Reed wrote ‘restraint marks’ in the hospital record at one in the morning,” I said.

Clay propped both elbows on the table and pressed his knuckles into the corners of his eyes.

“I can handle her,” he whispered.

“If she’s got her own place across town, there won’t be any stress on her.”

“You think stress is what did this,” I said.

“She didn’t mean to hurt him,” he said.

I looked past his shoulder at the garden path out back, where the mud was still thick near the dog run.

“Did Jaclyn lock Benji in the kennel on other nights, before I left for Ireland?” I asked.