Chapter 3 - The Second Name Was Not Nathan’s
Nathan read the passenger list twice.
VICTORIA COLE.
Then:
JULIAN MERCER.
Not Nathan.
He knew the name.
Everyone in California wine development did.
Julian Mercer was a private investment adviser who specialized in restructuring family-owned agricultural businesses.
He had advised Cole Vineyard Holdings the previous year during a refinancing.
Professional.
Expensive.
Married.
At least Nathan thought he was married.
The itinerary showed two business-class seats from San Francisco to London, connecting onward the same day.
Nathan stopped there.
Destination after London:
not something Emma needed to hear yet.
He folded the paper and returned it to the bag.
Then he found another document.
Hotel confirmation.
One suite.
Two adults.
Booked three weeks earlier.
Nathan sat inside the SUV for several minutes.
His first reaction was obvious.
Affair.
Then he stopped himself.
Travel documents prove:
travel.
Hotel booking suggests:
something.
Not everything.
He needed facts before turning suspicion into certainty.
That became harder when Victoria appeared in the courtyard.
She had changed clothes.
Jeans.
Cream sweater.
As though lowering the visual temperature might lower the actual one.
Nathan stepped out.
“Who is Julian?”
She stared at him.
“You know who Julian is.”
“Why are you flying with him tomorrow?”
Victoria’s expression changed.
Emma watched from the upstairs window.
Nathan noticed and moved farther from the house.
Victoria lowered her voice.
“This is not a conversation we’re having outside.”
“Then start inside.”
“What did Emma tell you?”
“Enough.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“That child went through my things.”
“She found your passport.”
“She stole it.”
“And you threw her out.”
“I told her to pack.”
“You put a seven-year-old on the lawn with garbage bags.”
Victoria crossed her arms.
“She needs to understand consequences.”
Nathan looked at her as if seeing someone unfamiliar.
Then:
“Why are you leaving tomorrow?”
Victoria did not answer.
“Does Julian’s wife know?”
That landed.
Nathan saw it.
Victoria looked away.
There.
Not proof of an affair.
But whatever existed between Victoria and Julian was not something she expected spouses to discuss openly.
Then she said:
“You were going to find out.”
“When?”
“When everything was settled.”
“What was everything?”
Silence.
Nathan’s attention returned to Emma’s sentence.
After today there wasn’t going to be room for me here anymore.
Then another possibility appeared.
Not just infidelity.
Departure.
Victoria had been planning to leave.
May you like
And somehow Emma’s presence had become an obstacle to whatever was supposed to happen before she did.
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