Chapter 35
Thirty-Five
Aubrey
“This guy doesn’t hang onto much,” I comment as I flip through a stack of work files in Jack’s home office. It isn’t the first
time I’ve been in here, but Ellie doesn’t need to know that.
“He’s a minimalist.” Ellie confirms as she lifts another box from the closet.
“Minimalists aren’t sentimental. I appreciate that,” I say.
Ellie doesn’t reply, just continues digging through another box. We’ve been at this for an hour. I’m not sure what we’re looking
for exactly, but I’m starting to think it isn’t here.
“Hey—” I close the folder in my hand and toss it back onto the stack. I move across the room to settle beside Ellie on the
floor. “Do you have access to his office downtown? Maybe he keeps the good stuff there.”
Ellie considers. “No—maybe his secretary would let me in, but she would tell him.”
“You don’t think you could guess the passcode or find a key to get us in?”
“Maybe the passcode is the same as the laptop I found. I’m not sure.” She’s still digging through a box, distracted. “Wait!”
“Wait, what?” I lean closer.
“I’ve never seen this box before.” Ellie’s holding a gunmetal box that’s engraved with Jack’s initials.
“It looks like a gun case.”
“Oh,” she says. “Do you think . . .” she frowns, as if considering her next words.
“Do I think what?” I ask.
“Never mind.” Ellie shakes her head, then flips the lock on the box and opens it. “What the fuck?”
“It’s a phone . . .” I state the obvious.
Ellie powers on the smartphone, waiting for the screen to come to life. “I think I know what this is.” As soon as the screen
powers up she navigates to the messaging app. She opens it, then shakes her head when she finds the inbox empty. “Maybe I’m
wrong.”
“What did you think it was?” I ask.
“Those threatening messages I’ve been getting . . . I thought maybe it was him.”
“Hm.” I swipe the phone from her palm and then open the few apps that are on the home screen. Nothing interesting stands out
to me beyond a few financial apps and one for mobile banking. “Wait—check this out.” Ellie leans in when I open the contacts
on the phone. “The only contact is you.”
“Oh . . .” she breathes. “Do you think . . .”
“Do I think that he’s been sending you threatening messages from this phone and deleting the evidence once he’s finished?”
I glance at her. “Maybe.”
She nods then sighs. “I never thought . . . I don’t understand why . . .”
“To undermine you and fuck with your sanity would be my guess,” I say.
“So my own husband has been stalking me?” Anger flares in Ellie’s voice.
“Maybe. I guess we don’t have proof—”
“This is proof enough for me. What man has an extra phone? He’s up to something, that’s for sure. An affair, shady business
deals, something.” I plant the seed that her husband is a dishonest prick.
“What am I supposed to do now?” Ellie asks.
“Well,” I say, shoving the phone back in the box and closing the lid. “First things first: did you turn off the security camera
feed you found?”
“No, I didn’t want to alert him that I know. He doesn’t have a camera here in his office, though.”
“Okay . . . good, so at least he doesn't know what we’ve found. Not yet anyway.”
“Should I keep the phone? Throw it away? What’s a woman supposed to do when she finds out her husband is keeping secrets?”
I hold Ellie’s gaze for a few long beats, considering how to say my next words.
“I say we beat him at his own game.”
“I don’t know—I’m not good at playing games.” Ellie says.
“Lucky for you, I am.” A slow grin spreads across my face.
Ellie laughs awkwardly. “Should I be scared right now?”
“No—no, of course not.” I push the metal box back into the cardboard one she found it in. “First we need to confirm he’s been
sending these messages.”
“How?” Ellie asks.
“I bet my ex on the police force can get the call records to see what Jack has been up to on this phone. It might be a burner,
but nothing is untraceable these days.”
“And then what?” Ellie whispers.
“Well . . .” I arch an eyebrow. “Do you still have the milk and honey that was delivered from Westchester?”
Ellie frowns. “Yeah—why?”
“There’s been a change of plans—I think we need to adapt,” I say.
“What about Kat? Should we ask her what she thinks?”
I shake my head. “I think Kat would approve.”
“Aubrey?” she says as we stand, shoving the box of Jack’s secrets back in the closet.
“Yeah?” I say.
“What’s in the honey and milk?”
I cross my arms and lean against the doorway to Jack’s office. “I don’t know for sure, but if I had to guess . . .” I pause,
thinking through how much to reveal to Ellie. “Kat told you about the poisonous flowers in the Westchester garden, right?”
Ellie nods, so I continue. “Well, bees that collect pollen from toxic flowers make toxic honey, if the percentage of toxic
pollen is high enough. The same thing with cows that graze on toxic plants—it taints the milk.”
“So . . . you think she wants me to poison my dad?” Ellie whispers.
I shrug. “Knowing her . . . yes.”
I watch El’s features as she processes the truth about the delivery from Westchester. All I can think is how trusting this
woman is—how easily led. I’d resent her for her weakness, but I’d rather use it to my advantage. Ellie thinks she knows the
truth, but the reality is that she’ll never know the depths of her father and husband’s corruption and depravity.
Not until the timing is right. Not until The Society is ready for her to know everything.