Chapter 5

At 11:15 Sunday morning, Ethan stood beneath the flower arch at Old Oak Manor while two hundred and twelve guests waited for Claire to walk down the aisle.

The string quartet had stopped playing.

White rose petals covered the empty aisle. Light from the stained-glass windows lay across them in blue and gold pieces.

Ethan looked at his watch.

Then at the chapel doors.

Claire was never late.

Six hours earlier, he had come home after one in the morning and found their bedroom door closed.

There had been a thin line of light beneath it.

"Claire?" he had said.