Chapter Six
Her Birthday Evening
Monday Evening, September 6, 2010, Brentwood
When Grace returned from the museum, she’d expected to see her driveway full of cars and the place lit up for a party. What she found instead was Alan’s Saab parked in its usual spot and the house quiet and dark.
Lights were on in the kitchen, where Alan was stirring a steaming pot. She didn’t have to ask him what it was. Pasta was the only thing he made, and she could smell his usual choice of prepared tomato puree simmering in the saucepan. When he was feeling expansive, which was apparently not today, he threw in a fistful of Greek olives and a spoonful of capers “for zest.”
He must be starving was her first thought. She gave him a quick, enthusiastic kiss, which he merely accepted. She set her purse on t
