after that.
Always shortly after midnight.
Always approximately five minutes.
At first, I told myself I was imagining things.
But then I noticed something that made me uncomfortable.
Richard always carried his phone when he entered her bedroom.
One night, I saw him looking at the screen as he stepped into the hallway.
When he noticed me standing near the kitchen, he immediately slipped the phone into his pocket.
“Richard? Is everything okay?”
He stopped.
“Yes, Susan. Everything’s fine.”
“Were you checking on Emily?”
“Just making sure she’s comfortable. It’s very hot tonight.”
He gave me a faint smile and walked away.
But something about his expression bothered me.
For the first time in all the years I’d known him, I felt that he was hiding something.
The following morning, I watched Richard and Emily eating breakfast together.
They laughed as usual.
Emily seemed perfectly happy around him.
I tried
