Behind His Eyes - Truth Read Online Free PDF Page B

she didn’t respond, he continued, “Now Claire, we’ve been through this before. It is customary for one person to respond to the greeting of another. I said, good evening .”
    “Hello.”
    He grinned at the change in her tone. Undoubtedly, his call took her by surprise. “Very good,” Tony praised. “I thought perhaps we would need to review common pleasantries.”
    Momentary silence gave way to her stronger declaration. “Good-bye, Tony.”
    His cheeks rose higher, listening to her rediscovered strength. Tony pictured his ex-wife squaring her shoulders with fire blazing in the depths of her emerald eyes. She wasn’t broken. “Claire, you should know that I learned of your release less than twenty-four hours ago. As you can hear, I already have your telephone number. How long do you think it will take for me to learn your location?”
    “It seems as though you have lost the ability to perceive meaning. Good-bye means this conversation is over. For the record, that includes future conversations. I’m sure you remember, once a discussion is closed, reopening it is not an option.”
    A hearty laugh resonated through his suite. Tony couldn’t contain his amusement. “I have always admired your strength. Such a brave speech from someone hiding across the country…” He didn’t know for sure when she disconnected her phone. All Tony knew was that the line went dead. In a previous life, at a different time, he would’ve been irate that Claire—or anyone—would have had the audacity to hang up on him . Times change; Claire’s action was a challenge, one he gleefully accepted.
    Once again, Tony dialed the number. This time it went to voice mail. No, her spirit wasn’t broken. If anything, she was stronger than before. He sent a text.
    “ONLY I CLOSE DISCUSSIONS. THIS ONE IS STILL OPEN. I LOOK FORWARD TO RESUMING IT IN PERSON … ”
    And oh, he did! Tony didn’t know when, but he knew for sure that one day soon he’d be seeing the fire in those beautiful eyes and not in a picture. He would witness it firsthand.
    Sighing, he reviewed their findings: the cancelled airline ticket to San Francisco and a California area code on the cell number. Tony scrolled through his recent calls for Phillip Roach’s number and called. The investigator answered on the first ring.
    “Mr. Rawlings?”
    “Mr. Roach, I wanted to confirm that the number you gave me is indeed Ms. Nichols’. It seems that the trail is pointing west. I’ll cover all your expenses. I want you to find Claire Nichols, and I want her found yesterday.”
    Disconnecting the line, Tony sat silently and stared at the portrait. He hadn’t expected her early release from prison, but now that she was out, he was ready to reclaim what was his. Smirking, he considered her cell number, her cell number. Could she have her own computer or car? Perhaps she’s accumulating debt? That tool had worked well before. He mused, “My, only two weeks removed from prison and so independent.”

Step One: Admitting that one cannot control one’s addiction or compulsion.
    —Twelve-Step Program, Alcoholic Anonymous

    “Mr. Rawlings, I sent you an email. I can resend,” Cameron Andrews, private investigator, said.
    “Yes, do that. Sometimes things are blocked.” Tony knew that probably wasn’t the case. He hadn’t been paying attention.
    Andrews continued to report, “Mrs. Burke closed her art studio in Provincetown and moved to Santa Clara.”
    Tony shook his head against the phone. “Closed it?!”
    “Temporarily. That’s what the sign said.”
    If Sophia were willing to follow her husband across the country, she obviously didn’t recognize the future she had in the art world. Not every artist received an invitation to exhibit her work at the Florence Academy of Art. Tony remembered Italy, watching her from afar. Her poise and confidence were evident as both art enthusiasts and patrons praised her work and her new, bolder pieces. Tony couldn’t understand