16 Lighthouse Road - Debbie Macomber [71]
Credit cards.
Grace hadn’t even thought to look at the VISA bill until now. She raced into Maryellen’s old bedroom, which had been turned into a den, and shuffled through the stack of unpaid bills on the desk until she reached the VISA statement still tucked inside the envelope.
Her hand shook as she tore it open and quickly scanned the list of charges. They all seemed to be in order with the exception of one. When she saw where the card had been used, her legs gave out. Bracing her back against the wall, she sank to the floor.
How long she sat there, staring at nothing, Grace couldn’t guess. She finally gathered the courage to call Olivia.
“Can you come over?” she asked. Her voice, which sounded scratchy, must have conveyed her urgency.
“I’m on my way.”
Less than ten minutes later, her friend was at the front door. “What is it?”
“The son of a bitch,” Grace cried, so furious she could barely contain herself. “Look at this!” She thrust the VISA statement at Olivia.
Olivia glanced at it and raised questioning eyes to Grace. “What?”
“Berghoff Jewelers in Bremerton. I didn’t buy myself any jewelry.”
“Dan?”
“Who else?” Grace raged.
“What would Dan buy there for two hundred and fifty dollars?”
“A little trinket for his girlfriend, no doubt,” she snapped.
“Well, let’s find out.”
Olivia was always sensible. It hadn’t even occurred to Grace to contact the store. She hadn’t cancelled the credit card, either, which was a mistake she planned to rectify first thing in the morning.
While Grace paced the living room, Olivia found the phone number and dialed. When she’d finished, she handed the receiver to Grace.
Anger shot through her. “Hello,” she said, doing her best to sound calm and reasonable. “My name is Grace Sherman and I have my credit card statement here in front of me.” She went on to explain the charge. “They’re looking up the receipt now,” Grace said, covering the mouthpiece with her hand.
In thirty-five years of marriage Dan hadn’t once bought her a piece of jewelry. He considered it frivolous. She wore a plain gold band—the same ring he’d placed on her finger the day of their wedding. Over the years, the band had worn thin and should have been replaced, but never was. Her husband didn’t wear a wedding band at all, not after he got out of the military. Working with heavy equipment made it dangerous for a man to wear any sort of ring.
The woman from Berghoff’s returned with the requested information. “Mrs. Sherman,” she said.
“Yes.” Grace was instantly alert.
“The VISA charge is for a ring.”
“I beg your pardon?” This was as strange as everything else about her husband’s disappearance.
“A ring. I’m sorry, but it doesn’t say what type.”
Grace felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. “That’s all right. Thank you for your trouble.” Quickly she replaced the receiver, then collapsed into a chair.
“What?” Olivia was at her side.
Grace stared down at the thin gold band on her left hand. She’d suspected for a long time that there was another woman; now she had proof. “He bought a ring.”
“A ring?” Olivia said. “But why?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Grace cried. “That’s why he left me his last paycheck,” she added.
“It was supposed to pay for the ring?” Olivia asked.
“Apparently so.” This was just like Dan and his twisted sense of honor. He thought nothing of walking out on her, without a word of explanation, turning her life into a living hell. Yet he made sure the last charge on their VISA account, one that had apparently paid for another woman’s ring, had been covered.
“The other day,” Grace whispered, struggling to hold on to her inner strength, “I came home from work and had the oddest sense that Dan had been in the house.”
“You changed the locks, didn’t you?”
“No.” Maryellen and Kelly had talked her out of that. Both of them were convinced their father would return soon and explain everything. In the beginning Grace had thought so, too, but no longer. She didn’t want him back. But if Dan ever did return, she wanted the distinct pleasure of telling him to his face that