Chapter 10: Three Years of Blank Lines

Back in the shop, Jasper set the manila envelope on the workbench between us and left it there.

It was past midnight.

Greta had gone home to sleep before her shift, and she had made me promise to text her every hour.

I had texted her at eleven and at twelve.

"Open it," I said.

"You open it."

"It's yours."

"It's the reason I was in that crowd," he said. "I think you've earned it."

I slid my thumb under the flap.

Inside were three sets of papers, each stapled at the corner.

The top page of each said the same thing across the heading.

Petition for Divorce.

Jasper MacAvoy, Petitioner.

Lorna Standish MacAvoy, Respondent.

I turned to the last page of the first set.

On the signature line for the respondent, there was nothing.

I checked the second set, and the third.

Three years of papers, and Lorna's line was blank every time.

"She never signed," I said.

"Not once."

"Then you're not divorced."

"No."

"And neither is she."

"No."

I stared at the blank line.

The room felt very quiet.

"Jasper," I said slowly. "On Saturday she stood on a roof in front of a livestream and promised herself to Preston Ackerly."

"Yes."

"She's still your wife."

"Yes."

"That makes it a crime."

"In this state it's a felony," he said. "Bigamy. Marrying someone while you're still legally married to somebody else."

I sat down hard on the stool.

"Preston said the wedding wasn't legal," I said. "He said it was a show."

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