Stone Cold Fox (69)

Syl clued me in on that development. I hadn’t seen her since the wedding. She had commented on social media a handful of times since, to compliment the honeymoon photos, but our text chain had run cold. I was sure she was giving me space to enjoy being newly married, but I was relieved she finally reached out. I actually missed her.

“Hey,” she said on the phone, her voice an octave higher than normal.

“Syl, I’ve missed you! And our lunches—”

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. It’s been a while, but you just got married and anyway, we should definitely do lunch soon, but I wanted to tell you about something that I think you should know,” she said, speaking faster than normal, suggesting nerves about whatever she was going to tell me. “I overheard Hayes on a call this morning,” Syl continued. “He was talking about Collin and his, um, performance at work. He’s disappointed.”

“Interesting. I’ve also noticed similar behavior at home.”

“Collin just sits all day in his office. He barely takes any calls. No meetings. I don’t know what he’s doing in there. The door is always closed. And it’s not my place, but—”

“I’m glad you told me.”

“Well, you’re his family now. And I’m worried, too. He’s not himself.”

She was right. I was Collin’s family now and he was clearly struggling. What would a good wife do in this scenario? She’d put her husband first even if it was painful. So that’s what I would have to do, too. Besides, once Collin was up and running again, I could shift our family’s focus to the ruin of Gale Wallace-Leicester.



* * *



? ? ?

I DECIDED TO confer with Collin’s mother as a first step. His medical files from years past only told me so much. A more robust firsthand account would be appreciated. It was obviously serious if I was willingly seeking out the advice of Haven Case, in a gesture of goodwill for my relationship with my mother-in-law, for Collin’s health and ultimately my revenge on Gale. I made the trek to Connecticut under the guise of lunch, explaining that it would be nice to get to know each other better, one-on-one, but Haven Case was no fool. She knew I had an ulterior motive before I even stepped foot in the manse. It almost felt like she was expecting this sort of visit from me. Her smile was eerie. Knowing.

“Have a seat, dear,” she said. Haven received me in the parlor, greeting me with an air-kiss when I approached her. We didn’t touch. “I was delighted to see your request for company. And very surprised because it’s such a sweet gesture.”

I would have loved to spar with her, but that wasn’t the point of the visit. I had to keep my eye on the prize. It was so difficult, her voice oozing with judgment. It infuriated me that I had such a hard time getting her to like me, despite my sparkling wit and undeniable charisma. I knew that Haven and I would have gotten along just fine if I had come from some family of consequence. No question. We were quite similar when it came down to it, but I feared that I would never be good enough in her eyes. She might never consider me one of them, merely pretending forever, always secretly hoping Collin would serve me my walking papers and my allotted millions outlined in the prenup.

And yes, she’d made sure it was just under $5 million to spite me.

“The pleasure is all mine, Haven.” I smiled at her. “Thank you for hosting me.”

“So how are we enjoying married life, Mrs. Case?” she asked me, as if my new name were a punch line. I had to cut right to the chase. Get in, get help and get out.

“You know that I’m so happy to be married to your son,” I began.

“Oh, yes, I know,” she interrupted, sipping her tea, keeping her eyes locked with mine.

“But I’ll be very clear with you. I wanted to ask you about something rather difficult. You see, since we’ve returned from our trip, Collin has seemed distant. I’d even go so far as to say unwell, and I’m not really sure what to do for him. To help. And since you’re his mother, I wanted to come to you.”

“For help?” She cocked her head to the side, feigning cluelessness.

“Yes. With your son.” I had to swallow my pride. It was the best thing for Collin, so it would be the best thing for me.

“But you’re his wife?” She was taunting me. Enjoying it.

“Yes, which is a role in this family that I’m taking very seriously, hence my visit to see you today. I know we both want what’s best for Collin.”

“Do we?” Haven let the question hang in the air. I refused to acknowledge it. I had my limits. “So Collin’s in one of his moods I take it?” Haven said, finally breaking the silence.

“Could you clarify what you mean?” I wanted specifics. I wanted to know everything that she knew.

“I assume he’s getting a little insular? Withdrawn? Sad, basically?”

“Yes,” I said, nodding my head as she rattled off symptoms like a Zoloft commercial.

“So he gets a little surly sometimes, Bea. It’s not a big deal,” Haven mused, completely nonchalant. “He snaps out of it eventually every time. You just have to let nature run its course. Be patient. It’s really nothing to worry about.”

“But I am worried, Haven.” I was insistent, hoping she would suggest something tangible, like a refill or a shrink. “I’ve never seen him like this before.”