Page 137 of Woman on the Verge

I guess he thought I was going to say, “Never mind, you’re probably right, I’m mistaken.”

I’m not mistaken, though.

“Please,” I say. “Please call them.”

He sighs heavily, then takes out his phone. He googles, then lifts the phone to his ear.

“Hi, yes. My wife was in a car accident last night, and I’m wondering if I can talk to the officer that was on the scene first.”

He looks at me likeHappy now?I just stare at him, waiting for information.

“Sure, I can hold.”

He sighs again. If there’s one thing Kyle can’t stand, it’s making a fool of himself. I’m sure he thinks I’m forcing him to do exactly that.

“Yes, hi,” he says after a few moments. He stands from the bed, starts pacing.

“Right, the accident on Highway 35. My wife just woke up from some fairly heavy sedation, and she’s saying there was a man in the car with her.”

“Okay, yes. That’s what I told her.”

He looks at me likeI told you so.

“Ask him to please drive by, to look around the area, to make sure. There was a man with me. Elijah Baker.”

Kyle tilts his head back, looks at the ceiling, seemingly in agony.

“She’s asking if you can go by the scene and make sure someone else isn’t there,” he says.

There is an “Uh-huh” and an “Okay” and a “Thanks,” and then he ends the call.

“He said it’s on his patrol route so he’s happy to look, but he’s quite sure nobody else was in the car, honey.”

He has called mehoneythree times since walking into the room. It may be more times than he’s called mehoneyin the entirety of our marriage.

“Okay,” I say. “Thanks.”

I’m not settled, though.

“You were alone, hon.”

Hon.

I shake my head.

“Give me your phone,” I say.

“Why?”

He looks distrusting.

“Just give it to me.”

He acquiesces. I google Elijah’s name, just as I’ve done before. I find the image of him from the LinkedIn page.

“That’s him,” I say, turning the phone to Kyle.

He leans in, squints.

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