Chapter 31

CHAPTER 31

Willow

Now that Tyler is dead, I should feel safe, but I don't. I guess I thought there would be some sort of wave of relief. Maybe it just hasn't really sunk in yet.

"Let's go out to eat," Samantha says as she stares into our refrigerator.

"Sounds good to me."

She's already dressed and ready to go since she went back to work today. I decide to change out of my yoga pants and put on some mascara.

The same day Durango left last week, he also got called for an assignment that required him to leave that night. I guess the moment he's considered safe, they put him back to work. I miss him and wish he were here. But I don't want to bring Samantha down, so I put on a smile.

We step onto the elevator.

"How was your day?"

Samantha has been quiet since she returned home, which is unusual for her.

"It was good, actually. I was nervous, not sure how people were going to treat me."

The elevator doors open, and we walk through the lobby to get outside.

"Remember, I told you two other women complained, too? Well, we compared stories today and?—"

"Samantha Coleman?" a man in a suit asks.

"Yes," she replies.

He holds up a photo and stares at both of us, then turns it around for us to see.

"These are for you." He hands Samantha a document while I stare at the photo.

It appears to be a doorbell photo, and we are on the front porch of Carmen's Connecticut home.

The man walks away, and we review the document. It's actually two papers.

"A nondisclosure agreement," Samantha says.

"How did she find us?" I ask.

Samantha's phone rings. "Hello?" she answers. A female voice comes through, and she puts it on speakerphone.

"You received the papers?"

"Yes. Clearly, you have my number, so why not just call me in the first place?" Samantha asks.

"Because you would have ignored my calls. I needed you to know I was serious."

"How did you find us?" I ask.

"Samantha's license plate was in view of one of my security cameras. With that, it wasn't hard to find you. Now, let me make myself clear. If you don't sign the NDAs and return them to the man waiting on the corner, I'll be forced to let it leak to Benson Hyde that you have a copy of that incriminating video."

Holy shit, she's blackmailing us. I turn and notice the man who gave us the papers is standing nearby. He gives a little wave.

"Who is Benson Hyde, and why would he care if we have a video of Tyler having sex?" I ask.

Carmen sighs. "Don't play dumb. I confronted Tyler about the video, and he informed me you were also in possession of a video with Hyde. Tyler was scared for his life. Apparently, rightfully so."

"How the hell do you know Benson Hyde?" I ask.

"Everyone knows Benson."

Everyone? Now I wish Durango was here so I could ask him what he found out about this guy.

"I don't believe you. You wouldn't risk this Hyde guy thinking you're aware this video exists. This is a bluff," Samantha says.

"Hey." I grab Samantha's arm, and she holds the phone away. "What's the big deal? We'll just sign it. We aren't telling anyone about this anyway," I whisper.

"I don't like being threatened," Samantha says. She places the phone back between us.

"Trust me, I can get that information to Benson without going directly to him. I'm not worried. Now, are you going to sign those?"

"Yes," I blurt out.

Samantha glares at me.

"Very good." Carmen ends the call.

The man in a suit walks back over and holds out a pen and a folder. "Something for you to write on," he says.

I quickly scan the document, and it's a standard NDA stating we will never mention the video of Carmen and Tyler. I sign it and hand it back. Samantha does the same. I watch in disbelief as the man notarizes the documents. "I'll need to see some ID from each of you to confirm you are who you say you are," he says.

I hand him my old Oregon driver's license. Samantha sighs and hands him her New York ID.

"You're a traveling notary?" Samantha asks.

He smiles. "Sure am."

"And you serve documents?" she asks.

"Well, not normally, but this was a special request. Thank you for your time." He puts his notary stamp back into the backpack he's carrying, places our documents into his folder, and walks away.

"I don't like this at all," Samantha says. "If her threat was real, there is nothing stopping her from telling Hyde about us in the future."

I nod. "I doubt she would. I don't think she wants anyone to know about her and Tyler. And besides, all the videos have been destroyed. Well, except whatever might still be on Tyler's computer."

We walk to the restaurant in silence, each deep in our own thoughts. After we are seated, she leans forward.

"We need the world to find out about that video and what happened to Tyler. It's the only thing that will keep us safe," she says.

She's right.

"Since he was murdered, the police probably took his computer as part of the investigation. When they watch the video, they'll know who likely killed him. I think if we wait, it will all sort itself out," I say.

"Will they, though? He was killed in New York. The police in Portland might not be involved at all," Samantha says.

I feel a little sick, realizing she's right.

"And even if the police did take his computer, if someone starts watching those videos, they will probably assume they are all sex videos and not watch all of them."

They wouldn't check each one? Samantha did have to go through hours and hours of video before she finally found that one.

"Maybe they just need a tip that there is evidence hidden in those videos," I say.

We agree to discuss ideas back in the privacy of the apartment, and instead, we talk about her day at work. I don't envy her at all. It can't be easy going back. People talk, especially about affairs and suspensions.

