Thomas knew that he would have a lot of explaining to do when he got home that day, but he couldn't care about that at the moment as he accelerated his car. He was way over the limit, but he couldn't bring himself to slow down.
He had been sucker-punched by the news he got that morning. He had expected that Susan would show up at court this morning, and he was already thinking of what to do as Reyona had suddenly asked him the night before about the partnership deed he had promised to draw up when she gave him the money to set up the gym and the centre. He was still reeling from that, as he had avoided answering her the night before when he faked sleep to avoid answering immediately.
She was not beside him in their bed when he woke up during the night, and a little search had made him find her in the guestroom. She had never done that since they got married, even if they had any misunderstandings, which had started stemming from her discussions about starting a family; she had never slept elsewhere aside from their bed.
He knew she caught on to the fact that he was not asleep the night before, even though she had not said anything else, and he had truly thought she had bought his act. He tossed and turned during the night as he wondered how he would be able to explain to her that there was nothing to which any agreement could be drawn as both buildings and instruments had been sold, especially since the money was not even available to show her.
Damn it, he had to find something concrete enough. He thought before sleeping and toyed with his senses. The shuteye had been brief, but it refreshed him a bit. He woke up to find the house empty. She had gone to work.
Looking at the wall clock in the guestroom, he wondered why she left so early, as he couldn't imagine that anyone would need their accounts audited at seven in the morning. He was convinced that it had something to do with what happened the night before, and he intended to smooth things over when they met that night.
"For now. I have to focus on Susan's hearing and what could happen," he thought to himself as he had been informed to arrive at the courthouse early as he would be called to the witness box to say all he knew and try to convince the judge that his woman truly was not a pusher.
He was just thinking of calling Reyona to act as the caring husband, as it would seem weird if he did not call to ask why she left the house so early. He was already dialling the number when the call from the agency disconnected it.
In less than a minute, apprehension had filled his system, and he did everything he had to do at top speed.
Thomas thanked his stars that he had not made the mistake of selling his car and had just parked it at his mother's as he turned sharply at the intersection that led to the agency.
The message he had heard replayed in his mind as he wondered what the issue could be.
"Mr. Lanoth, you don't need to be in court anymore this morning. Get to the agency as soon as possible. There's been a development"
Thomas sighed as the building came into view. Nothing was ever really easy.
*******************************
He was directed to a visiting room when he got to the agency. With no idea what he would meet there, he hurried down the hallway.
"Could she be ill?" he thought. Susan had never been one for hardship, and the conditions of the holding cells would have been harsh on her no matter what the officer had told him-that the condition of their facility was optimal. He just knew that she had come up with something. A spurt of hope filled his chest as he thought that could make them release her. They should be able to do that, yeah?
The door was opened when he got there, and he saw the officer who had informed him on the first day to simply call him Ty.
"Oh, Mr. Lanoth. Come right in," Ty beckoned to him.
Thomas had no idea what he had been expecting, but it was not what he saw in the room. The woman. It was Susan. She was huddled to one side, and she was shaking or twitching. He had no idea how to classify what she was doing as her eyes darted around the room as if she were looking for a means of escape. The moment she saw him enter, her eyes alighted on him, and she looked confused for a moment before her eyes widened in recognition and she rushed to him.
"Tommie, my love. You need to... you have to get me out of here. "She swallowed hard as her hands tightened painfully on his arm before they started trembling. "They want to hurt me. They are all liars. They... you have to get me out of here, my love. I can't take it anymore. They want to kill me!"
*************
Thomas was momentarily dumbfounded by her appearance and how sallow her skin was. Her wide reactions and the strength of her hands amazed him. Then an alarm filled his system when he heard her last statement. He had no idea why she was acting crazy, but he would not stand aside and let them hurt her. The law, be damned.
He looked urgently at Ty, since he was the only face he recognised out of the three people standing.
Ty raised his hand and rubbed his face. On a closer look, the man looked like he had been roused out of sleep, and he had stubble on his face.
"Err, Mr. Lanoth. It is actually not the way Ms. Rohan is saying it, but then, in her frazzled state of mind, she would believe that," Ty explained as he drew out one of the chairs at the table and sat. "Sit down, gentlemen."
"What do you mean by her frazzled state of mind?" Thomas asked, still standing. One of the other men, the one in the suit with a briefcase, had sat as well, but the one in shorts and a shirt still stood, the way he had been when Thomas entered. With his hand in his pockets and his back to them, he looked at the glass wall like there was something of great interest he was trying to dissect.
"Well, the lady got into a bit of adventure overnight. She pretended she had to use the restroom, kneed the officer who opened the door for her in the groin, and tried to escape."