back. ”Oh, please let him cancel!” She takes a deep breath and looks at the phone.
"Hmm, I don’t know that number. Yes…"
She speaks as she gets back in the chair, all the while trying to balance the wine glass. It’s quiet on the other end of the line, only the faint sound of someone breathing.
"Is anybody there?"
The wine has affected her voice, and it sounds more open and friendly than she had expected, even though it’s a little slurred.
"Excuse me?"
The voice on the phone sounds much younger than James’, and Evy realizes that it isn’t him who’s calling to cancel. Like flicking on a switch, her body gets all tense again.
"Who is it?"
Her voice is shrill and she looks at the city lights, her eyes trying to find something to rest on. But the lights are just sharp and piercing.
"Evy, is that you?"
The man sounds insecure and she stays silent.
"So it’s true what they say. I didn’t believe them, but the air has been thick with rumors for the last two weeks."
The voice stops and Evy turns cold.
"Eric...?"
Evy’s voice fades away. She had always liked him. He’s one of her best friends and he hadn’t been at the lunch earlier today.
"Damn it, Evy! Why didn’t you tell me?! I got this number from a mutual friend when he thought I needed some female company. It’s a while ago, but… Evy… I don’t know what to say."
"Then don’t say anything, Eric."
"Evy, I don’t understand..."
He stops and Evy hears him breathing.
"Maybe I don’t want to understand, but I would’ve liked to know."
He’s quiet again.
"So the looks men gave you when we were out together? They didn’t look because you’re beautiful, but because they recognized you? Oh, Evy!"
"Eric?"
Evy’s voice is just a whisper.
"Who gave you this number?"
"Stuart Pettersson. Months ago."
The line is quiet again.
"Actually, I had forgotten all about it, but because his name has been in the papers a lot after he died, I remembered. I’ve always felt that Stuart would only have the best, and… Oh, sorry, Evy! I didn’t mean it like that. I’m…"
Evy can hear him breathing again.
"I had an accident in my car around five years ago. I was at a party where Stuart also was. It was a wild party."
Silence again.
"I was drinking and, well, I guess we’re being honest, I also took some drugs. I was not in any shape to drive, but Stuart kept pressuring me – he wanted me to drive him home.”
Evy hears small rustling sounds that tell her Eric is moving around.
"To this day, I don’t know why I drove through that neighborhood."
She can almost picture Eric shrugging as he always does when he tries to explain something.
"I really don’t know. I hit a woman…. she broke both legs."
Eric’s voice breaks and he finally lets go of his feelings which is so unlike him.
"Stuart later told me she was paralyzed."
It’s quiet again, not even any rustling sounds.
"Stuart was quick to get the limo to the site and get me out of there. I know he must have paid someone. I just know it. Stuart later testified that the car had been stolen from the parking lot at the place the party was held. That we could never have left in it, and that’s why we had called for the limo. The driver confirmed his story. Nothing more ever happened, and I was home free. My parents never found out. But I owed Stuart a favor and he made me pay over and over again. He’s pressured me ever since. Every time I thought we were even, he came up with something new. Evy, I didn’t have the guts to go up against him, and I have never been able to tell my parents. And then..."
The rustling noises are back.
"Then Stuart started telling me about his connections in the media world… and the police."
A deep sigh reaches Evy through the phone line.
"I have a feeling that the woman is no longer alive. A year ago, I tried to find her, but she’s gone. Evy..."
His voice has a strange sound she has never heard before. Eric is quiet, and Evy realizes how
"Hmm, I don’t know that number. Yes…"
She speaks as she gets back in the chair, all the while trying to balance the wine glass. It’s quiet on the other end of the line, only the faint sound of someone breathing.
"Is anybody there?"
The wine has affected her voice, and it sounds more open and friendly than she had expected, even though it’s a little slurred.
"Excuse me?"
The voice on the phone sounds much younger than James’, and Evy realizes that it isn’t him who’s calling to cancel. Like flicking on a switch, her body gets all tense again.
"Who is it?"
Her voice is shrill and she looks at the city lights, her eyes trying to find something to rest on. But the lights are just sharp and piercing.
"Evy, is that you?"
The man sounds insecure and she stays silent.
"So it’s true what they say. I didn’t believe them, but the air has been thick with rumors for the last two weeks."
The voice stops and Evy turns cold.
"Eric...?"
Evy’s voice fades away. She had always liked him. He’s one of her best friends and he hadn’t been at the lunch earlier today.
"Damn it, Evy! Why didn’t you tell me?! I got this number from a mutual friend when he thought I needed some female company. It’s a while ago, but… Evy… I don’t know what to say."
"Then don’t say anything, Eric."
"Evy, I don’t understand..."
He stops and Evy hears him breathing.
"Maybe I don’t want to understand, but I would’ve liked to know."
He’s quiet again.
"So the looks men gave you when we were out together? They didn’t look because you’re beautiful, but because they recognized you? Oh, Evy!"
"Eric?"
Evy’s voice is just a whisper.
"Who gave you this number?"
"Stuart Pettersson. Months ago."
The line is quiet again.
"Actually, I had forgotten all about it, but because his name has been in the papers a lot after he died, I remembered. I’ve always felt that Stuart would only have the best, and… Oh, sorry, Evy! I didn’t mean it like that. I’m…"
Evy can hear him breathing again.
"I had an accident in my car around five years ago. I was at a party where Stuart also was. It was a wild party."
Silence again.
"I was drinking and, well, I guess we’re being honest, I also took some drugs. I was not in any shape to drive, but Stuart kept pressuring me – he wanted me to drive him home.”
Evy hears small rustling sounds that tell her Eric is moving around.
"To this day, I don’t know why I drove through that neighborhood."
She can almost picture Eric shrugging as he always does when he tries to explain something.
"I really don’t know. I hit a woman…. she broke both legs."
Eric’s voice breaks and he finally lets go of his feelings which is so unlike him.
"Stuart later told me she was paralyzed."
It’s quiet again, not even any rustling sounds.
"Stuart was quick to get the limo to the site and get me out of there. I know he must have paid someone. I just know it. Stuart later testified that the car had been stolen from the parking lot at the place the party was held. That we could never have left in it, and that’s why we had called for the limo. The driver confirmed his story. Nothing more ever happened, and I was home free. My parents never found out. But I owed Stuart a favor and he made me pay over and over again. He’s pressured me ever since. Every time I thought we were even, he came up with something new. Evy, I didn’t have the guts to go up against him, and I have never been able to tell my parents. And then..."
The rustling noises are back.
"Then Stuart started telling me about his connections in the media world… and the police."
A deep sigh reaches Evy through the phone line.
"I have a feeling that the woman is no longer alive. A year ago, I tried to find her, but she’s gone. Evy..."
His voice has a strange sound she has never heard before. Eric is quiet, and Evy realizes how
Similar Books
