Danny—she supposed she should think of him as Danny now—reached out and covered her hand with his. “Yes, she did,” he said softly. “She didn’t want to lose you.”
More like she didn’t want to give up control. “OK, but what else did it take?”
He drew his hand back and continued to play with his cup. “I threatened to tell her current boyfriend about all the affairs she’d had during our marriage. She wanted to marry him. She had this vision of a happy family, but she had no idea how to do it. If I’d legally challenged her, everything would come out, and it might have been harder for her to get you back.”
“Isn’t unfit a hard thing to prove? How would you have done it?”
He let go of the cup, sat back, and laughed. “I didn’t have a clue. But I was so angry, she believed I’d do anything to get you away from her, and she was right.” Red rimmed his eyes when he gazed at her. “I’ve wanted to apologize for so long, but I didn’t know how without making you hate me more than you already do.” The words gushed out. “I’m sorry I didn’t fight for you when you were little. I should have made her give you up. I knew she wasn’t the right mother for you. But I wasn’t strong enough, and she knew it. I failed you, and I’m sorry.” His tear splashed on the tabletop. “I hope you can forgive me.”
17
Maggie hurried out to her car. Listening to her bitterness all this time and not telling her the truth must have been hard for Danny. Even though discovering they weren’t related hurt, knowing he would have taken her if he could felt better. And he did the next best thing by forcing her mother to let her live with his sister. Maggie wondered again about the diaries. Had her mother stolen them to keep her from finding out? It would explain her response. Maggie snickered. Mom’s reputation might suffer.
She called Allie, and upon hearing she planned to stay on the couch watching movies, Maggie turned toward Aunt Esther’s. Some time alone might help her figure out her feelings. She climbed the stairs to her old room and sorted into piles what to keep, what to give to the thrift store, and what to throw away. The mindless activity allowed her thoughts to drift. She had to deal with her feelings about Greg. She couldn’t keep calling whenever something went wrong in her life—not if she intended to break up with him. And she was pretty sure she wanted to break up.
She retrieved some boxes from the basement, assembled one, and taped the bottom. Was what Robin said true? Did she push all men away? Greg was a good guy. No doubt about it. He would make a terrific husband. But what if she wasn’t cut out for marriage? What made her think she could make it work with the odds so stacked against her?
Her mother’s four previous marriages hadn’t worked, and the current one was on the rocks. Husband number five hadn’t even showed up for the funeral.
Maggie finished loading the box, taped it up, and wrote bedroom on the top.
Mom never seemed to understand why her relationships didn’t work. The new boyfriend was going to solve all her problems—sometimes before she got rid of the old one. Another guy willing to rescue her. She was never alone long. What would happen when the line of men ran out?
Maggie shook her head. The pressure to have a companion was too much trouble. She didn’t want to need anyone so much. She’d better get some distance from Greg before it was too late.
Having made her decision to break up, she worked through the morning, moving from her room to the spare room, and then into Aunt Esther’s. This one proved the hardest. Everything looked as if she would pop in at any moment. Wait…not Aunt Esther…just Esther. She had to remember it. She wiped a tear from her cheek and rubbed the soreness out of her lower back. Her watch said three o’clock. No wonder she was hungry. After a quick call to Allie, Maggie found a can of tuna and some crackers in the pantry.
Crunching on the saltines, she checked her cell phone. Two missed calls—both from Greg—but he’d left a message on the second one. She’d known it was him the last time her phone rang. But she didn’t pick up, because she didn’t know what to say. She still didn’t. Hiding from him wouldn’t help, so she plucked up her courage and dialed his number.
“Maggie, I’m glad you called,” he said. “I think we have your aunt’s killer.”
Her stomach lurched when he said ‘your aunt,’ but she didn’t correct him. “Was it Cameron?” She almost hoped he would say no because despite the screaming phone call, she didn’t want to believe he was guilty.
“We don’t have that nailed down yet, but so far there’s no evidence he was there. We’re not sure about his brother.”
