The Pack by Jason Starr

Author:Jason Starr [Starr, Jason]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban, General
ISBN: 9780141972480
Google: Tl9GopXMN-YC
Amazon: 1937007529
Publisher: Ace
Published: 2012-04-23T12:00:00+00:00

SIXTEEN

Alison was enjoying her day off work with Jeremy. In the morning they went to a story hour at the New York Public Library on Eighty-first and Amsterdam, and then Jeremy wanted to go play with his new friends downtown.

“Pleeeeeeaaase,” he begged, frowning adorably.

The cuteness was almost unbearable, but Alison said, “No, that’s what you and Daddy do together. We’ll do something else today.”

So they went to the playground in Central Park, near Ninety-sixth. There happened to be a kid, Miguel, he knew from a gymnastics class he’d taken last year. Miguel’s mother wasn’t there—his nanny had taken him to the playground—so Alison sat on a bench, playing Sudoku on her iPhone for a while, and then her sister called.

Alison explained that she’d taken a day off work so Simon could attend his ex-boss’s funeral, and then Lauren asked how things were going with Simon.

“I have to say,” Alison said, “amazingly well.”

She described how Simon seemed to be making “a serious effort to change,” and how it was like she had “a brand-new husband.”

When Alison was through raving, there was silence on the line. Thinking the call had been dropped, she asked, “Are you still there?”

“I’m here, I’m here,” Lauren said.

“Uh-oh, what’s wrong?” Alison said, but she knew her sister was going to get on her case about Simon again.

“You tell me,” Lauren said.

“Okay, let’s not get into that again.”

“I’m sorry, I’m just very dubious. In a marriage, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”

If anyone else had told her this, Alison probably would have blown off the advice. But it wasn’t like Lauren to butt into someone else’s personal business. She’d always been the logical, levelheaded one in the family. Alison was the one who tended to make emotional decisions, and if Lauren felt that something wasn’t right, Alison couldn’t ignore the possibility that she could be on to something.

“I totally get what you’re saying,” Alison said, “but the idea of him actually cheating on me seems so remote.”

“Okay, I’m going to ask you a question,” Lauren said, “and I want your honest answer. Don’t even think about it, just answer from your gut. Ready?”

“Ready.”

After a dramatic pause, Lauren asked, “Do you think Simon’s hiding something from you?”

“Yes,” Alison said, with no hesitation.

“ ’Nuff said,” Lauren said.

Alison let out the deep breath she’d taken. “So what am I supposed to do, confront him about it?”

“No, I wouldn’t do that,” Lauren said. “You don’t want to cause drama if you don’t have to. Maybe you could, I don’t know, find some evidence?”

“Evidence? You want me to hire a detective?”

“It doesn’t have to be that drastic, but you can do a little snooping yourself. Can you check his cell phone?”

“He always has it with him.”

“Always?”

“Usually.”

“What you have to ask yourself,” Lauren said, “is do you want to find out sooner or later? Take it from somebody who lived with a cheating husband for four years—sooner beats the hell out of later.”

Alison knew her sister was right. Something

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