ‘And you mentioned his business is in real estate?’

Anne nodded. ‘That’s right.’

‘Is that his only business?’

The question was thrown out so casually, Anne barely seemed to notice it.

‘As far as I know,’ she replied. ‘That’s partly why I don’t believe he’s here on business. All his real estate deals are in Mexico City, so why would he come here, if not to see me?’

Her bafflement seemed genuine to Nikki. If Williams was right about Rodriguez’s criminal empire, then his wife knew nothing about it. She’d stake her professional reputation on that. What was left of it.

‘The truth is, he scared me that day outside your office. He was so forceful, so insistent that I agree to see him again. Not violent,’ she added hastily. ‘It’s more that he, sort of, overwhelms me. Luis is a very strong-willed man, very determined. When he wants something, he simply doesn’t stop until he gets it.’

‘And he wants you,’ Nikki said quietly.

Anne’s voice was almost a whisper

. ‘Yes. He does. He wants me.’

Nikki allowed the silence to hold for a good twenty seconds before she spoke again.