I cut him off before he could finish. "Sure."
Every last shred of emotion had drained out of me. All I wanted now was the truth about what Zachery and Gertrude really were to each other.
He exhaled in relief. "See? My wife's always looking out for me."
During the photo, Gertrude deliberately pressed herself close to Zachery. She even hooked her pinky around his when she thought no one was looking. The two of them, getting their thrill right under my nose, convinced I wouldn't notice.
But I said nothing.
Instead, I urged Zachery to see them out. "I can't get out of bed. Go walk them downstairs, would you?"
A flicker of hidden delight crossed his eyes.
I didn't miss it.
It stung like a needle through my chest.
Once they left, I called over the young nursing aide. I paid her to follow Zachery and the others.
It didn't take long. She sent me a video.
The footage showed a quiet corner on the ground floor of the hospital. Gertrude threw herself into Zachery's arms, her voice thick with petulance.
"Zachery, we had a deal. You were supposed to hit that old hag with the car, then drug her so she'd never wake up. Now she's conscious and making our lives miserable. Are you going soft on me?"