When One Man Dies (34 page)

Donne leaned closer to the screen. He couldn’t tell who it was.

The camera zoomed in slowly. The spotlights were out of view. The woman wore blue sweatpants and a white tank top. She was slumped over. Her wrists were tied to the arms of the chair. Her brown hair had fallen in front of her face.

The camera pulled in tight on the torso of the woman. She was shaking and her arms appeared bruised. The bruises had occurred some time ago, however, because they had yellowed on the outside. The woman lifted her head and the hair fell away from her face. Her mouth was covered in duct tape. Her nose was runny. And her eyes looked directly into the camera.

Donne’s throat closed.

Jeanne Baker stared back at him, eyes wide at the camera, a tear trickling down the left side of her face. He could hear muffled screaming through the duct tape.

He said her name. He said it twice.

The screen went blank.

“No!” Donne shouted and grabbed the monitor. He shook it, as if that was going to help. Nothing happened.

He clicked on the mouse, hoping the triangle play button would appear. It didn’t. Donne didn’t know long he sat there clicking. It felt like only seconds. He didn’t stop until he heard the door open behind him.

He turned and saw Kate, two boxes in her hands.

“Hey,” she said. “I thought you might want to take a break from studying and help me with the invitations.”

Chapter 2

“What’s wrong?” Kate put the box of invitations on the coffee table.

Donne blinked. “I didn’t expect to see you this morning.”

She smiled. It was the smile she gave the first time he opened a car door for her. The time he brought her roses at work. Each time she’d smile the smile she was giving now and call him “the gentleman.” And then remind him it was the 21
^st
Century.

“Well.” She tilted her head. “I’m here. Let’s get stuffing.”

Kate waited for him just for a moment, as if she expected him to take the initiative. He didn’t move. It felt like he was stuck to his computer chair, as if the seat had iced over and caught his body with it. When he didn’t move, she pulled the first envelope.

“Got to do my mother first, right? She’d probably be offended otherwise.” She took an invitation, glanced over it and then slid it into the pink envelope.

If this had been a normal moment, Donne would have laughed and asked why her mother even needed an invite. She was paying for most of the damn thing. They would have laughed and Kate would have reminded him about tradition.

Not today.

“Kate, I—” He turned and looked at his computer. The web browser was still open to the blank video page. He clicked it closed. “I have to study. I haven’t even started yet.”

She licked the glue of the envelope and sealed it. Put it on the coffee table next to the box. Donne leaned back in his chair and watched her stand up and walk toward him. Slowly, like the first night they made love. The smile changed now. No longer confused. Confident.

She put both hands on the arms of his chair and leaned in close. Her hair smelled like blueberry shampoo.

“You said you were going to get up early and work.”

“When did I say that?”

“When don’t you say that?”

She leaned in closer and her lips parted slightly. “You work too hard.”

“If I don’t, I won’t be finished with this.”

“I’m sure you’ll do fine.” She leaned in closer.

Before their lips could meet, Donne flashed on to Jeanne. Tied up in that chair. Her eyes wide. Screaming behind duct tape.

He tilted his head out of the way of Kate and stood up. She stepped back and brushed hair in front of her face, as if she was trying to hide it.

“What is wrong with you?” Her voice was the edge of glass.

“I told you, I have to study.”

She shook her head. “That’s not it.”

He stood up, feeling ice form in his chest. Someone must have turned the thermostat down when Donne wasn’t looking.

Jeanne, no Kate, had her arms folded in front of her. Donne stepped in close to her, put his hands on her elbows. Squeezed gently.

“I’m—I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m stressed. There’s a lot to be done. Finals. The wedding. We have a lot to do. You surprised me.”

“But you . . .” Kate shook her head. “You’ve been doing this a lot lately.”

Donne closed his eyes and took in a long breath. He kissed her on the cheek. “I don’t mean to.”

He wanted to explain, tell her about Jeanne. Tell her about the video. Tell her about the blood on his hands. All the blood. He should have done that a year ago. But it never felt like the right time. It still didn’t.

“Then why do you do it?”

“Did you take today off?” he asked.

“I have a meeting later this afternoon. Last minute preparation for court. Took the morning off, thought we could stuff some envelopes and then get lunch.”

That sounded good. It sounded exactly like what he needed. But the walls felt like they were closing in on him. His mouth was dry and his throat was tight. He needed to go do something, anything, and try and find out what that video was about.

“I really need to study. Get this over with. What time is your meeting over?”

Kate pursed her lips. “I’m done at four.”

“In that case, I’ll be done at four,” he said. “I’ll pick you up and we can go to Silvio’s and get a real meal. Then I’m good for some beer and all the envelope stuffing you want to do.”

The glint returned to her eyes. She didn’t smile. Didn’t unfold her arms.

“Okay.”

Donne dropped his hands to his sides. “I really need to study. Why don’t you stay here? I’ll go down to the library and get some work done. Hard to procrastinate there.”

“If you end up at the Olde Towne—”

Donne laughed. “That’s the last place I’ll be.”

“I was just going to say ‘call me.’”

They didn’t say anything for a moment. The silence hung in the air like gnats on a summer night. They stared at each other, Donne waiting for her to move first. Either toward the couch or the door.

She didn’t.

He gave in. After kissing her on the cheek again, he went toward the door. Pulled it open and stepped out into the hall. The door swing shut behind him. The hall smelt of wet pizza boxes. He took two steps, but stopped when Kate opened his door again.

“Jackson,” she said.

He turned and waited. The ice in his chest got colder.

“You forgot your books.”

The knot in his stomach eased and he went back to gather his things. There wasn’t much. Two text books, a binder and a pen. He shoved them into his bag, zipped it closed and headed back toward the door.

“I love you,” he heard Kate say.

He pulled the door shut and kept going.

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