Page 6 of Drowning in Lies
"Oh, I hope we didn't wake you up. Did you sleep at all? Sit down and I'll fix you a plate," she rambled on. Sherry tended to do that when she was stressed.
"Thanks, Sher, but I'm not really hungry. I do need some coffee though," I said, moving over to grab a mug from the cabinet by the sink. I knew my way around her kitchen as well as my own.
"I know you don't feel like eating, but you have to. You haven't had anything since lunch yesterday, and you need to keep your strength up. Remember what the paramedic said? Here, have some juice and I'll get you some food." She directed me to the table, and I sat down opposite Chris, who watched me closely. As I settled into the seat, I pulled my phone out of my pocket and set it on the table.
"Do you have a charger I can borrow? I forgot mine, and this thing is down to 3%."
Sherry pointed toward the docking station on the counter, and picked up my phone to slip it into place to charge it.
They sat quietly as I picked at the food on my plate. With every bite, I felt like my throat was closing up and it was hard to swallow. I managed to eat about half of the food before pushing the plate away. I inhaled the coffee though, and drank the glass of orange juice as well.
Chris cleared his throat. "The coroner's office called and I gave them the information they needed. They asked if I was aware of any underlying health issues. I told them about his sprained ankle from a few weeks back, and about the insomnia. I also let them know that he hadn't taken his sleeping pills in the last few days since he ran out. They said that the autopsy should be completed later today, but that it could take several weeks for the full toxicology results to come in. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they should be able to release his body to the funeral home tomorrow."
"Wow, I didn't realize it would be that quick. I guess I'd better start on the arrangements then," I said with a sigh.
I called the funeral home Sherry had used when her dad had died last year to make an appointment for just after lunch. Chris and Sherry said they would both go with me for support, which I appreciated. Sherry puttered around cleaning up the kitchen and waved me off when I offered to help. She poured me another cup of coffee, which I gladly sipped. Chris, who had been scrolling through the news on his phone, suddenly stiffened and let out a curse.
"Damn, the local news just updated their story to include David's name, along with your name as his widow. The police apparently released the information to them this morning." He shook his head, then glance over at me with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm sorry, Lila, but you might want to turn your phone off for a while. Once people see this, they will start calling you." At my hesitation, he added, "Or at least let Sherry or I hang on to it for you. We can screen your calls and texts if you want, and let you know if it's anything you need to take care of."
"That would be good, thanks," I nodded gratefully.
I ignored all the calls except for Scott and Randall. Scott wanted to check on me and let me know that he and his Aunt Jenny had been able to reach all of the cousins late last night. He had also contacted a few of David's highschool friends that I hadn't even thought of. He sounded exhausted but assured me he was OK. Chris had filled him in on everything with the coroner's office and the appointment with the funeral home. I asked if he would like to be involved, and he agreed to meet us there this afternoon.
After asking how I was holding up, Randall told me that he was going to send out an email to all their clients, since the news had released David's name. He said he had already spoken to most of the employees. He hadn't been able to reach Vanessa though, or their receptionist who was on vacation. I told him that I had tried to reach Vanessa last night with no luck.
"I actually went shopping and to the spa with her yesterday, but she started getting a migraine by the time we finished. She may have turned her phone off when she got home." I informed him. He said he would try to reach her again, because he hated the idea of her finding out from a newscast. Yes, that would a nasty shock.
Randall had opened his own firm about fifteen years ago, and had offered a partnership to David when he decided to expand the business three years ago. My husband was something of an architectural whiz-kid, and his designs were innovative and highly sought after. A year later, I had turned twenty-five and had gained control of the sizeable trust fund left for me from my father. David was able to use a portion of that to buy out a forty percent ownership of the firm.
Randall assured me that he would keep things running as normally as possible at the firm, and told me he was available to meet with me whenever I was ready to make decisions regarding the business.
After a light lunch - I still didn't feel like eating much - we headed out to the funeral home. With Scott's help, we selected a casket and made tentative arrangements for the service to be held in four days. Scott asked if David could be buried in the cemetery near their mother's grave, and I was fine with that. He volunteered to take on those arrangements.
I was able to quickly make decisions about the type of service I wanted since I'd just been through all of this with my mother's recent passing. I selected flowers for the casket, and a poem I wanted to have read. Scott asked if he could give the eulogy, and I agreed readily. When the funeral director asked about songs during the service, I suggested asking Vanessa to sing something.
"She has a lovely voice. We went out with several people from the office for a karaoke night a few months ago, and I remember how much David enjoyed her performance. She was in her college choir and is really talented."
Things got a little awkward when the funeral director mentioned that the insurance company probably wouldn't pay out a settlement until the full autopsy report was complete, which wouldn't be until after the toxicology results came in. With a quick glance at me, Scott assured him that he didn't need to worry about payment from the insurance company.
"I'll be paying directly, and will deal with insurance later," I agreed quietly.
I was relieved when it was over, anxious to get away from the oppressive atmosphere of the funeral home. The entire experience was surreal, and I needed a break from it all.
Chapter 4: The Bombshell
Once we got back to their house, I told them I was going to go lie down for a bit. Sherry gave me a quick hug, as Chris's phone rang. I walked up the stairs as he answered and paused when I heard him say Det. Horton's name. I hesitated in the doorway of the guest bedroom, then walked back toward the stair landing as I heard Chris raise his voice.
"What exactly are you asking, detective?" He said in an icy tone. There was a long pause, and then "I see, and how did you gather that information?"
I made my way back downstairs, trembling suddenly.
Chris was standing with his back to me, Sherry at his side looking up at him in alarm. He dropped his head to his chest and sighed before saying, "Fine, I'll see if she's up to speaking with you tomorrow. We've just come back from making the funeral arrangements and she is exhausted, as you can imagine. I'll call you to set up a convenient time." He tapped the screen on his phone and tossed it onto the couch, before turning toward Sherry.
"You aren't going to believe what that -" he stopped short, catching sight of me at the bottom of the stairs.
"Lila!" he said, shooting a quick look at his wife. "That was Detective Horton. He has a few questions he needs to go over and wants to come by if you're up to it tomorrow."
"Did he say what he needs?"
