Martin could honestly say he didnât know Jasper would be with another woman. His big fuck-up was making that dumb ass call to Gorton. Jesus, what was he thinking?
Lights came on. He turned and noticed Francis, in the doorway, staring at him. âWhatâs wrong?â
He realized now that he had to tell her. She was his partner in everything. He couldnât bear keeping it from her. And he needed to tell someone to get it out. As if that would somehow purge the wrong.
âI made a mistake before. A terrible mistake.â
âThat phone call?â
âI wasnât thinking. Too much wine. Later when you asked me about it, I was still shocked. But thatâs no excuse for lying to you.â
âWho called?â
âWes Jasper. Thursday he asked if he could use our house in Anguilla for the weekend. I assumed it was for a trip with Linda. With all this Supreme Court stuff and the dinner party going on, I forgot to tell you.â
âWhat happened?â
âHe didnât go with Linda. He went with another woman. Some Vanessa. I donât know who she is.â
âOur house.â Francis sounded irate. âHe used our house for screwing around.â
Then the name Vanessa clicked for Martin. He remembered at the office of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jasper introducing him to a drop-dead gorgeous woman, a Vanessa.
âShe may have worked for Jasperâs committee. Iâm not sure. Anyhow, she drowned.â
Francis seemed too stunned to speak.
âIt was an accident. Jasper said he nearly drowned trying to save her.â
âNoble of him. Idiot! Is he so out to lunch he forgot about his wife, his children?â
âThanks to me. They may not find out.â
âWhatâd you do?â
âCalled Gorton and asked him to move Vanessaâs body. Then helped Jasper leave Anguilla. He shouldnât be tied to her death.â
âYou didnât! You didnât really do that, did you?â
âHoney, itâs our house. If it came out, I was afraid it would have destroyed my chance for an appointment to chief justice.â
âOh Andrew, this is awful! Itâs so unfair to have this happen to you with all of the great things youâve accomplished. You just made an impulsive decision to help your best friend who put you in a terrible position. And the woman was already dead before you did anything.â
âI know, but â¦â
âCome to bed. Thereâs nothing we can do about it now.â
Israel
A llison and Zahava were watching three men and two women sifting through the dirt. âI found something!â Dora cried out in excitement. She clutched what looked to Allison like a pottery fragment, raising it high over her head.
âLet me have a look.â
Before Dora handed it over, the cell phone on the belt of Allisonâs khaki pants rang. She checked caller ID. It was not a number she recognized. A 264 area code. Whereâs that?
Allison walked away from the others.
âIs this Allison Boyd?â a man asked in a British accent.
âYes it is. Whoâs calling?â
âThe nameâs Har Stevens. Iâm the police commissioner on the island of Anguilla in the Caribbean. I found your name and phone number in the wallet of a woman named Vanessa Boyd. Are you related to her?â
Oh my God. What happened? Her knees felt wobbly. She took two steps to a chair and sunk into it. âSheâs my twin sister. Has something happened to her?â
âUnfortunately, Miss Boyd, I have to inform you that your sister drowned.â
âNo!â Allison shrieked. âNo! ⦠No!â
Zahava rushed to her side.
âIâm very sorry. But, I didnât have anyone else to call.â
âOh, Vanessa. Oh, Vanessa,â Allison placed the phone in her lap and cried. When she picked it up again, tears were streaming down her cheeks. âWhat happened?â
âYour