He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I love this house. It was my dream home when we bought it. I’ve always wanted a canal front house, and you know it. I want to get a boat and have it back there. I want to go fishing from time to time.”
My heart raced. This was not the Joe I knew. There was something different in his voice, something determined. His eyes were locked on mine, searching and pleading. I felt a sickening wave of panic wash over me and the room began to spin. I know I was the one who ended our marriage, but did that mean he got the house in the divorce?
“Joe, I—”
He cut me off. “I don’t want to fight anymore. I just want the house.” His voice was soft but unrelenting.
I felt my throat close up with emotion. I was also sick of the fighting. This was one thing we could agree on. We had both changed in the last year and the house was no longer ours. It was our past, a reminder of what had been and could never be again. I looked away, unable to bear the intensity of his gaze any longer. I was exhausted, sleep-deprived after having searched for a woman, Joanne Edwards, who disappeared two weeks ago. I hadn’t been able to sleep as thoughts of what might have happened to her kept lingering in my mind. I really didn’t need this right now.
Silence hung heavy in the air once again. I took a deep breath, gathering my courage, and met his eyes once more.
“I’m not giving you the house.”
I looked down at the papers in front of me unable to understand how we had come to this. For some reason we both believed we could do it without any lawyers, but now I was having my doubts.
“But I want it.”
“I don’t even understand. Where is this coming from? You haven’t said anything about the house before?” I asked.
“Just because I haven’t talked about it doesn’t mean it hasn’t been on my mind. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, actually,” Joe replied. “The kids and I need this stability. You can find another place to live, maybe even a better one. And it would work better for you during cases. But I want to raise them in this house.”
My heart felt like it was being squeezed. This was not what I had expected. I never imagined he’d want to stay here; I thought I’d end up living with the kids full-time. My work was busy, and yes there were times when I had to put it first, but I was perfectly capable of looking after the kids and giving them the security they needed. They weren’t little anymore, after all.
“Joe, I don’t think—”
“Think about it,” he interrupted. “You’ll get a good settlement, I promise. The kids will be taken care of, everything will be okay.”
I looked at him, feeling a mix of anger and hurt. “You can’t just demand the house like that. We’ve both put in equal amounts of work and money into it.”
“But I’m the one who loves it.”
I shook my head. Was this coming from a place of anger? Dealing with the news that I was gay had been hard for Joe, and I understood that, but I had hoped he’d be able to hold on to our friendship. Perhaps I’d been naïve.
Joe’s eyes narrowed, “I don’t think you understand. I’m not asking for your permission. I’m telling you that I want the house. And I’ll be damned if I let you stand in my way.”
The words hung in the air like a threat.
I shook my head. “No, Joe. I can’t agree to that.”
He sat back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest. Then he got up. “Fine. Be like that. But I’m not giving up.”
As I watched him walk out of the door, I felt a sense of unease wash over me. Joe had always been stubborn, but I never thought he would be so unreasonable. We had agreed that the children should be with me for the biggest part of the time, and to try not to uproot them and make sure their lives didn’t change drastically. And now this? This was a whole new side of him I didn’t recognize. I knew he was having a hard time, but that didn’t mean he got to walk all over me. I felt guilty, yes, but I still had just as much right to the house as he did.
I gathered my papers and headed toward the kitchen. I needed a cup of coffee to calm my nerves. As I waited for the coffeemaker to spit it out, I looked around the kitchen. This was the house that Joe wanted so desperately. The house that we had built together. It wasn’t just a bunch of bricks and mortar to me. It was our home. A place where we had created memories and built a life together. With our three children.
I knew I couldn’t just give that up.
When I heard the doorbell ring, I put down my coffee and went to answer it.
My new boss, the new Chief of police, was standing awkwardly on the other side of the door. She had taken over the Cocoa Beach police station just a month earlier. Her name was Becky Harold, and she was a former Marine and Air Force pilot before she started her career in the police. I had heard rumors that she didn’t take any nonsense from anyone. She was a tall woman with short cropped black hair and piercing blue eyes.
“Detective Wilde, can I come in?” she asked.
I nodded and stepped back. I felt nervous for some reason. I had never had a Chief come to my house before. I had only met with her a few times since she got here, but I couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated by her. I could tell that she wasn’t someone to mess with. She had an air of authority about her; from her perfectly shined boots to the fitness watch on her wrist, she seemed in control.
I wondered if there was a problem. We had been working on a missing person case for a few weeks, but so far we didn’t have any significant leads. A woman, Joanne Edwards, had been reported missing after a night out with her coworkers, and I’d spent most of yesterday evening combing through the interviews we’d already collected. Nothing new stood out. Did the Chief have news? Or was she frustrated with me?
“O-of course, Chief Harold. What brings you here?”
“I wanted to check in and see how you’re doing. I just heard about the divorce from Tom and I wanted to offer any support you might need,” she said, her voice softening slightly.
I stared at her, unsure of how to react. I mean I appreciated the gesture, but I didn’t know if I wanted to share my personal life with my new boss just yet. “Thank you, Chief. I’m doing okay.”
“Are you sure?” she pressed. “I know divorce can be tough. And I’ve been there, believe me.”
I looked at her in surprise. I had no idea she had been through a divorce herself. “I didn’t know that, Chief.”
She shrugged. “It’s not something I usually talk about. But I wanted you to know that you’re not alone. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m here.”
I smiled faintly, and she placed a hand on my shoulder. I wasn’t used to this kind of approach from my boss. This was definitely a first. “Thank you, Chief. That means a lot.”
She nodded and removed her hand. “Now, I’m not just here for a social visit. I need you to come with me. I know it’s Saturday and you’re on your day off. But this is important.”
I nodded with an exhale. I had a feeling that there would be more. I could tell by the look in her eyes. Something had happened. Something that required my attention. Chiefs didn’t come to your house because of your personal life. They didn’t show up due to a petty theft or domestic issue. This had to be something bad.
The Chief gave me a stern look. “We got a body. On the beach.”
I looked at my watch. It was eleven o’clock, and the kids would be fine without me for a few hours. I could get my mom to come over if needed. Being nine, fourteen, and sixteen, they were old enough to be alone on a Saturday afternoon.