She replayed the scene in her mind when Cameron threw himself in front of her sister. “It’s just, well, Cameron doesn’t seem like the type to kill someone…you know, with a knife…so cold blooded.”
“I know what you mean. We’ve talked to him in the hospital, but he won’t give up Grady. I think they were all part of a burglary ring. They stole cash, electronics, passports, jewelry, and expensive art. Which means at least one of them is more sophisticated than I am, since I don’t know anything about art.” He laughed, and the sound made her smile.
“So was it the guy you told me about? The one who shot at Allie?”
“Yeah. His name is Robert Maken. We’ve searched his house and found stolen items from other burglaries. We believe he and Grady tried to get Allie to let them in, and when she wouldn’t, they talked Esther into it, maybe telling her they were Allie’s friends. She may have caught him trying to pocket something, and he killed her. He has a violent streak for sure.”
“Did he push Allie?”
“He’s the right build, tall and thin. We may have you come to the station and get your impressions. The ski mask wasn’t recovered, but he could have thrown it away.”
“So is Allie safe now?”
“According to this kid—Cody—Cameron was the target of the shooting, not Allie. Bobby’s denying everything, and if what Cody says is true, then I doubt he was trying to kill Cameron, just scare him. He might be able to talk his way out of attempted murder, but the murder charge rattled him. Maybe if he didn’t kill Esther, he’ll rat out the one who did. It’s quite an operation.”
They talked more, but she didn’t tell him about visiting her fath…Danny. Instead, she brought up what she had been trying to say for the whole conversation. “I’m not sure I’m up to a relationship,” she blurted.
“With Allie? Does she want you to take up where your aunt left off?”
“No, sorry. I meant marriage. I can’t go through with it.”
Greg waited for her to explain, and when she didn’t, the silence stretched into awkward.
“Is it the house thing? I didn’t mean anything by it.”
Maggie put her hand up to smooth her hair back. Her head was beginning to ache. “I know. I’m just not cut out for marriage. It hasn’t worked out so well for my family.”
He hesitated again. “Do you want to break up?” His voice was soft.
“Yeah. I guess I need some time.”
“OK.” Another pause. “I know you don’t care what I think right now, but you’d be great at marriage.” He hurried on before she could protest. “Don’t look at your mom’s and dad’s mistakes. You’re a completely different person. Look at your aunt. She and Ron were happy.”
He was right. Aunt Esther’s and Ron’s relationship was good. But he didn’t know she wasn’t related to them. And she wasn’t in the mood to tell him. Aloud she said, “True, but she was an amazing person.”
“So are you,” he said. He was giving her an opportunity to speak, but she didn’t. “I’ll respect your wishes and give you some time. Call me if you want to talk, OK?” Strain tightened his voice. “Otherwise, I’ll leave you alone.”
She agreed.
“I love you,” he whispered and hung up.
She staggered upstairs, crawled into Esther’s bed, and cried. The linens still smelled like her, which made Maggie cry all the harder. What if it was her fault Cameron got shot? It sounded as if they shot him because
they saw him talking to Allie. And they were able to get to him because she’d kicked them out of the truck. Right into danger. She shouldn’t have let him talk to Allie at all. Face it. She wasn’t good at relationships. Not with Greg, not with Allie, not with anyone.
18
Maggie stopped by the store on the way home, and picked up some ice cream. Didn’t all teenage girls love ice cream? Besides, it was supposed to be comfort food for breakups. Turtle pecan had worked for her before. Stepping out of her car, she pushed down the voice telling her this time was different.
Allie loved having ice cream for dessert.
As Maggie cleaned up the dishes, alone again, her landline rang. She hurried to her office to answer.
“Maggie, is that you?”
The voice seemed familiar. “Yes, who is this, please?”
“It’s Ginger, Esther’s friend. I called a couple days ago?” Her voice sounded shaky.
“Yes, of course. Are you OK?”
She cleared her throat. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I’m not OK. I’m scared, and I didn’t know who to call.”
“What’s the matter?” Maggie frowned and dropped into her office chair. “Why are you scared?”
