“What happened?” I demand of Jake. He’s driving to us down the highway too fast and erratic. I’ve never seen him like this.

“There was blood everywhere. I was working the scene like normal, and then I went back to the lab. And I found,” he lets out a deep sigh.

“Slow down Jake. Just slow the car down some. Talk to me.” He slows the car only slightly.

“I have to keep going. They will be close soon.”

“Who?” I ask as my hand turns white on the armrest. He picked me up at my job in the middle of the day and demanded I get in. He looked white as a ghost and scared. I had to get in.

Jake has been a forensic agent for seven years now. Every day he’s come home, he’s had something interesting about the day to tell me. Some of the scenes he goes to are natural deaths, some are suicides, but the interesting ones are the murders.

There once was a man who killed someone with the teeth of a serán wrap box. I think that one was more of an accident, and then the guy just tried to cover it up poorly. Every Murder Jake has worked as been solved except two.

The first one had a suspect that Jake believed was the murderer. There just wasn’t enough evidence he told me at the time. The second one had no suspects since they couldn’t even identify who the body was. Jake told me he thought it could have been a serial killer with how creepy the body was cut up.

“Do you think someone is setting you up?” I don’t even question if he did whatever he is running from. Jake is the most gentle human I’ve ever known. I mean I’ve seen him angry and upset, but he’s never directed that side of himself towards me, even when I deserved it.

Jake and I were highschool sweethearts. We’ve been married for fifteen years now. Life lately has been a little more slow and routine. We weren’t able to have children of our own, and adopting was something Jake was uncomfortable with. He was adopted, and I tried to change his mind for five years before I gave up the idea of being a mom.

Even though he couldn’t give me kids, Jake has been the most devoted husband a girl could dream of. It’s more than just flowers here and there or a date once a month. My marriage is full of surprise vacations and random dinners. There are spontaneous gifts and love notes on his pillow when I wake up after him.

He is the dream. But he has been a little off since his brother died three weeks ago. There hasn’t been as much attention or devotion.

“At first I thought it was another body from the serial killer months ago.” He tells me slowly. “But then I realized who the victim was.”

“Who was it?” I ask slowly not wanting to know.

“Richie.” He looks at me briefly. His eyes are not as bright, and they hold anger in them. I understand. Richie used to work with Jake, and he is the man I had an affair with last week.

I told Jake all about it. Honestly, me having the affair wasn’t about having an affair. I wanted the attention back from Jake. It only made things worse though. No yelling matches but a quiet presence. He didn’t like to stay in the same room as me.

“Julia,” his voice breaks. “I found your necklace at the scene. I pocketed it and kept going once I found out the victim was Richie. It was instinct. And I knew you couldn’t have done this.”

His voice is coming out much faster now. “Richie looks all cut up. There was blood everywhere, but it was obvious it was Richie. And when I went back to the lab, I found your DNA under his nails. He fought you off.”

I take a deep breath out as I pull my sleeves over my hands. Well, at least we are in the car and moving quickly. If Jake has figured this much out, it won’t be long for his work to come to a similar conclusion.

“Oh it was awful.” I sob. I explain how Richie tried to force me to be with him, but I loved Jake. Richie wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“I know you’re not a murderer.” He looks at me with sadness and love. “We’ll run together, forever.”

“If that is what you think is best.” I sniffle as I look out the window.

Everything is working out as I had hoped it would. It’s not exactly the plan, but this works too. If we are on the run from the police for a murder charge that he is now implicated on, he will never be able to leave me. I’ll have his attention forever.