Page 75 of I’ll Be Watching You

“Go,” Ava told her. “You know what to do.”

Rita nodded, followed the guard.

Quincy’s hand touched Ava’s arm gently, grounding her. “It’s going to be okay, Ava,” he said softly.

“You’re right. It will be.” She sat and prayed. It gave her strength.

Do not fear.

They’d had to surrender their phones, their bags, even Quincy’s service weapon, locked up like contraband in a room they weren’t allowed to reenter until they were on their way out.

Now it was just the two of them in the dingy room with nothing to do but think.

Ava rubbed her arms, suddenly chilled. “I don’t think I ever thanked you,” she said, voice low. “For coming with us.”

“No need for thanks,” Quincy said. “Besides, you’ve had a lot on your plate.

She glanced at him. “Did you hear anything about the court order?” Of course he hadn’t; he would have told her.

He shook his head. “Transfers happen all the time.”

“Not at two in the morning, they don’t.”

Quincy didn’t argue. He just nodded.

She stared at the blank wall across from her. “You think I should have gone to the police three and a half years ago.”

“I think,” he said carefully, “that I don’t have kids. So I don’t know what I would have done. But if I thought they were in danger? I probably would’ve done the same thing you did.”

She laughed, but it was brittle. “You’re being kind. I’ve been second-guessing myself ever since Cooper told me about the threat. Ever since I saw those photos. I thought we were doing the right thing. Cooper was so certain we had to lie, stay quiet, protect our children at all costs. And I followed his lead because, dear God, I was terrified.”

She looked down at her hands. “I’ve spent years sitting across from victims’ families, trying to offer them justice. I’ve watched mothers fall apart after losing a child. I’ve had to stay strong while they sobbed in my office. I told myself I could handle it. That I was making a difference.”

Her voice cracked. “But the truth is, every time I heard their stories, a part of me broke. And when Cooper said they’d come for our kids next, I didn’t care about ethics or the law or doing the right thing. I just wanted them safe.”

“Remember, I love one of your children,” Quincy said. “I didn’t know any of you back then. Maybe if I had, I would have counseled a different choice. But now? I’m not going to criticize your decision when I wasn’t in your shoes.”

Ava took his words to heart, appreciating the kindness he was extending to her when she wasn’t certain she deserved it. “I keep wondering if we made the wrong choice,” she whispered. “If keeping them all in the dark didn’t protect them, but made it easier for the people behind this to control us and every decision we’ve made since.”

“You’re not God, Ava,” Quincy said gently. “You don’t get to know the outcome before you make the decision. You did what you thought was best with the information you had at the time. Hell, that’s all any of us can do.”

She blinked fast, her vision blurring. “That doesn’t mean it was enough.”

The door opened.

They both stood. Rita walked in. Her face told Ava everything even before she spoke. It was bad news.

Ava asked, “Can I see him?”

Rita shook her head.

“Tomorrow?”

Rita hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“Why not? I need to lay eyes on him, Rita, to make sure he’s okay.”

“He’s in solitary today,” Rita said flatly. “No one sees him tonight. Not even me.”