Chapter 24: Trouble in Paradise
On a Wednesday afternoon, Sam opened the door to the house and kicked off her shoes. It had been a long day at work, including a difficult client and an annoying phone call from the kids’ dad Nic. Apparently, he didn’t like the fact that Emily had an extra soccer practice on one of “his” days. For Sam, this worry was a tiny blip on the radar compared to her own ongoing problems.
As she went into the kitchen to get a beer, Sam realized the house was unusually quiet. Emily and Dax were at Nic’s, Chelsea had an after-school dance class, and Barry must have gone to Ryan’s swim meet. She had the house, and the phone, to herself.
She curled up at one end of the couch, with the phone and her beer, to call Valerie.
“Speak to me!” said the voice that answered on
