I cried in my husband’s arms at the airport as he boarded what he claimed was a two-year work assignment in Zurich.

sure Lucas actually left.”

 

Something cold moved through my chest.

 

 

“He left,” I said. “He got on the plane.”

 

“To San Diego,” she replied.

 

I closed my eyes.

 

Not Zurich.

 

Not even Palm Springs directly.

 

San

Diego.

 

“He had a connection,” she continued. “A private car booked from there. Palm Springs by evening.”

I tightened my grip on the phone. “How do you know that?”

 

“Because I’ve been following his arrangements for six weeks.”

 

The room seemed suddenly smaller.

 

I looked at the laptop again. The bank screen had dimmed. The confirmation button was still there, waiting like a trap.