No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(90)

“It is what Angela wants, so...I’ll reevaluate and get back to you.” Her lips curved into a smile—the first Sadie had seen from her. “Tell Dawson he’s lucky to have you in his corner.”

Sadie let her breath go in relief. “I’m equally lucky to have him in mine,” she said and waved as Ms. Strauss left.

*

The following morning, nervous sweat ran down Sadie’s back, causing her blouse to stick to her as she stood, with Chief Thomas, at Sly’s door. After telling Dawson the good news about Ms. Strauss, she’d spent the rest of the day and night thinking about how she could neutralize the threat Sly posed, if not to herself—that had proved impossible, thanks to his obsession—at least to Dawson. And this was the best she could come up with: something she couldn’t tell Dawson about because she knew he’d try to dissuade her.

Although she’d stopped by the police station and asked for an escort, she’d nearly come away without one. None of the other police officers would even speak to her—not like they used to, anyway. A few cast her dark or disgruntled glances. Others muttered under their breath. All gave her a wide berth.

Sly had done a solid job of making her look like the bad guy. No doubt he’d painted her as a woman he couldn’t rely on when he needed her, a wife who wouldn’t support him in his difficult job, an ex who was launching slanderous and unfair accusations and had now taken up with a “known” murderer, as if that was the last piece of proof anyone would ever need in order to be convinced that she was “the problem.”

But she got lucky when Chief Thomas happened to hear her talking to the sergeant at the front desk. Although Dixie Gilbert should’ve been more sympathetic—she and Sadie got their hair done at the same place and were casual acquaintances—Dixie wasn’t about to break rank with her brothers in blue. As the only woman on the force, it was probably hard to fit in, so Sadie could understand. She just couldn’t admire her lack of courage. Dixie was giving Sadie the brush-off by telling her that someone would “be in touch”—while Sadie knew that call would probably never come—when Thomas saw her, came out of his office and asked what was going on. As soon as Sadie told him, he said he’d be happy to drive her over to Sly’s place so that she could speak to him.

Sadie was fairly certain he was hoping to play mediator. He wanted to bring them together so they could arrive at an understanding, one in which she wouldn’t embarrass the department by pursuing the restraining order (she did, after all, have witnesses to Sly’s explosive temper at the restaurant, which gave her legitimate grounds). She, on the other hand, merely wanted the opportunity to deliver a message to him without creating a record on her phone of calling or texting him after telling the police she was afraid of him. She knew how quickly Sly would capitalize on that to try to prove she wasn’t remotely intimidated by him.

As soon as Sly opened the door, squinting out at them and stinking of alcohol, she was glad she hadn’t come alone. Not that she ever would have. She knew better than to give him an opportunity like that. But she was frightened even with Chief Thomas at her side. She’d never seen Sly looking so rough. He’d always been a big drinker. He prided himself on his ability to “hold his liquor.” But that was just it—he’d never been a “sloppy” drunk, never let himself go.

Chief Thomas didn’t like what he saw, either. “What the hell’s the matter with you? You smell like you just crawled out of a bottle.”

Sly managed to stand up straighter. “Couldn’t sleep last night. Insomnia’s a bitch.”

So he’d tried to drink himself into a stupor? Judging by the way the light hurt his eyes, he’d managed that quite nicely—and now he had a raging hangover.

“What are you doing here?” he growled, glaring at her.

Chief Thomas gestured to draw his attention. “Whoa! Let’s not start off like that. We’re here to make peace. Can we come in?”

Sly shook his head. “I don’t want her in this house. She’s the one who walked out of it. But...we can talk in back. Let me comb my hair and brush my teeth. Let yourselves through the side gate and meet me on the patio.” He glared at her. “She knows the way.”

Sadie felt Chief Thomas’s frown, rather than saw it, as she led him through the side yard to the patio. The large barbecue that had been Sly’s pride and joy when they were married stood open without its cover and his barbecuing utensils lay scattered about, along with several plates, some with wasted food, and a slew of empty beer cans.

“Looks like you had a party last night,” Chief Thomas said when the sliding door opened and Sly came out.

“It’s been a few days,” he said with a shrug. “Some of the guys came by. That’s all.” He knocked a plate with a half-eaten hamburger, covered with ants, off the closest chair, swung it around to face them and slouched into it. “What’s going on now? Why are you here?”

“I’m trying to help you save your job. That’s why I’m here,” Chief Thomas said. “And, judging by what Sadie’s told me already, she might be able to help you, too.”

Sly hooked his arm over the back of the chair. “How? She certainly hasn’t helped me so far.”

“Things don’t have to be like this between us, Sly,” Sadie said. He had to get a grip on his life, on the divorce. Soon it would be his weekend to have Jayden, and although he typically didn’t exercise his custodial rights, and he hadn’t mentioned this weekend specifically, he could always surprise her. She wouldn’t put it past him. She didn’t want to let Jayden go with a man who might’ve set fire to their house and who looked so uncharacteristically out of sorts now, even if Sly was his father. “I never wanted any trouble to begin with,” she added. “I’m hoping we can back up, take a deep breath and find some way to avoid the bitter divorce so many others experience.”