Chương 7
“In my car.”
“At the house?”
“Yes.”
Baldric shook his head.
“You’re not going back there.”
“I didn’t say I was.”
“What’s on it?”
“Copies.”
“Of Derek’s files?”
“Some.”
“What did you copy?”
“Bank statements, invoices, emails.”
Baldric’s pulse quickened.
“Arianne, where are those copies now?”
She looked at him.
“Not only on the laptop.”
“Where else?”
“I sent them to my divorce attorney.”
He let out a breath.
“When?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
Before he could respond, his phone rang again.
Tessa.
Arianne answered on speaker.
“Tessa?”
The woman sounded different now.
More careful.
“I asked Gideon what he remembered his father saying.”
Arianne gripped the blanket.
“And?”
“He said Derek told him you were going to a hospital because you were sick.”
Arianne shut her eyes.
Tessa continued.
“He also said his grandmother told him not to talk about the blue pills.”
Baldric’s chair scraped the floor as he stood.
Arianne opened her eyes.
“What blue pills?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Did he see Derek give me something?”
“I haven’t asked that directly.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not going to contaminate a child interview.”
Arianne pressed her fist against her mouth.
Tessa’s voice softened slightly.
“I have enough concern now to request an emergency safety arrangement.”
“With who?”
“With you if the hospital clears you and we can establish a safe location.”
Arianne looked at Baldric.
“My father’s house.”
Baldric nodded.
Tessa said, “I’ll need the address.”
He gave it.
Then Tessa added, “There’s one more thing.”
Baldric closed his eyes briefly.
Of course there was.
“Derek just left.”
Arianne leaned forward.
“With Gideon?”
“No.”
Relief hit so hard that Baldric had to grip the bed rail.
“Then where did he go?”
“I don’t know.”
Tessa paused.
“But he left carrying a laptop bag.”
Arianne looked at Baldric.
“My laptop bag is gray.”
Tessa said nothing.
Arianne’s voice became sharp.
“What color was it?”
“Gray.”
Baldric was already reaching for his keys.
Arianne caught his hand.
“No.”
“He has your computer.”
“Yes.”
“I can intercept—”
“No.”
Her grip tightened.
“You said you’d let me control this.”
Baldric looked at her bruised wrists wrapped around his hand.
He forced himself not to move.
Arianne picked up her phone.
“What are you doing?”
“Calling my lawyer.”
“For the laptop?”
“For everything.”
She found the number and pressed call.
Then she looked directly at her father.
“And this time, you don’t make the next decision for me.”
Arianne’s lawyer answered on the third ring.
Her name was Melissa Grant, and the first thing she said was, “Are you safe?”
“For the moment.”
Arianne glanced at Baldric.
“I’m at County Memorial.”
Melissa’s voice sharpened.
“What happened?”
“Derek found out I was leaving.”
There was a pause.
“How?”
“He got into my email.”
“Did he hurt you?”
Arianne looked down at her wrists.
“Yes.”
Baldric turned toward the window.
He had heard her describe the night to a deputy, but hearing that single word spoken to someone she trusted felt different.
It left no room for explanation.
Melissa asked several questions, each one short.
Was there a police report?
Had Arianne spoken to child protective services?
Where was Gideon?
Did Derek still have access to the house?
Arianne answered as clearly as she could.
Then she explained the laptop.
Melissa stopped her.
“Your laptop is missing?”
“Yes.”
“And it contains copies of material from Derek’s computer?”
“Yes.”
“Did the originals come from a shared household device?”
“No.”
“Did you have permission to access his computer?”
Arianne hesitated.
“No.”
Baldric watched her shoulders tense.
Melissa did not scold her.
“Okay.”
Arianne looked almost annoyed by the calm response.
“That’s bad, isn’t it?”
“It may complicate how anything on those copies can be used.”
“Can Derek accuse me of stealing?”
“He can accuse you of anything he wants.”
Melissa’s tone remained matter-of-fact.
“What matters is what happened, what evidence exists, and what can legally be established.”
Arianne rubbed her thumb against the edge of the hospital blanket.
“I sent the files to you.”
“Yes.”
“So he can’t erase them.”
“He can erase your copy.”
“But not yours.”
“No.”
Melissa paused.
“And I’m not touching the files until we determine what they are and whether I can properly review them.”
Baldric approved of her immediately.
Arianne did not look reassured.
“Then why did I send them?”
“Because three weeks ago you were scared and trying to understand your family’s finances before leaving your husband.”
“That sounds stupid when you say it like that.”
“It sounds like what happened.”
Arianne closed her eyes.
Melissa continued.
“I need you to listen carefully.”
“I am.”
“Do not contact Derek.”
Arianne opened her eyes.
“Fine.”
“Do not contact his father.”
“I wasn’t going to.”
“Do not post anything.”
“I don’t post.”
“Good.”
“Anything else?”
“Do not let your father start a war.”
Arianne looked directly at Baldric.
Despite himself, he almost smiled.
“She knows you.”
“I’ve met her twice.”
“Apparently that was enough.”
Melissa heard him.
“Mr. Hale?”
“Yes.”
“I mean it.”
“So does my daughter.”
“Then for once in your life, enjoy being outnumbered.”
Baldric looked at Arianne.
“She definitely knows me.”
Melissa asked Arianne to authorize her to speak with the responding deputy and the child-services worker.
Arianne agreed.
Then Melissa said something that changed the room.
“I also need you to consider asking the court for an emergency protective order.”
Arianne’s expression tightened.
“Today?”
“Yes.”
“Can that happen that fast?”
“We can request it.”
“Will I get it?”
“I won’t promise you that.”
Melissa sounded careful.
“We document what happened, present what we have, and let the judge decide.”
“What about Gideon?”
“We request temporary protections concerning him too.”
Arianne stared at the IV taped to her arm.
“And Derek gets to read everything?”
“Eventually, yes.”
“Everything I say?”
“The filings aren’t a private diary.”
Arianne breathed out slowly.
May you like
Baldric recognized the expression on her face.
It was the same one she had worn at fourteen before getting her first stitches, when she had decided the needle itself was less frightening than admitting she was afraid of it.
