He bounded up the steps to the station entrance and stamped his feet, trying to dump the snow from his boots. As he stepped into the hallway, his boots squeaked against the linoleum, and he gritted his teeth. He closed the door and raked his fingers through his hair, trying to pat away the snowflakes that had fallen there. He walked to the desk, carrying Maddie’s sock and shoe.
“Can I help you?” a cop said, staring intently.
“I’m with the woman in there,” he pointed at Maddie through a glassed office wall. “She twisted her ankle, and I wanted to get some ice for her.”
“Just a minute.” He disappeared from behind the desk and two minutes later returned with a small sandwich bag full of ice. “This enough?”
“Perfect. Thanks.” He took the bag and walked down the corridor to the office where Maddie sat, staring at the floor.
“Is this the first time you’ve returned to the house since the attack?” the officer asked, scribbling on a lined sheet of paper.
“Yes.”
“Excuse me,” Gabriel said to the cop and then stepped toward Maddie as he offered the bag. “Here’s some ice.”
Maddie reached out, her fingers trembling as she took it and pressed it against her ankle. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He pointed back to the hallway. “I’m going to step outside with my brother. Call if you need something.”
Maddie nodded and closed her eyes as she continued to hold the bag against her ankle. Her long brown hair spilled down her legs, almost touching the floor.
Gabriel went back to the front desk, “You seen Sam Martin, a cop from Owens?”
The cop nodded. “Down the hall and to your left. He’s in the room next door to interrogations.”
Gabriel tapped on the desk. “Thanks a lot.” Striding down the hallway, he passed three or four other cops before he saw his brother in the hallway. “What’s happening?”
Sam nodded toward the room where Gabriel saw a one-way mirror adjoining the next room where a male teenage thug in black leather sat at a table, leaning back on two of the four chair legs. “They’re questioning one of the hoodlums from Maddie’s house. In a few minutes, they’ll bring her this way to see if she recognizes either of them. I don’t think they had anything to do with what happened to Maddie, at least not that first time.”
“That first time? What do you mean? You make it sound like it could happen again.”
Sam pulled off his hat and scratched his head. “The rapist threatened to kill her.” He looked at the kid in leather, and Sam frowned at the stony expression on his face. “A threat isn’t that uncommon and a lot of times can be an empty expression. In this case, being that there is a tie to the law enforcement community, there’s quite a bit of reason to believe that threat could be made good. The perp has a helluva lot to hide.”
Gabriel felt his back stiffen, and he tried to relax, but the words wouldn’t let him. “Did you hear anything new about the ring?”
“No,” Sam said, leaning against the doorway. “There hasn’t been a word,” He lifted off his hat, scratched his forehead, and put it back. “Which means one of two things: either they are keeping a tight lid on it, or that ring never made it to the evidence room.”
“Do you think those kids were looking for the ring? That the perp might have hired them to find it?”
Tapping his foot, Sam shook his head. “Maybe. But why would they search her home? I thought she hadn’t been there since the assault.”
“She hasn’t. But that doesn’t mean the perp knew it.” Gabriel gritted his teeth. “So what happens now?”
“We wait.”
Although Gabriel opened his mouth to argue, another cop approached, leading Maddie as she limped slowly behind the officer, carefully placing her foot to minimize the pain as she used the wall to brace herself. Yolanda brought up the rear, walking closely behind Maddie. Gabriel stepped forward as Maddie approached, barely resisting the urge to reach out and take her arm. “Do you need some help?”
“I’m managing,” she said, pausing long enough for Sam and him to clear away from the doorway before she stepped inside and hobbled to a chair next to a table.
Not by much, Gabriel thought.
“This is a one-way mirror,” the cop said, pointing to the glass. “Although you can see through it, nobody on the other side can see you. So you can relax. Do you recognize the guy in black?” one of the cops asked her, gazing at the teenage boy.
Maddie squinted, scrutinizing his features before she finally shook her head. “No. I’ve never seen him before.”
