The Wife He Left Behind novel · Chapter 13 of 24

Chapter 13: What He Knew in March

I was on the stairs before I decided to move.

Stellan had his jeans on and nothing else, and he was behind me, close enough that I felt him there.

I had my phone in my hand with the recorder already running.

Tobias stood in my kitchen in his overcoat, with the light off.

He had a canvas bag open on the table.

My digital recorder lay beside it, the one I charge on the counter, and he had his hand on it.

"Put that down," I said.

He didn't jump.

He turned around slowly and gave me a tired smile.

"Cas. I knocked."

"You used a key."

"It's my house."

"It's half yours, on paper. The back door lock is mine. I'm having it changed at nine."

"I only came to get some papers." He glanced at the recorder. "And this. I think it's better if we both stop recording each other, don't you?"

"Put it down, Tobias."

His eyes went over my shoulder, and the smile changed.

"Well," he said. "Captain."

Stellan didn't answer.

He came down the last two stairs and stood beside me, not in front, with his arms at his sides.

"You work fast," Tobias said to me. "Not even a night since the porch."

"Leave."

"I'm going. I just want to say one thing to both of you, since it's such a cozy morning."

He set the recorder down on the table, gently, and pushed it a few inches toward me.

Then he looked at Stellan.

Keep reading free with an account. Start The Wife He Left Behind from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.