The Burden of Desire. Natalie Charles

Sally had worked to bring her nonexistent killer to justice. She tried to identify the source of the tension that balled the muscles around her neck. Was she actually angry that Ronnie Kruger was alive? Sally rubbed at her temple, where a headache had started to throb. No need to engage in psychotherapy right now. There were more pressing concerns.

      Ben made his way around to her side of the table. Had he always been so broad-shouldered, or was that the marine in him? He carried himself as if he owned the room. She’d have to remind him that he didn’t.

      “I’m new to the office,” he explained in an easy manner as he slid into the chair beside her. “Sally’s showing me the ropes.”

      He gave her a smile. She gritted her teeth. “Mrs. Kruger,” she said in a voice that sounded almost calm. “First of all, I’m glad to see you’re doing well. It would be an understatement if I said that I was very concerned about you.”

      “And I feel terrible about that, believe me.” The woman’s hand flew to her heart, and her blue eyes widened. “Mitch and I had a terrible argument, and I’m ashamed to say I went a bit out of my mind.” Her eyelids lowered and she shook her head contritely. “I left my son. My poor boy, James, was so worried. I had no idea.”

      Sally reached for the box of tissues beside her when she noticed that tears had started to well in Ronnie’s eyes. “Please, help yourself. We’re always well stocked with tissues around here.” She slid the box across the table.

      “Thank you.” Ronnie took one out and proceeded to dab at both eyes and blow her nose. “The idea of Mitch being on trial for my murder? Well, I came home as soon as I found out.”

      Ben leaned forward across the table, his dark eyes staring intently at her. “That must have been some argument.”

      Ronnie sniffed, swiping the tissue beneath her upturned nose. “It was. I’m so embarrassed.” She ran a finger below one eye. “I found out that Mitch was cheating on me. Had been for a long time. My world exploded.” Her chin trembled.

      “So Mitch was unfaithful?” Sally chewed on this fact for a moment. “He told us that you’d been arguing about something trivial. Specifically, that he’d left a mess in the kitchen that morning.”

      “Is that what he said?” For a flash of a second, she looked surprised. Then she quickly recovered. “I guess it may have started out that way. I’m not surprised that he didn’t mention his infidelity. It’s not the kind of thing he would advertise. It was a woman he worked with. Younger.” Ronnie inhaled a ragged breath.

      “Do you have the woman’s name?” Sally reached behind her to open a small cabinet drawer. In her haste, she had forgotten to bring a pen and paper with her, but the cabinet was stocked with lined pads and ballpoint pens.

      “I don’t remember.” Ronnie sniffled. “I’ve blocked out so many of those details. It’s all like a bad dream now.” Her chin twitched and her shoulders sagged as if she was about to crumple. “I was devastated. Our marriage, the life we built together, all of it was a lie. I blacked out.”

      “Amnesia,” Marlow explained. “Mrs. Kruger doesn’t remember anything after the argument.” He placed a hand on her shoulder as she shuddered. “There now. No one’s upset with you.”

      “I wouldn’t say that just yet.”

      Sally’s attention snapped to Ben. His mouth was pulled tightly as he studied Ronnie. “Ben, I don’t think—”

      “For the past year, law enforcement has been working hard to find you, Mrs. Kruger, and you’re saying that you never had any idea?” He sat straighter in his chair. “And yet, after almost a year of amnesia, you regain your memory enough to come back home right before your husband is tried for your murder. I find that hard to believe.”

      He was in full litigator mode, his face blank, his muscular body imposing even as he sat at the table. Sally followed his gaze to Ronnie, who had balled her tissue in her fist. “I told you the truth. I woke up in Vegas without any idea who I was. No ID, nothing. I was treated at a clinic and released. I’ve been living in a motel and waiting tables.”

      “Mrs. Kruger has a number of people who can swear she’s been in Vegas,” Marlow interjected. “I called a few of them myself, and I’ll email the list to the police.”

      “Copy us on that, please,” Sally said. Marlow nodded and made a note.

      Ben turned in his chair, still intent on watching Ronnie. Sally couldn’t read his expression, but she was guessing that he didn’t buy anything she’d just said. “Let’s back up a minute. Now, you had an argument with Mr. Kruger. What was the nature of that argument?”

      “It may have started out with something minor, but then I learned he was...that he’d been unfaithful.” Ronnie’s posture had shifted, and now she sat up straight in her seat. All her tears were inexplicably gone. “I remember that we argued, and I walked out. I don’t remember anything after that.”

      “Did he hurt you?” Sally asked.

      “No.”

      “So you remember that he didn’t hurt you?” Ben observed.

      Ronnie eyed him coldly. “Mitch has never raised a hand to me.”

      Sally nearly shivered from the icy glare Ronnie thrust at him. “Mrs. Kruger, I’m sure you’ve heard that we found an awful lot of blood—your blood—on an area rug that your husband discarded after your disappearance. Any idea how that blood got there?”

      She blinked several times and looked around the room. “Now that I think about it, when I was in Vegas, I discovered this.” She lifted a section of hair on the side of her head to reveal a thick, jagged scar. “I have no idea where it came from, but maybe I fell during our argument.”

      “Could explain the amnesia,” Marlow interjected. “Bumps on the head, right?”

      “You think you fell?” Sally’s eyebrows shot up. The scar was ugly, but any injury that would have produced so much blood on the carpet would have been fatal. “Did you receive stitches?”

      “I don’t...” Ronnie turned to Marlow. “Am I in trouble?”

      “Absolutely not. Ben, Sally, I’m not sure what the cop routine is all about. Maybe you should leave that to our fine men and women in blue.” Marlow placed his hand on Ronnie’s arm and leaned forward in his chair. “Mrs. Kruger has been through a terrible shock. She’s told you she doesn’t remember anything. Now, kindly do what you need to, to verify that she is alive, so we can reunite her with her husband, who is still rotting in jail. Any further questions as to what happened that night will have to come from a police officer.”

      Ben’s face relaxed into an easy smile, and he turned to Sally. “Well, partner, you’re the one who has to file that motion. Are you satisfied that Ronnie Kruger is alive?”

      Sally studied her one more time. Ronnie Kruger had a small mole on the left side of her chin. All the missing persons reports had mentioned that mole, and Sally had seen it in each and every photo, and again right now when she looked at Ronnie. “Yes, I’m satisfied.”

      “Great.” Marlow rose and indicated that his client’s wife should do the same. “We’ll stick around and wait for you to file that emergency motion. I expect we’ll be pulled in front of the judge in no time.”

      “No doubt,” Sally replied flatly.

      She watched as Marlow held the door for Ronnie and then followed her out, closing it behind them. She exhaled. “I don’t even know—”

      “This stinks.” Ben sat back in his chair. “She just told us a bunch of damn lies. What, are we supposed to believe she had post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of some argument with her husband?” His face darkened. “This is wrong.”

      “The cheating is all new,” Sally said. “Mitch told us that they’d argued over dirty dishes.”