The Garden of Betrayal - Lee Vance [67]
“Okay, then,” she said as I entered. “Six o’clock in the atrium and six-forty-five back here. And remember to spread out and talk to people during dinner, please.”
There was a ragged chorus of assent as the volunteers got to their feet and began departing. I smiled at Kate, but she gave me a furious look and hurried away without saying anything. I couldn’t imagine why she was upset with me.
“Hey,” I said, planting an awkward kiss on Claire’s cheek. “Something bothering Kate?”
“Not that I know of.”
Her tone was clipped, and she wasn’t making eye contact. I glanced at the clock. An hour suddenly seemed like an impossibly short time to cover everything we had to talk about. I took off my coat and draped it over a chair.
“Shall we sit?”
“I called you at the office this morning,” she said, ignoring my suggestion. She was twisting her wedding ring on her finger. “It occurred to me that you might want to pass on the concert and spend the evening with Alex’s friends or parents. Amy mentioned that you were at breakfast with Reggie and another man.”
I could hear the question in her voice. Amy routinely posted Claire on my schedule, with my approval, but I wished to God she hadn’t mentioned Reggie. It was exactly where I didn’t want to begin.
“That’s not why I’m here.”
She looked at me quizzically, perhaps hearing something in my voice.
“Mariano Gallegos. Amy didn’t know him. Is he a police officer?”
I couldn’t think of any way to put her off without lying to her.
“Sit,” I said gently. “Please.”
She sat. I told her everything—about the e-mail, and the stolen car, and Carlos’s murder, and my conversation with Gallegos. A single tear ran down her face when I related what the e-mail had said. I wanted to reach for her hand, but her shoulders were hunched and I was afraid she’d pull away.
“That’s everything, except that Reggie mentioned he might have a lead on the car. He’s supposed to call me later.”
Silence fell. Claire hadn’t asked any questions. Her head was bowed, and her hair was hanging down limply. She looked defeated. It was torture to see her suffering.
“I’m sorry,” I continued. “And not just about keeping secrets. I love you, and the most important thing in the world to me is to be with you. I meant what I said last night—I think it’s time for us to get away and make a fresh start.” I hesitated, cautious of mentioning San Francisco, lest it sound like I was accusing her of something. “My sense is that you feel the same way but that you don’t know how to tell me, because you don’t know if you can start over with me. You can. We can. I swear it. I’ll do whatever I have to do.”
She took a deep breath and pushed the hair back from her face.
“And what about Reggie and these Venezuelan people?”
“Reggie doesn’t really need my help. He’s just keeping me involved.…” I trailed off, aware that I’d headed in the wrong direction.
“Because you want to be kept involved,” Claire said, finishing my sentence.
“If it weren’t for the fact that Kate is still in school,” I said slowly, looking directly into her eyes, “I’d drive to the airport right now, and get on a plane with you, and never come back to New York, and never speak to Reggie again. Kyle’s not coming back. I know that now. Being with you, moving forward with you, that’s more important to me than the past.”
She touched my cheek fleetingly, as if afraid I might burn her.
“I love you, too,” she said. “I always have. Enough to know that you’ll never stop being tormented, the way I’ve been tormented.…”
“It doesn’t have to be that way,” I said,