She closed her eyes a moment. “When this is done, can we—I know it’s cold—but can we go home and take a walk? Just walk in the cold and snow for a little while?”
“I’d love to take a walk with you.”
“If it’s dark—”
“We’ll turn on all the lights.” He walked to her, laid his hands on her shoulders, kissed the top of her head. “It’ll be our world.”
She reached back, laid a hand over his. Let it drop when she heard the bedroom door open.
She turned her back on the city she loved.
Epilogue
Daphne’s lips trembled, tears gleamed in her eyes, but she moved straight to Eve, gripped her hands.
“Tish said you caught the devil—the man. You caught him. Did you?”
“Yes.”
“Oh God.” Now she threw her arms around Eve, clung tight. “Thank God. Thank you. He can’t come back? He can’t ever come back?”
“No, he won’t come back. Let’s sit down.”
Mira came out with a tray.
“Oh, Dr. Mira.” Daphne rushed over to take the tray. “I’m so glad you’re here. I feel…” Daphne carried the tray back, set it on the table in front of the sofa. “I don’t know, exactly. I feel like something’s ready to break inside me, and I don’t know what’ll be left when it does. Is it all right if I tell Dr. Nobel?”
“He said to call him Del,” Tish reminded her, and began pouring tea.
“It’s just he’s been so kind and concerned. My parents! Tish, we should tag them.”
“They’ll be back soon anyway. Have some tea, Daph. Take a breath.”
“Daphne.” Eve waited until Daphne took the cup, shifted toward her. “The man who attacked you is named Kyle Knightly. Do you know him?”
“I … No, I don’t think so. Do you think my husband knew him?”
“I doubt it. This person put cameras in your house, hid them. He watched you and your husband for several weeks.”
“He…” The cup rattled before she set it down. “He watched. He … recorded us?”
“Christ, sick bastard,” Tish exploded, passing Mira tea.
“Daphne, I’d already concluded that Anthony Strazza abused you, battered you, raped you.”
“He was my husband. He gave me everything. I owed him—”
“That’s bullshit, Daphne.” Tish snapped out the words. “You know it’s bullshit.”
Daphne shook her head. “Please, Tish. He’s dead. He was my husband. I can’t say bad things about him. You shouldn’t expect me to.”
“I can expect you to tell me the truth.” Eve said it sharply enough to have Daphne’s head snapping up, to put just a hint of fear in her eyes. “He abused you. He struck you, and then treated your wounds so no one would see. He threatened to do worse if you told anyone, if you tried to leave. He raped you if you objected. He threatened your family in order to make you sever ties with them.”
“It doesn’t matter now,” Daphne began.
“It does. Record on. I’m going to read you your rights.”
“What!” Tish leaped to her feet. “What the fuck?”
“Quiet. Daphne Strazza, you have the right to remain silent.”
Eve read out the Revised Miranda, took a breath.
“I’m putting this on record, I’ve read you your rights because this is going to protect you. Do you understand your rights and obligations?”
“Yes, but—”
“Don’t lie. This will be harder for you, and for your family, if you lie. Remember, too, we have Knightly’s recordings. Did Anthony Strazza ever strike you?”
“Please don’t—”
“Did Anthony Strazza ever strike you?”
“Yes, yes, yes.” When she lowered her head, her long dark hair fell around her face like a curtain. “I would do stupid things or say the wrong things or—”
“Don’t be stupid now. Did he threaten you with physical harm?”
“Yes.” Daphne covered her face with a hand. “But—”
“Did he threaten to harm your sister, your parents?”
She dropped her hand as tears fell. “Not at first. Not at first, don’t you understand? He was so kind, so attentive, so romantic. He made me feel so special, he told me I was … I was perfection. Then I’d do something to upset him. He was sorry he struck out at me, he’d be so sorry.”
“Until he did it again.”
“Yes. He said my family wasn’t my family. He was all I needed. And they weren’t mine in any case. Just substitutes, just obligated to house and clothe me. I knew that was wrong, but he’d get so angry. Once, just once, I was so angry, too. Not shocked and afraid, but very angry. I slapped him and I tried to run. I shouted I was going to my family. And he … hurt me. More than he ever had before. He kept hitting me, and he broke my wrist, and he said if I ever tried to leave him he’d kill them. That he knew how so no one would know, and he’d kill them, and it would be my fault.”