“Half of it. I’m on my way to talk to my sister.”
“So, the easy part is done.”
“Yeah.”
“You know you’re not going to be able to fix this, right? If it’s not Randy, it’ll be someone else who likes to beat on her. It’s like they can smell each other. You should know that.”
“It’s still my sister. I’ve got to try.”
“I know. I’ll call you after Katrina and the mystery man do the deed.”
Margot wasn’t surprised when her sister didn’t answer the door. She was clearly home but she ignored her texts and calls as well.
Just like their mom when this kind of thing happened, she’d be mad as hell at first but within twenty-four hours she’d convince herself that she must have done something to deserve it. Just like mom, eventually, she’d find a man who would take it to the point of no return.
Despite the seeming inevitability of the situation, Margot wasn’t going to stop trying. Even if her sister hated her for it.
She pounded harder.
“Come on, Melanie, open the door or I’ll assume you’re hurt in there and kick it in.”
Melanie kept the chain on as she opened the door a crack. Her eye was black, but the swelling had gone down enough she could open it.
“You can see I’m still alive and well. Now go away.”
“You’re alive. You don’t look well. Randy’s not going to be calling and for the sake of your face, don’t call him.”
“I don’t need you to take care of me.”
“Your eye says different.”
Melanie closed the door. Margot considered pounding on it again, but this was about as close to a civil conversation as they were going to get.
Margot went back home and poured herself some whiskey over ice and waited for a call from Mal that never came.
Chapter 4
Today…
“You could help yourself by telling us where to find Mal,” Ames said to her from across the table.
They were in an interrogation room, the same one she was in when they questioned her about Mal. That was before she decided to quit the force before they fired her. Unlike that time, they had her shackled to the iron ring welded to the table.
Margot said nothing. It was easy to stay quiet since she didn’t know where Mal was. The last time she had talked to him, he was watching the recently deceased Katrina Stone drinking with an unknown man at Lefty’s place. The police being unable to find him worried her. His disappearing act meant he was either guilty or in trouble. Maybe both.
“I bet you’re wondering how we knew Stone hired you to follow his wife. Go ahead and ask,” Ames continued.
Margot ignored him. She did want to know. It was a cash transaction other than the hard copy contract he signed there was no record of their agreement. She, however, didn’t want to engage him in conversation until her lawyer got there. She never liked Ames, but she knew he was good.
“You know this whole silence thing makes you look guilty.”
“I don’t give a damn how I look,” she said.
“You know him better than anybody, you have to know when we pick up Mal he’s going to pin this on you. Right?”
Margot didn’t say anything.
“You do know we can’t help you later if you don’t help us know,” Ames' partner, Detective Radcliff piped in.