The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie

by Freida McFadden

“I’ve never met anyone who had over thirty overdue library books before.” I grab a tissue from the box on the table and dab at my eyes. “I mean, two or three, yes, I can see how that could happen. Over ten would be bad enough. But over thirty?”

“It’s the sort of thing you only see once in a lifetime as a cop, and you hope to never see it again.” I sniffle. “How does such a thing happen? I had no idea he was such a… a monster.

My husband is standing before me. The one who died in a fiery car wreck only two weeks ago. And now here he is, still alive. I stare at him, the blood rushing in my ears. “Grant?” Those familiar eyes meet mine. “No,” he says. “I’m not Grant.” As much as I would love to believe that my husband didn’t somehow come back to life, there is nobody who can tell me the man standing in front of me isn’t Grant Lockwood. I was married to him, after all. I know what he looks like. And I know this is Grant. But the next words out of his mouth change everything. “I’m Brant. Grant’s identical twin.”

“She…” He squeezes his eyes shut. “She doesn’t like Nickelback. And I…” His Adam’s apple bobs. “I love them. There—I said it. Nickelback is my absolute favorite band of all time, and my own wife can’t stand them.”