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He picked up his phone and called Doug.
“Finally coming up for air?” Doug joked.
Normally he was able to laugh in almost any situation, but Bennett wasn’t in any mood for his or anyone’s humor. When it came to Zoey, he took her feelings seriously. What mattered to her, now mattered to him. Why, was a question he wasn’t ready to answer.
“Do you still have Zoey’s file?”
“I do. What are you looking for?”
“Anything in there about a piano or music? If not her, how about Henderson or her brothers? Or even that fucked-up grandmother of hers.”
“From everything you have compiled so far, it appears no one played any instruments. Kind of odd for a family of that wealth. They were the most privileged, but were held back from what would’ve been common amongst their peers.”
“Meaning?” Doug understood he wanted the long answer. This time he needed it. If Doug missed something, then hopefully, he was about to catch it.
“Music is one, and sports would’ve been a second.”
“I thought Brice played football.”
Doug laughed. “Think rich. Polo. Golf. Sailing. Racquetball. Brice would’ve only played football to go against his father’s wishes. From what we know about him already, he was the first to stand up to James.”
This just added more questions. “With money not being an issue, why wouldn’t they have done these things?”
“Because he wanted to keep them under his thumb. He did so effectively until they were adults. Slowly, one by one, each of the brothers chose to stand up to him and make their own way in life, walking away from the family fortune to make one on their own. It takes a lot of strength to do that. Especially after what they’d suffered as children. It says a lot about who they are as individuals.”
It also says something about Zoey. She was the only person who stayed by her father’s side, unable to break away. Each of her brothers had noticed their father’s hatred toward Zoey. Why? He heard it, saw it in how they functioned in business and in life. Her brothers each told him Zoey had experienced intense verbal abuse. What was her outlet? Does she have one? Or does she still have all that shit bottled up inside her?
“I need your help.”
“That’s why I’m here, Bennett.”
“Can you find something about the piano in her house? Who it belonged to previously? How she came to be in possession of it?” And who wrote the music that caused her such pain?
“How do you expect me to gather that information without going inside?”
“I’ll take her to dinner and give you the code to the house. While we’re out, you gather what you need. Inside the bench, there is a folder of sheet music. I want you to make copies for me.”
Doug said in a serious tone, “What you’re asking is called breaking and entering, so count me out. I’d tell you not to do it yourself either, but I told you not to get close to her, and you did. Then I said don’t sleep with her and you did. So fuck it. You might want to leave me money.”
“For what?”
“Bail. You’ve always lived on the line, but this is the first time I’ve seen you actually crossing it. I hope you know what you’re doing. From where I sit, this can only end one way. Badly.”
That was something Bennett already knew. He’d thought out all scenarios and each time it only got worse. What was adding a B & E to the growing list going to do? She’s going to hate me no matter what I do, so I might as well make sure I fix what I can before then.
“Don’t worry about what I do. You just get me the information I need once I give you the sheet music.”
Bennett hung up the phone. When he’d left Morgan, he was fully invested in making things work with Zoey. Somehow he’d just chosen a plan that was going to do anything but that. Sorry, sweetheart. I’ll make it up to you one day.Just how remains yet to be seen.
