Chapter 6

The fallout from ripping up that check came sooner than expected.

Three days later, Liam Smith from the Maplewood County courthouse called me personally. "Sarah, could you swing by the office? There's something I need to confirm with you."

I went. Liam was a stout man in his fifties who was usually all smiles, but he seemed pretty uncomfortable around me when he saw me this time.

"Here's the thing... someone raised a red flag about your husband's death registration. So we need to look into it again," he said.

"What's the problem?" I asked.

"Well... someone suggested that the serial number on the cremation certificate doesn't match the funeral home's records," he said.

I stared at him.

Liam grew even more fidgety under my gaze, picking up his mug and putting it back down over and over again.

"Mr. Smith, did someone pull some strings with you?" I asked.

He didn't say a word, but the look on his face gave him away.

I let out a small laugh. "So, if there's an issue with the cremation certificate, does that mean James might actually be alive?"

Liam didn't see that question coming. He choked on his words.

"If he isn't dead, then his previous death registration was a forgery, right? Faking a death certificate is a criminal offense, wouldn't you say, Mr. Smith?" I added.

Liam's face turned as white as a sheet. "Now, hold on, let's not..."

"I am his legal wife," I said calmly. "If someone forged my husband's death certificate, I'm the victim of a crime. I can go to the cops, can't I?"

Liam wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Sarah, don't fly off the handle. Let's talk this through..."

"There's nothing to talk about." I stood up. "If the courthouse decides my husband is alive, I'm calling the cops. If the courthouse decides he's dead, then I'm still his legal widow. The ball's in your court, Mr. Smith."

I walked out of the courthouse. The comment started flashing.

[How did Sarah suddenly get so smart? In the original story, wasn't she tricked into signing the papers?]

[Is this a plot hole? Sarah is supposed to be a poorly educated pushover. How come she suddenly knows all the legal stuff?]

Of course I knew. I only finished high school and never went to college, but I knew how to use a smartphone.

For the three months since James "died," I'd spend every night, once the morning sickness subsided, lying in bed scrolling through my phone. I watched legal explainers, read up on marriage laws, and studied messy divorce cases.

I wasn't a genius, but I wasn't born yesterday, either.

Since the comments had given me a "spoiler" for the plot, I'd made sure to stay one step ahead.

You wanted to force a divorce through the courthouse? Be my guest.

But first, you'd have to explain how exactly you "died." If you were a living person with a faked death certificate, that was no small matter.

At best, it was an administrative penalty. At worst, it was a criminal prosecution.

As the head of Oceanview Holdings, how much would your stock price tank if a scandal like that broke out?

I bet everything that he wouldn't dare make a scene.

As it turned out, I was right.

The courthouse went dead silent. The man in glasses never showed his face again.

For the next two weeks, things were quiet. I kept opening the diner, kept going to my checkups, and just lived my life.

*****

One day, Tom helped me swap out a burner on my gas stove. Wiping grease from his hands, he asked, "Sarah, is everything okay? You've been looking a bit preoccupied lately."

"I'm fine, just the usual pregnancy symptoms," I replied.

"I see," he said, scratching his head. "Well, don't overdo it. I put in a high-quality burner for you. It should last a good long while."

"How much do I owe you?" I asked.

"On the house," he replied.

I began, "I can't just—"

"Don't mention it, Sarah." He waved me off with a grin. "You give me two free breakfast burritos every morning, so let's just call it even, okay?"

I didn't push it and packed him four burritos instead.

He took them and started to head out but stopped after a few paces. "Sarah, if you ever feel uneasy living alone, my shop has a little back room. If you hear anything weird at night, just holler."

"Will do," I said.

He walked away into the distance.

A comment drifted by: [Who's this mechanic NPC? This character wasn't in the original book.]

Exactly. He wasn't a character in the "original story." He was a living, breathing human being. And that made me feel safe.