THE WOMAN BEFORE

Chapter 33

     LAUREN KNOWS THINGS will never be the same again. Even if this case dies down, it will still haunt her. She will never trust anyone from now onward—especially strangers. She’d have trust issues and from the little she knows, people with trust issues have complicated relationships.

     She has spent the whole morning in the FBI field office. An agent named Daniel Hunt had asked her a lot of questions after she called and said she had information on Elise Montgomery who she knows as Rosina Scott.

     She’d told Jacob everything, and he said it wasn’t her fault. She knew he said it to make her feel better. But she thinks maybe she is at fault for being so stupid and believing all the bullshit Rosina told her. She sounded so genuine during their conversations at Eddy’s. Had they all been lies?

     She wonders how people can be so heartless to fellow humans. Evans! Does he know Rosina is a con artist and he is a victim of deceit and lies just like her? At least with him, it makes sense why Rosina or Elise would insert herself into his life. He is a wealthy businessman, but she can’t say that about herself. Till now, she still doesn’t understand why Rosina befriended her.

     Special Agent Daniel Hunt comes back again after giving her a short break. He holds a cup which he directs to her and says, “Coffee?”

     She doesn’t want to drink. She doesn’t want to be here. She just wants to go home, but she needs to be here. It’s urgent and important. She didn’t eat anything this morning before coming here. Jacob had made her favorite omelet with creamy hot coffee, but she couldn’t even swallow a morsel. The sight of the food had made her sick. Rosina lied to her. She still can’t believe it.

     She bobs her head. Agent Hunt hands her the coffee. She collects it and says, “Thanks.”

     She takes a sip. It calms her nerves and she sighs. So much for trusting a stranger! Setting the cup on the plastic table, she leans forward and rests her arms, steepling her fingers.

     “You’re doing great, Miss. Silverton. You should know that you’re helping the FBI find a notorious criminal, and there’s nothing wrong with what you’re doing.”

     She knows she’s helping. That’s the least she can do. All of this feels like a nightmare to her. She can’t wait for everything to be over. She isn’t sure she’d ever make any friends after this. She nods to Agent Hunt. Her fingers tremble, and she tries to conceal it.

     Agent Hunt notices it. He says, “You don’t have to be scared.”

     “I’m not scared.” Of course, she isn’t scared. If there’s any emotion she’s feeling right now, it’s shock.

     Agent Hunt glances at the notepad in front of him. He looks up at Lauren. “Can we go through your statement again? I want to piece together some facts.”

      It’s laborious to revisit the past with Rosina. She’s not sure she can do it again, but she knows she has to. She’s helping the FBI. She just wishes Jacob was in the room too.

     Curious faces are looking at her through the glass pane. They are men and women in expensive suits. They want to know who Rosina is, or maybe they do and want to hear her side of the story. She’s told Agent Daniel that she doesn’t want to be involved with the media. She knows, from experience that, nothing disappears once they hit the internet. That’s not the fame she is looking for. That’s not the information she wants people to find when they google Elise Montgomery, how she was caught, and the crimes she committed. She doesn’t want to be linked with that cunning woman. She wonders how a woman can exploit people like that and make a fool out of them.