“Oh, yeah. They fought. You’re the police, did you not see the list of domestic calls in the past year?”

“I did. Sutton never pressed charges.”

“Of course she didn’t. She never would. She and Ethan are explosive.”

“She also claimed she never made the calls.”

“Well, how’s that possible? How else would the police find out they were arguing?”

“I’m inclined to agree. Abused women often regret their calls for help, especially if their aggressor is still nearby.”

“Very true. Back to the baby. In the end, Sutton waited too long, and then the choice was made for her. I don’t know that she ever truly bonded with Dashiell, though. Ethan, on the other hand, was overjoyed. He loved that child.”

“And she didn’t?”

“No, she did, don’t get me wrong. But you have to wonder, sometimes, if she was in a self-destructive mode, whether she wasn’t as careful as she could have been. I mean, everyone knows not to put babies on their stomachs. And she was drunk when she came home that night. Ethan told me, after.”

Holly chose to ignore that last statement for the time being. “Sutton was often self-destructive?”

“At times. That’s why I’m so worried about her.”

“So for the record, you don’t think Ethan had anything to do with Sutton’s disappearance?”

Brookes chewed on her lower lip. “I don’t know if I’d phrase it that way. Sutton may have gone off to punish him, but if she did, it’s because Ethan drove her to it. His standards were impossible to keep up with. And he’s not been writing, which makes him utterly insufferable. He may not have pulled the trigger, but if she’s dead, he’s certainly responsible.”

“So he was abusive.”

“You didn’t hear that from me.” She looked at her watch, jumped up. “Goodness, I am so sorry, but I have another appointment. Please excuse me. And if there’s anything else I can do, don’t hesitate to get in touch. I am worried sick about her. I really hope she’s just holed up somewhere, making us all sweat.”

“Thanks for your time.”

Holly went to her car, reviewed her notes, adding a bit here and there as she recalled something. Two women, two somewhat disparate views of who Sutton Montclair really was.

Her voice mail was blinking. A message from Ellen Jones. Holly hit Play.

“Officer Graham, I will be home in about an hour. Please feel free to stop by.”

Holly looked at the car’s clock. Good timing, Mrs. Jones.

An Unexpected Surprise

AN UNEXPECTED SURPRISE

Then

“I have a secret,” Ethan said.