"I don't know where to start," said Austen, resting his head in his hand. "Everything has spun around my brain ever since I found out Sophie got hurt. No, even before that. My mind is a mess."
"You're sleep deprived too. That doesn't help," I told him. "You really should go home and get some rest."
"I can't go home. Not back to that house, not without knowing what happened."
"What about a hotel?" I suggested. "Or a friend’s place?"
"Maybe. But..." He glanced at Sophie. She hadn’t moved since the last time I visited. Her head still lay on a pillow, her eyes were closed and her hands were clasped together over a soft, yellow wool blanket that didn't appear to be hospital issue.
"I can have someone from the agency sit with Sophie all night if you're concerned about her safety. You can meet with them beforehand and they'll call you if any issues arise," I assured him. "You don't have to agree now. Just consider it a feasible option." I didn't want him to feel pressured to leave his wife's side, especially not while he was so worried, but I knew he would feel and think better if he got a few hours of rest. Plus, if he wanted me to investigate, I needed to clear his mind as much as possible.
"I'll think about it," he agreed with a weary nod.
"You said you had suspicions before Sophie's accident?" I prompted, moving him along from pondering all the what-ifs and hoping to keep his thoughts more ordered.
"Yes. I can't say what particularly made me think there was something wrong but I guess lots of little things began to puzzle me before they all seemed to collide in my head at once, and now I've had nothing to do but think... well..." He sighed again.
"Such as?"
"Well, for one thing, Sophie rarely speaks about her life before me, before us. Things like her parents, where she grew up, her school, places she traveled, jobs. Barely anything beyond the basics. Right from when we first met, she always said she was future-focused, and liked to look forwards not backwards, which I thought was an attractive asset. It felt like such a positive, exciting way to look at life."
"But you don't think so now?"
"Oh, I still think it's a great way to focus on life, but... nothing from her past? Even her brother shuts down when I bring up something innocuous like a funny thing that happened at my senior prom, or the time my friends and I went to Cabo for spring break in my freshman year of college and I ask where did they go? Or discussing the dog I had as a kid and did they have any pets? Sophie barely replies. I guess I just thought I knew all about her. Now I can only wonder if I know anything."
"You mentioned her brother?"
"Yeah." Austen's face darkened and he drew a deep breath. "Zach Gallo. They're really close. I met him about three months after we started dating and..."
"You don't like him," I filled in, sensing Austen was trying, no, struggling, to come up with something diplomatic to say.
"No, I don't," he admitted. "I get they're close what with being the only family members they still have, but it's too much. He's always in Sophie's business. He speaks over her or for her. He makes decisions for her that he has no business making. I used to think it was heavy co-dependency that I hoped would improve after we got married, but it's still too much. Zach wanted me to turn part of the house into an annex so he and Sophie could be closer. I could tell Sophie didn't want that — she's been pulling away from him more than before in the last few months — but even though she came up with one excuse after another, he wouldn't accept it. When I refused, he flew into a rage, cursing us both, and even getting right into my face."
"That seems a little over the top."
"It was crazy. Any normal couple wants to start their married lives living alone. Just because we’ve been married a while and bought the house doesn’t change that!" Austen leaned back in the chair and crossed his legs, looking tired as he stifled a yawn. "I've seen him blow up at Sophie before and she just accepts it. I'll admit I strongly pushed us into buying the house we're renovating because I thought it would be a good project for us to share as a couple. I also wanted to put more distance from Zach and the apartment they rented downtown. I was surprised when Sophie so readily agreed."
"You didn't think she would? It seems like she was on the same page as you?"
"I thought she might want to stay closer to Zach, but yeah, turned out she was on the same page. We've been talking about starting a family and making that house our forever, family home. We didn't want to raise a family in my apartment. Even though Sophie never protested, I thought it was important for her to have her own home, and not feel like a guest in mine. I don't like Zach, I'll admit that, but I don't intend to cut them off from one another. I just wanted a little extra space for our life as a married couple, and later, for our family."
"What did Sophie say about Zach's idea to include an annex?"
"Privately, she agreed with me. She wanted more space too. She was excited about the new plans and decorating and making all the decisions. I'm not particularly interested in interior design although I like to have some input but Sophie is really creative. She loves art and she knows how to put things together, what colors work best to complement each other and things like that. I think Zach scares her sometimes, too much for her to say no to his face. So I told him. I don't mind being the bad guy in that scenario. I'm supposed to protect my wife."
"How has their relationship been since that argument?"
"Increasingly more arguments. It's been okay, mostly. Zach is still at the house quite often. He visits after work and sometimes spends his evenings with us, or Sophie when I'm not home. He just turns up and wanders in. It really annoys the work crew."
"So he still comes over a lot despite your mutual decision that you didn't want him to."
