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“Don’t. I’m conducting an experiment. Have you ever heard it bong? Because that’s the word for it. On the hour, once for one, twice for two, and so on. One bong on the half hour.”
“No, I don’t… maybe.” She frowned. “Maybe.”
“Three bongs, at three a.m.”
“I didn’t dream that, or imagine that?”
“Not unless I did, too. And I didn’t. You slept through it last night. Collin never wound it either because who wants to try to sleep with that thing going off every hour? It woke me up, so I went down to take a look.”
She took a moment, ate some pizza. “I’m going to see your ‘call me’ and raise it with a ‘why didn’t you wake me up?’”
“Maybe you’d just wound it, and it seemed wrong to wake you up at three in the morning to ask.”
“If I’d wound it, we’d have heard it while we were eating, while we were having sex.”
“That’s a point. Blame three in the morning and fuzzy thinking.”
She took a moment for coffee while she studied him. “You’re probably good in court.”
“That’s what they pay me for. It wasn’t wound, and the hands stood at three—on the dot. If you haven’t used the room, you probably didn’t notice where the clock stopped.”
“No, but I’ll pay attention now.”
“I moved them—the experiment. Before I did, the piano music started. ‘Barbara Allen.’ I was going to check, and when I turned around? Hot babe.”
She nearly choked on breakfast pizza. “You saw her? Lilian Crest?”
“I’d say in the flesh, but that’s not really accurate.”
He told her, recounting the conversation.
“Lots of them,” Sonya repeated. “I thought I’d accepted that,but… I’d have to consider that confirmation. She had a ring. I thought she must have, since the number seven keeps coming up. But damn it, if she knows Hester Dobbs has them, why not tell you how to find them, how to get them back?”
“Not in evidence, but it might be she—they—just don’t know. I’m stuck on the clock, on three. Okay if I come back, after work? I could pick up something for dinner.”
“I’d like you to come back whether you pick up something or not. But that’s a plus.”
“How do you feel about Chinese?”
“Fondly.”
“Check the online menu at the China Kitchen, and text me what you want. I’ve got to move. Judges dislike a lawyer who’s late for court. I can drop Mookie at the office. Or I can leave him with you.”
“Oh, leave him. We’d love it.”
“So will he.” He cupped her face, kissed her before he got up. “Unless you say no, I’m tossing a change of clothes in a bag before I come back. And staying.”
“I’m not saying no.”
“Good. I’ll see you, probably about six again, depending.”
“Good luck in court.”
Alone, she rested her chin on her fist and thought just how much her life, her world had changed. As part of the change, she got up to call in the dogs and give them breakfast.
Chapter Twenty
Since Yoda had company, she got a spare chew bone so both would have something to gnaw on while she worked.
