Chapter Seventeen

Jeanne Ellen POV

I followed Dick down the street and wasn't surprised when he descended the stairs to the subway station. I watched while he waited for the train and got on through a separate set of doors when he boarded. I surreptitiously watched him on the train, pretending to play on my phone. When he stood a short while later, I stood too but made sure I stayed closer to a different set of doors.

He exited the train at Penn Station, and I kept pace behind him as he switched to the Amtrak train to New Rochelle. By now, I was pretty sure he was going to Greenwich. He wasn't carrying anything, not even a briefcase, but then, I mused, he probably had an entire second wardrobe "at home."

At New Rochelle, we switched trains once more to the Metro-North on the New Haven line, so it was obvious we were headed Connecticut. While I was on the train, I maintained visual with Dick out of the corner of my eye. I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and pulled it out to see a text from Steph. She was nearly done at her apartment and wondered where I was. I debated my answer for a moment before telling her I was on a train on the way to Greenwich, instructing her to meet me at there. I looked up the address for the Dairy Queen at the end of the street where Dick's second family lived and gave it to Steph. She's not trained for surveillance, and I was worried she'd get too close to Dick's Greenwich house and blow the operation.

All throughout our text exchange, I kept an eye out on Dick, who was also doing something on his own phone. He was smiling slightly, and inwardly, I was gleeful, eager for the day where I'd see that smug sonofabitch go down.

When we finally arrived in Greenwich, he debarked the train and I followed, making sure to keep to the opposite side of the station. He headed outside and I followed at a distance, wanting to keep him in sight but not let him realize he was being followed. Unfortunately, his faux wife was waiting for him, along with the two little boys I had seen her with before, so I whipped out my cell phone and started snapping photos of him kissing and hugging her, then picking up and hugging each of the little boys. They looked like a happy, normal family to anyone who might care to look, and I found myself getting angry again on behalf of my poor sister.

I looked around for taxis or Ubers but didn't see any. I figured they were probably going back to their house and didn't panic. Steph would come and we'd pick up surveillance again at their house, but really, I had proof of their relationship now and it wasn't strictly needed to continue watching. I checked the map app on my phone and determined how far the train station was from The Dick's house. I was pleased to see it was three miles, so I started walking in that direction. I hadn't gotten any exercise yet today, and a brisk, three-mile walk would do the trick. I would normally run that distance, but I wasn't dressed for it. The wig and makeup would not hold up well to that, and with no way to repair it, I'd have to forgo the run this time.

An hour and a half later, I was sitting at one of the outdoor tables in front of the Dairy Queen, waiting for Steph. She should be here any moment, but traffic in the city had likely delayed her. About ten minutes after I checked my watch, I saw my car coming towards me and stood. Steph pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. "Can I get some ice cream?" she asked.

I smiled. I should have known. "If you want. I'll wait here. Can I have the keys?"

She tossed me the keys and headed inside to get ice cream. I slid into the driver's seat and adjusted the seat and mirrors. Steph came outside a few minutes later with a hot fudge sundae and dropped herself into the passenger seat. "I got a sundae so I wouldn't drip in your car," she declared.

I backed out of the parking lot and headed in the direction of The Dick's house. A moment later, I parked, and I pointed out the house to Steph. She looked at it, an expression I couldn't entirely pinpoint across her face. Maybe there was regret, a little jealousy, a little anger all mixed in. "We need to wait to see them together, to take photos?" she asked quietly.

"She picked him up from the train station. I have photos of them together already, with their boys."

Her head snapped towards me, her eyes pinning mine. "I need to see them," she said.

I sighed and opened my phone, navigated to the photos app and handed her the device. She took it and just held it for a moment, not looking down. Finally, she brought the phone up and looked at the photo, scrolling to see the rest. A tear rolled down her cheek and she impatiently brushed it away. "I'm so stupid, Gigi," she said, a hitch in her voice betraying her hurt.

"You're not stupid, Steph. He lied to you, for years. You're supposed to be able to trust your husband. He's lied to you and betrayed you and you should be angry, not feeling stupid," I said.

"Oh, Gigi, I am angry. Have no doubt about that. But I feel stupid, and hurt, and insecure. I'm overwhelmed with feelings, sitting here."

I leaned over and laid my arm across her shoulder, pulling her tight. "I'm so sorry all of this happened to you, Steph. You do not deserve any of it."

She started crying, her shoulders shaking. I sat rubbing her back in slow circles, letting her get it all out. Truth be told, I'm not a very emotional person. I learned long ago to keep it buttoned up and hidden. Living in a house with a mother-substitute and a half-sister who hated me had me learn how to maintain a stoic façade, and the Army cemented that.

Several minutes later, Steph's sobs were quieting to an occasional sniffle, and I could see the moment Steph decided she was going to stop. It enveloped her like a costume, complete with mask and I no longer saw a woman whose world was falling apart.