The queen-size bed was a tangle of sheets and blankets, and beer bottles filled the top of the nightstand. A pizza box sat on the floor beside an overflowing trash can. Evidently, the housekeeping staff had been diligently heeding the sign on the door.

Leigh glanced around for a place to sit. She dragged a chair from beside the dresser and positioned it near the door. She didn’t like being here, and she wanted an easy out if she decided to leave.

Vanessa walked to a cooler near the closet and combed through some ice.

“You want water?” she asked.

“No.”

Something moved beneath the sheets. Leigh froze. A brown blur shot across the pillow and darted behind the bed.

Leigh backed against the door. “There’s a rat in here!”

“It’s a ferret.” Vanessa sat on the end of the bed. “His name’s Mobi.”

Leigh stared at her.

“He’s Cooper’s. He won’t bother you.”

Leigh lowered herself into the chair and set her purse on the table beside her. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. She had something in common with Cooper—she didn’t know where to begin. Part of her wanted to walk up to Vanessa and slap her. Which was an all-new feeling with a client. Another part of her wanted to give her a shake and ask What the hell were you thinking?? That urge was much more familiar.

“Vanessa.” Leigh leaned her elbows on her knees and looked at her client. Vanessa swilled from a bottle of Evian. “Do you have any idea what your sister is going through right now?”

“I know.”

“Really? You do? Because I’ve been to see her three times since you disappeared, and she gave me the impression you two were close. Close enough that you’d give a damn that she’s been sick with worry.”

“I know.”

“Kate thinks you’re dead. So do the police. So did I.” She paused, waiting for a reaction, but Vanessa just sat there.

Leigh looked her over, taking in every detail and trying to construe what each one meant. She’d chopped her hair and dyed it a near-black shade of brown that drew more attention to her appearance rather than less. She had wan skin and dark circles under her eyes, and Leigh realized she wasn’t the only one whose life had been turned upside down by the events of the past week. Vanessa looked down at her water bottle. Her eyes were glistening, and Leigh felt a pang of sympathy for her.

“Tell me what happened with Mason,” Leigh said.

She took a deep breath and removed the baseball cap to reveal a nasty red bump and scab at the top of her forehead.

Anger swelled in Leigh’s chest. “He hit you?”

She shook her head.

“Vanessa, I don’t have time for guessing games. Tell me what happened.”