Dressed in black, Alex parked in the funeral home’s parking lot and headed for the door. She looked around for the hearse and fancy cars that drove the family to the burial site but didn’t see them.

Stepping inside, she noted there were several groups gathered around the lobby. Seemed Jen was well liked. Alex liked her, too, until the woman went a little batshit crazy and came after her with a gun. But she’d still pay her respects.

She looked around for Nina, the only person she’d know here. Not seeing her, Alex moved closer to the room where the memorial would be. Just outside the entrance, she heard a lady comforting a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, bushy hair and scraggly beard to match.

“I’m so sorry, Ted. Jen was such a great person. I’ll miss her so much.”

His smile was reassuring. “Thank you, Sara. I’m sure she’s looking down right now and missing you.” He patted her hand and she walked into the ceremony room.

So this was Jen’s husband, who she divorced to be with Andrew. Alex scoffed, “In her dreams.” Ted caught her eye and she smiled while his look passed down her body and back up. Alex tugged on her dress, feeling like a layer of sludge settled on her.

Ted pushed through the line of those going into the room. “Hi,” he said, reaching for her hand, “I’ve never seen you before. Are you one of Jen’s friends?”

Hesitant to shake hands, he gave her no choice when he grabbed hers. “Yes,” she replied, “I’d just met her actually.” He held onto her hand and rubbed his thumb over her skin.

“I thank you for coming to see her one last time.” The light in his eyes changed and his features drooped. “I miss her so much already.” Tears formed, ready to spill. “She and I were so in love. She was everything to me.”

Alex wanted to ask about the divorce, but now wasn’t the best place or time. Who knew? Maybe the marriage wasn’t so bad, and Jen was too coo-coo to realize it.

“I’d really appreciate having someone to talk to,” he continued. “You know, to help out a grieving husband.” Alex nodded, agreeing that talking out emotion was better than holding it all in. “Could you spare a few moments afterward to let me bend your ear?”

She was taken aback by his asking her for emotional support. She was a stranger. But what was she going to say? No, cry on someone else’s shoulder? “Sure, Mr. Ortiz, I’d be glad to talk with you.” An older lady came up to them. Alex reached out and brought her closer to talk to Ted, then she hightailed into the room.

Spotting Nina, Alex entered her row and took the seat next to her. Nina’s eyes were red and puffy. Alex fished another tissue from her purse.

“You gonna be okay?” she asked.

Nina nodded. “Eventually. It’s just so sad. Even though she was crazy, she was nice.” Nina looked around. “Where’s Andrew? Don’t tell me he’s not coming. She was his secretary.” Her voice raised toward the end, turning heads.

“Nina,” she said, calming her cousin. “It’s okay. There’s a good reason he’s not here.”

Whispering, Nina said, “There had better be or I’ll kick his ass myself.”

A man stepped up to the podium and spoke into a microphone. That was when she noticed there wasn’t a coffin up front, but an urn on a draped table.

“He cremated her?” Alex blurted, turning more heads than Nina’s outburst had. No wonder the memorial came about so quickly.

“Alex,” Nina whispered, “cremation is a normal thing. Besides, Ted said her body was completely burned from the crash.”

She knew that. She just wasn’t expecting such. She’d never been to a service for someone not in a coffin. But the ceremony was nice, and several people spoke to Jen’s kindness and gentleness.

When the MC closed the gathering, Alex sighed and leaned over to Nina. Alex asked, “Can you call me in thirty minutes and say you have an emergency and need me to come over right away?”

“What? Why?” Nina gave her a screwed-up look.

“Ted wants my shoulder to cry on for a while,” she answered. Nina’s expression went from questioning to concern. “What’s wrong with that?” The poor guy had to be suffering something terrible.

Nina chewed on her lip. “It’s just...I don’t know. Jen never talked about him and I always got a bad vibe when he came up in conversation.”

“Oh.” Alex wasn’t sure what to think about that. Wherever he wanted to go, she’d make sure it was very public. Maybe a nice restaurant, or a park with a serene setting. When she looked up, Ted was at the end of the aisle of seats.

“Meet me at the bar a couple blocks down.” With that he kept walking with everyone else.

“A bar?” Nina said. “At eleven in the morning?”

Alex shrugged. “He’s probably hurting, and drowning his sorrows in alcohol sounds good to him. Hopefully talking will help him cope.”

“You want me to come with you?” Nina asked.

Why hadn’t she thought of that? “That would be great. I wouldn’t feel so awkward then.”

At Tony’s Bar and Grill, Alex and Nina stood in the entrance, looking around. The place wasn’t a dump, but it wasn’t a nice restaurant either.

“Why here?” Alex whispered to Nina.

“His and Jen’s house is around the corner,” Nina replied. “He still lives there Jen told me. Probably lives here and just changes clothes at the house.” Her cousin shook her head. “No wonder Jen left him.”

