Chapter 17
CHAPTER 17
S everal times through the night, I woke and checked my messages, but there was nothing, just the usual spam texts and calls from numbers I didn’t recognize.
Finally, when my alarm went off at 7:30 AM, I woke and checked my cell. It was after two in the afternoon back in Nairobi, so Drake should be up and explaining things. Nothing from Drake. There were several phone calls from a number I didn’t recognize and several text messages from the same number. Because my phone was set to send unknown numbers to spam, and only notify Drake’s number after midnight, I hadn’t heard the calls or the chime of a text.
I hesitated to open the first message. Because I got so many spam messages offering me vacation deals, telling me I’d got a big win in some settlement or that I was needed to move money around after someone died and please send my banking info, I usually just deleted them unseen or unheard. This time, only because I still hadn’t got a call or text from Drake, I did.
The first text was from Drake.
DRAKE: Please check your messages. I had to use a burner phone and send from a different number because I lost my cell. Will send a longer message asap.
I opened my phone and listened to the first message Drake left using the other cell.
“ Hi, my love, I’m so sorry I didn’t text or call sooner, but we worked really late because of several cases that were critical. Once we were done, Michael wanted to take us all for a drink in the hotel bar where I’m staying. Then, of all things, an emergency took us back to the hospital. Details to follow.”
I opened the next text message and read the contents. I noted it was sent a close to 1:00 AM Nairobi time.
DRAKE : I accidentally left my cell at the bar when we left in a hurry, and I didn’t realize it until I got to the hospital. Someone probably found it at the bar and will sell it at a local pawn shop. I bought this burner phone at the hospital gift shop and hoped you would at least check your texts and read this even though it’s a different number. I hope you get this soon. I didn’t mean to make you afraid. I love you. Drake XOXOXOX
Then I listened to the next voicemail, which was longer and was sent in the morning, Nairobi time.
“Hi, my love. Just calling to fill in the details and hoping to hear your voice, but of course, I know you have your cell set to block unknown callers, and only let my cell through at night. The reason I didn’t call sooner is because Miranda, Michael’s assistant (and I’m sure his main squeeze — more on that later) inhaled a large olive and I had to perform the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge it from her airway. She passed out from lack of oxygen, so we had to call in emergency services. I went with Michael to the nearest hospital ER and sat with him while they checked her over. I sent a couple of texts to you, and left a message, but I know you won’t get them. Anyway, sorry about the confusion, but know that I love you more than anything and miss you and Sophie. Can’t wait to see you when you get here. Will Skype later today as usual.”
I felt a huge sense of relief after listening to his messages and reading his text and sent one back right away. Relief that at least, he wasn’t dead in the floods.
How could I word my response so that I didn’t sound doubtful about his story? It could be true, but then, who sent me the photo of him naked on a bed with a woman beside him?
Sam?
Some other woman?
KATE: I’m so glad you texted and called me but wish I would have got them sooner. I was worried for a while last night that something had happened to you. We’ll make up for it tonight when it’s your bedtime, and then soon, we’ll all be reunited. Have a good day and don’t work too hard. Love Kate XOXOXO
I sent it, torn about what to say.
Then, I got up and started my day, feeling confused and mixed about the message he’d sent. Yes, it did explain why he hadn’t called, but it did nothing to allay my fear about the photo I had been sent. I had a quick shower and checked in on Sophie and Elaine, who were busy in the kitchen. Sophie was back coloring and Elaine was removing freshly baked scones from the oven.
“Good morning,” I said and kissed Sophie on the top of her head. “Those smell so good.”
“They’re all ready to go. Would you like coffee or are you still so British you want tea?”
I laughed. “Coffee, please. And a scone. Is there some blueberry jam?”
“Strawberry or raspberry, I’m afraid. And no clotted cream.”
“Raspberry!” Sophie said, smiling.
After breakfast, I was searching on my laptop for anything I could find about RiotGrrl in the hopes that I could figure out who sent the photo of Drake. I examined the image closely, trying to decide if it was recent or an older photo. It was hard to tell because the photo wasn’t very high quality, and Drake’s body looked the same as usual.
It could have been from the day before or a decade earlier for all I knew.
My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Sophie’s voice.
“Mommy, are we going now?”
I glanced up from my laptop and saw that she was standing at the entrance to the kitchen, her sunhat in hand.
I closed my laptop and exhaled heavily. I had promised to take her to the beach in the morning, and so my sleuthing would have to wait.
“Sorry, sweetie. I was just doing some work. Let’s go.”
I grabbed my own sun hat and slipped on my sandals. After gathering my things, I found the beach umbrella and then took Sophie’s hand, leading her out the back patio to the beach below the house.
My mind was whirling while we walked the beach, looking for a good place to stop. Had Drake lied to me? Had he slept with someone — maybe Sam and she was getting back at me?
She must know that I’d check with Drake and learn the truth. Did she want to break us up?
With those thoughts swirling in my mind, I walked the beach, searching for a spot. Finally, I found a nice location that was near some larger dunes that would provide protection from the wind. “Let’s stop here. I’ll put up the umbrella. You can play in the sand.”
Sophie found her own spot and plopped down with her pail and shovel. She seemed delighted just to be able to dig and build a sandcastle, but I couldn’t find the necessary energy to join her.