“You sure?” The cop turned from the mirror to face her.”
“Positive.” She folded her arm across her chest and latched onto the cast while leaning forward in her chair until she perched on the front half. Crossing her legs, she let the wounded foot dangle.
“Okay.” He knocked on the glass three times and resumed leaning. “They’ll take him away and bring out the other guy we found fleeing from your home. Maybe you’ll recognize this one.”
Maddie watched as one officer jerked the teenager by his arm and led him from the room. Looking down, she placed the bag of ice on her ankle and waited. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about anything, wishing she could forget about all of this.
“What about this one? Do you recognize him?” The cop asked, touching her shoulder.
Straightening, Maddie peered through the glass at a blond teenager dressed in jeans and a thick denim jacket. Tufts of thick blond hair poked from his head. “No,” she finally said. “He doesn’t look familiar, either.” As she rose from the chair and started to leave, another tall blond cop walked in. Maddie gasped at the familiar bluntness of his chin, the cool blue of his eyes.
“What is it?” Yolanda asked, stepping closer to Maddie.
“Nothing.” Maddie inhaled sharply, aware the cop in the room was staring at her. “I want to go home,” she said, rushing toward the door.
“Is it him?” the cop asked, straightening.
“No, I told you I didn’t recognize the kid.” She rushed toward the doorway where Gabriel and Sam stood, exchanging glances. “Yolanda, can we go?” She looked imploringly at her friend.
“Some things have come up, Maddie, and I’d really like to drive you myself, if that would be all right.” Sam said.
Maddie looked at Sam and Gabriel uncertainly before she finally replied. “Yes, I would appreciate that. Can we go now?” She leaned over and tried to put on her shoe, but her foot and ankle were too swolled. She shuddered and started hobbling down the hall.
“You’re only making your ankle worse. Lean on me,” Gabriel said.
Maddie watched at his face, delving deep into his dark eyes with her blue ones, searching for something hidden. His frown deepened, etching furrows into his forehead. She swallowed the lump in the back of her throat before nodding and sliding her arm around his neck so he could support her.
Together, Maddie and Gabriel walked down the hall, past the desk, and out the door with Sam and Yolanda trailing behind.
“I can’t believe you’re doing this,” Yolanda said as the glass door slowly swished closed.
“There’s a reason,” Sam said, whirling and heading back into the station as Gabriel opened the back door and assisted Maddie in sitting down.
Yolanda stopped at her own car and watched Maddie go to Sam’s. “Maddie, you really didn’t look all that hard at those guys to see if one of them was your attacker. If he was one of them, he could come back.” She turned to face them.
Gabriel watched Maddie as she leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes. Her long, dark hair cascaded down her shoulders and across her breasts. “She won’t be unprotected,” Gabriel countered.
“What do you mean?” Yolanda asked.
Gabriel reached into his pocket for his cell phone. “Either Sam will get somebody from his office, or I’ll stay with you guys. I’ve got more than enough leave time.” He glanced at her enough to realize
she was completely inside the car before he closed the door.
He turned back to Yolanda. “We’ll meet you at your house.”
Yolanda nodded, climbed in the car, and drove away.
Maddie jerked from her reclining position and stared as he sat down. “You don’t have to do that,” she blurted out as he closed his door.
Gabriel looked out the windshield, watching the entrance to the station as his brother exited, sauntered down the steps, and mad his way through the parking lot until he’d reached the cruiser. “Don’t you get it?” Gabriel said. “I’m not doing anything because I have to. I’m doing this because it’s important.” He leveled his gaze at Maddie and patted her knee. “You shouldn’t be unprotected.”
As Sam opened the driver’s door and slipped behind the wheel, Gabriel settled back into his seat and fastened his seatbelt. “Did you get what you needed?” he asked his brother.
“You bet.” Sam’s gaze met his in the reflection of the rear-view mirror.
