Chapter 69
One Week Before the Disappearance
Eric had thought out the execution, and it seemed simple. Almost too simple. They just needed blood and a crime scene. She could donate the blood and stage the crime scene. And it could happen quickly, in the next forty-eight hours. Her heart skipped at the thought that freedom could be that soon.
No mother’s birthday.
No interactions with her father—ever again.
Her problems, all of them—gone.
Eric had the blood bags and draw equipment.
She would drive her Audi out to a secluded spot while Eric was out of town and around plenty of witnesses.
She would stage the scene, then leave on foot and hike to an adjacent road, where she’d catch a ride that would take her far away from the scene.
She’d stay out of town and out of sight during the investigation.
Her departure from the scene and to a safe location could be handled without an accomplice, but they agreed that a trusted individual would reduce the likelihood of a cab driver or public-transport employee identifying or recognizing her if the media ran the story, looking for leads.
The second part of Eric’s plan was a little more concerning, but required if she wanted to keep her life.
She’d have to drastically change her appearance in order to protect her identity and allow her to reunite with Eric.
He had the medical connections and assured her that they could handle all the physical alterations with private surgeries that would be kept confidential, even from police investigations.
She would have to spend six months in seclusion until the baby came to term.
Then the work would begin. A C-section that would include a breast augmentation, liposuction, and tummy tuck.
One month later, the first round of facial reconstruction, including a brow lift, chin and cheek implants, and a facelift.
Six weeks after that, a second round of facial refinements and a dye job, one that would make her a blonde.
She would work with a speech therapist to remove the Italian lilt from her voice and have laser surgery on her eyesight.
She would emerge a completely new version of herself, one that nobody would ever recognize or associate with Roxanne Kendal. Not even her mother.
“And what about you?” she asked, studying her husband. “Will you love me if I look completely different?”
He looked at her as if she were mad. “It’ll still be you, Roxy. I’m in love with your soul, not your face.”
She had been afraid of the change, but also a little excited at what sounded like a supermodel makeover.
For the first time in her life, she would be beautiful.
Not just pretty or cute. Stunning. That was what the plastic surgeon had said after studying her X-rays and using his computer to forecast what her face would look like after the seventeen proposed procedures.
She looked at the woman staring back at her from the computer, and suddenly, the pain and the unknowns around the surgeries didn’t seem so daunting.
She loved the beauty of that woman and, even more, the freedom that woman would have.
She could love her child out in the open.
She could live with her husband without being tied to her family.
She could have more children without worrying about whether they would ever be threatened by organized crime.
She spent a day thinking on it, making sure that she was okay with the plan and all that it entailed.
It wasn’t just the dangers to her and her health; it was also a huge risk to Eric.
Staging a crime was a felony, a risk that was mild compared to the threat from her family, if they ever discovered the truth.
Eric would face their scrutiny and suspicion, and the more believable Roxy’s death, the more they would investigate and harass him.
It would be bad for a long time, and their reaction to her death was likely to be explosive.
The next day they sat down at the dining room table and discussed everything. Eric was on board, and so was she. They talked through every single step and point, then stared at each other for a long uncertain moment.
“You’ll need a new name,” Eric said.
“I’ve thought of that. I think I’ll go with your grandmother’s name. I’ve always liked it, and it’ll be a good way to honor her memory.”
“Andrea?” Eric thought it over, then nodded. “I like it.”
Andrea. Andrea Kendal.
It had a nice ring and seemed fitting for a fresh start.