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“I wanted to, but it’s been so many years…..I hoped it would be different,” she responded, choking up.
“Too late. We ran into Uncle Cal,” I sneered his name, suddenly wishing I’d shot him when I had the opportunity, “At the diner. I had to put a gun to his head to get him to let Cadence go.”
Mom sobbed, “Oh God. Please don’t let anything happen to that girl. I will never forgive myself.”
“Neither will I,” I snapped, surging to my feet as I paced to window, restless now that I knew our suspicions were correct. “I’m filing misconduct and abuse charges against him in the morning, Mother. It’s time he was held accountable for his actions.”
“I’ll do whatever you need, Noah. Please forgive me.” The pain in her voice acted like a knife to the rage ballooning inside me, slowly deflating my anger. ‘I’m so sorry for not protecting you like I should have.”
I couldn’t let her bear that burden alone. “You did everything you could, Mom.” I exhaled, the day starting to feel like a lifetime. “I should have done something a long time ago. You’re not the only one responsible for his crimes.”
“No,” she said forcefully, surprising me. “He’s responsible and he’s going to pay for them.” She paused, her voice becoming eerily calm, as she continued, “All of them.”
“Mom,” I said questioningly, but she refused to elaborate.
“Everything will be fine, Noah. You keep your girl safe.”
“Mom,” I said again, my tone warning.
“You do whatever you need to do, Noah, and know that I stand behind you one hundred percent. Now, you get some sleep, okay?”
“Mom.”
“Goodnight, baby.”
She hung up, leaving me more unsettled than when I called her. I glanced out the window, debating if I should tell Cadence what I had learned, but the RV was dark and I didn’t want to wake her. I walked over to the panel on the wall, setting the perimeter alarm as well as the house alarm, something I rarely ever did, but I wouldn’t get any sleep otherwise.
***
The next morning I called the station to alert Janet that I would be coming in and this time the Mayor would be called.
“What in God’s good name is going on?” She exclaimed the second she picked up. I froze, wondering what had happened now. “Your uncle has gone off the deep end. And I hear Clutch is bringing Kara home. I expect you to be in the office in the next thirty minutes.”
“Call the mayor. He’ll need to be there,” I replied, grabbing my keys. “I’m on my way.”
“I don’t even want to know,” Janet muttered as I hung up, already headed to Cadence. I knocked and when she didn’t answer immediately, started to pound on the door, suddenly worried my uncle had bypassed my alarm system somehow.
“Is there a fire?” Cadence yelled, ripping the door open and I almost fell inside.
“I,” panicked didn’t sound very manly. “Was concerned.”
“About what? That I fell in the toilet? Got tangled in my pants, tripped, and knocked myself out?” She glared. “I didn’t have time to put on pants for God’s sake.”
My eyes dropped to her legs, suddenly noticing that she wasn’t wearing pants, just extremely short shorts and a long sleeved shirt that it looked like she’d pulled on hastily. “Nice legs.”
Her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. “Seriously, Noah. What is going on?”
“I need to go into the office and I don’t want to leave you alone.”
“That’s why you were banging on my door like there was a blue light special at the K-Mart?”
I opened my mouth and a chuckle escaped. “K-Mart?”
She rolled her eyes. “My mom loved that stupid store. When I was little we’d stop at every single one we came to and if there was a blue light special you can bet your ass she’d be at it.”
The mention of her mom sobered me. “I talked to my mom last night.”
“Based on your expression it wasn’t good news.”
I shook my head, “No. She said my uncle was obsessed with your mom. She thought it might be the reason your mom left town.”
Cadence sank down, her butt hitting the top step with a thump. “No wonder you were freaking out.”
“I wasn’t freaking out,” I lied, ignoring her skeptical stare as I quickly changed the subject. “I don’t want to leave you here alone, but I have to go to the station. Find some way to keep my uncle from coming after you.”
“I guess I should put pants on then.”
I glanced at her long legs and cleared my throat. “You should. I wouldn’t want to be accused of distracted driving.”
“You think your uncle would actually come here?” Cadence questioned, her mouth drawn.
“There’s no telling what he’ll do,” I answered honestly.
“Road trip,” Cadence yelled unexpectedly.
Nico flew to the door, cawing, “Shotgun.”
She gave me an apologetic glance. “I can’t leave him if there’s a possibility he would be in danger.”
