They laughed but didn’t interrupt.
I sighed and pushed the plate aside just for the moment. I wrung my hands as I told them everything from the abusive marriage to me showing up at the police station. I told them about Beau but not who he was. I left out information about Sara in case they were trying to piece it together.
They were both fuming by the time I finished my story. They knew I had a case, and I would be the star witness to give testimony to put Wes away, but they also knew his lawyers would turn it into a hearsay case or make me look like a bitter ex with a vendetta. They understood that the normal way of punishing bad guys would not work on Wes.
“I knew you didn’t lose your memory. I also knew you were running scared.”
“Thank you for protecting me,” I said with watery eyes. A few tears dropped, and everything was emotional until I reached for my pie.
Trudy laughed and focused on the only good thing about my story. “Do you plan on seeing the mystery guy again once the divorce is final?”
“I want to; he gives me hope that there are still good guys in the world. I just fear that a divorce will not be enough for Wes to leave me alone. He thinks I’m his property and doesn’t like the idea of me getting away. I don’t want him messing with a good guy’s life and family.”
“There is some sort of way to get him. I’ll figure it out,” Ernest vowed.
I was touched by his anger on my behalf.
Trudy was stuck on one track and circled back to Beau. “You have to go back to him; if not, you might regret it—especially now. It’s important that you two talk.”
I inhaled the rest of my pie and finished my milk. I sighed like all is right in the world, but I was concerned with Trudy’s sense of urgency.
“Why? I didn’t deceive him in any way. If we talk, he’ll want to meet or date, and I can’t right now. I need to get away from Wes and figure out what I want to do with my life. Maybe I’ll do something wild like skydive or bungee jump once he signs the papers.”
Trudy and Ernest stare at each other for a moment then back to me. I couldn’t help but feel like I was missing something they were putting out into the universe.
“But what about the baby?”
“What baby?”
I looked around thinking I missed a child on my way into the kitchen. Their daughters lived on the other side of the country, so I know they weren’t babysitting. Maybe I heard her wrong. Either way, the oranges on the table looked mighty tasty, so I grabbed one and started peeling.
Trudy giggled again and left the table. Ernest just shrugged and started peeling his own orange.
“When I get my divorce, I’m buying you two some groceries,” I declared around a juicy bite of orange.
Ernest chuckled and shook his head. “No. You will need all of your money. Trust me.”
They were both being cryptic, but I opted to worry after partaking in citrus goodness.
Trudy returned with a specimen cup. The hollow plastic was loud on the wood when she dropped it in front of me.
“Go pee in this cup.”
“Huh?” Maybe all my snacking had them thinking I had a weed problem.
“I don’t do drugs.”
“You better not. Go pee.” She points at the guest bathroom.
“Okay,” I said slowly. I had to pee anyway. I’ve lived in their house for free for a month; it was the least I could do. I just prayed they didn’t turn into weird people.
I did my business in the plastic cup and returned to find Trudy with a plastic mat, some boxes, and gloves.
“It’s good to see that you’re well-hydrated.”
My eyes turned into saucers when she opened the boxes. I instantly knew what she was doing.
“No way…” the words got stuck in my throat. Was it possible?
