I rubbed my forehead and steadied my voice. After a trauma or terminal diagnosis, families often wanted someone to blame, and I was sometimes their punching bag. I had to remain calm, logical, rational, and explain the facts. “I didn’t trip or fall into the hole. Liz pushed me, and then left me there.”

He slowly closed his eyes and then opened them again. “People need to be careful around construction sites.”

Frustration and anger pricked at my skin, and I pressed my lips together to stop from snapping at him. He was still worried that we were going to sue or ask him to pay for medical bills. Not about his wife, or whatever might be happening to her.

“There’s something going on with her, Tim. That’s why I’m here,” I said. I leaned and peeked over the edge of the couch that faced away from the front door, and saw a figure splayed out. It was Liz, and she was asleep. Or at least she appeared to be asleep.

I looked back at Tim, one eyebrow raised out of caution. We exchanged a silent glance before I tilted my head toward him and gestured toward my friend with a palm.

Do something.

Don’t you care?

Don’t you see what’s going on?

He shrugged slightly and looked down at his phone, studying it intensely. Conversation over.

“O-kay,” I said. I realized the house was far too quiet. “Where are the kids?”

His eyes were still on his phone. “At my parents’ house for the night. My mom has had to help out a lot lately.”

“Well, that’s good.” Relief flooded through me that at least someone, even if it was Liz’s horrible in-laws, was taking care of their children. “Like I said, I think Liz needs help. Don’t you agree?” I said carefully. I wasn’t about to specify exactly what kind of help I was afraid she needed.

He looked up and met my eyes briefly. “Yes,” he said before he walked away, phone in both hands, furiously typing.

Anger bubbled up in my chest, and I took a step forward to follow him, shake him by the shoulders. Wake him up. Ask him to give a shit about his wife. I didn’t know if she had tried to do anything to him, but she had thrown me into a pit and possibly summoned the forces of darkness, and I still wanted to help her.

I waited to see if he would come back into the room, listening to Liz’s heavy breathing, which I could hear all the way in the foyer. The creaking upstairs told me he was going back into his office, and I heard a door shut.

I was on my own.