A Day in a Life

Chapter Four

Elijah

W HEN SUZETTE BAXTER opens her door, I have her pegged in two seconds flat. Sometimes reading a person is pitifully easy.

She’s poured into too-tight black jeans with a cream blouse, bright red lipstick, long hair that can’t decide what color it is due to too many trips to the salon, and black army boots. Plus, she’s showing more cleavage than should be morally allowed, perhaps in the name of showing off her five necklaces. Everything about her is over the top.

“Hello, I’m Elijah Garrett. I spoke to you on the phone about discussing Sydni Greer’s case.”

“Yes, of course, I was expecting you. Please come in.” This is followed by a loud cackle of a laugh that actually hurts my ears.

She touches my shoulder twice during those two short sentences.

First impression, Suzette has a predilection toward flirting with any man who has two legs. She’s rather predictable.

I’d laugh, just to be polite, but there’s nothing funny about what she did to Sydni. I don’t find her in the least amusing.

Suzette holds on to my arm, leading me to the couch. “Have a seat. Make yourself comfortable.” Her loud laugh follows. She heads toward the kitchen. “What can I get you to drink? Coffee, tea…or me?” Her ear-splitting laugh makes another appearance. “Just kidding. That was a joke.”

This isn’t going to go well. “Nothing for me, thanks.” Her apartment looks like something straight out of the seventies. Macramé projects cover the walls. Strings of beads guard the entrance to her bedroom. Shag carpet reaches as far as my eyes can see. I felt sure every scrap of shag carpet had been retired by now. Evidently, it still lives.

“Are you sure?” Suzette asks, crestfallen. It doesn’t stop her from releasing her crazed laugh, though.

“Positive. I’ll only take a few minutes of your time.” Maybe less.

Suzette grabs herself a mug of coffee, then pours a shot of some type of liquor from a metal flask into the black liquid. Before screwing the cap back on, she chugs a few swallows.

That explains the loud laughter. She’s tipsy at ten-thirty in the morning. She sits down next to me on the couch—thighs touching. There are several other places to sit in the small living room.

“Take all the time you need. I’m all yours.” Inevitably, her loud laugh follows. The alcohol on her breath activates my gag reflex.

I get to my feet and move to a chair across from the couch, a coffee table between us as well. “This is easier. Now I can see you face to face.” It’s also a much better choice than the two bean bags plopped on the floor pretending to be seating options. What goes down must come up, and I’m not sure I could manage the up.

“I love being face to face.” Her loud laugh rings in my ears.

Ouch. Suzette acts as though she can’t be a day over twenty-two. Greer likes his women young, but I would never in a thousand years guess Suzette as his type. “May I ask your age?”

“I’m twenty-nine. Still in the prime of my life.” Her laugh implies she just said something hilarious.

I’m surprised by her age. She looks and acts much younger, probably due to the amount of alcohol in her system.

Of course, the tragic day of Sydni’s life happened almost seven years ago. If Suzette’s currently twenty-nine, that would’ve made her around twenty-two at the time their affair began. Not statutory young, but young all the same. Just like Sydni. “And you are engaged to Cole Greer, correct?”

“Yes, I am.” She sits up straighter. “He’s the love of my life.” The dreaded cackle comes next.

I’m not sure how she doesn’t drive the coldly cultured Greer insane. Opposites attract?

“How long have you been seeing Mr. Greer?”

“To be honest, the chemistry between us started the moment we met. I work as a secretary at the same office where Cole works. I was only twenty-two back then. That’s when it started. We’ve been together ever since.”

Oh, that laugh. It’s killing me.

I was right. Greer likes his women young. Probably because he can control them from the get-go.

But he couldn’t control Sydni. I’m proud of her for not giving in to Greer.

“Did you know he was married to Sydni Greer at the time?” I ask bluntly.

“I did. But he said their marriage was falling apart.”

Said every cheating man in the history of the world. “Go on,” I urge.

“He was unhappy about the baby. He felt like he couldn’t leave her while she was pregnant. It was a miracle when she lost it. Thank goodness.”

This time I find her laugh downright offensive. “You do realize it was an extremely traumatic event for Mrs. Greer?”

“She was young. There was plenty of time for more babies later. I didn’t know she’d take her own life over it, but Cole wasn’t surprised at all. He said it was typical of her erratic behavior. Here’s the thing, I’m sure it was postpartum depression. I have plenty of experience with that. My sister got super depressed after her first baby. She could barely get out of bed, moped around all the time. Never wanted to hold the baby. Acted like a crazy lady too.” Her final comment merits a good cackle.

