The Moment Max Forgot Me

by Emily Ann Benedict

  Chapter Eight

  “Max?”

  “Yes, Max,” he snapped. The panic and the anger were loud and clear. “Where on earth are you?”

  I swallowed hard. “M-my apartment.”

  “Wh-I..how…I don’t understand!” He huffed loudly. “I came back to the office in case someone called and all your things were gone. I don’t understand.”

  “I-I stopped by the office to pick my stuff up. I couldn’t ride home barefoot.” There is no way to describe how idiotically lame I sounded.

  A frustrated whine rang through the connection. “Maddy, I’m about to have a heart attack over here, thinking you’re being held hostage by a madman.”

  “Okay, that was a bit of a misunderstanding.”

  “A misunderstanding?” he cried. “Which part was a misunderstanding?”

  I’d never heard him this upset before, but considering everything that had happened it didn’t surprise me. Still, it did annoy me.

  “Why are you mad at me?” I shot back. “I didn’t do anything but get dragged out of the office. I’m thinking I’m the one with more right to be hysterical here.”

  There was a pause and then a long deep breath. “I’m sorry, Maddy. I just…”

  “I understand.” I added my own long breath.

  “Just tell me you’re all right.” The anger was gone.

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  He sighed in relief. “Good.” There was another pause and then his voice level jumped again. “What happened?”

  Again, I swallowed hard and looked back to my table. Everyone was riveted to me. It wasn’t the most comfortable position to start my explanation, but it was the best I had.

  “Did you recognize him?”

  “No.”

  “It’s Jim Wagner.”

  Another pause. “Sarah Wagner’s husband?”

  “Yeah.”

  He let out a low whistle. “Well, that explains a lot. I’m assuming he still thinks Matt is guilty.”

  “That’s the gist of it. I think he wanted you to admit you believe that too.”

  “Great. That would have been really credible.”

  “He wasn’t thinking straight. I’m pretty sure life has fallen apart on him over the past few months.”

  I stole a glance at Jim. He looked stricken.

  “How did you get away from him?”

  That snapped me back to attention. “Um…I didn’t.”

  “What?” he cried. “I thought-I thought, oh my word, Maddy. Hold on, I’ll call the police back—”

  “It’s not like that, Max,” I yelled, hoping to drown out his new level of panic.

  “What do you mean?”

  “We talked it out and he’s okay now.” The lameness returned full force.

  He paused again. “I didn’t think Stockholm syndrome set in this fast.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Max,” I huffed.

  “I don’t think I’m the one being ridiculous right now, Maddy.”

  “Listen, can’t you just come over and talk to him? I don’t want to press any charges.”

  What followed was unintelligible. He seemed to be attempting to form words, but failing at every turn.

  At last he choked out, “Are you telling me that you’re all alone at your apartment with a guy who kidnapped you?”

  “No, of course not. Georgia and her husband Dave are here.”

  “You’ve got friends over too? What are you doing? Throwing a party?”

  “No.”

  And that’s the moment when Dave decided to call out, “Hey, Maddy, do you have any salsa?”

  I looked up to find him in my kitchen, rummaging through my refrigerator while clutching a bag of chips.

  “Salsa, Maddy?” Max said like he was indicting me. “Really?”

  “Would you just get over here? It will make more sense when you’re here.” That was a real stretch, but I added, “And no police,” anyway.

  “Maddy, I—”

  “Please, Max.”

  There was a long pause, then another frustrated whine, then a, “Fine. I’ll be right over. But if he kills you between now and then…I can’t believe I’m doing this.”

  The connection ended and I sighed deeply. I felt so drained I had to lean up against the wall.

  “I’m assuming he’s coming over,” Georgia said cautiously.

  “Yeah.”

  “Is he upset?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  They continued to converse and I chose not to participate. I just leaned against the wall right next to the door and tried to think of something to say. Every once in a while I’d look over at Jim, but I couldn’t read the expression on his face. There was something going on his head. I just had to hope it wasn’t another plan that would prove Max’s fears right.

  The knock on the door made me stumble to attention. I grabbed the handle and yanked it open. He was just standing there, staring at me with those magnified eyes. I opened my mouth to say something, but he shut me up by advancing forward and taking hold my shoulders.

  He held them tight and looked me up and down for any hint of injury. Meanwhile, I was trying to keep myself from screaming, “Oh, please, please hold me!”

  With a small shiver, I pulled back and he released me with a bit of an exhausted sigh.

  “You’re really okay?” he asked softly.

  “I’m not sure ‘okay’ is the exact word I’d use, but so far I’m uninjured.”

  He closed his eyes and nodded. “Fine. Now can I hear an explanation?”

  His eyes opened, then widened. I knew what that meant.

  “You!” he roared and advanced on Jim.

  I took hold of Max by the arm and dug my heels into the plush carpet. “Max, wait. You said you’d let me explain.”

  “I can’t believe you’re actually here,” he continued to rant, trying to shake me off.

  Jim just ducked his head down.

  “Max,” I yelled and yanked him back so hard he spun to face me.

  His eyes and nostrils flared at me.

  “Please,” I said calmly.

  It almost seemed like he was trembling, but he pulled back and straightened his suit in a way I’d seen him do a thousand times before. He was attempting to collect himself. Usually he did it in the courtroom right as he was coming to the finish of his closing arguments. It was an easy, unconscious movement that suggested the final lines were well thought out.

