say I know either but it was right after she got married. You must know Austen? Such a nice guy and their wedding was beautiful. I thought they'd have a big, fancy affair but it turned out to be modest, pretty and intimate. Now I think about it, I guess that's more Sophie's style anyway."
"How so?"
"She was never flashy and even though Austen is very rich, she's still not like that." Melinda put her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry. That sounded so crass. I really like Austen."
"I understand," I told her. "It must be strange to marry someone with a lot of money. I think it has the ability to change a lot of people."
"The only thing that changed about Sophie when she met Austen was her burst of confidence. She was kind of meek before, but of course, you probably already know that. Or maybe it was just at work. Regardless, we really miss her very much but not that brother of... oh! I'm sorry. I was being crass again."
"You mean Zach?" I asked.
Lily leaned in. "He’s a jerk if you ask me," she said quietly with a knowing nod.
Melinda nodded along. "Isn't he? How the two of them could come from the same gene pool boggles the mind. He was always so domineering and crude. I told Sophie she shouldn't let him speak to her like that. Laeticia said she didn't want him coming around. He gave her the heebie-jeebies."
I feigned conspiratorial shock. To be fair, it wasn’t difficult since my first impression of Zach was not very flattering. "What about?" I asked.
"I don't know but she got really rattled one time right before Sophie quit. She wouldn't say anymore about it." Melinda ducked her head down as she wrote a note in the card. Glancing up, she asked, "Should I promise to visit soon? I'd like to do that. Do you know what kind of flowers she prefers?"
"Flowers?" I asked, momentarily confused.
"To take when I visit Sophie in the hospital."
"Oh, yes. I'm sure she would appreciate anything that blooms. She's not conscious yet but her doctors are hopeful she'll come around very soon," I added as Melinda folded the card and returned it to me.
Melinda raised her eyebrows. "Goodness, that must have been a terrible accident! Perhaps I could bake something for Austen?"
"I'm sure he'd appreciate the gesture. Do you know where I can find Laeticia?" I asked.
"You're in luck. That's her right over there." Melinda pointed behind us. "The lady in the white suit."
We thanked Melinda and followed the suited lady, almost losing her when she moved into one of the galleries. "Wearing a white suit is a real power move," said Lily. "I would spill something on it within the first ten seconds."
"Me too," I agreed, "but Laeticia looks great in it."
Laeticia was a tall, curvy woman with dark black skin, a closely shaved head and luminous eyes. I had to wonder if she'd been a model in a former life. I could only aspire to look that flawless. We stopped her in front of a still life painting and explained who we were.
"I had no idea," she told us when I produced the card. "Poor Sophie. Will she recover soon and be okay?"
"The doctors are very optimistic," I told her, offering her a pen. "We thought it would be nice for her to know how many people were thinking of her when she wakes up."
"She's very lucky to have friends like you. I hoped she would make some friends when she started working here. She was so shy at first."
"I don't think her dominating brother was much help," said Lily, shooting Laeticia a knowing look. "He's kind of a jerk, if you know what I mean."
"Oh, I certainly do," agreed Laeticia with a weary shake of her head. "He seemed nice at first... anyway, I told her he couldn't come here anymore. I didn't like his attitude."
"Why's that?"
"It seems silly now, and I'm sure he was joking around, but at the time, I was worried that he actually meant what he said. Then Sophie met Austen and Zach stopped showing up anymore. I almost forgot all about it."
Lily and I exchanged glances as Laeticia contemplated the card. "Did he threaten Sophie?" I asked, my heart thumping in anticipation of her answer.
"Not exactly. I suppose Sophie could have told you already so it won't matter what I say. I overheard Zach telling Sophie she should take a close look at the museum security because