Chapter 2

The next day, I said to David, "This house isn't safe anymore. I want to install a new security system."

He was putting on his shoes to leave. He didn't look up. "Do whatever you want."

"I don't have the money," I said.

He frowned impatiently, pulled a card from his wallet, and tossed it to me. "PIN is your birthday."

I took the card. I didn't buy a security system.

I used the money to hire a private investigator.

I wanted him to find all the files on John's case from five years ago, especially regarding that "key witness."

Three days later, the doorbell rang.

I opened it to find April.

She held a fruit basket, an innocent smile on her face. "Emily, I heard about the scare the other day. I came to check on you."

She walked in, her eyes scanning the messy living room. "Oh my, the place is still a mess? David really shouldn't leave you to clean this up alone."

She sat on the couch without being asked, picked up an apple, and started peeling it.

"I was so scared the other day. My cat got stuck so high up in a tree. Luckily, David came right away. He cut his arm rescuing her, you know." She handed me the peeled apple, sounding all childlike and innocent, like she didn't have a care in the world.

She continued. "Emily, you aren't mad at him, are you? He just has a soft spot, can't stand to see animals suffer."

I didn't take the apple.

Her hand "slipped." The apple rolled onto the floor.

She bent to pick it up, "accidentally" stumbling past the TV stand.

"Ah!" she cried out.

She bumped into the stand. The photo frame on top fell.

Crash. The glass shattered.

It was our only wedding photo.

In it, I was nestled against David, smiling happily.

April hurriedly knelt, her face full of panic and apology. "I'm so sorry, Emily. It was an accident. I... I'll pay for it."

I walked over, ignoring the broken frame.

I smiled, helped her up, and gently brushed the dust off her dress. "It's fine. No need. Are you hurt?"

Her body stiffened. She looked up at me.

Before she could hide it, I saw a flash of triumph in her eyes.

I took out my phone and took a picture of the mess and her "innocent" face.

"Need a photo, or David will think I bullied you when he gets back," I said.

April's expression shifted instantly.

That evening, David came home.

April was still there.

The moment she saw him, her eyes instantly welled up, like a frightened fawn. "David, I'm so sorry. I accidentally broke your wedding photo."

David's eyes swept over the glass shards, then landed on my face.

I was expressionless.

He frowned, his tone full of reproach. "April is a guest, and it was an accident. Can't you be more understanding?"

I looked at him and suddenly smiled. "Fine. I'll be understanding."

I turned and walked into the study.

David's study was off-limits in this house. I rarely went in there.

I went straight to the locked metal filing cabinet.

It held some of his sealed old case files.

I took out the key I'd had made long ago and opened it.

At the very bottom, I found a manila folder labeled "John Robbery Case."

I took out my phone and took pictures of the most critical pages inside.

One was John's statement, detailing his alibi.

The other was the key witness testimony that recanted his alibi.

The witness's name was Joan Quinn.

Just as I took a picture of Joan's signature, my phone vibrated.

A message from the PI.

"Ms. Brooks, found something. John did have an alibi. He was at an internet cafe on the west side at the time of the crime. There's CCTV and internet records. But the key witness, Joan, insisted she saw John near the scene. Joan is April's distant aunt."

Attached was a photo of Joan with April's family.

I looked at the photo on my phone, then at the "Lead Investigator" signature on the file—David's flamboyant scrawl.

All the pieces clicked into place. The wrongly imprisoned John, the vengeful Mark, April's relative giving false testimony, and David, the lead investigator.

This wasn't just a simple stalker breaking in.

This was calculated revenge.

And I was just a pawn they used to get back at David.

*****

On the camera feed, I watched April use a key to open my front door.

She walked straight into the bedroom, pulled open my dresser drawer, and rummaged through the jewelry box.

Finally, she took the old brooch.

My grandmother's heirloom.

I saved the video, backed it up, then dialed the police. "I want to report a burglary. A brooch was stolen. It has... irreplaceable sentimental value to me."

The police came.

David came too, his face grim.

After hearing my statement and seeing the lack of forced entry, he pulled the officer aside. "My wife probably just misplaced it. It's a misunderstanding. No need to file a report.

"That thing isn't worth much. Probably just April... my late partner's sister, playing a prank, took it to play with."

I walked over.

The officer looked at me, then at David, unsure.

I stared at David. "So you're saying, because she's April, I should just accept having my things stolen?"

The room fell silent.

Several officers stopped what they were doing and looked at us.

David's face flushed red.

He stared at me, jaw tight. "Emily, do you have to make this so ugly?"

"Am I making it ugly, or are you just refusing to be reasonable?" I shot back. "Or does the law take a back seat to your personal favors, Officer Carter?"

He was speechless, utterly humiliated in front of his colleagues.

Finally, he gritted out the words, "File the report. Investigate."

*****

A few days later, April posted on her social media.

A selfie. She was wearing a new dress, my brooch pinned to the chest.

Caption: "Borrowed this little thing. So pretty, kinda don't wanna give it back."

I screenshotted it and sent it to David with no caption.