Adele
Garth and I manage to somehow get home safely. The ride wasn’t pleasant as he continued to spew his hateful tirade towards me. I don’t understand why he wants me here with him if he hates me so much. If I look back at all the time we have been together, I never felt loved by him. I felt more loved in the short time I was with Alex than the years I spent with Garth. I will never understand what Maryann saw in him. Maybe her death triggered some hidden demon in Garth that she was lucky enough to never meet. I hear something fall in the bedroom and I close my eyes wondering if I should go check on him. I almost wonder if I should just hope that he killed himself somehow. I shake my head as I scold myself for having such awful thoughts. However, in the end, I know that will be the only way I will ever escape him. I peek inside the bedroom and see that Garth is sprawled out across the bed. He almost looks dead with his arms and legs spread out like an eagle while lying on his back. I stare at his shoes wondering if I should take them off. I decide to leave them on because the last thing I want to do is wake him up. Once again, I start to think about killing him as I glance at the pillow that is now on the floor. Would I be able to hold him down or would he just knock me off and be even angrier than he was before? I take a step towards the pillow and there is a knock at the door which startles me. I jump and look toward Garth praying that he doesn’t wake up. When there is another knock and he doesn’t move, I walk out of the room and close the door. When the person knocks a third time and harder I practically run towards the door. I pull the door open and I stand within touching distance of Frank Deluca.
I jump into Frank’s arms and quickly jump back out of them as I look towards the bedroom door. What if Garth had seen me do that? He’s already hurt so many people I care about and I won’t let him add Frank’s name to the list. Frank looks at me as I look towards the bedroom door and he walks into the house and softly closes the door.
“Is he in there, Adele?” Frank quietly asks me and I nod my head as I feel the fear about to overtake me. I am trembling and Frank notices as he puts his hand on my arm. I snatch it away from him and I can see him starting to grind his teeth.
“Yes. You need to go before he finds you here.” I tell him still waiting for Garth to appear suddenly at my side and Frank glances towards the doorway and back to me.
“Are you okay, Adele?” he asks me and I feel a tear fall down my face. I give him a small nod and he shakes his head as if he knows that I am lying to him. He is right to suspect it is a lie because it totally is.
“Where is Alex?” I look at Frank wiping the tear and feeling that Alex must be nearby. I sent the note to him and now Frank is standing in this torture house of mine.
“He’s close, Adele. We’re going to get you out of here. Do you think…,” Frank starts to say and I hear footsteps behind me.
“Who the hell are you?” I close my eyes as Garth comes into the room and he pulls me behind him and away from Frank as I hear Frank’s teeth snap together. Garth looks Frank over and he looks back at me.
“Do I know you? You look familiar?” Garth asks Frank and I close my eyes praying that he doesn’t make the connection. Frank does look like Alex and Garth has seen me with Alex. If he realizes the connection, he’ll either kill Frank or he’ll move us the minute Frank walks out the door. I only hope that Frank uses what he learned as a cop to know this.
“Maybe. I grew up in Michigan. Have you ever been there?” Frank asks and I notice Garth stiffen.
“I haven’t been. Can we help you with something?” Garth again asks Frank and I can hear the annoyance in his voice. I think Frank notices it too because he gives a small smile and glances back toward me.
“I’m a private detective that has been hired by Maryann Day’s family. They believe she may be alive and I thought I would ask you a few questions,” Frank tells Garth and I gasp at hearing Maryann’s name. How in the hell does Frank know about Maryann? Why would he bring her up? Garth is unusually quiet, so the same questions should be racing through his mind as well. Garth nods towards the couch for Frank to sit down and looks over at me telling me to go get the two of them a drink. I rush to the kitchen and bring back two bottles of water. I hand them each one and Garth looks at me and tells me that I can go to the bedroom and wait for him.
“I may have questions for Adele too,” Frank says looking between me and Garth and I notice Garth staring at me with narrowed eyes.
“How do you know her name?” Garth questions Frank.
“Like I said I am a PI. Is there any reason Maryann would have faked her own death? Were you two getting along or were there marital problems? Frank asks Garth and I narrow my eyes wondering what the hell Frank is trying to do? Maryann was crazy about Garth. They were the perfect couple, which makes me sick to think that this is the Garth I have.
“We were perfect together,” Garth says as he puts his hand on my knee and squeezes it. I look up and see Frank watching him and notice he is gritting his teeth again.
“That’s not what her parents are claiming. According to them, you were very abusive towards Maryann. Abusive enough that she may have faked her death to hide from you.” I make eye contact with Frank and my entire body tenses. Was Garth abusive towards Maryann? She was my best friend. Would she have hidden it from me? Before I can process the information, Frank continues to question Garth.
“How about your legal name? I can’t find any information on you prior to 15 years ago. Are you originally from Indiana? Frank asks and I hear Garth swallow hard. What exactly is Garth hiding? Whatever it is, Frank obviously knows and I hope he realizes that he is going to walk out the door and leave me here with a pissed off Garth.
“I don’t know what Maryann’s parents were told, but she was very happy with me. I would never hurt a woman,” Garth tells Frank who glances at me. I close my eyes and grip the couch realizing that Garth abused Maryann. I just confessed it. He hurts me whenever possible and for him to say he would never hurt a woman proved exactly that. I shake my head and look at Garth and wonder if Maryann did fake her death.
“Are you sure about that?” Frank sighs looking between me and a now pissed off Garth, who suddenly stands as he moves closer to Frank.
“Adele, would you mind giving us a few minutes alone?” Garth asks me and I have look back at Frank who softly motions for me to leave while Garth focuses his attention on me. As I turn to leave, Frank calls my name and I turn back to look at him.
“Adele! Don’t worry about anything. Everything will turn out as it is supposed to,” Frank tells me as he takes my hand and squeezes it while searching my eyes. I tilt my head and head to the bedroom as I meet Garth’s dead eyes. I know he is angry. I can feel It radiating off him. I walk into the bedroom and close the door as the curtains stir in the breeze coming through the open window. I shiver and walk over to close it, confused over why Garth would have opened it in the first place. As I pull the window shut, a hand covers my mouth and I am pulled against someone. I try to shake the hand off and cry out for Frank or Garth to get to the bedroom, afraid that someone has broken into the house. I hear someone whispering ‘shhh’ into my ear as their other hand opens on my stomach. “Be quiet, Adele. It’s me,” he whispers into my ear before he releases me and I turn around to come face to face with Alex.