Page 121 of Winning Bid

He winces at the sight of me. “Brought more tissues, too. Is it tea bags that help with … ” He gestures at my face. “… all that?”

I’m feeling only mildly insulted at the moment. “Thanks for the food and the tissues, but I need to be alone right now. I hope you understand.”

“Of course. Sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it?—"

“I know. I’m not … good right now.”

“Understood. I know we don’t know each other, but maybe calling a friend would help.” When he gets to the door, he pauses. “There’s a big, honking chocolate bar on the tray with your sandwich. I might not know you well, but I know women.” Then, he leaves.

I head straight for the chocolate, and halfway through, it doesn’t taste like anything. Nothing has since yesterday.

Cole’s suggestion floats around my head. Call a friend. There’s only one person who might remotely understand, and I still can’t tell her everything without risking her becoming a witness. But I could stand to hear Callie’s voice right about now.

Before I chicken out, I dial her up. “Hey, I?—"

“Where the hell have you been?” she shouts without animosity.

“Been busy.”

“Let me get somewhere I can talk.”

“I’m sorry to bug you.” I hear animal sounds in the background. “Are you on safari?”

She snorts a laugh. “We’re at the zoo. Me and Daniel and his kids.”

“Oh, hell. Callie, I’ll call you later.”

“Don’t you dare hang up on me! I have been dying to talk to you, and I will take it when I can get it. Okay, I’m off by the ECO center, which means no one is around because no one cares about saving the planet. How depressing is that? Talk to me, girl.”

“I’m guessing you haven’t seen the news or social media today?”

She huffs. “You know I hate all of that.”

Shit. I forgot. “Anderson was arrested at our wedding reception.”

“What?” she squeaks. “You got married? Wait, arrested?”

And then the sobs start all over again. I can’t help it. Hearing her incredulity is like hearing my own voiced out loud. I give her the rundown while omitting a few facts. “… since I went out with Neil right before he died, and his body was found all beat up, they think Anderson did it. I don’t know what actual evidence they have.”

“Well, I mean, first of all, crap. Seriously, that is messed up. But secondly, they have to have probable cause to bring charges, which means they think they have something.”

“I know. I’m a lawyer, too, remember?”

She sighs. “I know, sweetie, but you don’t sound like yourself. Seriously, I’m surprised you haven’t been locked away in the nut house for all of this. What’s the plan?”

I laugh. “Plan? What plan?”

“You’re you. You always have a plan.”

“Not this time, Callie.”

She pauses. “Well, fuck.”

It makes me laugh to hear her curse. She’s no church mouse, but she’s more uptight than I am about those things. At least something can still make me laugh. “Precisely.”

“Okay, well, the first thing to do is talk to his lawyer. Not Pym—it sounds like that guy just wants to pin all of this on you. The other lawyer, the one you said, was like an aunt to him. Talk to her.”

Slowly, I nod. “That makes sense.”

---