Austen nodded. "Way too much. He crosses boundaries too. I found him in my home office last week."
I frowned. "What was he doing in there?"
"That's what I asked. He said he was just looking for a pen but he had one in the pocket of his padded vest and I swear I closed my laptop when I left, but it was open. My laptop is password protected but I bet he tried to gain access."
"Do you have any idea why?"
"No, but we had a weird conversation about life insurance a couple weeks back. He asked me how much Sophie would get if I died."
"Wow!"
Austen blew out a breath. "Yeah."
"I assume you weren't talking about the benefits of life insurance because he wanted a policy?"
"No, far from it. Zach was talking about investments before the question popped out. I was surprised. He brushed it off and said he was only concerned for his sister since they didn't come from much but it seemed off." He glanced at Sophie. "Perhaps it was nothing. I'm here, I'm okay, and Sophie is the one who’s lying unconscious."
"I'm sorry if this seems indelicate, but does Sophie have life insurance?"
"Yes, she does. Before you ask, I'm the beneficiary but it's essentially just legalese. Crass as it sounds, I brought all the money into the relationship and Sophie brought all the happiness. Financially, if she died, I would receive what I already had. There's no financial motive to murder her, if that's what you're asking."
"Do you have a pre-nup?" I asked.
"I get why you're asking," said Austen, "and I'm not offended. Yes, perhaps that would give me a motive if I wanted to get rid of her without a divorce, but I can assure you I want my wife to stay alive and live well. We have a pre-nup that's airtight. My lawyers insisted on it but I gave Sophie the money to engage her own lawyer to keep it fair. I would never bulldoze her from a position of power. In short, Sophie wouldn't receive any payout until a minimum of five years of marriage unless children arrived. There isn't any codicil on having children, only a clause regarding the manner in which the marriage dissolved, if it did. I can send you the paperwork. So, you see, if I wanted out of our marriage right now, I could walk away absolutely fine. Financially and materially, I wouldn't lose a thing. I really don't harbor any motive to hurt my wife."
I had to agree; it didn't sound like Austen stood to gain anything from his wife's demise. Even though it didn't offer me any answers as to why someone would want to hurt Sophie, it temporarily eliminated Austen as a suspect. If he didn't want to be married, he could easily get a divorce without losing anything. Of course, Sophie did suffer a horrible fall but the suspicious bleaching of the stairs threw a shadow over such a basic accident. There was another consideration I hadn't explored yet: would someone hurt Sophie in order to hurt Austen? He already established that he had money and power. Did someone envy that?
"How did you two meet?" I asked.
"At the theater. We both love Shakespeare and the theater in general, and we attended a fundraiser at The Playhouse. Sophie and I happened to be seated next to each other. I was alone and so was she so we got to talking. I previously bumped into a friend and his wife in the lobby and arranged to meet them at the bar for a drink afterwards. I asked Sophie to join us." Austen smiled. "I asked for her phone number and she told me if it were meant to be, fate would bring us together. Then she disappeared into the night. I thought I'd never see her again."
"But you did," I prompted.
Austen glanced at Sophie and reached for her hand, smiling. "Two days later. It was raining and I was leaving the office. We both raced for the same cab and when I realized who she was... The rest, as they say, is history."
"Sounds so romantic."
"So long as you don't think about me getting drenched with my hair plastered to my head." Austen laughed. "Instead of taking that cab, we decided to dry out at a nearby bar and that turned into dinner. Sophie gave me her umbrella that night and told me to find a unique way to return it."
"Did you?"
"I have tried several unique ways to return it but I still have it. She just gives it back and tells me to keep trying." He laughed again, the lines around his eyes crinkling and warming his face. "I'm thinking of having it turned into an art object and installing it in the house permanently."
"That sounds fun."
"Possibly. I think Sophie would like it too. She's a fun person. Anyway, we've been together ever since that night. It's funny really. I'm forty-seven. I got to the age where I thought, maybe there's no one out there for me. I've always worked hard, long hours, building my business, but my personal life? Sure, I've had plenty of partners and I even got engaged once but nothing seemed to fly until I met Sophie. Yes, she's younger than me, a lot younger, and it felt like a cliché at first, but it doesn't seem to matter. She gave me a new lease on life. With Sophie, I had, have, everything. A wife, a friend, a companion. We were even talking about starting a family. The idea of losing her is just unimaginable. I don't know what I'll do if she doesn't wake up. The only thing I can think of, aside from her wellbeing right now, is what the hell happened to her? If I can't protect her, what kind of husband am I?"
"I'll find out what happened," I told him. "Can you tell me more about being unsure of Sophie's identity?"
Austen's shoulders slumped as he leaned back in the chair. "It feels like such a stupid thing to say. I fear you think the sleep deprivation is playing with my brain. Maybe it is."