As we walk back to the apartment, my eyes are on everyone, worried someone might be watching us. I really didn't expect to hear from Carmen again after we left her home.

"I'm happy to hear no one is treating you badly at work," I say.

She laughs. "They need me, and they know it. However, the letter in my HR file will stay. I tried to get it removed but lost that argument."

"Well, I mean, you did have an affair with your boss."

She rolls her eyes. "I didn't realize he was a VP at the time. And why are there so many VPs in my company?" She stops walking a few feet from our building's door. "Have you seen someone following us?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Because you've been looking behind us for the last three blocks."

I glance around again. "I haven't seen anyone. I guess after that man came up to us earlier, I'm paranoid someone else might find us."

Her hand goes to my shoulder. "No one else is looking for us."

I hope she's right.

I follow her into the building and up to the apartment.

Samantha locks the door and spins around to me. "We need to get a burner phone."

"A burner phone?"

She nods. "We call the Portland police station with that phone and tell them about the video on Tyler's computer."

"Huh." I sit on the couch. Her plan isn't too bad. "That might work."

She grins. "I'll go buy a phone now. You figure out what number we need to call."

Before she has a chance to leave, I stop her. "Buy it with cash."

She points at me. "Good call. Okay, I'll be right back."

I have no idea if a burner phone purchase can be traced. Hell, I have no idea where a person even gets a burner phone. But apparently, Samantha has an idea.

While she's gone, I search for the police station we visited outside Portland and find a number to call for non-emergencies.

I want to talk to Durango about all of this, but I don't want to wait. I smile, thinking Durango had a crush on me since I was in high school.

High school. I miss Priscilla, Durango's sister and my once-upon-a-time best friend. Since I got a new phone after everything Tyler did, I lost so many of my contacts, hers included. I decide to reach out on social media. This is something I should have done already, but after I got free from Tyler, I was too ashamed to really reach out to anyone, including my own family.

I send Priscilla a message and hope she responds.

Samantha returns home with the phone. "All right, let's do this." She sits on the couch. "Wait, will the police station be open?"

"Yes, it's in Oregon, and it's not even five o'clock there yet."

I give her the number, and she makes the call. My entire body is tense as she explains to the officer who answered about the video.

"It doesn't matter how I know. What's important is that you find that video and arrest Benson Hyde." She ends the call. "Now we wait," she says.

"What if they don't watch the video? Or arrest Hyde?" I ask.

"One thing at a time. We can't worry about that now." She yawns. "I'm exhausted. I'm going to read for a bit before bed. Will you be okay out here?"

I nod. "I'm fine. Go. Relax."

Relaxing is the last thing I'll be doing. Once she steps out of the room, I grab my phone. There's a message from Pricilla with her phone number.

I call her.

"Willow? Is that really you?" she answers.

"It is. It's been too long!"

After attending college in Virginia, I moved back home, but that only lasted about a year before I knew I had to move back to Virginia. I loved it there. And frankly, there wasn't any work in Montana. This was long before anyone was doing remote work. Or at least no one who was entry-level. I tell Pricilla the short version of my story, leaving out Tyler. That will be a conversation all on its own.

"Where are you now?" she asks.

"Well, I'm living in New York City."

There is a pause. "Really? My brother lives there."

"Yeah. I ran into him." Well, not exactly, but I'm not sure what to say.

"Oh, wow. How's he doing?"

"Pretty good. He seems to really like his job."

She laughs. "He does. It would be nice to see him more often. Tell him that for me, will you?"

My stomach flutters with nerves. "I will. I do have a question about him."

"What?"

She might not even know. But then again, she might.

"We were talking, and he told me he used to have a crush on me when we were in high school. Could that be true?"

She laughs. "You're kidding me, right?"

"No, why?"

"Oh, Willow, it was so obvious he had a thing for you. Anytime you came over, he'd put himself wherever we were. I used to tease him about it."

"I didn't realize. If he had a crush, why didn't he do anything about it?"

She laughed again. "Because I told him I'd ruin his life if he did."

"Wait, you said that?"

"I did. You were my best friend. The last thing I wanted was for him to be creeping around you and scaring you away. Fortunately, he listened to me. He actually tried to convince me he saw you as a sister, which I didn't buy for a minute."

A sister. That's what I overheard him telling her that one time.

"Okay, you're being awfully quiet," she says. "Don't tell me you liked him back?"

"Well…"

"Oh my God! Willow! Are you dating my brother?"

I take a deep breath and just say it. "Yes."

"I'm so happy for you two!"

I laugh. "You were just saying you didn't want him creeping around me."

She laughs, too. "That was when we were in high school. Now it's cool. Please tell me you two will come back to Montana to visit soon."

I would love to go back to see my family. "I hope so. Soon."

"Okay, I'll hold you to it. And it better be before the holidays."

The holidays are several months away. It sinks in that I can actually go home this year. Maybe I can talk to my brothers and everyone can go home to Montana this year. My family and Durango's family. I let myself get lost in the dream of it all.