“Yeah, an actual suit. It’s court.”
“I bet you look good in one. I’m going to let the dogs out, make coffee.”
“Right there, you’ve earned undying gratitude.”
“I’ll take it. There’s spare toothbrushes in the bathroom. Either you guys stocked them or Collin had them. Help yourself.”
“I will. Okay if I grab a shower? It’ll save me time at home.”
“It’s all yours. Come on, boys, let’s go outside.”
The outside had them both scrambling up and out, with her hurrying after.
She looked good in the morning, he thought. But then, to his eye, she always did. He thought it a shame he couldn’t talk her into the shower with him. But besides court, he needed time to tell her about three in the morning.
He could’ve spent a year in that shower, and gave Collin full marks on it.
When he’d dressed and walked downstairs, he found coffee waiting while she put pizza on plates.
“You want it warmed up?”
“Why?” He went for coffee first.
“That’s what I say. What’s wrong with us?”
“I’ve got time to sit down here with it. Do you have time?”
“Sure.” She sat at the counter with him. “When I go up, the bed’ll be made as perfectly as in the best hotel. I’ve gotten over the oddness of that, and appreciate the time saved.”
He jumped right in. “Do you know the old grandfather clock in the second parlor.”
“The second parlor is … Right, that one. With the big clock. I haven’t really used that room.”
“Have you wound the clock?”
“No. I should do that? I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Don’t. I’m conducting an experiment. Have you ever heard it bong? Because that’s the word for it. On the hour, once for one, twice for two, and so on. One bong on the half hour.”
“No, I don’t … maybe.” She frowned. “Maybe.”
“Three bongs, at three a.m.”
“I didn’t dream that, or imagine that?”
“Not unless I did, too. And I didn’t. You slept through it last night. Collin never wound it either because who wants to try to sleep with that thing going off every hour? It woke me up, so I went down to take a look.”
She took a moment, ate some pizza. “I’m going to see your ‘call me’ and raise it with a ‘why didn’t you wake me up?’”
“Maybe you’d just wound it, and it seemed wrong to wake you up at three in the morning to ask.”
“If I’d wound it, we’d have heard it while we were eating, while we were having sex.”
“That’s a point. Blame three in the morning and fuzzy thinking.”
She took a moment for coffee while she studied him. “You’re probably good in court.”
“That’s what they pay me for. It wasn’t wound, and the hands stood at three—on the dot. If you haven’t used the room, you probably didn’t notice where the clock stopped.”
“No, but I’ll pay attention now.”
“I moved them—the experiment. Before I did, the piano music started. ‘Barbara Allen.’ I was going to check, and when I turned around? Hot babe.”
She nearly choked on breakfast pizza. “You saw her? Lilian Crest?”
“I’d say in the flesh, but that’s not really accurate.”
He told her, recounting the conversation.
“Lots of them,” Sonya repeated. “I thought I’d accepted that, but … I’d have to consider that confirmation. She had a ring. I thought she must have, since the number seven keeps coming up. But damn it, if she knows Hester Dobbs has them, why not tell you how to find them, how to get them back?”
“Not in evidence, but it might be she—they—just don’t know. I’m stuck on the clock, on three. Okay if I come back, after work? I could pick up something for dinner.”
“I’d like you to come back whether you pick up something or not. But that’s a plus.”
“How do you feel about Chinese?”
“Fondly.”
“Check the online menu at the China Kitchen, and text me what you want. I’ve got to move. Judges dislike a lawyer who’s late for court. I can drop Mookie at the office. Or I can leave him with you.”
“Oh, leave him. We’d love it.”
“So will he.” He cupped her face, kissed her before he got up. “Unless you say no, I’m tossing a change of clothes in a bag before I come back. And staying.”