Alex caught Ted’s eye at the bar. He smiled until he noticed Nina then slammed back his drink. Alex nudged Nina and they headed toward the end of the bar. Seeing as it was lunchtime, several people were at tables eating hamburgers, BLTs, and whatever else was good on the grill.

Alex set her purse on the bar and sat on the stool next to Ted. Nina sat on the other side of her. The bartender slid him another shot of dark liquid and he threw it back immediately.

He nodded toward Nina. “Why’d you bring her?”

Alex’s brows drew down. Was that the booze talking or was Ted a dick? “She’s my cousin and my best friend, and I thought two shoulders would be even better.” He grumbled and lifted a finger to order another drink. She wondered how many that made in the short time he’d been there.

The barkeep poured whiskey into another glass and asked the ladies what they wanted. She and Nina ordered soft drinks and some appetizers, thinking the food would do Ted good.

After swallowing everything in the glass, Ted started talking. “When we married, things were perfect. We had sex a couple times a day. More on the weekends. She was so sweet.” He paused and stared into space.

“You loved her, she loved you,” Alex said to fill in the dead air.

He smirked. “I just wanted to know what a virgin felt like. And damn,” he reached down and adjusted his crotch, “she was tight. Felt incredible.”

Nina reached in front of Alex’s shoulder and closed her gaping mouth. She whipped around to her cousin. Trying to talk with only half her mouth, she said, “Did you hear what he just said?”

“He’s a guy,” Nina replied, “what did you expect.”

Alex could say it definitely wasn’t that. “So,” she said, “were you wanting children?” Maybe a change of topic would be better.

“Fuck no. I made sure she took her pill every morning. No crotch-droplings for me.” He turned to the barkeeper. “One on the rocks.” The keep studied Ted, glanced at her and Nina, then poured his drink.

“So, Ted,” Nina asked, leaning forward on the bar, “I didn’t know Jen wanted to be cremated.” Alex cringed at the harsh tone in Nina’s voice. She gave Nina a what the hell expression.

He smirked again. “Ashes to ashes,” he said, eyes on his glass tumbler. Alex couldn’t imagine the heartache he was going through. Even though they were divorced, it didn’t mean he didn’t love his ex-wife. He mumbled something that sounded like “cheaper.” She was about to ask him to repeat himself when he continued.

“Then she got that damn job in a ritzy office.” Alex assumed he meant the job as Andrew’s secretary. “And that too good, piece of shit boss of hers.” He swallowed half his drink.

“I watched them, you know,” he said. “I went down to that office to make sure she wasn’t cheating on me.”

“Why would she cheat on you?” Alex asked, remembering Jen said she divorced her husband so she could be with Andrew. That sounded like she was being faithful, or at least wanted to.

He slammed his glass on the bar, swishing the amber liquid over the side. “Things changed. She was too tired for sex and I had to make her swallow. She stopped cooking, bringing home shit from restaurants every night.”

Any words after “make her swallow” were lost on her. Was he talking about cock sucking? He made her? She didn’t like the sound of that. She glanced at Nina and the shock on her face. Was this real?

She thought about leaving, but he kept talking, more like slurring. “I thought she’d gotten bored of sex. So I bought her a blindfold, ties, and toys, but the damn bitch left before I could show her what she wanted.”

Alex stiffened at his words. She was more than uncomfortable listening to him. Maybe Jen had a reason to leave. Hell, she even had a reason to be crazy married to this nut job.

Nina leaned forward again, glaring at Ted. “Jen never mentioned anything about liking BDSM. In fact, I remember her saying she didn’t like that kind of thing.”

“How would she know?” he snarled. “She wouldn’t let me into her apartment to find out.” He slammed the last of his drink. “Doesn’t matter. No one will find me to blame me for anything. I’m getting the hell out of here as soon as the check clears tomorrow.”

“What check?” Alex and Nina said at the same time. Ted rocked on his stool. Alex grabbed him before he fell off.

“Whoa there, Ted. Maybe you shouldn’t drink any more. Have something to eat.” She wondered when the food they’d ordered would be ready.

Nina pushed Alex back to get to the drunk. “Hey, asshole, what check? For how much?”

He slurred, “It’s none of your fuckin business how much the policy is for. It’s all mine and the bitch is gone.”

Policy? Life insurance? He was getting money for her death. On TV, that was the reason spouses always killed each other. She wondered if the police ever talked to Ted.

Nina’s face blossomed red. Alex knew what that meant. She said, “Well, Ted. It’s been nice talking to you. We gotta go now.” Nina was walking away before Alex even finished the sentence. She grabbed her purse and turned, but a hand held her arm. She looked back to see Ted’s eyes locked on her.

“Next time, don’t bring her. Just you. She talks too damn much.”

Alex gently extricated her arm from his gripping fingers. “I don’t think there will be a next time. Have a good day.” She gave him a fake smile and hurried after Nina.