I sat on the beach towel and felt my misery fill me up.
Why would Drake do it?
Had our sex life become so boring, so limited that he would turn to a woman like Sam Cuttington to pass the time? He got her fired…
Drake was handsome and sexy, even now after I’d been with him for years. He was wealthy and skilled and intelligent.
I had to face the fact that any women would find him attractive and desirable. Separated from me, he could have his choice of women.
Nurses at the hospital. Women at the bar in his hotel…
I tried to push that from my mind with positive affirmations. No. We had a wonderful relationship.
Drake loved me.
We had fantastic sex — when we did have it. Like all married couples with children, we had less sex that before, but it was still very good.
I never turned him down and he was always receptive to me.
Why would he cheat, if he did?
I tried not to think about it, but I knew it would torture me until I got to Nairobi and could show him the photo and ask him directly.
We returned home in time for lunch with my father and Elaine. It would be our last lunch, as we were scheduled to take the flight that evening.
With that thought in mind, I got up and started packing for the trip. I would have mixed emotions during the day. Part of me was happy that we were going to see Drake in a short time, and I could clear up the confusion about the photo.
The other part of me was afraid to find out the truth. What if he had cheated on me?
What would I do?
I loved Drake. I was still in love with him. In my heart, I knew I hated the thought of not being his wife, but could I accept his infidelity, if that’s what this was?
What else could it be?
It was Drake. I knew his body.
He was naked with another woman in a bed…
I tried to distract myself so I could get on with my day, but I had a sick feeling in my stomach.
After we were all packed, while Sophie watched something to do with Frozen on the flatscreen, I sat with my laptop and tried to find out as much as I could from RiotGrrl.
There were so many, there was no way I could tell which one was her.
Nor could I tell if the photo was recent or old. I decided to send the photo to a friend at Columbia in the Journalism department who did photojournalism and knew all about photography.
KATE: Hey, Will. Can you tell anything from this image about who sent it and when the actual image was captured? I know you’re the expert on all things digital photography. I want to warn you ahead of time that it’s of a naked man, but the faces are covered up. No, I don’t search the net for porn, but I did get this image sent to me in an email yesterday. Thanks for any help you can give. Cheers.
I sat back and waited for his reply, hoping he had enough skills to figure out something enlightening about the photograph.
In a few moments, I got a text back from Will.
WILL: Can you forward me the original email? I could check that out as well. Give you any idea of who sent the email.
KATE: Thanks a million, Will. I’ll forward it to you right away.
I forwarded him the original email, and then, with nothing else to do but wait, I opened a YouTube window in my browser and surfed videos for a while about the floods in Nairobi and Kenya as a whole. The news was terrible.
Finally, three thirty rolled around and it was time for Sophie and me to Skype with Drake.
We sat on the sofa together, with my father beside us in his wheelchair, and dialed in to the call.
An image came up on the screen with Drake’s smiling face in the center and Sophie practically squealed with delight.
“Daddy!”
“Hey sweetheart! I miss you so much. But we’ll see each other tomorrow, right?” He blew a kiss to us.
“We’re flying tonight and will stay in London for an hour and a half,” I said, blowing a kiss to Drake and smiling.
“How is Miranda?” I asked, wanting to probe his story a bit.
“She took a couple of days off to recover but is otherwise fine. A very sore throat and a bit of a wheeze, but that’s to be expected. Michael is relieved.”
“I bet. She inhaled a large olive?”
“Yes, it was meant for me, but I didn’t want to drink and so I gave the martini to Miranda.”
“Why did you buy a martini and then not drink it?” I asked, confused.
“Oh, someone bought it for me.” Drake shrugged but said nothing more.
I didn’t question him any further, although I would have liked to. But not in front of Sophie and my father and Elaine. I could ask him for a bit more details of the night in a text.
“So, you get on the plane tonight at what time?”
We spoke about the flight and what time we’d be arriving in Nairobi, and Drake promised to meet us there.
“Boss promised that I could take the evening off so I could go to the airport and pick you up.” He smiled. “We have a lovely suite at the Fairmont, which is pretty close to the hospital.”
“Sounds great,” I said, and Sophie was excited.
“Do they have a swimming pool?”
Drake laughed. “Yes, in fact, they do. A nice outdoor pool you can swim in anytime you like.”
We watched as Drake carried his laptop over to the patio attached to his room and showed us the exterior. There were beautiful palm trees and flickering lights in the area between wings of the hotel. Below was a large swimming pool.
“We can’t wait,” I said with a sigh, glad that our separation would soon be over.
We spoke for a while longer and then we all said goodbye, with promises to text and maybe do a call when we were in London for the layover.
After saying goodbye all around, I ended the call and exhaled. Now, all we had left to do was have dinner and then say goodbye before driving to the airport for our eight-ten flight.
I didn’t like saying goodbye to my father, because I never knew if he might suddenly die, but I knew more than anything else, I wanted to be with Drake. I wanted Sophie to be with her father. I wanted us to be together and then meet up with Liam to visit Liam’s grave.
It would be hard to say goodbye, but hopefully, he would be healthy enough to meet us in Ethiopia.