Trust

She looks nervous, the Detective thought. That’s normal when a cop shows up at your door.

“Please don’t worry, Mrs. Blanchet. I do need to ask you a few questions about your husband.” Detective Erickson said.

“Please call me Kate. Come in, have a seat.” Kate offered space on a plush white sofa.

“I’m following up on a request to look into your husband’s whereabouts. He’s been reported as a missing person by his mother. She stated no one has heard from Daniel since he left for a business trip a week ago.” The Detective said.

“That’s wrong -I mean I don’t know if he’s spoken with his mother, but he’s not missing. We talk regularly.” Kate said.  

The Detective watched her carefully. Kate’s hands were trembling, that could be for many reasons she thought.

“The authorities in the Berry Islands have found his suitcase and cell phone in a hotel room. Can you explain to me how he’s been communicating with you?” The Detective asked.

“Oh Daniel.” Kate put her hand up to her forehead. “That’s worrying... I mean he has ADD and forgets things sometimes so I could see him walking away without his suitcase, but this isn’t good. I last heard from him yesterday morning. We message on a video app to answer your question. Also, I don’t know if this is helpful, but he carries two cell phones one for work, one for personal calls. Oh God, I really hope this is a misunderstanding.” Kate said.

She looks like she’s about to start hyperventilating the Detective thought.

“Can I see the messages he sent you?” The Detective asked.

Kate pulled out a cell phone producing several videos from Daniel. He talked about having crab for dinner, going for a swim, he always smiled into the camera. Each message ended with “love you”. The Detective watched Kate while the videos played.

Is that a tear in her eye? The Detective wondered.

“It must be hard to have your husband away. Listen, this could all be a misunderstanding. I’d like to ask you a few questions to be thorough, and as long as he contacts you again within the next 24 hours, we can close this out.” The Detective said.

The Detective watched Kate sink further down into her seat.

“I’m sure he’ll contact you.” The Detective rested her hand on Kate’s, “Now, how long have you been married?” The Detective asked.

“Ten years. We met after college. He swept me off my feet. I knew I wanted to be with him forever.” Kate smiled.

“So, no fighting, or problems in the marriage?” The Detective asked, writing something in a notebook.

Now she looks scared, typical in this situation, I can be intimidating the Detective thought.

“No problems. We’re going to start trying for a baby when he gets back.” Kate said.

“Well then, thank you for your time.”  Detective Erickson put away her notebook and stood up to leave.

“Can you tell me one last thing Kate? Is it unusual for him to disregard communication from his mother?” The Detective asked.

“I try to stay out of their relationship, they have their ups and downs. I can let her know I’ve heard from him, that might help calm her. “Kate said.

She seems nice enough, the Detective thought.

“That would be kind of you.” With that Detective Erickson left.

Kate felt like a cat on hot bricks when the Detective showed up at her door. A blue uniform and a badge standing on your porch was not a welcome sight. Kate’s first thought was that something happened to her friend Stella. She had an aging father and of course Daniel was in another country. He would be in the Bahamas for another week. It seemed like an eternity.

Kate felt her heart pounding. She was accused of being a worrywart by her second-grade teacher. Soon a Gin martini was in one hand and her phone in the other.  She sent Daniel a video message telling him she missed him, and that there was a misunderstanding with his mother. She asked him to please, please reach out as soon as possible. Then she dialed her mother-in-law’s number:

“Hi Linda, this is Kate. I understand you’re worried about Daniel-"

“Something is wrong Kate, and you know it! Nobody has seen or heard from Daniel since he left for the Bahamas! I can’t believe this is happening. It’s a nightmare.” Linda was almost yelling.

Linda was a sixty-year-old socialite who went jogging every morning and drank a gallon of Chardonnay every afternoon. She had a Chiwawa that she took everywhere in a designer handbag, she would argue to the death he was her emotional support dog. Love of dogs was the only thing Linda and Kate had in common.

“Linda, calm down-Daniel and I have been messaging all week. I’m sorry he hasn’t responded to you.” Kate said.

How can she be so calm about this?! Linda thought.

“No that’s not right. The authorities found his things, they found his phone so how could he be messaging you?” Linda asked.

“I think he forgot his work phone in the hotel and still has his personal phone. I heard from him yesterday.” Kate said.

“I’m not buying it. That doesn’t explain his clothes being found. Why would he leave his suitcase?” Linda asked.

“You know how his ADD can be. He took two suitcases, so he probably just forgot the one.” Kate said.

Of course she’d bring up the ADD, Linda thought, rolling her eyes.

“Well, I’m his mother and I have a feeling in my gut, something is wrong.” Linda said and hung up.

Kate poured another martini and stepped outside to light a cigarette. Nasty habit, she only smoked when Daniel was away. He didn’t like her smoking, and she didn’t blame him, but she loved the comfort of nicotine like a fat kid loved cake. Kate texted her friend Stella inviting her over for a night of popcorn, drinking and binge-watching trash T.V.  