“I knew you would.” Gabriel thumbed the buttons of his cell phone. “Hey, I know I called you just a moment ago, but we had an emergency, and right now might not be so good. How ‘bout tomorrow? I think I can handle things until then.” He paused for a moment and nodded. “Yeah, sounds good. See you then.”
Gabriel terminated the call and thrust the cell back into his pocket.
“Sorry to interrupt your date,” Maddie said, peering out the window as they drove away. “Perhaps I should apologize for interrupting your life yet again. I don’t mean to be such a nuisance.”
“It wasn’t a date,” Gabriel said, “and you’re not being a nuisance.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls,” Maddie countered in a flat tone. Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she also dabbed at her eyes, trying to blot away the tears.
“Nope. Just the ones who charm my dog.”
As they pulled onto the main street and Yolanda gave directions, Maddie focused on the snow speckle the glass before blowing away. And then the tears pooled so thickly in her eyes the world blurred.
“Hey, are you all right?” Gabriel touched her shoulder, his fingers gently massaging the tangled muscles.
“I’m fine,” she countered as she savagely brushed her hand across her face. “Just peachy.”
“Why do people say that? Is there something happy about that particular fruit?”
“What?” Maddie stared at him, her mouth partly open as if she couldn’t believe what he’d just said. Then she let out a mystified laugh.
“Made you laugh, didn’t I?” He spoke in a half-whisper, his voice raw with too much understanding. “And as long as you can still laugh, you’re going to be okay. Maybe not right now, but one of these days.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, leaning back so that her head rested atop the back of the seat. “Your dog—Donner is it?” She looked at him, waiting for his answer. When he nodded, she continued. “Well, Donner likes you, so you can’t be so bad, right?”
“Thanks, I think.” Gabriel heard Sam chuckle, and he joined in.
Maddie closed her eyes. “See, I can make you laugh, too.”
The two lapsed into silence during the rest of the drive to Yolanda’s, each staring out the windows toward the white flakes that seemed to speed toward them, crashing against the glass. Sam pulled up behind the black Nissan parked in the drive. Once Sam had thrown the gear shift into park, he cut the engine, got out, and opened Gabriel’s door, then Maddie’s. Before Maddie even tried to step out into the thin layer of white forming on the pavement, Gabriel darted to her. “There’s no point in trying to walk up to the door on that ankle.” Before she could argue, which he knew she would, he reached into the car and lifted her into his arms.
Although Maddie opened her mouth, planning to argue, she felt the cold air caress that foot and shivered, not wanting to think about how the snow would feel. “Thank you,” she finally managed, watching Yolanda scurry to the front door.
As Gabriel stepped toward the walkway, Sam touched his shoulder. “We need to talk.”
“I’ll be out in a minute.”
Gabriel strode up the walkway and watched Yolanda swing open the door. “Come on in.”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Gabriel replied, stomping his feet on the wicker mat to shake the snow from his boots before crossing the threshold and carried Maddie inside to the living room couch. “I need to talk to Sam, and then I’ll be back.”
Wordlessly, Maddie nodded, staring at her swollen ankle as a dull throbbing claimed her. She reached down and touched it. Pain ripped through her, and she yelped.
“You want some ice for that?”
Maddie nodded. “Yeah. Still, I don’t think it’s going to help much. As usual, I out-clumsied even myself.” Stretching out across the couch, she tried not to think about things, tried not to panic as her heart sped up. She crossed her arm over her chest as though it would hold back all the pain dying to escape, all the tears she barely forced inside.
That cop. The blond one. She thought about him standing there by that kid and shuddered. He was the one, and now he knew she was talking. Now she didn’t trust any of them.
Except maybe Gabriel, and the jury was still out on that one.
“I still don’t know why you left so quickly.” Yolanda crossed the room, carrying a Ziplock bag filled with ice she promptly set on Maddie’s ankle before propping a pillow to the side to keep it in place.