I remain externally impassive at her callous description. On the inside, not so much. If I was the Hulk, I’d be green by now. “I understand Mrs. Greer caught you with her husband on the day of the possible suicide.” I’m not mincing words.

“Oh…how did you know?” For once, there’s no laugh.

“Mr. Greer admitted she walked in on you together when she arrived home from the hospital.”

“That’s weird. He made me promise not to tell anyone. To be honest, it was horrible. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone cry so hard. She could barely catch her breath. I asked if she was okay, but she told me to shut up.” Again, no laughter.

At least she has enough maturity to know when it’s definitely inappropriate to laugh. As for Sydni, I love hearing she had some spunk left in her in spite of the horrible circumstances. It tells me so much about her.

“Anyway, just take a look at the rock on my finger.” Suzette holds out her hand and laughs loudly.

I study her ring for a moment. It is rather large. Probably cost a mint. Greer spared no expense. Makes me wonder if he’s anticipating his disbursement in order to pay it off.

“I understand you’re waiting to marry until Mr. Greer’s first wife is officially declared dead in the eyes of the law.”

“Cole’s cute like that. He wants everything to be perfect. Of course, we don’t let that kind of thing stand in our way as far as our relationship. We live as though we’re already married.”

That laugh. It follows nearly every single thing she says. And it’s not a giggle. It’s a freakin’ cackle. An I-had-a-mimosa-for-breakfast cackle. Or maybe five.

Glad I’m almost done. “So you’re already living with Mr. Greer?”

“Oh, well, no. Not yet. Cole doesn’t think it would look good if we moved in together. But other than that, it’s as if we’re already married. He visits almost every evening after work, and I cook dinner for him. Among other things.” This time she attempts to laugh with a seductive tone. It doesn’t work.

“ Almost every evening?” Why not every evening?

“He’s a busy man. I can’t expect him to be here every night, no matter how much he wants to be here with me.”

Fair enough. “Miss Baxter, I did some research and found that your name on Facebook is listed as Aurora Grace. May I ask why?”

“Oh, that,” she says with the loudest and longest laugh yet.

She doesn’t seem to notice I’m not joining in her laughter. I patiently wait for her to finish.

“You see, I always wanted to be an actress. Aurora Grace was going to be my stage name. It’s pretty, don’t you think? So much better than Suzette.” According to her laugh, her name is apparently hilarious.

“And that’s not your real name either, is it?” I push.

“My mother seemed to think Susie was a really good idea. Not Susan. Just Susie. It’s like I can never grow up, never be taken seriously. I’ll be a child forever. Suzette sounds so much more mature.”

Not if she follows everything with her crazy laugh.

“I understand Mr. Greer feels quite guilty about his wife catching the two of you in the act. How do you feel about it?”

Suzette jumps to her feet. “Oh, hang on. I just gotta run to the potty for a sec.”

Suzette proceeds to run to the bathroom. She doesn’t close the door all the way. I can hear the tinkle of her doing her business as she continues our conversation from behind the halfway-closed bathroom door.

“Guilty? What? Are you kidding? Cole planned it. Since the baby was gone, he wanted Sydni to catch us. He said it was the easiest way to end their marriage once and for all. He knew Sydni wouldn’t put up with cheating.”

I’m quiet for at least a full minute as I absorb this new information. Aurora Grace is too busy cackling to notice my silence.

So far, I’ve learned one very important piece of evidence: Cole Greer is an absolute jerk. Lowest of the low.

And he’s about to inherit eight hundred grand for being the world’s biggest douchebag.

If this was a suicide, it’s on his head.

But I don’t think it was. I think Sydni Greer was smarter than her husband ever gave her credit for.

Suzette exits the bathroom, still tucking in her shirt and zipping up her pants. “Hey, do you want to see my wedding dress? I’m dying to show it to someone. It’s gorgeous. Cole keeps saying don’t talk about it until after Sydni’s declared dead. He thinks it makes us look bad. But since you already know everything, it can’t hurt. C’mon, it’s in my bedroom.” She sends me an odd sort of wink, her false eyelashes sticking together for a moment.

That’s when I excuse myself, saying I have another appointment.

Which is the truth.

But the honest truth is, if I could’ve run out of her apartment without looking like an idiot, I would’ve.