"I think you're a smart, successful man. You noticed the blood drops and I already confirmed some of the stairs were bleached. If you noticed something else, I'll take a look into that too."
"Thank you for not saying I'm an idiot."
"Tell me more about this theory. What else aroused your suspicions?"
"I don't know it was any one thing. I told you already how she avoids discussing her past, and the way Zach behaves. For a brother, it's kind of creepy."
"Some siblings are closer than others." I knew that from my own family circumstances. As the youngest of five siblings, I had distinctive relationships with each. I probably saw my brothers, Garrett and Jord, the most often. Garrett, being the oldest, was also significantly older than me and pretty much out of the house while I was just beginning to enjoy my toddler years. Given the age difference, we didn't experience any sibling rivalry. Since I became a private investigator, our cases intersected on more than a few occasions, and I thought we shared a healthy respect for each other.
Jord married my best friend, Lily, after years of denying their feelings for each other, so we socialized plenty. My other brother, Daniel, was the quietest of the siblings and we once bonded over our exes cheating on us with each other. We both happily moved on and Daniel married Alice. My only sister, Serena was an uptight overachiever and every time I thought she mellowed, she reverted back to her old self. However, she did appear to be a lot happier since her marriage to my colleague, Delgado. I awarded myself some kudos for sending him over to help her when she needed it. As it turned out, he never stopped helping her.
"Like I said, at best, they're so close, they’re verging on co-dependence. At worst, Zach is a controlling bully. I suspect Sophie feels responsible for him in a way since they are the only family members left; maybe that's why she lets him push her around. I don't mean physically because I've never asked that but I wonder if he could have abused her in the past."
"What made you think that?"
"I walked in on them arguing once and he grabbed her by the arm so hard that he left a bruise. I told him if he did that to Sophie again, he wouldn't be welcome in our house. I even threatened to call the cops."
"What did Zach do?"
"He was steaming mad but he let Sophie go. He got in my face about how their family business had nothing to do with me, and how I could never come between them. I thought he would punch me until Sophie begged him to calm down and he left. It was weird."
"Is Zach usually so aggressive?"
"He's just an ass, and maybe Sophie was getting tired of it too because she started making more excuses not to have him over. Like that bothered Zach. Instead of calling first and not being invited, he would just turn up at the house instead. I thought maybe he was just an annoying in-law with a poor knowledge of boundaries. Do you have any of those?"
"I have a brother-in-law who's very nice," I told him, thinking about Delgado. "I also have several sisters-in-law and one not-so-great brother-in-law." Solomon's parents were deceased and his brother was currently in witness protection. That was far too long a story to relate to a virtual stranger. Then I thought about the enormous family Solomon acquired by marrying me and a sigh rose inside my chest. "My family probably are the annoying in-laws," I admitted.
Austen smiled at hearing that. "I guess Zach is just clingy because he and Sophie were alone for so long that it's hard sharing his only family member with her new husband. It'll probably get easier when he meets someone he likes or develops a wider social circle," he said. "I think he might be jealous of me for taking Sophie away but I haven't done that really. I just love her."
"That's a good way of looking at things. I'd like to know more about Sophie. You've told me how you met but where does she work?"
"Prior to the accident, she wasn't working but I think I told you she was considering a course in interior design, maybe enrolling in some college classes. When we first met, she worked in a museum gift shop and did volunteer work in her spare time. She likes art and history but said she wasn't good enough to do anything professional with them. I liked her humility. I used to meet women at work who were always incredibly career-driven like me. I'm sure I was just a stair on the ladder to some of them, a way to get ahead in their vocations or increase their social standing. It was nice to meet someone who was such a free spirit and didn't care about any of that stuff. Sophie made me relax. She made me see there was more to life than closing the next business deal."
"What about Sophie's friends?"
"Sophie is pretty shy. She doesn't have a lot of friends. She introduced me to her colleagues at the museum but other than those people, she hung out with Zach or preferred to be by herself. She said she was content with that but looked sad to me sometimes. Like she was lonely without acknowledging that feeling."
"What about school friends?"
"She didn't grow up in Montgomery so she doesn't have any here."
"Where did she grow up? Is she in touch with any friends on social media?"
"She was raised in Milwaukee but she and Zach haven't been back there in a long time. She doesn't have any social media presence."
I frowned. "None?"
"None at all. She said she likes real life, not online life. I know it's unusual, perhaps, in this day and age, but I don't have any social media either. I'm really not interested in seeing photos of people's lunch or engaging in one-upmanship. I'd rather pick up a phone and connect that way."