“It didn’t feel right,” Maddie replied, staring out the window where Gabriel and Sam stood beside the patrol car. Sam’s lips moved and Gabriel nodded affirmatively. Then they stepped from the car and headed toward the house.
“That doesn’t make any sense.” Yolanda sat down in the recliner across from her. “And you know it.”
“My whole life doesn’t make any sense. Why should this be different?” She peered at the doorway as Sam and Gabriel appeared.
“Let me take your coats,” Yolanda offered, rising to meet them as she reached out, waiting for their garments. Both shrugged out of them and handed them to her, and she slipped through the doorway, carrying the coats away.
“We’d like to ask you a few questions, Maddie,” Sam said, stepping into the room. As he sat on the recliner where Yolanda had been, he reached up and plucked the hat from his head.
Inhaling sharply, Maddie shook her head. “I’m done with questions. There’s nothing else I remember.” She clenched her eyes closed, praying, Please make them stop. Make them leave me alone.
“Yeah, well, that ‘nothing else’ just made you fly outside the police station. Ten to one it wasn’t one of those kids but somebody wearing a uniform that spooked you, wasn’t it?” Gabriel crossed the room and sat on the opposite end of the couch at Maddie’s feet.
Her eyes flew open, and her lips parted, but she couldn’t break the stunned silence that hung around her like a weight. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she finally said.
“Maddie, you don’t fly out of a police station like that unless something has terrified you about cops.” Gabriel reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture of the ring. “I want to show you something.” He carefully unfolded the paper and handed it to her.
Although she grasped it, she tried not to look at it.
“Have you seen anything like this?” Sam asked, leaning forward as he clasped his hands and rested his forearms on his thighs.
Maddie glanced at it and then shook her head. “No, I haven’t.” The picture wavered in her trembling fingers and slipped from her grip. As it fluttered to the ground, Gabriel leaned over and picked it up. “I’m really tired. Do we have to talk about this now?”
“It’s not going to be any easier tomorrow or the day after.” Sam frowned, scrutinizing her expression for clues he might have missed. “Besides, no matter how much you want to hide from this, if my assumptions are correct, you won’t be able to.”
Do they know? she wondered, shuddering as she looked at her swollen
ankle and the cast encasing her arm, wondering at the miracle of her survival. Then she thought about his words and what they might mean. She looked from Gabriel to Sam and back again. “What are you saying?”
“This design,” Gabriel said, waving the paper toward her, “was on a ring I found at the crime scene, which is what prompted Sam and me to go poking around where your car had been burned. While we were there, the call came about the intruders, and we were close enough to assist.”
Maddie paled and tried to stifle a gasp, flinching as the image of the ring on the assailant’s hand danced into her mind. The gold glowed in the moonlight. Then she remembered him stalking toward her, his fingers closing to fists. The sting of it slamming across her cheek. Oh God, she knew that ring. It belonged to that cop. But she couldn’t talk, not if she wanted to keep breathing. “I don’t want to talk about this,” she whispered, her voice warbling with panic.
“Then you don’t have to,” Yolanda said, walking toward her.
“Yes, she does,” Gabriel said. “For her own good.” Frowning, he exchanged knowing glances with his brother. She was so close to losing her composure, and he wasn’t so sure she wouldn’t before it was all said and done. He scooted closer to her and put the picture away.
“How can it be for her own good?” Yolanda argued, folding her arms across her chest. “How can you even know what’s in her best interest?”
“Because I know why she doesn’t want to talk.” Gabriel countered, nodding toward his brother, who got up and slowly approached, pulling off his ring and handing it to Maddie. “It’s the same as what’s in Gabriel’s picture.”
Maddie flipped the ring over until the insignia faced her. As she stared, the trembling shifted to a violent shaking, and the ring jumped from her palm to the carpet. “Oh, God,” she whispered, reminding Gabriel of the keening sound she’d made that night. “I want to be left alone,” she cried, slowly rocking back and forth. “I don’t want to know.” She shuddered violently.
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