“I think someone’s after me. First, Esther, then Carla, and now me.”
“Carla? Is this about the accident?”
“Maybe. If it was an accident. Today someone tried to run me off the road. They had a big car, you know, like one of those truck-cars?”
“You mean an SUV?”
“Yes. And he came up next to me and kept edging over until I nearly ran over the edge. I was at the grocery. You know the intersection by the river? There’s quite a drop-off there. I might have been killed!”
She tried to picture the intersection, but she wasn’t familiar with Golden. “What happened then?”
“Another group of cars came along, and he sped off. If it weren’t for them, I’d be dead. And I keep hearing someone outside my house. He’s out there. I know it.”
Maggie’s heartbeat skipped. “Have you called the police?”
“No, they won’t believe me. Every time I’ve called in the past, they don’t do anything.”
“Ah.” Understanding dawned. She probably called every time she heard a noise, and the police had her number memorized. But she was upset, and after losing two friends, it would be natural for her to be afraid.
“Give me the number of your local police station, and I’ll call. We’ll see if we can get someone to patrol the area until I can get there. Keep your doors and windows locked, and I’ll come and get you. You can stay with me for a few days until we sort this out. How does that sound?”
“It sounds great. Your aunt was right about you. You are special.”
Maggie hung up the phone and called the number Ginger gave her. After considerable explanation, and Maggie threatening to go to the news station if anything should happen, the officer promised a few drive-bys. Maggie promised in return to have her stop in to file a report. After calling Ginger to give her the news, she explained to Allie and left the house.
Golden was west of Denver, but still an hour and a half drive from Pinon Creek. She’d be lucky if she got back by eleven. Her plans for an early night were not happening.
Even with a huge head start, and as scared as she was, Ginger wasn’t ready. Maggie chuckled, remembering the entry in Esther’s diary. When she was packed, Maggie helped load her suitcases in the back.
How long was she planning to stay, anyway? Judging by the number of bags, she must plan to move in. Maggie stopped by the station on her way out of town for Ginger to fill out a statement, and then set off for home.
Her watch read one o’clock when she drove into her garage, and by the time she settled Ginger in the last of her guest rooms, it was after three. She fell into bed and tried to sleep, but her mind wouldn’t rest. Was Ginger right? Had someone tried to kill her? Maggie rolled over again.
Obviously, the woman scared easily, and with the trauma of losing two of her friends, her imagination was taking over. After a few days, she’d be ready to go home, and maybe Greg could talk the police in her area into doing some more drive-bys. But what if she wasn’t imagining it? Two old ladies were dead, after all, but they were unrelated incidents. Weren’t they?
~*~
Grady watched from his hiding place in the house down the street. He often laughed at how easy hiding from the police was. At least, if you were smart. Cameron had wanted to watch his girlfriend, and they couldn’t go home anyway, so this was the best solution. He snickered at the poor realtor who thought he was interested in buying this place. Grady had looked so busy on his phone, the guy never knew he was filming him. Afterward, it took a couple tries, but Grady got the code. Then it was so easy. Just take the key from the lockbox and unlock the door.
It’d worked out fine until Bobby went crazy and started shooting at Cam. What did he think Grady was going to do, just sit there and let him shoot his little brother? Now Bobby was in jail, and Cam was in the hospital. He wasn’t even sure if he was all right. Grady had called from a payphone but was put through to a police officer. So Cam was being guarded. Did that mean they were protecting him or were they going to arrest him? Surely, they didn’t have any evidence.
Yanking his sleeping bag out of the closet, he prepared for bed. Not having enough light was a hassle, but it was nice and dry, and better than going home and getting caught. A light went on at Maggie’s. Good grief, it was one o’clock in the morning. He picked up the binoculars.
Maggie and an old lady were hauling a ton of bags into the house. He didn’t know why he was watching anymore, except he didn’t have anything else to do. Cam’s girl was pretty and all, but the sister, Maggie, was gorgeous. He wouldn’t mind watching her all the time.
