Steal My Breath (Elixir 1)

of my life. I don’t know what to say. I came here to discuss her case, but she seems to have a different need. I decide to give her the space to express herself because I sense what this woman needs more than anything right now is someone to talk to about her loss. “How did you two meet?” I already know this, but it’s a way to open up a dialogue.

“He was a client where I worked. He came in for months buying clothes and I tried to work up the courage to talk to him more than a few words here and there. He came in one day just after my mother told me I’d never succeed in life—after I told her I had no money to give her to pay her rent. I was crying and he asked me out on a date. I think he felt sorry for me, but the date went really well and we started seeing each other. For the first time in my life, I had someone who looked at me and saw something more than a woman with nothing to offer the world. He put me on a pedestal and smothered me with love. And I loved him back harder than I had ever loved anyone. Until my mother got involved…” Her voice drifts off, as does her gaze.

I give her a minute with her memories before pushing for more. “What did your mother do?”

“After Luke proposed to me, she told me I needed to get pregnant as fast as possible. Said it was the best way to keep a man. I ignored her as best I could, but the thing about my mother was that she had this way of planting doubt everywhere. She didn’t let up until I was finally pregnant, and in that time, she made me question Luke’s fidelity and his love.” She pauses, never letting my gaze go. “I’ve never been a strong person, Callie. I admit that, but my mother made me feel worse about myself. And then Luke’s mother got involved, and that was the final nail in our coffin.”

I frown. “I’ve met Estelle. She seemed okay.”

“She never much liked me. I think I was too white-trash for her. But Luke always stuck up for me in the beginning and she backed off. After Sean came along, though, she butted in at every opportunity she could. She insisted on buying us a house. When Luke argued with her, she told him it would come from his inheritance, but he dug his heels in and said no. Then one day she just turned up with house keys. Luke fell in love with the house because of the amazing architectural design and that was that—he gave in. Then Estelle bought us a car after she declared Sean needed a safe car to be driven around in. Luke always refused money off her, but she was always bringing clothes and gifts over for Sean. And by doing that she always reminded me that she was better than me because I couldn’t give my son those things. It made me feel like shit and it caused a lot of fights between me and Luke.”

I can imagine Estelle doing everything Jolene has just described. It’s funny, though, how we interpret people’s actions. If it were my child she was gifting items to, I’d happily accept them. They say actions speak louder than words, but sometimes we hear the wrong things.

I don’t say anything. Rather, I just wait for her to continue.

“Eventually, Luke stopped caring and stopped standing up for me to his mother. I fought back—I tried everything to get his attention from arguing with him to ignoring him. When I stopped having sex with him, he didn’t even care. He simply came to bed, kissed me goodnight and rolled away from me.” She blinks and a tear rolls down her cheek. “Do you know how that feels, Callie? To have the man you love so much you think you’ll die if he leaves you, roll to the other side of the bed night after night? To not have his support where his mother is concerned? To know he’d rather go to work than try and fix the problems between you?”

Oh, God.

My heart is completely breaking for the wife of the man I love. For Luke, too. So many misunderstandings and so many lost opportunities to make it right. And look where they are now. He’s in a world of hurt, fighting desperately to figure out how to heal his wounds. And she’s so completely destroyed that I don’t know how she’ll even begin to find herself again.

“I’m so sorry, Jolene. I know that means very little, but I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through.”

She continues to hug herself and stare at me. “When I came here, he was amazing. He did everything to help me and I thought we had another chance if I ever got out. I filled the hours imagining the fresh start we would have and the family we could build. I promised myself I’d do better. And I believed Luke was committed to our marriage because the one thing I knew for sure was that he truly wanted a family that stayed together. He wanted Sean to have both of us together so he felt the security Luke and I never did growing up. But whoever set me up has ruined all that now.”

I shift in my seat, desperate to talk about the murder because we’re running out of time. That and I’m not sure I can sit through much more of Luke’s marriage today. “Who do you think set you up?”

“Glenda is the only person I think would do it. She hated Mum more than I did and she never loved me. She killed two birds with one stone.”

“Yeah, I’ve got her on my list.”

“Have you met her?”

I nod. “She doesn’t like me.”

Jolene relaxes her arms by her side and I sense we’ve taken a tentative step back towards some semblance of trust. I’m not fooling myself, though. I don’t think Jolene will ever trust someone easily again. “Glenda doesn’t like anyone.”

I raise a brow. “She seems to really like Luke. Anything there?”

“Well, except for Luke and Sean. She loves them, but I don’t think she likes Luke in that way. Glenda usually goes for weak men she can control and Luke definitely does not fit that bill.”

She’s right there.

“Okay, so I’ll direct my efforts into looking into Glenda then.” I’ve already started this but I’ll step it up now.

Time’s up and Jolene stands. “I’ve spent the last few days hating you, but as much as I want to keep doing that, I’m finding it hard.” She doesn’t give me time to respond before turning and walking away.

I know how she feels because I feel the same way. Not that I hated her; I simply never imagined understanding how she got to this point in her life.

35

Callie

“I feel like James Bond or something.”

I eye Avery and shake my head at her before diverting my attention back to the road. We’re on our way to the motel to try to talk with Louise again.

“What? You don’t feel a little detective-y or like a spy?”