Benny entered, saw Reggie, and grinned. “If it isn’t the home run slugger. What’s up, man?” He clapped Reggie on the back.
“Doing great. How about you?”
“Same old, same old.” He yelled for Emily.
Maggie shook her head and cupped an ear, as if in pain. “Thanks for that.”
He laughed. “It works.” He pointed to the little girl and her dog. “Just you, with two feet. The girl child. Come on. Uncle Doug wants your help making play dough.”
“Oh. Okay.” She ran to Reggie and kissed his hand. “Don’t leave before I come back.”
Reggie nodded. “I’ll try not to.”
After they left, Maggie gave in to her urge and gave Reggie a big hug. “You look like you need this. I sure do.”
He hugged her back so tightly, she let out anoomph. “Oh, sorry.” He pulled back to kiss her. “I missed you.”
“You look tired.”
“I am. So fucking tired.”
“What’s going on? You look worried.”
“Oh man. Where do I start?”
When she had time to process his story, beginning with seeing Amy again outside the station and ending with the woman now ensconced in his home, Maggie could do nothing but repeat what he’d said. “She’s in your house. Sleeping in your bedroom.”
“In theguest room,” he was quick to correct. “Sleeping with her daughter in the spare bed. Not mine. They have no place else to go.” He scowled. “I’m so angry. Then I’m sad. Then I’m pissed off again. Why am I cleaning up her mess?”
“Why are you?”
He sighed. “Because I don’t want Rachel to suffer for her mom’s bad decisions. You’d love her, Maggie. She reminds me of Emily.”
Maggie felt for him. But she didn’t like any of this. Not at all. “Let me see if I can understand this better.”
“Good luck,” he muttered. “I sure as hell can’t.”
“She has a husband. Or is it an ex-husband?”
“According to Amy, they’re still divorced but living together. Or theywereliving together.” He shrugged.
“Right. So your ex-girlfriend tells you her daughter’s father is working in Tacoma and can’t afford more rent. So where is he living?”
“With some woman. I don’t know specifics. But I got the impression Devon’s sleeping with his roommate to pay his rent. Amy’s hurting. She can’t go to her sister because Denise is having a hard time herself, and Amy’s parents kicked Amy out after a few weeks living with them.”
“Her parents kicked out their daughter and grandchild. What happened? Do they not get along?”
He frowned. “Her mother dotes on Rachel.”
“Yet she kicked her out. Why?”
“Probably because they hate Devon. I don’t know.”
“Don’t get mad at me. I’m just asking questions because this doesn’t make sense.”
“I know that,” he snapped. “And I’m sorry for being angry. I just… I feel like she’s using me, and it’s happening again.”
“She is using you.” Maggie saw that clearly. “But you’re letting it happen.”
