The Faces of Janus

By Anne Perez Bennett

Sunny is bewildered by her husband, Don. She's always believed she loves him, but his behavior has become increasingly difficult to live with as he is moody and his temper flares for no reason. Don is so mercurial that Sunny wonders who he really is. Why is he so two-faced? Just like the mythological two-faced Janus.

Don has never liked many of Sunny's friends, especially her best friend, Daisy. Then Daisy disappears under mysterious circumstances. The day that Daisy disappeared, Don came home with a deep scratch on his face. Had he been in a struggle? Could it have been with Daisy? Sunny begins to wonder if Don could be responsible for her friend being missing. Did Daisy scratch him when he abducted her?

Sunny is devastated as the days pass, and Daisy remains missing. Her concerns and suspicions grow. Don's temper does nothing to quell Sunny's doubts. She loves him and wants to believe he has nothing to do with Daisy's disappearance. Could Don be a killer? Which of Janus's two faces really belongs to Don?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9781639030958

Book preview

Chapter 1

Riordan Home Tuesday, 6:15 p.m.

Sunny Riordan looked up as her husband, Don, walked into the house. She could tell by looking at his face that it would not be a pleasant evening. Dinner was ready to be served, but she waited for him to say something.

I need a drink! he said in that tight-lipped voice that told her what she already knew: No, it would not be a good evening.

How was your day? she asked, hoping to lighten his mood a bit.

It was hell! he retorted as he made his way to the liquor cabinet. She watched as he made himself a drink, took it to his chair, and flopped down. Those bastards at work don’t know shit from Shineola!

What happened? Sunny asked.

What do you care? Will you be able to fix it, Little Miss Sunshine? he nearly yelled at her.

Maybe it will help you to talk about it is all I meant, she replied. Anyhow, dinner is ready. Are you hungry?

I’m not hungry! I don’t want to eat anything. Just leave me the hell alone! This time he did yell.

Sunny retreated into the kitchen and fixed herself a plate. Just because Don wasn’t hungry didn’t mean she shouldn’t eat herself. She sat down and took a bite of dinner. In spite of having been hungry earlier, she now found that the food was tasteless. Don had spoiled her appetite as well. This is one of the few evenings he’d gotten home early, and what good had come of it?

What could be bothering him? Sunny knew that lately, he had begun complaining about working at the data processing company where he’d been for the past three years. The company worked for other companies helping them set up database programs for their inventories, personnel, and maintenance. He was in charge of his department of five other workers. Lately he talked about how they weren’t pulling their weight or how they were sliding by doing little or next to nothing. However, he also couldn’t just up and leave the job that paid well, had excellent health benefits, and gave him a month off for vacation each year. The stress could be overwhelming at times, like tonight, it seemed.

Sunny suddenly had a bad thought. Was there something wrong with Don? Could he be sick or something and not telling her? She thought of when he’d last had a physical checkup. Dr. Milo would have called if something were wrong, wouldn’t he? No, his last health report had come back great just three months ago. So that wasn’t it.

Other thoughts flitted through her mind. Could he be having an affair? Why did he fly off the handle over trivial things? Didn’t he want to be home? Sunny sat back and thought about it. No, come to think about it, that’s how he’d always been—a great guy at times and then as if he’d become another person, moody and sullen at others. That’s why she could tell at a glance how it was going to be just by looking at his face when he came home. In the twelve years they’d been married, this had become a pattern.

She also knew that he presented one face of himself to others, but a darker side came through to her. Was she the trigger to that dark side? She recalled being at a party and how he had been a good-time Charlie with all the other guests, especially the women. He talked, laughed, and seemed to have a good time but, on the way home in the car, had suddenly turned on her for talking with friends.

How do you think it makes me look having my wife laughing and dancing with other men right in front of me? he’d demanded. And don’t think I didn’t see you kissing Carl Eggers!

Wait a minute, Don, I wasn’t ‘kissing’ him. He and Cindy had just come in, and as we were greeting each other, he leaned over and gave me a peck on the cheek!

Sunny could hardly believe he was trying to make something smutty over an innocent gesture. It would have been funny if he hadn’t been so angry. He’d gone to bed without saying a word.

The next morning, though, he’d gotten up as if nothing had happened. As usual, she made breakfast, and he sat down with her and ate. He seemed to have gotten over the meanness of the night before and seemed in pretty good spirits.

Another quick about-face, she’d thought to herself. How many times had this happened? It seemed that, lately, it was happening more and more. How much more could she take this? What had happened to the days when they both shared the same dreams and events? It seemed as if those days were long gone.

Sunny sat at the table and thought all these things through. No, Don wasn’t sick. He was just being Don. She thought about how he was so two-faced. Remembering something she’d read about in a mythology book, she rose from her chair and went to the bookshelf. She picked up the book and flipped through its pages until she found that for which she’d been looking: Janus, the Roman god represented with two faces. That’s what Don was like: Janus-faced! He was such a two-faced person with her and other people.

Sunny shook her head as if to clear it from thinking about that time. She got up from the table and began to clear it. Don appeared in the doorway.

Hey, babe, he said. I’m sorry for taking it out on you. Just had a hard day at work. Forgive me?"

He gave her a nearly-bright smile.

Don’t I always? she replied, thinking to herself that yes, she did and had from the start. Sure you don’t want something to eat? I can warm it in the microwave quickly if you do.

Nah, I’m not hungry. Those martinis helped my shot nerves. Now I’ll just have a beer with some peanuts.

He took one from the fridge and walked toward the living room. She had placed a bowl of Beer Nuts on the coffee table earlier.

As he helped himself to some, he called back to her, Why don’t you leave the dishes till later and come sit with me. I need to talk to you.

Sunny wondered what it was all about as she came and took a seat on the couch. Don was in his recliner.

What’s on your mind? she asked.

He took a large gulp of beer before answering her. Then he said, Look, I’m sorry for blowing up like that. It’s just that there are some changes going on at the office, and I’m not sure if I can handle them.

What kind of changes? Sunny asked.

I have a chance to move up in the company, but I’ve got to learn new computer languages. For that, I need to go back to school. It will mean going at night after work. What do you think?

Sunny was a bit stunned. This is what was bothering him? It took her a minute to get her mind around what he’d said, then replied, "I think that’s a great idea, honey! When are you thinking of beginning school? When