Trouble at the Kennel (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery #9)(31)
“I think she's going to be a beauty. Mary was thrilled to get that dog, and with good reason. She’d spent a lot of time researching where to get a dog that she felt could be a champion. Are you planning on showing her or breeding her?”
“I don’t think I’d feel very comfortable in that world. We love our dogs, but as pets, not as commodities. Thanks for spending so much time with me. I’ll be in touch.”
CHAPTER 24
Kelly felt unsettled when she left Dr. Simpson’s office. She couldn’t get the thought out of her mind that Sandy Renton was being abused by her husband. Since Sandy and Hank had only moved to the Cedar Bay area within the past year, she doubted if Sandy had any close friends she could confide in.
Maybe this whole thing is in my mind. I’d like to clear it up once and for all. I need to talk to her and see if there’s anything I can do to help her if she’s a victim of spousal abuse. Of course, it may be nothing, and if that’s the case, the worst that can happen is she’ll never talk to me again. Seem to remember some old saying about nothing ventured, nothing gained. I think I’ll go out to the kennel right now and talk to her. If she is being abused and something happens to her, I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t at least try to help.
Kelly drove out to the kennel, pulled the minivan into the kennel parking lot, and partially rolled down the windows so the dogs could get some fresh air. She took a deep breath, swallowed hard, walked over to the office, and opened the door. It was somewhat dark inside, but she was able to make out Sandy sitting at her desk in front of a computer.
Sandy looked up when the door opened. “Kelly, how are you?” she asked in a voice that sounded like she’d been crying. “Sorry, but I don’t have anything to report. Nothing more has happened since we last talked.” As she spoke she tried to keep her face turned away from Kelly.
Kelly could see why the lights in the room were dimmed and why Sandy was trying to avoid looking directly at her. There were two large bruises on Sandy’s cheek and the skin around her left eye was black and blue. Even though it was a warm day, she had a sweater on over a blouse which was buttoned up to her neck.
“Sandy, I’m not here about the dog tag,” she said in a soft voice. “When I was here yesterday, you moved into the sunlight, and I noticed a large bruise on your cheek, and it looked to me like you’d tried to cover it up with pancake makeup. Today I can see several new bruises, and those are only the ones I can see. The clothes you’re wearing could be covering more. As you know, my husband’s the Beaver County Sheriff, and he’s had to deal with a number of spousal abuse cases. Over the course of our conversations about it, I’ve learned what to look for when a spouse is being abused. Your bruises look like classic cases of spousal abuse. Please, let me help you,” Kelly said as she reached out and put her hand on Sandy’s shoulder in a comforting gesture.
“Kelly, please, I beg of you to just forget what you saw. If Hank knew you suspected anything, he’d kill me.”
“I sincerely hope that’s an exaggeration. I think I need to call my husband. Spousal abuse is a felony in this state.”
Kelly saw the terror in Sandy’s eyes. “No, no, please don’t call him. Hank promised me when he left this morning it would never happen again. He’s going to get some help when he gets back from his business trip. I know he loves me. Sometimes he just can’t help himself. He was crying when he left. After it happens, he’s always so sorry about it. He doesn’t mean to hurt me. It’s like there’s another person in him that comes out. Anyway, it was all my fault. I asked for it.”
“What do you mean you asked for it?”
“I noticed how you looked at me yesterday, and I was pretty sure you could see the bruise. I figured since you were married to a sheriff you’d know what the bruise was from. I told Hank about it last night when we went out to dinner.”
“What did he say?”
“He said it was my fault for not putting on enough makeup. On the way home from dinner he got angrier and angrier about it. I apologized and told him it would never happen again. When we got home he yelled at me that he’d make sure it didn’t. He punched and kicked me so many times I finally collapsed and fell on the floor. I kept telling him the baby could get hurt if he didn’t stop.”
“The baby? What are you talking about? Oh no, Sandy, are you pregnant?”
“Yes. I’m two months along, and I was worried something would happen to the baby. That’s when Hank stopped hitting me. He told me he was glad Mary was dead, so she couldn’t poison my mind with all the bad things she was telling me about Hank.”
“Sandy, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“One time I told Hank that even though Mary never said anything, I was pretty sure she’d noticed my bruises. When I told her I was pregnant, she sat me down and told me Hank needed to get some help, and that I should get some counselling too. When I told him what Mary had said he was furious.”
“How long ago was that?”
“Probably about a week or so. I just found out two weeks ago I was pregnant, and I told Mary because I knew she’d have to get a replacement for me at Doggie Love.”
“Sandy, let me help you. A good friend of mine is a psychologist. Her name is Liz, and she’s married to a doctor who’s also a good friend of mine. They’re both very discreet, and no one will ever know about this. I’m sure they can also help your husband. When do you expect him to return from his business trip?”