We ate dinner.
Daniel talked about the news, about a road closure near his office, about whether we should repaint the back fence before winter.
I answered everything.Communications & Media Studies
Ava answered everything.
The pasta was good.
I told him so.
After dinner, he poured himself a whiskey and settled into his chair.
At 8:12, my phone buzzed in my pocket.Food & Drink
I stood up and said I was going to check on the laundry.
In the hallway, I read Patricia’s message.
*Detective Reyes will be at your home tomorrow at 10 a.m.
Do not tell Daniel.
If he leaves the house before then, call me immediately.*Dry Pasta & Noodles
I put the phone back in my pocket and walked back into the living room.
Daniel looked up.
“Everything okay?”
“Laundry’s done,” I said, and sat back down.
He looked at me for just a moment longer than necessary.Communications Equipment
Then he looked back at the television.
Daniel did not go to work the next morning.People & Society
He came downstairs at seven-thirty and said he’d decided to take a personal day.
He said he was tired.
He said he wanted a slow morning.
I stood at the kitchen counter and poured his coffee and handed it to him and said that sounded nice.
Inside, I was calculating.
Patricia had said: *if he leaves the house before then, call me immediately.* She had not told me what to do if he stayed.
I sent her a message from the bathroom: *He’s home.
Not leaving.Family
What do I do?*
Her reply came in three minutes.
*Detective Reyes is already on his way.
He knows the situation may be fluid.
Stay calm.
Do not let Daniel leave once Reyes arrives.*
I put the phone away and went back to the kitchen.
Daniel was reading something on his tablet at the table.
Ava came downstairs at eight and poured herself cereal and sat across from him.Death & Tragedy
They exchanged a few words about the weather.
Normal.
Perfectly, horribly normal.
At 9:47, a car pulled into the driveway.
Daniel heard it.
He looked up from his tablet.
“Expecting someone?”
“My sister mentioned she might stop by,” I said.
I moved toward the front door before he could.Kitchen & Dining
Detective Reyes was a compact man in a gray jacket, plain clothes, no uniform.
