His lips thin, eyes glancing in Marlin’s direction. “Do I dare ask what the situation is? We’ve got our hands full here tonight.” He gestures to one of the offices. “Would you like to sit down, have a coffee with me?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t need a coffee this late, I’ll be up until dawn, Captain. What I need is to see Gage Travers. He was brought in? I really need to see him-”
The eleven lines between his eyes deepen. “Travers? You’re -you- are here for him?” He seems completely blown away by this admission, as if she’s said something utterly outlandish. The way he stares makes it seem like she said she wanted to see human sacrifices performed. “Whatever for?”
Minnie jaw drops open, and her hands go to her hips. “Yes, I am. Why does it matter? I need to see him, and I’m happy to pay bail to get him out of here tonight.” Her tone begins to grow louder, nerves intensifying.
The confusion only deepens on the Captain’s familiar face. “I’m afraid that simply can’t happen. He’s here for a reason. We need to do our own due diligence, my dear. It’s best that you go home, try to sleep on this, and maybe come back tomorrow-”
“I’m not leaving until you let me take him out of here!” Minnie demands, standing her ground, trying to seem fiercer than she really is. She’s out of her depth; this is not the sort of place she finds herself in often. In fact, it has been over a decade at this point, and she hoped to never come here again.
Captain Noweth gives her a skeptical look. Never has he known fragile, bookish Minerva Fray to be the sort to storm into a police station and demand to pay bail on a criminal. Sighing, Captain Noweth finally says, “This is a lot of excitement for you, as it were. I get that. Please understand, my people have to do their jobs. I can’t just make exceptions, not even for you.”
Her mouth sags open as she stares at him from behind her glasses.A lot of excitement?The nerve! “My father will hear about you not helping me, Captain.” The moment the words leave her mouth, she internally cringes; she hasn’t pulled a ‘my father’ card on someone in ages. Regret is sour on her tongue. That was done in poor taste.
The older man is unmoved by her threat. If anything, he seems saddened, which is odd, considering the situation. “I’m sure he will. I invite you to have that conversation with him. In fact, it might clear some things upaboutthis situation.” His eyes glance at Marlin. “Minerva, would you like one of our female officers to escort you to your father’s home?”
Minnie’s brow furrows; what is he insinuating? That she’s not safe with Marlin? The man who brought her over here, the man who made sure to try and calm her panic attack while his roommate was being dragged out by SWAT?! “My ride is covered. Thank you, Captain.”Stay polite, she tells herself.Mother always says to be polite, even when you don’t get your way. Even when someone is rude. It’s called being gracious.
She would love to not be gracious right about now, but that isn’t a familiar feeling for Minnie, so she fails in displaying her growing malcontent in the situation. Instead, she feelshelpless.
You’re always helpless, aren’t you? What’s new?Her mind provides enough self-loathing mutterings.
A large, comforting hand falls on her shoulder. Marlin’s deep voice is a relief from above her head. “I’ll get her to her father’s home safe and sound,” Marlin says with a hint of defensiveness in his tone. “You can call ahead just to make sure I’m good on my promise.”
Captain Noweth shakes his head, rubbing his eyes. There are shouts from the back rooms, and the jail house sounds full of unruly drunks. “Minerva,” the Captain says, looking weary. “I know you are emotional right now. I know this isn’t your typical behavior. Please just remember, I worry about you, same as your father.”
Oh, great, now he’s got her feeling chastised for her outbursts and demanding behavior. “I’m sorry for yelling,” Minnie acquiesces with a pout, shifting awkwardly. “It was rude, Captain.”
His expression softens fondly. “It’s alright. We all get emotional about something and lose our cool.” The Captain pauses a moment, as if a word is stuck on his tongue. Then, he says, “If you don’t mind me asking,whydo you want to help Travers so badly?”
She blinks up at him in confusion. Why else? “He’s my boyfriend. Someone dragged him out of bed, and I don’t see how he could be committing a crime while in bed with me.” Her cheeks redden at the last bit.
Captain Noweth also looks distinctly awkward about her admission. He can’t seem to find words for a moment, staringat something beyond Minnie. Then, he collects himself abruptly. “I apologize for the chaos of that; I know it must have been shocking for you. We got a call about a threat in that house, and unfortunately, seeing as Travers has a felony on his record, we can’t ignore such calls.”
The police Captain leans forward and fondly claps a hand to her shoulder, smiling grimly. “Go home, young lady. You’ve had quite the night. Things will be better tomorrow, yes? Are you sure you don’t want a muffin?”
Minnie feels her lower lip tremble. She’s failed in her mission. “Are the muffins still terrible?”
“Yes.”
Petulantly, Minnie replies, “I’ll have one, please.” It might soothe her because even if it tastes like dirt, it will remind her of the feeling of being safe after a stressful situation. The Captain knows it.
As she and Marlin step outside the station, she asks, “You’ll really t-take me to my parents?” She’s so tired, but her anxiety is through the roof. Her body is at odds with itself. The muffin is sticking in her mouth. “It’s…it’s on the other side of town, I mean, which you know. I’m sorry-”
“It’s fine, girlie. I’ll take you. I said I would. And I told Gage I’d watch out for you when he’s not around.” Minnie is grateful for the large hug Marlin gives her. He truly is a giant, life-sized teddy bear. Calm, steady, and soothing due to his natural confident bearing. “Don’t you worry, little lady. He’ll get out. They aren’t going to be able to hold him on anything; Gage hasn’t done anything wrong. He’s been dedicated to going the straight and narrow path. He goes to work, he takes classes, he seesyou. Nothing devious in the mix.” He pulls away from their embrace, helping her to his big truck. “He’s been especially motivated since meeting you. It’s almost like you gave him hope. Prison, well, it isn’t a nice place.”
Minnie looks at him in surprise. “You think I’m helping him change? Really? I mean…I didn’t think there was anything special about me to make him actuallywanta different life.”
Getting into the driver’s seat of the lifted truck, Marlin turns on the ignition. “You’re special,” he repeats softly, although his beautiful rumbling voice is loud in the truck. “You remind him of something he wants to change and who he wants to become. But most of all, you represent something even more important to him.”
“And what’s that?”
“Redemption,” Marlin says cryptically.
Chapter 9
Ariel is the one to answer the door when Minnie bangs on it, her mask of calm crumbling into pieces at the sight of her sister. “Minnie, oh my God, what happened? What are you doing here at this hour?” She squints out into the long, winding driveway. “And who the hell drove you here in that monstrous truck?”
