Shadow of Death by Yolonda Tonette Sanders

you lie to me about the triple homicide? Why did you stay gone all night Saturday, rejecting me when clearly I was making advances toward you? And—”
    Troy cut in before the questions could continue. She wasn’t yelling now. That was a good sign. He gave her his account of Friday evening to the best of his recollection. “That is me in the pictures, but I swear to you that I didn’t consciously do anything with her. In every picture, my eyes are closed. She drugged me.” He then went on to explain why he did not have sex with her on Saturday night and why he chose to stay at a motel instead. “I promise I was going to tell you. I don’t know how she found out about the lingerie. I haven’t spoken to her.” Troy looked and saw Nate’s toy still on their dresser. “The car!” He got up and threw it to the ground, stomping it to pieces.
    â€œWhat are you doing?”
    â€œI think there’s some kind of listening device in here.”
    â€œWhat!”
    â€œThink about it, babe. We don’t know who sent this to him and the only way Cheryl can know details that I never disclosed to her is by spying on us somehow. Remember, I was holding the car the other night when I came upstairs and you were dressed up. I know it sounds crazy, but that has to be it. No one we know has admitted to sending the car—not Corrine, Aneetra, or any of our family members. There’s no possible way she could know about what you wore Saturday unless she was listening, and the only way she could have done that is with this car.”
    Natalie was eerily quiet for several moments as if she were soaking his words in like a sponge. Troy’s anxiety level began to decrease as he now felt confident that he was able to explain his side of things to her. He also wondered, to be on the safe side, if they should throw out the souvenir blankets the twins had received. Natalie wiped the few remnant drops from her eyes and took a deep breath. “How stupid do you think I am? It’s one thing for you to mess around on me and then have the decency to come clean once you’re busted. But, that’s apparently too much like right because you’d rather make up this story about her spying on us and stalking and drugging you, and I’m supposed to be crazy enough to believe it. You’re like a freakin’ giant compared to her!” Natalie was now very much in control of her emotions and her words. They were as sharp as daggers, piercing through Troy’s heart. “I trusted you. I’ve trusted you more than anyone I’ve ever trusted in my entire life and you made a fool out of me. You left me this morning so you could meet up with her.”
    â€œNo, I didn’t. I left to go to the FBI office.” He then added the information about what had happened when he spoke to the agent.
    â€œJust stop, Troy! Stop lying to me and yourself. I saw the message you sent to her this morning asking her to meet you.”
    That was it…the nail in the coffin.
    â€œIf she was harassing you as you say, why would you ask to meet her anywhere?”
    Troy tried to explain his logic. “Don’t you think that if I was meeting her for some sexual rendezvous, I would’ve asked to meet at a hotel and not the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center? C’mon, Natalie. Think about it.”
    â€œI have. I’ve done nothing but think about it all morning. I was on the verge of believing we could work through this if you would have come in here telling the truth. I’m sure, after all the damage I’ve done to other women’s marriages back in the day, I probably had this coming. What goes around, comes around; I get that. I also see that you’re not the person I thought you were. The Troy I married would at least be honest, even after making a huge mistake.” She got up, pushing him out of the way.
    â€œBaby—”
    â€œShut up!” The race