Page 23 of Torrent’s Treasure

Torrent alternated patting her back in a ‘there, there’ motion or just holding her. Her husband of few words knew exactly what to say right now. His deep voice telling her to let it all out and that they’d get through this together did more for her than if he’d given her empty promises. As her tears soaked his shirt and her nose ran, he held her, not trying to hurry her at all.

When her throat hurt from crying and the tears seemed to finally run out, he picked her up and carried her to the couch. He placed her there, handing her a box of tissues and wrapping the cover around her. He grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and came back over. Handing the glass to her, he motioned to the couch. She nodded. She was sitting on one side of the couch with her back against the armrest, her legs on the couch under the blanket.

Torrent took off his shoes and sat on the farthest cushion, leaning his back against the armrest. He slid his legs under the cover to the outside of the couch.

“Can you tell me about Calliope?” he asked, his voice gravelly. It consoled her that his tone screamed he was as upset about it as she was, and he didn’t even know everything.

“First, he didn’t do to her what he did to me,” she whispered.

Torrent’s eyes closed, his shoulders sagging as if the weight of the world had lifted. He nodded.

“Okay, that’s a good thing. But he did do something. She was preparing for war,” Torrent countered grimly.

“She was. She’s been carrying around the guilt that our parents’ deaths were her fault. I will never understand the evil in some people. Three weeks before my parents died, he showed up at the park where she and her friend, Linny, were playing. They were on the swings, and he pushed both of them for a little bit. Then when Linny’s mom called her over, he sat on the swing beside Calliope and said he wanted to be friends. Then he told her to have a good day,” Cecilia explained, her voice trembling.

Cecilia paused, formulating her thoughts. Torrent didn’t rush her. He just waited for her to talk again.

“A couple days later, when she was at the store with Mom and Dad, he and his brother came in. The brother talked with Mom and Dad while Horse’s Ass walked over to where she was doing homework. She said he told her she had pretty hair and played with her pigtails for a minute, then left.”

Torrent nodded. “Grooming her.”

“Yes. Two days later, when she went over to her friend’s house after school, he dropped by when they were playing in the backyard. He sat by her at the picnic table. She said he pressed his leg against her and said he wanted to be friends. When she told him she had friends and didn’t want any more, he threatened her. He told her if she wasn’t his friend, then he couldn’t keep her parents safe,” Cecilia finished.

Torrent didn’t say anything, but she could tell he was turning over everything she said in his mind. Even in the short time she’d known him, she’d started to see some of his habits. If he was thinking deeply when he was reading, he’d tilt his head to the side and tap his index finger on his chin. He was doing that now, and Cecilia was interested in what he’d come up with because she couldn’t figure out what was bothering her about how he’d approached Calliope.

If she was at one hundred percent, she’d probably be able to figure it out, but since the attack, she’d had moments of clarity and moments of not knowing what she should do next for the simplest of tasks.

Torrent sighed and stared at her.

“Tell me,” she urged. She appreciated him wanting to protect her, but she could handle it despite breaking down earlier.

“Seems off,” he deliberated.

“I agree,” she said.

“Think we need more people looking at it,” Torrent reasoned.

She nodded. The more help they had—the greater the possibility they could figure it out.

“How long is Calliope gone?” Torrent asked.

“Sally said she’d keep her a couple of hours.”

“Here or Church?” he pressed.

Cecilia wasn’t sure what would bother her more—going back into Church with all the guys or having them all crowded around her in the room. She glanced around the room. She didn’t want them all in here at once.

“Church,” she decided.

Torrent nodded, picked up his phone, and sent a text. His phone immediately started beeping with notifications.

“Thirty minutes. Hungry?” he asked.

Now that she thought about it, she was. When she nodded, he immediately got up and started digging through the refrigerator and freezer.

“Chicken enchiladas?” he offered.

Cecilia stared at him. She’d made homemade enchiladas before, and they took forever.