While Austen was talking, I took notes, not that there was much information to record. No family except the brother. No career and currently, no job. No close friends but a few former colleagues. An interest in theater, interior design and art. For a woman in her thirties, there wasn't a lot to Sophie. That was curious in itself, although not outside the realm of normality. It would, however, make checking up on Sophie more difficult.
"Nothing stands out as too abnormal," I told him. "But all those things added up to make you suspicious about her identity?"
"Yes, the lack of any substance behind the things she told me. And then there was the argument."
"The argument?"
"I came home early one night and instead of coming through the front door like I normally did, I walked around the back. I wanted to see how the renovation looked from the yard but when I got to the patio area, I heard voices talking. The back door was open. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I did. I listened, so yeah, I guess I did mean to. It was Sophie and Zach."
"What were they talking about?"
"He said something like 'do you really think he'd love you if he knew who you actually were?' And Sophie replied, ‘I don't know and I don't want him to ever find out but I'm not going anywhere even if this started out wrong.’ It didn't make any sense."
"Did you overhear anything else?"
"Yes. Zach said 'he'll never believe you anyway. You're crazy and you always have been. You only survive because of everything I do for you and us.' Sophie said she was staying and he should leave and Zach said, 'Maybe I should tell him all about your past and we'll see what he does about it. I bet he'd pay to get rid of you. I'm owed that money and if you screw up again, I'll get it somehow.' Sophie said that 'things have changed' and then I heard a smash and Sophie yelped. I ran around the house and rushed through the doors. I thought he hurt her."
I pursed my lips, thinking. "Did he?"
"I don't know. One of the boxes of our stuff was on the floor and Sophie was crouched over it. She had tears in her eyes. When she saw me, she looked startled and afraid. Zach had his fists clenched until he saw me and quickly said what a klutz Sophie was. I gave her a hug and told her not to worry about the stuff because we needed to get ready to go out to dinner. There wasn't really one, but I wanted Zach to leave the house in the least threatening way possible. He left and we spent the evening relaxing but Sophie was really quiet."
"Did you ask her about what you heard?"
"Yes, and she brushed it off as a silly fight, saying that Zach said she was too low class for me, but it didn't seem right. I couldn't sleep that night. All I could think about was what Sophie's past contained that he thought I might pay them to leave? And why he thought she owed him money. She's not crazy. I know that. You don't spend that much time with someone without an inkling about their mental health. Sophie is smart, funny, and kind. Not crazy. I even wondered if maybe she were in witness protection."
I started to reply when my phone buzzed. I checked the screen. Solomon texted: Made a decision. I turned it facedown, ignoring it for now.
The door opened and we turned to watch a nurse walk in. She smiled at us both and reached for the chart. "If you want to take a break, you can step out," she told Austen. "I'll be here for a few minutes checking Mrs. Takahashi's vitals. Perhaps you'd like to get some coffee and a snack?"
"Thank you, yes," said Austen, rising. I followed his cue and we stepped outside into the busy corridor. An orderly passed us, pushing a trolley and whistling a tune. Two older women walked past, bouquets of flowers in their arms, and I could hear laughter somewhere. "I'm not sure what else I can tell you," he added.
"I think that's enough for now. When you can, please email me all of Sophie's personal information. Things like her birthdate, phone number, social security number, resume, and anything else about her you can think of."
"I can do that. What will you do next?" Austen inquired. "You are taking the case?"
"Yes, I am. I'll confirm that Sophie is whom she says she is, which shouldn't take too long, and then I want to take another trip to the house and speak to the construction crew and any other people she knew. Perhaps this was a terrible accident and someone who is scared of losing their job was involved. I don't think we should jump to any conclusions, not just yet. Give me a few days to look deeper into things and please call me if you need any help or want someone to sit with her while you go home to rest. I know this is a difficult time."
Austen thanked me and I left before Sophie's nurse reappeared. As I walked out of the hospital, I called Solomon. "I made a decision," I told him. "I'm going to take the Takahashi case."
"I meant I made a decision about the bank. We're taking that case. I'm going to need your help since you are the only person at the agency who witnessed the real-time events."
"Okay," I agreed. "I can do that but I'm not sure what else I can tell you."
"Perhaps something might spark a memory for you. You might not realize everything you do know yet," said Solomon.
"Apparently, we know nothing about the bank," I retorted. "If Charlie Sampson can be believed."
"All the more reason why I need you on the team. Can your case take a backseat for a few days?"
"Not really. The Takahashis really need my help."
"Austen Takahashi?"
"Yeah, that's him. Do you know him?"
"No, but I recognize his name. Built his firm from the ground up, made a lot of money, and knows plenty of powerful people. Does lots of philanthropy work alongside it all. He relocated to Montgomery and created countless jobs."
"You sound pretty impressed."
"I am. Tell me about it over lunch?"
"On my way."