The Dark Room by Lisa Gray

Author:Lisa Gray [Gray, Lisa]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2022-10-24T16:00:00+00:00

19

MARTHA

“She’s lying.”

Those were the first words Leonard said as Martha slipped into the seat across the table. He had a whisky in front of him and had ordered a red wine for her. He’d texted earlier to suggest they meet in a bar just off Times Square to discuss his visit with Caroline.

“Hello to you too, Leonard.”

Martha shrugged out of her leather jacket. The place was busy, even for a Saturday night. It was a sports bar, with a row of flat-screen televisions that could be viewed from the bar stools or the tables. Even though she wasn’t a big sports fan, Martha liked the relaxed vibe. Plus, the food at the next table looked good, and there appeared to be a wide selection of reasonably priced drinks.

“Sorry, hello,” Leonard said. “How was your day?”

“Fine, apart from a baby who didn’t stop screaming for a full fifty-five minutes. He finally tired himself out and fell asleep for the last five minutes of the shoot, so I was able to get some okay shots in the end—thankfully. I don’t think a furious six-month-old throwing teddy bears everywhere was the look the parents had in mind.”

“Glad that it all worked out.” He gestured to her drink. “I ordered you a merlot. Hope that’s okay. Maybe I should have waited until you got here and asked what you actually wanted to drink.”

Leonard’s fingers drummed an annoying beat on top of the table, and she could feel his leg bouncing up and down beneath it. He seemed all hyped up. She wondered if it was a shot of adrenaline from being in Caroline’s company again.

Martha took a sip. “No, the wine is fine. This is a nice bar.”

“Glad you like it. It’s one of my favorites.” He sipped some whisky. “Jim Sanders from Rise & Shine used to drink here often, along with a few others from the network. Haven’t seen him in months, though.”

“Others including Caroline?” Martha asked lightly.

Leonard scoffed. “Are you kidding? Not fancy enough for her. Wine bars with overpriced cocktails and influencers taking photos of their drinks and food they have no intention of eating is more her scene.”

“Tell me about your visit to her place in Bedford,” Martha said. “Why do you think she lied to you?”

“For starters, she looked like she’d seen a ghost when she opened the door and found me standing there.”

“To be fair, if my ex showed up on my doorstep, I’d be none too pleased either. And I have nothing to hide.”

“She was all jittery too,” Leonard said. “The whole time I was there, it was like she was on edge, and that’s not like Caroline at all. If you’ve ever seen her on TV, you’ll know she’s calm and confident, even when there’s a big breaking news story happening live on air. I swear, her hands were shaking when I confronted her about the money.”

“What did she say?”

“That she couldn’t remember taking it out of the bank or what it was for, but if she had been the one to make those withdrawals, it was probably for the wedding.

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