“Which brings me to my two conditions,” he said. “I want you to keep to your normal routine, including his, until we have this sorted out. Send your son to school today. I know what it’s like to disrupt a kid’s routine when they’re young. He’ll be safe there and in the meantime we can make sure your house is safe just in case. I would also like you to not talk about what happened to you until we have a better handle on the situation. That includes the media... And no personal reporting of any kind. This story, you need to keep under wraps. It’ll be a whole hell of a lot easier getting information when we don’t have to sift through a county’s worth of theories on what happened. Not yet at least.”
“Okay, I can do that, I guess,” she said. Though she could feel the prickling sensation of curiosity trying to expand within her. She wanted to hit the street, ask questions and get answers about what had happened to her. What had she found? How did Dwayne fit in? Or maybe she’d simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, that left the question of who had attacked them. One she wanted answered, even if it had nothing to do with her personal investigation. Plus, the sheriff was probably right. Lying low might be the best thing for her. Maybe her memories would return if she took it easy.
Ha. Easy. Like I’ve ever done what’s easy.
Before the sheriff could read any mischief in her expression, Maggie sat up straighter and cleared her throat.
“So what’s the last condition?” she asked. “Because I’d really like to leave this charming place as soon as possible.”
The sheriff definitely wasn’t smirking anymore. In fact, he almost looked hesitant.
“What happened could have been a case of you seeing something you shouldn’t have by accident, caught as an innocent bystander and targeted for that reason. But we have no proof. Just as we have no proof that your life could be in danger. So for the public’s safety and your own, I am relinquishing you into the custody of Detective Matt Walker effective immediately.”
Maggie opened her mouth to argue but the sheriff was faster on the draw.
“Until we find out what happened in that house, Ms. Carson, this decision is final. Arguing with me won’t work.”
Maggie lifted her chin a fraction. She crossed her arms over her chest.
“No offense, Sheriff, but you’ve never heard me argue before.”
There were a lot of questions but not many answers. At least none that led Matt to a clear picture of what had happened at Dwayne’s house. Although Maggie had admitted to looking into Erin’s accident, she’d gone tight-lipped as they left the hospital. Then again, that might have had more to do with Cody being caught between them as they got into Matt’s off-duty, dark green Jimmy. The six-year-old had kept his eyes wide as Maggie talked to him in the back seat. She reminded him of a lesson she’d already taught him.
Don’t talk to strangers.
In the rearview mirror Matt could see the boy took the conversation seriously. He watched Maggie with concentration that furrowed his brow. When she was done that concentration turned to worry. He didn’t understand what had changed. From what they’d pieced together from Billy talking to Larissa before she left for the community college was that everything had been normal the day before.
Larissa lived near Cody’s school and often picked him up and watched him until Maggie was done with work between four and five. Around four thirty Maggie had texted and asked if she could watch the boy until eight. After that she’d called from the hospital. Larissa had offered to keep him for the night. She hadn’t told Cody why the impromptu sleepover had happened.
And now, sitting in the back seat, Matt could almost see the boy trying to figure out what had changed their normal routines to include a last-minute stay with his babysitter, a trip to the hospital and a talk about strangers.
Maggie must have sensed it, too. Matt glanced into the mirror in time to see her press her thumb between his eyebrows. She rubbed the crease gently and smiled.
“Wrinkles are for me, not you,” she said. “Don’t worry, little dude. Everything’s going to be okay. I promise.” Her voice had gone gentle, maternal strength backing up each word. It was such a contrast from the woman he knew that it surprised a smile out of him. Thankfully she didn’t see it. “And if you promise not to worry, I’ll see what I can do about taking you, Josh and Emily to the science museum in Kipsy sometime soon.”
Matt didn’t have to see the boy’s face to know Maggie had just hit negotiation gold. A quick intake of breath from him was followed by a bigger smile reflected on his mom.
“I can show Emily the tornado ride,” Cody exclaimed. “And we can play with the burp machine!”
“And don’t forget the puzzle room,” Maggie added on.
Cody squealed and launched into his favorite things he’d done the last time they’d been there. Along with the tornado ride, burp machine and puzzle room, he’d had fun in the music house where the floor was a keyboard. Judging by the quick sigh Maggie let out, she had not been a fan of the music house.
She caught Matt’s eye and shook her head.
“That place is the devil,” she supplied, in no way stopping the boy’s conversation. He stared out the window, still counting off the different rides, exhibits and interactive experiments the museum had. “Imagine a marching band forced into one room and each one is playing a different, horribly out-of-sync tune. I’d rather take another bat to the head.”
Despite himself, Matt almost smiled.
The pleasantries ended after they got to the school. Matt talked to the principal about keeping an eye out for anything or anyone suspicious, just in case, while Maggie sweet-talked the boy’s teacher into dropping the mark against him being late. Or intimidated the teacher. Matt didn’t know. The Maggie he’d met years ago was starting to look like a different Maggie now.
When they rendezvoused back at the Jimmy, however, it was all business. Another surprise, considering Maggie had been the one to start it.
“Okay, we need to retrace my steps from yesterday.” She jumped in and buckled her seat belt but gazed straight ahead. “Let’s start at my house and see what we can find there.”
“You may have been released into my custody but that doesn’t give you the right to issue orders,” he reminded her. Though he agreed with her idea. He navigated out of the parking lot and pointed the SUV in the same direction he’d headed the day before.
“Sorry, I just assumed you’d want to figure out what happened,” she said. The gentleness she’d used with her son had definitely gone to school with him. “I didn’t realize you had something better to do.”
Matt muttered some bad things beneath his breath. All of which Maggie didn’t comment on. She was a smart woman. She knew which buttons to press. And when to stop pressing them altogether.
Or, at least, he thought she had. The fact that she was still trying to make something of Erin’s death proved otherwise.
“So what do we know so far?” she said when he’d found a more peaceful state of mind. “Has CSU found anything helpful at Dwayne’s house yet?”
Matt didn’t like that he shook his head.
“Detective Ansler is supposed to update me when he gets more information on the prints found at the scene but I do know that a partial was found that didn’t belong to you or Dwayne. Other than that, nothing of interest has been reported so far. You could tell a struggle had taken place but other than that I didn’t have a chance to really investigate. I rode with Dwayne to the hospital when the EMTs got there. The sheriff and Ansler took over.”
“Then