My deceased father appeared in my dream the night before my birthday and warned, ‘Don’t wear the dress your husband gave you.’ I woke up trembling, because my husband had just given me that dress. And when the seamstress brought it back and I checked the lining, I realized my father hadn’t just visited in a dream, he might have prevented something I hadn’t noticed.

“He was involved in illegal real estate deals, borrowed money from criminal groups, and lost it. The sum is enormous, and he faced threats of violence.”

Then Hayes’s voice lowered, as if the words themselves were heavy.

“But six months ago, he took out a large life insurance policy on you. At the time, it seemed suspicious, but we had no proof.”

Liv felt as though the ground had vanished beneath her.

Insurance.

He had insured her life and would have collected the payout after her death.

“So he really intended to kill me for the money.”

“It appears that way,” the detective said, calm but firm. “And this dress, it was his method to make it look like an accidental death. A sudden medical collapse at a party can be explained away, especially with stress and alcohol.”

Liv stared at the floor, unable to raise her head.

Twenty years of marriage, twenty years of love, care, shared struggles, and it had all been a lie, at least for the last few months.

“What should I do?” she whispered.

“Right now, we take the dress as evidence,” Hayes said. “Iris Reed has agreed to provide an official report. The rest is procedure, but we need your cooperation. Your birthday is tomorrow, correct? Here’s what I suggest.”

Detective Hayes leaned closer.

“You go to your party, but not in that dress. Wear any other outfit, and we’ll be ready to step in at a moment’s notice. Mark Sutton expects you to wear that dress and die. When he sees you in something else alive, he’ll likely panic, maybe reveal himself, and we’ll take him into custody.”

“You want me to act as bait?” Liv looked up.

“Not exactly,” Hayes said. “We just want everything to appear normal, but under our control. You will be safe. I promise. My team will be nearby.”

Liv stayed silent, weighing the plan. Part of her wanted to run, disappear, never see Mark again. But a stronger part demanded justice. He had tried to kill her, the mother of his child, and he had to answer for it.

“All right,” she said firmly. “I agree. We’ll do it.”

Detective Hayes nodded with quiet respect.

Read more on next page