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“I know, I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it. Keep that woman and her momma safe. We’ll cover this. Get back when you can, and if you can keep Alice updated, do that.”
“I will; I might be able to work off-site.”
“If you can, do that. At least maybe cover emails and shit. Be safe, and tell Maggie I said hello.”
“You guys have a safe trip too.”
I hung up and found Maggie coming down the stairs with a suitcase, her mother right behind her. Maggie looked a little shell-shocked, her face almost as pale as the medical gauze around her neck, but her mother didn’t seem any worse for wear as she stared at the mess down the hallway.
“You okay, Sweetheart?” I asked as I approached her.
She tried to nod but then shook her head. “No, I’m not.”
I pulled her into my arms, holding her close to me as I kissed the side of her head. That incident had given me a significant scare. The memory of the knife to her throat was ingrained to the back of my skull. When Maggie had jerked her head to the side, the tip of the blade sliced under her jaw. Luckily, it hadn’t gone deep and missed any major arteries or muscles. The paramedic that had shown up had put a little skin glue on it and a butterfly bandage and said it would heal without stitches.
“I need to get Mom’s medication,” she said as she pulled away. Her eyes were downcast as she made her way down the hall and stepped over the mess that was there. The detective said he’d have a cleaning service come in and take care of the biohazard issue. How long would it take to clean from her mind?
Fifteen minutes later, we stood at the door, and Maggie glanced back at her house and shook her head. I walked her and her mother out to my truck while the police officers watched us.
I called Mike on the way back to my place, and he was waiting when we arrived. “Here, I have a laptop and a disposable phone for you to use. I’m gonna check the truck for tracking devices, and I’ll keep an eye on the ladies while you grab your gear.”
“Will only take me a minute; I already have my go-bag ready.”
“Take your time.” Mike slapped me on the back after handing over a backpack. I hustled into my house and was back out in less than five minutes.
Mike was standing at the passenger side door, talking to Maggie. I tossed my stuff into the back, under the bedcover, and met Mike on the passenger side. Maggie looked whipped, huge circles under her eyes.
“Keys to the place are in the front pocket. Me and the guys are the only ones that know where you’ll be. I’ll reach out to your detective tomorrow and let him know that if he needs you, he should call me.” He held his hand out, palm up. “Your phone.”
I gave him my phone and noticed that he had another one in his other hand. Must have already collected Maggie’s. “Thanks for the help, Mike.”
“You’re welcome. Now get on the road. The truck was free of trackers, and I assume you were watching your six on your way here.”
“I was, it was clear.”
“Well, then get on the road. You have a hike. My number is on the phone, send me a text when you make it to the cabin.”
“I will.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “I appreciate it. I owe you.”
“Yeah, you do. I am missing out on some serious beauty sleep.”
“You need all you can get,” I joked as I went around to the drivers’ side and climbed in. Maggie still had her window down, and she glanced at me and then Mike as he put his hand on the windowsill.
“You guys take care. I’ll talk to you soon.”
We said goodbye and got on the road. The drive was over four hours before we bumped down the dirt road to the small cabin. I was surprised that Maggie had stayed awake the whole time. When we arrived, we carried in our gear and the cooler of food that Mike had stowed in the back for us.
The cabin was sparse and tiny, but clean. We got everything inside, and Maggie got her mother situated into the smaller bedroom while I put supplies away. When she finished, she stared at the other bed for a long time before she came to stand in front of me.
“Please do not let me sleep alone tonight.”
Her eyes looked haunted and exhausted. I cupped her cheek. “I’ll stay with you if you want, Maggie.”
She took my hand from her cheek, kissed my palm, and then led me back to the bedroom. She kicked off her pants, snaked her bra out of her sleeve, and then crawled under the covers. While the cops had taken my one gun, I had others, and I set one on the nightstand, removed my pants and shirt, and climbed under the covers after I turned the light off.
Maggie shifted over the mattress to affix herself to my side, and I held her. Neither of us spoke as we lay there, and slowly we both began to relax as sleep edged in on us.