  Standing there in my apartment, however, he was obviously having trouble with composure. It unnerved me, but I nodded gratefully.

  Max sharply turned back to Jim and huffed. “I’ve been informed as to who you are.” It was cold, but I don’t think anyone blamed him.

  “Yeah,” Jim said then looked him the eye. “I’m sorry. I just lost it for a moment.” He cleared his throat. “You still think the kid is innocent?”

  If possible, Max straightened his posture even more. “I need you to understand something. It is not my job to ‘think’ about what my clients may or may not have done. It is my job to look at the evidence and decide if there is a real case against him. The case against Matthew Stewart was a sad attempt at justice.”

  “Did you ask him if he did it?” Jim continued, sounding dull.

  “Yes,” Max returned clearly. “He denied any guilt. Since there was no evidence to suggest otherwise, I took the case and did my job.”

  Jim shook his head. “It’s not right.”

  “Jim,” I said and stepped in front of Max. “You understand, right?”

  He looked at me long and hard then finally nodded. “Yeah,” he replied, barely audibly. “I understand.”

  “Thank you.” I turned back to Max. “I don’t want to press any charges.”

  Max’s eyes flared again. “And what do you plan on telling the police?”

  “Can’t we talk through it with
them? I’m sure you can convince them it was a misunderstanding.”

  “Maddy, I can’t just—”

  I grabbed him by the olive green tie I’d picked out for him and dragged him over to the furthest corner in my apartment. Everyone could probably still hear us, but it was an attempt at privacy. After the conversation that had gone on earlier, I wasn’t going to pull him into my bedroom.

  “Max,” I said in a low voice and forced him to look into my eyes.

  “Don’t give me that look, Maddy.”

  I gave it to him anyway. It was my, “You know I’m right and I’m going to be gracious and give you a chance to admit it,” look. At least that was what Max called it.

  He pursed his lips. “Maddy, what he did was a serious crime.”

  “We can’t imagine what he’s been through, Max. Really, can you imagine your wife being murdered?” For some reason saying the word ‘wife’ struck something hollow in my heart. I couldn’t think of what to say next, so I just continued to stare at him.

  “Maddy…” He stared back for a while then finally sighed and tried to rub his eyes. “How do you do that?”

  “My dad asked my mom the same thing every time she convinced him to go shopping with her.”

  He crossed his arms and shook his head. “Honestly, I think I’d make more money if I just bought you a cheap suit and set up a used car lot.”

  I smiled and shrugged.

  Max straightened his suit again and advanced on Jim. They stared at each for several long moments. The rigid expression washed over Max’s face made me doubt my capacity to convince him.

  “Assault,” he suddenly said and held up one finger. “Carrying around a gun in New York.” He held up a second finger. “And let’s not forget kidnapping is a Federal offense.” He enunciated the words “Federal offense” in a way that made them echo around the room. “Do you understand?”

  Jim nodded. “How many years am I facing?”

  That answer seemed to satisfy something in Max. “Hopefully, if I play my cards right, none.” He breathed in a little more dramatically than necessary. “I’m going to work to convince the police it was a misunderstanding. I may have to settle for something that will get you community service at worst.”

  “And how much is that going to cost me?” There wasn’t a hit of anger in Jim’s voice. It was entirely flat.

  “Nothing. I’m doing this because Maddy will nag me if I don’t.”

  He cast me an indignant look. I smiled back. My heart squeezed, but I ignored it.

  Jim was still for a moment then nodded. I smiled a little wider.

  “Good. Let’s get going. The sooner I stop the police from continuing to search the entire city the more likely they will be willing to forgive and forget.”

  Max turned and headed for the door with an air that made everyone involuntarily get up and follow him.

  “Sorry,” I said to Georgia and Dave as I picked up my purse.

  “You owe me a whole lot better than a hotdog in the park,” Georgia replied and shook her head. “Do you have to go down with them?”

  “I should. I don’t think I trust them to be alone together.”

  We walked out into the hall where Max was already waiting with Jim silently by his side.

  “Hey, Max,” Georgia called out as if she’d known him as long as I had. “Maddy is going out to dinner with Dave and me tonight. I figure she needs a little time off. Are you coming?”

  I froze. Max looked confused. He turned his gaze from side to side then finally back to Georgia. “Um, I’ll see how long it takes to get this done.”

  “We’ll wait for you.”

  She winked at me then took Dave’s arm and started down the hall. I wanted to snarl at her, but all I could do was blush.

  “She and Dave had to get off work early to come see if I was all right,” I said to him as if that explained everything.

  He continued to look confused, but we walked on down to the elevator without another word.

  The acidic smell of traffic struck my nose as we pressed through the doors out onto the street. It may have been chilly while sitting on the ledge of the building, but down on street level the waning afternoon sun was comfortable.

  I nodded at Georgia and Dave, but refused to give either anything more. While Max stepped forward to hail a cab, I stepped over to Jim.

  “It’s going to be okay,” I said.

  Jim’s eyes were fixed on the rush of unending traffic. The slow clog of lunch hour traffic had cleared away to the frantic pace of cars passing by as if there wasn’t anyone else on the road. “I don’t know,” he said.