“Your wife is fine, Mr. Everton.”
“Thank you,” I exhale in relief, then look to the ceiling and repeat those words. “Thank you.” I’m not religious, but when my brain processes news like this, I’ll thank whoever’s up above, and I notice my parents do the same. Their shoulders relax and my mother wipes the tears off her cheeks.
“Is she on her way?” I ask.
“No, I’m afraid not,” he shakes his head. “Mr. Everton, I have some difficult news to tell you.”
“What? You said she was alright.”
“She is.”
“So what’s the problem?”
“Well,” he sighs. “According to the officers who questioned them, your wife went with him willingly and she’s still with him now.”
“No,” I whisper and shake my head.
“They were stopped at the hotel he’s registered at, and your wife had a suitcase with her.”
“No,” I continue shaking my head in disbelief as I think of David Rosen’s words about my wife. “She won’t be in that big penthouse of yours for long, now that the money’s finally flowing in from her father’s estate. She’s been using you, dumbass. Waiting for her daddy’s money.”
“Cove, it’s okay. There must be an explanation for all of this. It’s all going to be fine,” my mother says.
And then I recall Marcus’s words. “Does little Sophie Jameson have plans for that fat check? I heard she didn’t have much growing up, was a poor kid living in a dilapidated house with a nutcase of a mother. I wouldn’t be surprised if that check makes her feel powerful and finally in control of her life.”
“No,” I repeat in a louder voice and look toward my office. The check.
“Your wife said she was going to call you as soon as...”
I race past him, up the stairs, and pull her purse out from under my desk, dumping the contents out and emptying the pockets; she has it. She has the check. It’s gone. She’s gone.
“Sophia!” I shout with a stopped heart. I feel dead, like my life just ended and I was the one shot in the head, not Paul or David. I kick my desk and my foot goes through the wood, making a hole and trapping my leg inside. My father walks in and helps me step out of the splintered opening and then grips my shoulders and forces me to look him in the eye.
“Damn her and Marcus, whoever the fuck he is.” My fist’s a bomb that’s been dropped from a plane, on its way down to crash into the earth, taking out everyone in its path. When I find him he’ll be reduced to nothing.
“Cove. Look at me, come back to me,” my father says while holding my shoulders still. “Control yourself before you do something stupid.”
“What? Like marry Paul’s daughter? That was stupid.”
“Don’t think that way. We have no idea what’s going on. Talk to her before you jump to conclusions.”
The Detective joins us in my office and my mother’s sobs can be heard down below.
“Listen to her,” I say with a nod of my head toward the balcony railing. “Even Mom can sense that I got fucked over.”
“Mr. Everton,” Detective Ferguson steps forward. “Your father’s right, you need to speak to Sophia. She left of her own accord and there’s nothing more that we can do, but you also don’t have the full story. My advice is to call her. I’m not getting involved in a family feud, however, I believe you’ll have a different take on the incident once you speak to your wife.”
“Well, Detective, doesn’t that just sound easy as pie? You have no idea what’s going on either,” I seethe. “If you had the full story, you’d know why I feel this way.” I break away from my father in need to kick or punch another object. My foot makes contact with the heavy bag as I groan in anger.
“After questioning Marcus, I have inside information about him that I can tell you’re unaware of. It would be best for you to call them,” he responds before my father cuts in.
“I know what you’re thinking, but you have to trust her, son. Don’t jump ahead of yourself without any evidence.”
“She has the inheritance check, Dad, and took off with some guy. Suitcase in hand, for fuck’s sake.” Turning quickly, I look at Detective Ferguson. “What hotel are they in?”
“We can’t give out exact information. Your wife’s an adult and it’s her decision whether or not she wants to disclose her location to you.”
“I’m her goddamn husband!” I respond in frustration as I search for my phone, checking all my pockets and then the office. It must have fallen when I ran downstairs to catch Marcus.
“It’s there, Cove,” my father points, “next to the chair.”
I slide the screen and see two messages, both from Marcus’s cell.
“Did she call?” my father asks.
“Maybe,” I say.
“Mr. Everton,” the Detective extends a hand. “I’d like to say it’s been a pleasure and to take care, but with your track record, it seems more appropriate to say see you tomorrow.”
I shake his hand with a straight face. “I don’t appreciate your sense of humor. And you won’t be back. We won’t be seeing one another ever again.” My father leads him out and I finally have a moment alone.
I look at the screen of my cell and tap my message box, hoping Sophia called and not Marcus. I’m sick to my stomach. What inside information does the detective have? Is Marcus, Evan? Evan was coming to the Scarlett tonight; it’s him. Has to be...
The first message starts, and it’s not the voice I wanted to hear.
“Cove, Marcus here,” he laughs. “Just checking in, wanted to know if you’re worried about anything. Like, perhaps, your wife?”
“You fucker, don’t be mean to him.” I hear Sophia in the background.
“She and I have a few things to discuss. But I’ll keep her safe... I promise I won’t cut her up and stuff her in the suitcase she’s dragging around.”
“Knock it off!” Sophia yells and I hear a smack. I think she hit him. At least I hope that’s what happened, and not the other way around. “Give me the fucking phone.”
“No, sit down,” he says to her.
“Don’t push me away, give me the phone,” Sophia steams.
“Listen, Cove. Your wife’s a feisty bitch so I can’t talk long.” I hear another struggle for possession of the phone. “But, I want to ask you something,” he pauses. “Sophie, listen to me and sit your ass down!” he shouts. There’s silence and then the phone is muted. I wait, nervously... he better not lay a finger on her. “Cove,” he’s back. “How does it feel to lose something so precious from your life? Do you appreciate her more now that she’s gone?”
It sounds like Soph fights for the phone once more, and then the first message ends.
Thank God it’s Sophia’s gentle and affectionate voice on the line the second time.
“Cove, I’m fine. Don’t worry, okay? I need to talk to the bastard before he leaves town, but I promise I’ll be home soon. Sorry if he caused a scene at the Scarlett.” The phone cuts out and I run my hand down my face. What the hell just happened?
“Was it her?” my father asks as he and my mother enter the office. “Is she alright?”
“She told me not to worry,” I whisper. “And that she’d be home soon.” I call Marcus’s number but it goes straight to voicemail.
“Do you know where she is?” my mother steps forward and touches my arm.
“No.”
“Well then, we need to be on our way to search every hotel parking lot in this city for his car. I’ll drive,” she says. “I’m sure this guy told her what to say. We’re getting her. Now. I want her home and in safe hands, along with my grandbaby.”
I stare straight ahead in a daze, my parents waiting for a response as my mother tugs on my arm.
“Cove?” my father questions my silence. “Come on.”
My cell rings, pulling me out of confusion and back to reality. It’s Marcus.
“If you lay a hand on my wife, I’ll kill you.”
“Touch your wife?” he laughs. “I’m not going to touch your wife, Cove. What, you mean like finger her or fuck her, or something like that? Jesus, that would be... let me use a woman’s term for it... icky. She’s beautiful and all, but I’m not into that kind of taboo shit.”