Page 31 of Drowning in Lies
My spirits plunged as I pulled into the driveway and caught sight of the lake behind the house.I looked away, determined to clear my mind of any negative thoughts, and focus on the job at hand.
I carried the packing supplies and plastic totes inside and decided to work on my bedroom first.I grabbed the luggage that was stored at the back of the closet and started emptying out my dresser drawers and my closet, packing everything neatly in the suitcases, with shoes filling two of the large totes.
I emptied my jewelry box into the smallest of the carry-on cases I had, deciding to sort through it all later and get rid of anything that David had given me.
I made another mental note to figure out what to do with his watch collection.Maybe I could donate it to be auctioned off?I knew of several local organizations which had charity auctions, so that might be a good place to start. His ill-gotten gains should be put to some kind of good use.
I used plastic totes in the bathroom to pack all of the toiletries and essentials that I hadn't taken to Sherry's and made sure to leave my robe - which Vanessa had worn in the video - hanging on the hook behind the door. I decided not to take any of the towels or bedding, since I didn't want anything that David or Vanessa had touched to follow me into my new home.
I stacked the suitcases, boxes and totes in the hallway, so the movers would have easy access, then closed the bedroom door behind me.There was nothing left there that I wanted, including the memories.
I walked through the other rooms upstairs, looking for anything else that I wanted to take.In the guest room that my mother had always used when she visited, I packed several framed photographs that I'd had sitting out on the dresser, as well as the picture of my father that was on the nightstand.There was a small writing desk in the corner that had belonged to my mother as a young girl and had been passed down to me as a teenager. I had taken it with me when I had moved out on my own, and I wanted to be sure it wasn't left behind. I pulled it out to the hallway with the boxes from my bedroom, along with the chair that went with it.Nothing else caught my eye in any of the other rooms.They were just generic guest rooms, with one turned into a work-out room for David.
The kitchen was my next stop.There were a few things that had been passed down from my paternal grandmother, so I pulled them from the cabinets and set them on the countertop.
I had just started to carefully wrap a vintage serving platter in the bubble wrap I'd purchased when my phone rang. I was surprised to see Det. Horton's name on the caller ID.
"James?" I questioned as I answered the call.
"Hi Lila, I'm sorry to bother you, but something new has come up and I need to go over it with you.Are you still staying with the Decker's?"
"Yes, but I'm actually at my house packing up at the moment.What's wrong?"
It sounded like he covered the phone, and I heard muffled voices for several moments."Lila, I'm on my way with Mike and the evidence techs.Have you had anything to eat or drink since you've been there?" His tone was filled with urgency, and I could tell he was rattled.
"Uh, just a Diet Pepsi that I bought at the drive-thru on my way here.Why?"
"I think we need to explain in person.We'll be there in twenty minutes.Just don't eat or drink anything from your house.It may be nothing, but we need to check it out."
Chapter 17: The Plan
I placed my phone down on the countertop with a shaky hand.I could feel my nervous anxiety starting to build but knew I couldn't give in to it.I needed a clear head when they arrived.I took a big gulp of my Diet Pepsi, debating what to do for the next twenty minutes.I tried my deep breathing exercises, but they didn't help much.
I needed to be talked down off the ledge, and started to reach for my phone, only to draw back when I realized what I had almost done.
Stupid mistake, Lila.You almost made a really stupid fucking mistake.
A glance at the clock on the microwave showed I had less than fifteen minutes now.I quickly grabbed the burner phone from my purse and tapped the code on the screen to unlock it.I typed in the number from memory, and muttered, "Pick up, please pick up, please pick up" as I walked outside to the deck.
"Hello?" I sighed in relief at the sound of his voice.
"Detective Horton just called.He said there was new evidence and he's back on the case. Told me not to eat or drink anything here." My voice was noticeably shaky, and I knew I sounded on the verge of panic.
"Calm down, Princess. You're at your house?"
I took a deep breath and swallowed, trying to ease the tightness in my throat."Yes, and they'll be here in ten minutes or so. I'm freaking out.What if -"
"Stop," he interrupted sternly. "Just stop and listen to me. Remember the plan.Clear your mind, and go through it with me, OK?Answer their questions but keep it brief.Don't volunteer anything additional.You know nothing, so you will be surprised at whatever they tell you.If you aren't sure what to do or how to act, just close your eyes and take a deep breath.Tell them you need a minute and take that minute to go over the plan." His barrage of reminders came to a stop, and his voice gentled."You've got this, Princess."
"Stop calling me that," I said with a roll of my eyes.
"But youarea Mob Princess, are you not?" He teased, and I could tell he was trying to get me to relax.
"Whatever," I huffed."Look, are you sure that it's all in place?"
"Yes, I'm sure.I took care of the last bits while you all were at the funeral. I couldn't get his prints on the GHB, but I wiped the bottle clean, and the cops will just assume that he did that to cover his ass. The wine came from her condo, so it most likely has her prints on it already. I put an identical bottle in its place so even if her prints aren't on the bottle for some reason, the fact that she had the exact same one in her possession is incriminating. I stuck the bottle in the back of your refrigerator for the cops to find. I had hacked into her iCloud again earlier in the week and all the deleted texts are still there. I've been checking since then and the only texts have been about David, the funeral arrangements, and the fraud scheme. Nothing about killing you. The cops would have found all of that as soon as they checked her phone records, which is most likely why they're on their way.Trust me...I'm an expert in the way cops operate, remember?"
"OK, so I just need to sit back and let them do their thing, look surprised and say, 'I don't know' a lot."
