Chapter 69
SIXTY-NINE
Lookout Mountain
Bertha Benton had tortured herself by watching repeats of the news story about her daughter and granddaughter.
The one she’d never known about.
Nerves tightened her stomach. She had a strong unsettling feeling her husband had known though. And that he’d lied to the police and to her and that he’d kicked Minnie out of the house because of the pregnancy.
Granted, Minnie had been depressed and acting strangely, but if Bertha had known about the baby, she never would have let Minnie leave. For once in her life, she would have stood up to her controlling husband.
Claude’s ambition and power had been attractive in the beginning of their relationship. But over time, he’d wielded that power against her, beaten down her confidence, alienated her from her former friends and demanded she be the perfect wife in and out of the bedroom.
Now his touch repulsed her.
So why do you stay, Bertha?
A shiver shot through her.
Because she was afraid. Afraid of being on her own. She had no money or job or any place to go.
Neither had Minnie.
Sorrow rooted itself deep in her heart. She and Claude had let her down and now her daughter was dead.
Her husband’s office door squeaked open, then Claude’s footsteps pounded the hardwood floor as he walked down the hall. She wiped the kitchen counter down, anything to avoid looking at him.
“I have a meeting at the office,” he said. “I’ll be back for dinner.”
“Okay,” she said as she folded the drying cloth and laid it on the counter by the sink.
She hoped he’d just leave, but his footsteps approached, then he took her arms and turned her to face him. Bertha inhaled, forcing herself to camouflage the hatred she felt for him with a tiny smile.
“Prepare the prime rib I like so much for dinner tonight. I’ll be here by seven.”
His tone was calm, but she always felt the underlying tension as if his request held a threat behind it. Make him the prime rib and cook it perfectly or she’d pay.
“Of course.”
He dropped a kiss on her cheek and she forced another smile. “Have a good day.”
“You, too.”
Then he grabbed his coat off the hook by the door and his keys and stepped into the garage. Seconds later, the engine rumbled to life and the electric door slid up.
All night she’d lain awake thinking about Minnie’s little girl. If Claude had known about the baby, was there any proof?
If there was and she found it, she’d know for certain he’d lied to her and the police and she would leave him.
Hands shaking, she darted down the hall to her husband’s office.
Normally she didn’t set foot in here but before they had a housekeeper come, she’d cleaned it once a week, so she knew where he kept things.
His work files in one cabinet, an extra internal drive for backup files and their personal finances and information on the home computer instead of his work one.
She slid into his black leather chair and was grateful the computer was already booted up, which meant he’d probably been paying bills. All his domain, not hers.
She scrolled through the file names, but nothing looked out of the ordinary. A list of bills and creditors, which he kept on QuickBooks, insurance company, banking information, a list of investments and his Charles Schwab account.
Another file caught her eye. One with a name she didn’t recognize. She clicked to open it, but it was encrypted.
“What the hell are you doing in here?”
Bertha froze at the sound of her husband’s voice and looked up at his angry face glaring down at her. She’d been so distracted she hadn’t heard his footsteps.
He stormed across the room and slammed the laptop closed. “I warned you that my office was off limits.”
He yanked her by the wrist and shoved her toward the door. She stumbled and cried out then he slapped her, sending her bouncing against the wall and onto the floor.