as she and Sally hurried toward us on the sidewalk.
"Yes, ma'am." Detective Torres nodded at her. "Ensley's dog got away from her, but we'll find him."
"Oh, he's right there." Sally pointed toward my house.
Sure enough, Snuggle Muffins was sitting on my front porch staring at me.
What a good boy. I'd told him to stay and he had. I knew I should have pushed him back inside when I went to go spy, but he'd made a fuss. So I'd told him to stay and run off into the bushes. And he’d...waited. A smile curled onto my lips.
I ran over to Snuggle Muffins and lifted him in my arms. "You're okay!" I exclaimed for the audience. "Thank goodness!" I kissed the side of his furry little head and tried not to gag. "Thank you for saving me from that sticky situation, mister," I whispered to him. "I really appreciate it." I kissed the side of his face again and this time I didn't even think about gagging.
He just sighed.
"Well, I'm glad we found your dog," Detective Torres said as he joined me in my lawn. "I don't have as good news about your husband."
I tried to ignore the fact that Sally and Charlotte were still staring at me. "He wasn't in Canada?" I asked.
"Do you mind if I come in so we can talk?"
"Of course not." I gave him my brightest smile as I opened the front door. "Come in, come in." Being overly welcoming was on my to-do list today. So was making sure he didn't get a chance to knock or ring the doorbell. Check and check. Hopefully Noah wouldn't even realize I had company. And if he did...hopefully my accidentally illicit promise would keep him quiet.
As soon as I closed the front door behind us I realized just how bad an idea this was. I couldn't trust Noah. I knew better. I wasn't even sure I could trust myself. All I wanted to do was go double-check the deadbolt. I swallowed hard.
"Nice place you have here," Detective Torres said.
"Thanks." I realized I was still holding Snuggle Muffins to my chest. "Go play," I said and set him down. But instead of running off he just plopped down next to me like he always did. "So...um...you said you didn't find Noah?"
Detective Torres shook his head. "Unfortunately not." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans and stared at me. Like he was waiting for something.
I didn't want to invite him further into my house. I wanted him to stay right where he was. "Did you talk to Sophia?"
"The local precinct brought her in for questioning. They let me listen in. I'm really sorry, Ensley. But...your husband wasn't with her."
I nodded. "Okay." My whole body felt cold. But he was having an affair with her, right? I wanted to scream the question at him. But I didn't have to. I knew it. I knew it and yet...ouch. For a second last night I believed that it had only been one kiss. I'd believed what I'd wanted to believe. But Noah was no saint.
"I'm sorry I don't have better news."
"That's fine. Let me show you out." I gestured to the door.
He didn't move. "We have a little more to discuss about Sophia Tremblay. Actually, a lot more."
"We do?"
"Did your husband...did he hurt you?"
Noah never hit me. But the things he said to me? I was reminded of that old lie about "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." That person didn’t know my husband. His words were as sharp as knives. "No."
"Never?"
It felt like I was shrinking under his gaze. And I found myself wanting to say…sometimes. Maybe. "No. I don't understand what this has to do with him being missing."
"He hurt her."
I shook my head. My husband was a lot of things. But he wouldn't physically hurt someone. He wouldn't. "I don't understand."
"They weren't dating."
"I’m sorry, I really don't understand. Of course they were dating. You just told me that my husband was unfaithful. He..."
"She claims that he was stalking her. That he was obsessed with her." He pulled out his phone and handed it to me.
There was a picture of a brunette woman. Maybe she was beautiful. I couldn't really be sure. Because her face was swollen. A huge bruise encased her eye. Her lip was busted. But despite the injuries, she looked familiar. She looked like me.
"The last time she saw him, he did this to her. You're sure he