She came out to find the choice already made.
She studied the long, flowy white shirt, the stovepipe-gray pants, the cap-sleeved, open-weave red sweater.
“I think Molly has a thing for red, Yoda. But you know, it works.”
After she dressed and considered jewelry choices, her phone rang. She saw Trey on the readout.
She wouldn’t bring up all that happened over the phone, she decided. She and Cleo could detail everything later, over dinner.
That would sure as hell keep things lively.
“Hey. It’s the all-star.”
He let out a weak laugh. “Yeah. Listen, Sonya, something’s come up. I won’t be able to make it tonight.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. Are you okay? You’re upset, I can hear it.”
“I’m okay. I’m sorry for the late notice.”
She heard voices in the background, what sounded like a call over a PA. Her heart jumped.
“Are you at the hospital? Are you hurt? What—”
“It’s not me. I’m fine.”
“Your family.”
“No, no, everybody’s fine. It’s a client. She … Jesus, Jesus, he beat the hell out of her. The divorce, I handled the divorce just a couple of weeks ago. He got drunk, nothing new there, pushed his way into the house, and went at her. A lot of good the restraining order did her.”
Not just upset, she realized. Furious and fractured.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. Do you want me to come? I can come. Can I help?”
“No. No, thanks, but … They’re working on her right now, and they say she’ll be okay. The kids ran out to a neighbor, he called the police, went over, managed to stop him before it got worse.
“Goddamn it, I’ve known these people for ten years.”
In that moment, all she wanted to do was put her arms around him.
“Are the kids all right? Do the police have him?”
“Kids are pretty shook, but they’re fine. They’ll be okay. They can stay with the neighbors. And yeah, he’s in custody. I need to stay with her. I don’t want her to be alone when she comes out. Her mother and sister are flying in, but they won’t get here until ten or eleven.”
“If there’s anything we can do, check on the kids, pick up Mookie, just call.”
“Thanks. Owen swung by to get the dog. I just need to stick here until her family comes, and I want to talk to Hal again.”
Chief of police, Sonya remembered.
“I’ll get back to you tomorrow.”
“All right. We’ll talk then.”
When she hung up, Cleo spoke from the doorway. “I heard enough of that to know something bad happened.”
“One of Trey’s clients is in the hospital. Her ex-husband broke in and attacked her. He beat her, Cleo. It sounds horrible.”
“Because it is. How bad is she hurt?”
“I don’t know exactly, but he’s staying with her until her family can get there.” Because it knotted, Sonya pressed a hand to her stomach. “A few hours, so she won’t be alone.”
“Trey Doyle’s not just a pretty face. He’s a really good man.”
“He was so upset. You just don’t hear him get really upset, not easily.”
“I’ve noticed.”
“But he was, upset and worried and frustrated. And really, really angry. I’ve never heard him really angry.”
“Come on. We’ll go downstairs, throw together something to eat. We’ll light a candle for her.”
“Yeah, that’s better than standing here feeling helpless. I think I know who it is—not who by name,” she qualified as they started down. “But Trey handled a divorce and mentioned how the husband went off in court, got slapped down by the judge. Then he had that early meeting on the weekend, remember? And I could tell he was worried when he got back. He said something about a restraining order on the phone just now. I bet this is all the same person.”
“Poole’s Bay looks idyllic, and mostly it is, I think. But bad people live in good places.”
Cleo looked toward the ceiling as she spoke. “We sure as hell know that for a fact. I’m sorry this happened to her, I’m sorry her ex-husband’s a vicious motherfucker. And I’m going to say she’s lucky to have somebody like Trey looking out for her. Making sure she has someone with her when she needs it most.”
As they turned into the kitchen, Sonya nodded. “You’re right about that.” But she couldn’t get the furious and fractured sound of his voice out of her head.