"Like I said, at best, they're so close, they’re verging on co-dependence. At worst, Zach is a controlling bully. I suspect Sophie feels responsible for him in a way since they are the only family members left; maybe that's why she lets him push her around. I don't mean physically because I've never asked that but I wonder if he could have abused her in the past."
"What made you think that?"
"I walked in on them arguing once and he grabbed her by the arm so hard that he left a bruise. I told him if he did that to Sophie again, he wouldn't be welcome in our house. I even threatened to call the cops."
"What did Zach do?"
"He was steaming mad but he let Sophie go. He got in my face about how their family business had nothing to do with me, and how I could never come between them. I thought he would punch me until Sophie begged him to calm down and he left. It was weird."
"Is Zach usually so aggressive?"
"He's just an ass, and maybe Sophie was getting tired of it too because she started making more excuses not to have him over. Like that bothered Zach. Instead of calling first and not being invited, he would just turn up at the house instead. I thought maybe he was just an annoying in-law with a poor knowledge of boundaries. Do you have any of those?"
"I have a brother-in-law who's very nice," I told him, thinking about Delgado. "I also have several sisters-in-law and one not-so-great brother-in-law." Solomon's parents were deceased and his brother was currently in witness protection. That was far too long a story to relate to a virtual stranger. Then I thought about the enormous family Solomon acquired by marrying me and a sigh rose inside my chest. "My family probably are the annoying in-laws," I admitted.
Austen smiled at hearing that. "I guess Zach is just clingy because he and Sophie were alone for so long that it's hard sharing his only family member with her new husband. It'll probably get easier when he meets someone he likes or develops a wider social circle," he said. "I think he might be jealous of me for taking Sophie away but I haven't done that really. I just love her."
"That's a good way of looking at things. I'd like to know more about Sophie. You've told me how you met but where does she work?"
"Prior to the accident, she wasn't working but I think I told you she was considering a course in interior design, maybe enrolling in some college classes. When we first met, she worked in a museum gift shop and did volunteer work in her spare time. She likes art and history but said she wasn't good enough to do anything professional with them. I liked her humility. I used to meet women at work who were always incredibly career-driven like me. I'm sure I was just a stair on the ladder to some of them, a way to get ahead in their vocations or increase their social standing. It was nice to meet someone who was such a free spirit and didn't care about any of that stuff. Sophie made me relax. She made me see there was more to life than closing the next business deal."
"What about Sophie's friends?"
"Sophie is pretty shy. She doesn't have a lot of friends. She introduced me to her colleagues at the museum but other than those people, she hung out with Zach or preferred to be by herself. She said she was content with that but looked sad to me sometimes. Like she was lonely without acknowledging that feeling."
"What about school friends?"
"She didn't grow up in Montgomery so she doesn't have any here."
"Where did she grow up? Is she in touch with any friends on social media?"
"She was raised in Milwaukee but she and Zach haven't been back there in a long time. She doesn't have any social media presence."
I frowned. "None?"
"None at all. She said she likes real life, not online life. I know it's unusual, perhaps, in this day and age, but I don't have any social media either. I'm really not interested in seeing photos of people's lunch or engaging in one-upmanship. I'd rather pick up a phone and connect that way."
While Austen was talking, I took notes, not that there was much information to record. No family except the brother. No career and currently, no job. No close friends but a few former colleagues. An interest in theater, interior design and art. For a woman in her thirties, there wasn't a lot to Sophie. That was curious in itself, although not outside the realm of normality. It would, however, make checking up on Sophie more difficult.
"Nothing stands out as too abnormal," I told him. "But all those things added up to make you suspicious about her identity?"
"Yes, the lack of any substance behind the things she told me. And then there was the argument."
"The argument?"
"I came home early one night and instead of coming through the front door like I normally did, I walked around the back. I wanted to see how the renovation looked from the yard but when I got to the patio area, I heard voices talking. The back door was open. I didn't mean to eavesdrop but I did. I listened, so yeah, I guess I did mean to. It was Sophie and Zach."
"What were they talking about?"
"He said something like 'do you really think he'd love you if he knew who you actually were?' And Sophie replied, ‘I don't know and I don't want him to ever find out but I'm not going anywhere even if this started out wrong.’ It didn't make any sense."
"Did you overhear anything else?"
"Yes. Zach said 'he'll never believe you anyway. You're crazy and you always have been. You only survive because of everything I do for you and us.' Sophie said she was staying and he should leave and Zach said, 'Maybe I should tell him all about your past and we'll see what he does about it. I bet he'd pay to get rid of you. I'm owed that money and if you screw up again, I'll get it somehow.' Sophie said that 'things have changed' and then I heard a smash and Sophie yelped. I ran around the house and rushed through the doors. I thought he hurt her."
I pursed my lips, thinking. "Did he?"
"I don't know. One of the boxes of our stuff was on the floor and Sophie was crouched over it. She had tears in her eyes. When she saw me, she looked startled and afraid. Zach had his fists clenched until he saw me and quickly said what a klutz Sophie was. I gave her a hug and told her not to worry about the stuff because we needed to get ready to go out to dinner. There wasn't really one, but I wanted Zach to leave the house in the least threatening way possible. He left and we spent the evening relaxing but Sophie was really quiet."
"Did you ask her about what you heard?"
"Yes, and she brushed it off as a silly fight, saying that Zach said she was too low class for me, but it didn't seem right. I couldn't sleep that night. All I could think about was what Sophie's past contained that he thought I might pay them to leave? And why he thought she owed him money. She's not crazy. I know that. You don't spend that much time with someone without an inkling about their mental health. Sophie is smart, funny, and kind. Not crazy. I even wondered if maybe she were in witness protection."
I started to reply when my phone buzzed. I checked the screen. Solomon texted: Made a decision. I turned it facedown, ignoring it for now.
The door opened and we turned to watch a nurse walk in. She smiled at us both and reached for the chart. "If you want to take a break, you can step out," she told Austen. "I'll be here for a few minutes checking Mrs. Takahashi's vitals. Perhaps you'd like to get some coffee and a snack?"