The next morning, Kate headed over to the animal shelter where she volunteered two days a week. They had just gotten two retriever puppies she was anxious to cuddle. She was in her BMW when her phone rang. It was Daniel’s boss Harry. Kate didn’t converse with Harry often, only when she was required to be polite to the guy who controlled her husband’s career. Secretly she thought he was an asshole on Daniel’s behalf. Like any good wife would.

“Hi Harry, how are you?” Kate asked.

“I’m good. Listen, One of Daniel’s clients has been hounding me to death. I texted Daniel a couple times, he hasn’t responded. I mean -he needs to get back to me-yesterday.” Harry said irritated.

“I’m sorry. Daniel’s mother had issues connecting with him too. I think our cell coverage might not be adequate for texting and calls in the area he’s in. I’ll try to contact him for you.” Kate said.

She’s always apologizing for that prick, Harry thought.

“ASAP. Thanks.” Harry hung up.

Kate parked at the shelter and opened the video messenger, relieved to see a new video from Daniel: “Hey babe, it’s hot here! Think I’m going to hit the pool after dinner. Hope all is well. Love you.”

Kate replied to the message: “Hey, Harry just called me, your client is nagging him and he’s trying to text you. He’s being an ass about it, big surprise. Maybe you need to change out your sim card? Like that time in Germany? Anyway, can you get a message to him? Love you.”

Kate was comforted to have the message from Daniel. She took a deep breath and laid her head down on the steering wheel allowing a few tears to escape. “Pull yourself together” she said to herself. She texted Stella asking if she could come over after work and watch a movie. Stella texted back ” I’ll bring pizza, comfort food! ‘heart emoji’”

That afternoon Kate headed over to the police station at the request of Detective Erickson with the latest video from Daniel. She was shown to a conference room that smelled of stale coffee and Old Spice. Kate and the Detective sat across from one another while the Detective watched a video of Daniel -alive and well, not 24 hours after the visit to Kate’s home.

She seems to trust me holding her phone while she’s on the other side of the table, she’s not tense or agitated, the Detective thought.

“Okay if nothing new comes to light we can close this out. Thanks for your cooperation.” The Detective said.

Several days passed, Kate spent time with Stella searching online for a puppy. Kate’s dog had passed away, she cried over him more than she cried at her own mother’s funeral. Stella had just left when Kate’s phone rang. It was Linda.

“Hi Kate. I wanted to apologize.” Linda came from a generation of ‘apologizers’, “ I received a text message from Daniel. He said he hasn’t responded because he’s just been so busy. I may have overreacted a bit.” Linda said.

“It’s totally fine.” Kate said.

I guess she’s not so bad after all, Linda thought.

Finally, the day of Daniel’s flight home arrived.  Kate received a video message from him that he was going to be boarding his flight shortly and would see her soon. Stella came over and helped Kate clean the house and put out two place settings for a romantic dinner. At 3:30 Kate left for SeaTac airport. She parked and headed inside to baggage claim 12 where Daniel’s luggage would be dropped.

A half hour passed as she waited, playing Candy Crush on her phone. Luggage spat out of a mysterious black steel hole. Kate was laser focused as each piece fell onto the conveyer belt. Waiting for Daniel’s. An hour went by, no luggage, and no Daniel. Passengers sharing his flight came and went. Kate found the information desk and asked for help locating her husband. An odd man behind a desk looked up the flight charter.

“Your husband was booked onto flight 117 from NAS to SeaTac. But there is no record of him boarding the flight.” The attendant said.

“That’s not right. He sent me a message. He was on his way to the airport.” Kate said.

She’s awfully high-strung the attendant thought.

“Perhaps your husband missed the flight due to traffic? Maybe you could reach out to him directly.” The attendant said.

After that day Daniel was never heard from again. Not by the Detective not by Linda, or Harry, not by anyone. He simply disappeared into thin air, just as Kate had planned.

--------------

It was true when Kate met Daniel, she loved him desperately. Then life with him changed so dramatically it was no longer recognizable. Daniel was ‘working late’ more and more. He started speaking to her differently. He told her she dressed like an old lady. Her hair was frizzy and too short. When she gained five pounds of ‘period weight’ he lectured her about dieting, even taking food out of her hands while she was eating. Suddenly, after they married, he didn’t want her anymore.

One night Kate called him at the office, their sick dog needed the emergency vet. Daniel’s assistant told her that Daniel left hours earlier for an office party at a bar. The next night, Daniel was ‘working late’ again, this time Kate investigated.

She followed him from his office to an Irish pub wearing a scarf over her hair and fake glasses. Daniel never looked over his shoulder. He sat across the bar openly flirting with a beautiful woman in an airline stewardess uniform. They had several drinks. Kate followed them out, at a discreet distance.

Daniel and the woman went to a condominium complex on 4^th Avenue. He was there for most of the nigh in unit number 36. The next morning, Kate returned to the same unit, intending to tell the unidentified woman off for cheating with her husband.

