Tell Me Everything

The prosecutor in Matthew Beach’s case is named Carol Hall. Carol Hall is a talented lawyer, and she is even fiercer than usual at the moment, having just lost her most recent big case. Bob is not looking forward to going up against her, but she is calm when he calls to tell her that he is defending Matt. Bob also calls Diana Beach to let her know he is officially taking on Matt’s case. The gratitude in Diana’s voice is evident.

Finally, Bob finds Ashley Munroe on the internet and arranges to meet with her. Bob visits Ashley at her home, which is in a trailer park. Ashley greets Bob at the door with her baby in her arms, and she welcomes him into the mobile home, which is tidy and bright. Ashley and Bob sit at the kitchen table, and Ashley again explains that her credit card was stolen. Bob finds her “believable,” so he asks her about Matt Beach.

Ashley’s face softens when she talks about Matt. Ashley had heard that Matt would pay pregnant women $25 per hour to model for his paintings, so she agreed to be one of his models for two hours a week. One time, Gloria Beach noticed Ashley leaving and started screaming at her. The screaming was so vile that Ashley has never forgotten it. “I wouldn’t blame him if he killed her,” Ashley tells Bob.

When Bob goes home, Margaret is eager to tell him all about her day. Bob listens patiently, but after a while, he tells Margaret that he wants her to ask him a few questions, too. Margaret asks about Matt Beach, then discourages Bob from taking the case. This makes Bob angry. He wishes he could talk to Lucy about the case, though that would be violating attorney-client privilege laws. Again, Bob wonders if he is “living with a ghost in his marriage.”