I’d been prepared for that question. I had a lie ready. “One of my neighbors offered to babysit.”

“I’m impressed that you were able to leave her so soon.”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I changed the subject, because if I didn’t, I was going to cry all over again.

“Hey, Sandra? I want you to know I’m sorry.”

“About what?”

“All the things Darrell said to you.”

She laughed. “Don’t worry about that. Ever since, rumors have been getting around that I’m the killer. Now the men at the mine are afraid of me. I love it.”

“Still, I feel bad.”

Sandra cocked her head as she looked at me. “You okay, honey?”

“I’m fine,” I said, lying again.

“The early weeks are tough. I know.”

“Yeah, that must be it.”

She drained her whiskey and then patted my cheek and left me alone. Around me, everyone else was having a good time. Drinking. Laughing. Growling. My own dark eyes kept probing the bar, going from monster to monster. I wondered if Darrell was here somewhere, but I knew this wasn’t his scene. It was better that way. There would only be trouble if he came.

Then I felt a paw on my shoulder.

When I turned around, I saw the cartoonish face painted on the head, the fake mismatched fur top and bottom.

“You’re here,” Ricky said, with a little surprise.

“You told me to be here,” I replied evenly. “I do what you tell me now. Isn’t that our deal?”

“Good girl. Where’s the kid?”

“She’s safe.”

That answer made him pause, as if my dull voice were broadcasting a kind of alarm. But Ricky was Ricky, and he didn’t let it trouble him for long. “This is good, you know. You and me back together. I’ve missed you, Bec.”

“Sure you have.”

“We should celebrate later,” he said. “Celebrate like man and wife.”

“Sure we will.”

I couldn’t muster any false emotion on my face to reinforce the lie. I was beyond anger, beyond regret, beyond humiliation. I’d already done the worst thing I could possibly do in my life, so what was left?

“Let’s surprise them,” Ricky suggested. “Come on, I can’t wait to see their faces.”

His gloved hands went to his neck, where he peeled away the tape that held the cardboard neck in place. He reached up and removed the balloon-shaped head and pried off the cardboard tube at the same time. With the mask gone, his face was revealed. My ex-husband stood in front of me.

Everyone in the bar saw him. He was right about the reaction. An uncomfortable quiet spread through the 126 like the ripples of a wave in the water. Then the low murmurs began all around us.

Ricky.