When Kate confronted the woman, the woman was mortified. She had no idea Daniel was married. He told her his wife had passed away. The woman’s name was Stella. She invited Kate in for a drink, one drink turned into five and some aggressive flirting.

Kate left immediately. She wasn’t a ‘cheat’ like Daniel even when he had broken their marriage vows more than a half dozen times. Kate talked to Stella every day afterwards. Eventually things went further between them. Lying in bed, Stella told Kate:

“He’s a creep and he’s an abuser. You need to get rid of him. If you ever need help doing it, just call me.”

They continued seeing each other every night for the following three months until Kate caught Daniel in another affair with an eighteen-year-old girl, who hadn’t graduated high school yet. It was more than she could bear. Daniel came home earlier than usual one night at 9:00 p.m. Probably because his new girlfriend had a curfew, Kate thought. She confronted him:

“I know what you’re doing. I know you’re fucking an eighteen-year-old girl Daniel.” Kate said scathingly.

“You’re being crazy.” Daniel replied.

He dismissed me, he always dismisses me, Kate thought.

“I know you’re cheating again. I have proof. Do you want to add lying to my face to your list of relationship hate crimes?” Kate yelled.

“You’re overreacting- “Daniel started.

“Am I?! I think this is a pretty common response to serial-cheating.” Kate said.

She was so sick of him in that moment. He had lied and twisted her mind until her own thoughts were unrecognizable even to herself. Over and over again.

“You’ve been doing your volunteer thing, wrapped up in yourself as usual… I got lonely.” Daniel said moving in to try and touch her.

“THAT’S your apology? “Kate backed away, “It was my fault you fucked some innocent young girl you met at a bar?”

If I could slap the shit out of her I would but I know how to hurt her worse, Daniel thought.

“Well, she’s not that innocent.” Daniel smiled, “You don’t seem to understand things like this happen. I mean, you and I haven’t had sex in ages.”

“It’s. Been. Two. Weeks. Now get the fuck out! Get out of my home, I never want to see you again!” Kate screamed.

“I’m not leaving. This is my house. You’ll get over your little tantrum like you have before.” Daniel said.

“You mean like all the other times you’ve cheated?” Kate spat the words out like venom.

Daniel responded by laughing.

A rage like a fire doused with gasoline took over Kate’s brain. She snapped. She picked up the poker stick from the fireplace and said calmly:

“Well now I’m going to kill you. We’ll see how funny you think that is.”  

Kate slammed the poker down on the top of Daniel’s head so hard it caved the top of his skull in. He fell straight to the ground, eyes open. Dead before he hit the floor.

First Kate felt powerful, redeemed, for the first time since she married Daniel. Then panic set in. She didn’t know what to do, so she called Stella. Stella came over straightaway. They cleaned up the blood and put Daniel’s body inside a freezer in the garage.

Daniel had told Kate about the work convention in the Bahamas. The two women came up with a plan. Stella scheduled herself to work a flight to the Berry Islands. She took a suitcase with Daniel’s clothes, wallet and phone, reserving a seat on the flight in Daniel’s name. He would never check in. Stella would edit the flight information so that it appeared on all reports to follow that Daniel was on the flight.

Then Stella checked into a hotel that Kate reserved in Daniel’s name, pretending to be his wife. Stella arrived with Daniel’s driver’s license and credit card. She knew how to get people to bend the rules for her. Stella left his suitcase and work phone in the hotel room in the Berry Islands.

Kate kept Daniel’s personal phone and downloaded recorded video messages from previous business trips with content that seemed to apply to his current trip. Kate sent the videos from his account to hers, changing the time stamp to match his ‘business trip’ dates. Kate continued ‘responding’ to the messages she had actually sent to herself from Daniel’s phone. She texted Daniel’s mother and his boss from his phone to put their minds at ease.

Kate’s father had a farm an hour away where he produced fertilizer. He had several rotary kilns that burned at 1800 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature needed to cremate a human body. Growing up he lectured Kate constantly about safety around the kilns and how they worked.

In the middle of the night when she knew production was down, she took Daniel’s body up to the farm wrapped in a carpet which would create no emissions. Then she disposed of him. No body, no crime. Kate thought it poetic that Daniel was a piece of shit in life and now he was part of a new batch of fertilizer in death.

Stella and Kate continued their relationship quietly for a year and then they ‘came out’. Wrapped up together on the couch one night Kate said to Stella:

“I love you so much, I’m so glad we trust each other.”

She can’t possibly expect me to believe that while she works

constantly, and spends zero time with me, Stella thought.

“I love you too, I never want to be apart.” Stella replied.

I know you’re cheating on me, but I’ve been through this before, I know how to deal with people like you now, Kate thought.



“I was thinking maybe we could drive up to my father’s farm this weekend.” Kate said with a smile, kissing Stella gently on the lips.