He set down the binoculars and lay on top of his sleeping bag. It was way too hot to climb in. After Cam got out of the hospital, they’d ditch this town. With Bobby in jail, it wasn’t safe to stay. Cam would have to give up Allie. Grady would insist on it.
19
Ginger was already awake when Maggie got up the next morning, and a wonderful smell greeted her at the top of the stairs. Bacon. She entered the kitchen and smiled at Ginger, who wore an apron and handled a spatula, flipping pancakes on the griddle, while bacon fried in the skillet. The mouth-watering aroma even brought Allie out of her room.
“Pull up a chair, hon. It’s all ready. I need to earn my keep, you know.”
“You don’t have to do any such thing,” Maggie laughed. “But I’ll enjoy your cooking just the same.”
She and Allie sat down to a delicious breakfast, and when she left, Allie was doing the dishes. Maggie wasn’t quite sure how it happened, but Allie was suddenly at the sink, and Maggie was ushered out the door to her first appointment. Ginger must have some magic with teens Maggie didn’t know about.
Her day went well, if very fast, and she returned to the smell of dinner cooking. Wonder of wonders, Allie was setting the table. How did Ginger do it? Maggie helped with the napkins, and they sat down to eat. “This smells heavenly.” Maggie inhaled the steamy scent of meat and potatoes. “I could get used to this.”
“Well, darling, don’t get too used to it.” Ginger spooned some beef stew into a bowl and passed it over. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I should go home. I’m sure I was imagining things. It was a bad driver who nearly ran me off the road.”
Maggie stabbed a potato with her fork. “What changed your mind?”
“Nothing really, but the more I think about it, the less sense it makes. I got spooked about Carla, and so when some crazy driver scared me, I let my imagination get carried away. Allie told me they have the guy who killed Esther, so Carla’s death must have been an accident. Either way, hiding out here isn’t doing me any good. I called the nice policeman we saw before, and he said he would have someone drive by my house several times for a few nights to make sure I’m OK. I won’t go anywhere alone for a while just to b
e certain.”
“Are you sure?” Maggie asked.
“Yes. There’s no reason for someone to kill a couple of old ladies like us. No one would have wanted to hurt Esther either; she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
I wish I could believe that. “Maybe you should wait a bit longer. You know you can stay as long as you like.”
Ginger patted her hand. “I know, and I thank you, but I’ll feel better at home.”
Maggie nodded. She’d ask Greg to phone the Golden policeman and make sure they were checking on her. Oh, but wait, she couldn’t. He was respecting her request for space, and it wouldn’t be fair if she bugged him every time she needed something but wouldn’t let him call her. She’d get Mark to do it instead.
Having settled it in her mind, she finished dinner, and the three of them did the dishes. Then they sat in front of the TV.
The scenes passed in front of Maggie’s eyes, but she didn’t take them in. Her thoughts were on Greg. How long would it be before she could eat dinner alone without missing him? She used to do it all the time before, and she was never lonely. Well, maybe sometimes, but not like this. It had only been a day, for heaven’s sake. Sometimes she’d gone a week without seeing him if they were both busy, and she’d never had a problem with it. But this felt different. This was an ache. The movie ended, but Maggie couldn’t have said what it was about. She gave up and went upstairs early with Ginger, leaving Allie clicking through the stations.
As she readied for bed, her eyes drifted to the diaries. Wonder what Aunt…Esther thought about her own marriage. Was she nervous? Did she know all along that Ron was the one? She slipped under the covers and opened the year of Esther’s wedding, flipping through the pages, searching for answers. She found what she was looking for.
Ron proposed last week, and I told him I would have to consider it. I hate making him wait for an answer to such an important question, but I hope he knows it’s no reflection of my love for him, but rather of my careful nature. I do love him, but how will it affect Maggie? I know she loves Ron, but will she feel replaced if I bring him into our household? After the many men Darla brought home, Maggie needs stability more than anything. I can’t disrupt her now.
Deadly Diaries Page 14