Rebecca had told me not to answer unknown calls.
I answered anyway.
For three seconds, there was only breathing.
Then Brenda said, “Ella?”
Her voice sounded smaller than I expected.
I stood. “Why are you calling me?”
“I need to talk to you.”
“You can talk to my attorney.”
“No. Please. Not like that.”
I almost hung up.
Then she said, “They lied to me too.”
The garden seemed to still around me.
“Who did?”
“Elias and Cynthia.”
I looked toward the house. Through the kitchen window, I could see Rebecca on a call, pacing with her notebook in hand.
“Brenda,” I said slowly, “this is not a conversation you should be having with me.”
“I know. I know that. But I didn’t know about the apartment plan.”
I tightened my grip on the phone.
“You were on speaker.”
“I know what you heard.”
My breath caught.
Silence stretched.
