Chapter 5 5

Eva stared up at him. The heat radiating from his body was the only warm thing in the world.

Check the date, she said. September fourteenth. The Bellagio. You were there for the Energy Summit.

Baxter's eyes narrowed slightly. A micro-expression of doubt.

I was there, he admitted. But I didn't get married.

You were drugged, Eva said.

Baxter froze. His hands, which were resting on the railing on either side of her, tightened.

What did you say?

Someone slipped something into your drink, Eva said. I saw the toxicology report. Or rather, I saw the gap in your memory where the report should be.

Who are you? Baxter asked. The boredom was gone. Now, he was lethal.

I am your wife, Eva said. Legally. And right now, I am the only person telling you the truth.

Baxter reached out and snatched the paper from her hand. He stared at it again, his thumb tracing the embossed seal.

He made a move to fold it, to slide it into his pocket.

"No," Eva said.

Before he could secure it, Eva lunged. It was a desperate, ungraceful move, but she caught him off guard. She grabbed the edge of the document and yanked it back.

Baxter let it go, surprised by her ferocity.

"That stays with me," Eva said, backing away, clutching the paper to her chest. "It's my only insurance."

Baxter looked at his empty hand, then at her. A grudging respect flickered in his eyes.

"Insurance against what?" he asked low.

"Against you," she replied.

The balcony door burst open.

Isobel stumbled out, flanked by Jimmy. She was holding a fresh glass of wine.

There you are! Isobel shrieked. Oh my god, Eva, leave him alone!

Baxter stepped back from Eva instantly. He smoothed his jacket, the mask of cold indifference slamming back into place.

Isobel rushed forward, grabbing Baxter's arm. I am so sorry, Baxter. My sister is... well, she has always been a pathological liar. It is a condition.

Baxter looked down at Isobel's hand on his sleeve. He looked at it like it was a cockroach.

Is that so? he said.

Yes! Isobel laughed nervously. She probably told you some crazy story. Daddy is so embarrassed.

Baxter looked at Eva. Eva stood straight, her chin lifted. She didn't defend herself. She didn't beg. She held the marriage license tight against her heart.

Baxter felt a strange tug in his chest. A reluctance to let the moment end. But the chaos of the family was repulsive to him. And the woman... she was a puzzle piece that didn't fit. He needed to verify the document number before he engaged further.

He looked at Jimmy. We are leaving.

But Uncle Baxter, Jimmy whined. We just got here.

Now, Baxter said.

He turned to leave. He didn't look at Eva again.

Wait! Arthur came running out onto the balcony. Mr. Noel! The certificate... surely it is a misunderstanding...

Baxter stopped at the door. He turned. He looked at the Mcclain family. The desperate father. The vicious stepmother. The screeching sister.

And Eva. Standing alone in the cold, in a dress that was too thin, looking like a queen in exile.

If she contacts me again, Baxter said, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear, I will have her arrested for fraud.

Eva flinched. It was small, but he saw it.

Baxter walked out.

The moment the door closed, Dianne was on her.

You stupid, useless girl!

She grabbed Eva's arm, her nails digging in. You ruined it! You humiliated us!

Arthur was pacing, muttering about stock prices. Isobel was smirking.

Eva pulled her arm free.

I am leaving, she said.

Good! Dianne screamed. Get out! And don't come back until you have fixed this!

Eva walked past them. She went to her room. She packed her single bag. She took the few dollars she had left.

She walked out the front door. The taillights of Baxter's motorcade were fading in the distance.

She took out her phone. A text from Ed.

Found something else. The drug in his system? It wasn't recreational. It was a prototype sedative. And Eva... you had it in your system too.

Eva stopped walking. The wind whipped her hair across her face.

She looked at the message.

She hadn't just been drunk. They had both been targeted.

She looked back at the house. It was glowing with warmth and lies.

She turned her back on it and started walking toward the train station. She had no husband. She had no home.

But she had a puzzle. And Eva Rose never left a puzzle unsolved.