There was a point in their lives together where Siara was sure Silky wasn’t capable of doing anyone any harm unless he absolutely had to. And now, she wasn’t so sure. It was harder and harder for her to feel comfortable in his presence, and Siara knew she would have to do something to convince herself that her husband was worthy of her trust.
She thought back to one of her coworkers placing Julia’s file on her desk when everything first went down. They made it clear that they didn’t want her to know who they were, but she was even more anxious to find out now. This morning, she’d sent out a mass email to her coworkers asking if the person who was responsible for the file would call her at noon. Her phone began to ring at 12:01 p.m., and Siara made her way to the patio outside of their bedroom as quickly as she could.
With her back leaning against the railing, she kept her eyes on the doors just in case Silky walked into their room.
“Hello?” she answered quietly.
“It was me,” Robin confessed.
Siara released a sigh of relief as she looked towards the cloudy sky. Robin was one of the first people she grew close to when she started at Kingston Financial Firm years ago. They always talked about leaving and starting their own firm, but they were comfortable with where they were and what they had.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because I felt weird about it. If something was… you know… off with your husband, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you about it. But, I also couldn’t ignore the truth about Julia.”
“And what exactly is the truth?”
“She pretty much dropped off the face of the earth before she was killed. Not only had she not filed her taxes in three years, but she pretty much disappeared. We went to school together, so we kept in touch – that’s how I ended up doing her taxes over the years.”
“Why hadn’t you mentioned it before?”
“You know I don’t like my personal and professional lives to intertwine. You and I are close business associates. I didn’t want to tell you that one of my closest friends was your husband’s ex-wife.”
Siara nodded her understanding. With a huff, she pressed her lips together. Things between her and Silky had always seemed too perfect. She swore it was because they were perfect for each other, but now, she was wondering if he’d been hiding things from her all along.
“Okay, so spill it. What made you give me the file?”
“Like I said, Julia pretty much disappeared. The only reason people knew she was alive was because she’d be seen coming in and out of her home, and that was a rarity within itself. It was almost as if she was running from something. I got a call from her, and based on when they think she died, I assume it was a day or two before she was murdered. She called me out of the blue asking if I could give her file to you. I was unable to answer her call, but I made the mental note to return it and give the file to you. But I didn’t think about it again until her murder was on the news.”
Nibbling on her top lip, Siara went into deep thought. This was getting crazier by the minute. Was it a coincidence that Julia was killed right after retrieving Silky’s sperm? Is that how he found her? Had he known about it all along? If he did, why didn’t he say something sooner? Was that a ploy to make him look more innocent? What reason could he have possibly had to want her dead? And why did Julia want Siara to have her file? Was that her way of putting herself on Siara’s radar just in case something happened?
Siara thanked Robin, and after promising to send her a picture of Silia, she disconnected the call. Instead of going back inside immediately, she thought over the fact that both Julia’s and Taylor’s killers were still wanted. Was it because they were the same man… Silky? Shaking that thought from her head, Siara went back inside and headed downstairs.
The sight of Silky holding Silia and rocking her made Siara’s stomach twist. She always thought Silky looking lovingly at their daughter would be a kodak moment, but right now… it disgusted her. The truth of the matter was, she couldn’t trust her husband, and she needed to figure out why.
He was so protective of and attached to Silia, it was becoming sickening. As they sat at the dining room table for dinner, Silky had her in her bassinet next to his chair. His possession of Silia worried Siara. At first, she thought it was cute, and she appreciated how helpful he was, but if he really was a murderer… she couldn’t help but wonder if she and her daughter’s lives would ever be in danger.
After clearing her throat, she took a sip of her red wine. She’d pumped enough milk to last Silia all night, and her doctor told her she’d be fine as long as she waited two to three hours after drinking it to feed her. Red wine wasn’t even Siara’s favorite, but it was stronger than the white she had in the house.
“Um…” She paused, picking up her fork again. “How have you been feeling lately? Have you still been thinking about Julia?”
Silky looked up at her briefly before returning his attention to his steak.
“I haven’t, and I’m fine. Hope she’s finally at peace.”
Siara nodded, putting a few green beans onto her fork. “I just… I can’t believe her killer is still out there. And for Taylor to be killed shortly after… That’s not weird to you?” He looked at her briefly before shaking his head and taking a swig of his beer. “Her parents won’t let up until they get justice. They are on the news or radio once a week.”
Tossing his knife and fork into his plate, Silky inhaled a deep breath. “Why are you asking me this shit, Siara?”
With a shrug, she lowered her head. “Just been thinking about it a lot lately is all.” She looked into his eyes. “I don’t know how I would feel if something like that were to happen to Silia. I guess me being a mother has me thinking about things differently lately.”
Silky looked down at Silia, then back at Siara. “It’s fucked up, but I can’t dwell on that anymore. I pray her parents release her so her soul can be at rest. Don’t worry yourself over that, though. I promised that I would protect you and Lia. No one will ever hurt either of you.”
She nodded and smiled softly, wondering if he included himself in that. As if the conversation had ruined his appetite, Silky stood. He gave them both a kiss goodbye before announcing that he was about to go to the bar. She waited until she’d had the dishes put in the sink before she called Janice and asked if Silky seemed different to her.
As usual, she gave Siara the same line about Silky needing time to adjust, but it was more than that. He’d been home longer than he’d been locked up. That wasn’t a good enough excuse anymore. Something about him was different, and Siara didn’t know if it was a part of him that he’d been hiding all of this time, or a part of him that was birthed during his time away.
It was her actions and the things she was hiding from Silky that had her paranoid more than anything. From her doubts and fears to her conversation with Robin. Most recently, she’d called Taylor’s colleague from the wake to ask him why he didn’t know Silky had been released. Jacob told Siara that the last time he spoke with Taylor, he was unsure of if he’d be able to get Silky out. Though he believed Silky was innocent, the DNA they found would be hard to explain.