Tapping the toe of her strappy green patent sandal, she gave him a pitiful smile, “What’s the matter with you, Jim? I haven’t had one word from you in twelve days. Nothing.”

“I’ve been busy. You’ve been busy. I know you’re working through family ‘things’ so I’ve been giving you space. For that one little measly reason, you want a divorce and you didn’t even have the decency to tell me about it first? The phone works both ways, you know.”

“It’s hard to know if I might be interrupting one of your screwing sessions,” she snapped back.

Jim reeled back as if he’d been slapped. “Who told you that? Dean?”

“It doesn’t matter who told me. I know now.” She flicked imaginary lint from her dress.

Jim reached out to take her arm, she jerked it away, “Look, Belinda, baby, those waitresses never meant anything.”

“But my sister-in-law Jill does?” she asked incredulously, it was the only way to hide the hurt.

Jim turned around and dropped his head.

“That’s what I thought,” she said, leaning into him, “I don’t know how long it’s been going on, and I don’t care. At one time, I thought you were my hero – my knight because you took me away from my father. We shared dreams – DREAMS, Jim! You let me down!”

When his shoulders started shaking, she wondered if she had wounded him, but laughter rumbled from his chest and spilled out into the clear summer night. Its maniacal tone filled the sky and danced around the trees until it touched the stars. It sang of wicked deeds, of demons long ago. Belinda didn’t think she’d ever forget the sound of that hollow mirth as it sank into her bones.

Jim’s eyes took on a dangerous glint she hadn’t noticed before this. His spearmint breath wooshed over her when his face loomed in front of hers, “You. Stupid. Bitch. You thought I married you because I wanted to share our dreams? Because I cared? Don’t tell me, you even thought I loved you – that that’s why I married you?” He laughed again up into the night, the patio diners now quiet and staring at the scene the two of them created, fully illuminated by the discreet fixtures camouflaged by the azaleas.

When his gaze returned to hers, his features were half hidden in the darkness and the spotlights only created a more frightening creature that the one she had just witnessed a moment ago. Despite the warm temperature, she shivered at the man before her.

“Oh, no, Belinda, you won’t divorce me.” It was a low, deadly tone.

The trial lawyer in her kicked in and dropped in place the face of a calm cool and confident woman again, while she silently willed her knees to stop shaking. Lifting her chin, she responded, “Oh really, why is that?”

Jim took a step closer, he placed a hand on her cheek, to anyone watching it was a tender gesture. His fingers tangled into her loose hair and yanked hard, causing tears to form – the witnesses from the patio couldn’t see that. Her husband leaned in, his lips against hers, a kiss to be seen. Instead, with a whisper, they delivered their message.

“Because I know you don’t want your affair with Senator Wollsey to come out during this trial. And my guess is you don’t want them to know you killed him, either.”