“That’s not a problem, Tori. But if you have questions, you can always come to me with them.”

“Thank you. I very much appreciate that. It’s just that I didn’t want to bother you with it. You have been so kind to me.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

“Have you discussed any of your issues with your husband?” he asked.

“No. Not really. Actually, not ever.” Tori dabbed her eye with the back of her hand.

“Don’t you think that would be a better place to start?”

“I . . . I guess so, but he can be so stubborn I was worried it would blow up into a horrible fight.”

“Has he ever been violent?”

“No. Not to me.”

“So what is stopping you from trying to have a conversation with him?”

“I guess it’s because he can be intimidating. He’s forceful in his opinions.”

“So you’d rather avoid any confrontations with him, is that correct?” Layton was starting to sound like a lawyer.

“I suppose.” The tears were now streaming down her face. “I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because when I was growing up, there were always fights between my parents, and I never knew if they would blow up at me. Well, at least my dad was reasonable when he was around, but that was usually never.”

George put his hands behind his head and leaned back in his chair. “May I offer you a bit of advice?”

Tori sniffled. “Yes, of course.”

“Try having a talk with him before you pull the plug. He can’t magically know what you’re thinking. He deserves that much, at least.” He sat upright to stress his point. “Unless you tell him what’s on your mind, he will never know.” He snickered a bit. “Men don’t have the same kind of instincts women have. We’re a bit dense.”

Tori smiled. “You are right about that, Mr. Layton. No offense. I mean George.”

“I would suggest you do it in a neutral place. Not at home. It’s too easy to go into another room and slam the door behind you. But someplace public, maybe a park?”

Tori had a blank look on her face. “But isn’t it too public to have a private conversation?”

“I’m sure you could find a quiet bench somewhere. We have plenty of parks around here. Plus, if for any reason you felt you were in danger, you would be in earshot of a passerby.”

Tori looked horrified. “I cannot imagine him getting violent, but you have a point. It would kind of force us to have a reasonable conversation if he knew people were in the background. Plus, he’s a cop, and a lot of people know him. He wouldn’t want to show a bad side of himself in public.”

“See? You are getting my drift. Pack a lunch. People usually function better if they’re not hungry.”