Quiet as the Grave by Kathleen O`Brien

it definitely did have a place for you, after all?
    Envy Justine? How could she tell him that she wouldn’t live in this expensive marble mausoleum for anything on earth? That she would rather paint than get a manicure, that she’d rather read a book than go to a party? That she’d rather have a child when she was old enough, when she was ready. That she’d rather have no husband than one who hated her?
    Or the most unspeakable truth of all. That she’d rather be alive than dead.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said again. She meant it. “I’m sorryyou’re so unhappy. I hope you’ll come to terms with that before you destroy an innocent man.”
    He didn’t answer. He sank onto the Louis XIV chair beside the piano and put his face in his hands. The morning sunlight found a few black strands remaining in his silver hair, but it was like the echo of something sad. You knew it was already dying away even as you listened.
    She let herself out the front door, her heart heavy.
    When she heard footsteps, at first she thought it might be the gardener, and she took a deep breath, ready to breathe fire if he dared to get smarmy.
    But, as she rounded the pillar to the portico, she saw a woman walking toward her. About forty, maybe. Pretty in a completely unglamorous way, but a nice face.
    â€œHi,” the woman said. “Is Mr. Millner in there?”
    â€œHe’s in there, but he seems a little distraught at the moment.”
    â€œOh.” The woman looked toward the house, looking concerned. “He asked me to come see him at noon, but I can’t. I wondered if he could maybe make it earlier.”
    Suzie hesitated. She should leave, but…
    â€œDo you know why he wants to see you?”
    The woman shook her head. “Not exactly.” She held out her hand. “I’m Judy Stott. My husband and I live next door. I got the impression Mr. Millner wanted…well, that he was wondering if we might have…seen anything. You know, the night his daughter disappeared.”
    Suzie’s jaw felt tight. “Did you?”
    Judy Stott looked a little wary. After all, she didn’t know who Suzie was, and she probably wondered how much she should say.
    â€œNever mind,” Suzie said. She beeped open thedoor to her Honda, and said a prayer that it would start. She couldn’t wait to get out of this place.
    â€œJust promise me you won’t lie for him.”
    Judy Stott smiled uncertainly. “Lie for him? I can’t imagine he’d ask me to.”
    Suzie climbed in her car. She rolled down the window and poked out her head.
    â€œStill. Promise me,” she said. “He’s not right in the head. Two wrongs don’t make a right, you know. And they damn sure won’t bring Justine back.”
    Judy Stott backed away, clearly uncomfortable.
    Hell, Suzie thought. She was acting as crazy as Millner. Besides, nothing was going to stop him. Even if this Judy Stott person had enough character to tell him no, he’d just move on to the next person.
    What about that trashy gardener? He looked as if he’d tell a few lies for the right number of zeroes.
    She turned the key to her car, which started up with a nice thrum, as if it understood that they were now on a mission.
    She knew exactly where she had to go next.
    Â 
    M IKE AND G AVIN were playing paintball in the big empty Tuxedo Lake lot that he’d bought four years ago, intending someday to build a house. With one thing and another, someday had never come. He and Gavin were still living in the boathouse.
    But the wooded lot made a great paintball field.
    Today was the first time in two weeks that Gavin had expressed any interest in playing paintball—or anything else, either. When Justine’s body had been found, Gavin had simply shut down. He must have known Justine was dead. God knows Mike had talked to him about it often enough.
    But “knowing” it and knowing it