I nod but say nothing, noticing that Tara cannot keep hold of my gaze. A deep, red mark on her bare arm is rising on her skin. Finger marks from being grabbed. Hard.
“Is it true that your daughter called 911?” I ask, leaning forward to catch the woman’s gaze. “Did you ask her to?”
Tara swallows, the lump in her throat protruding as she does so.
“I didn’t ask her to,” she says quietly. “Madison is a great kid. She was worried about me. She did it herself.”
“Was your husband home?” I ask, but I already know the answer.
“Yes.”
“How come he didn’t call 911?”
“Because I didn’t need an ambulance,” says Tara, and the frantic tone of her voice begins to rise. “I told him not to, but Maddy was worried, so she called instead. They made me come, the paramedics, to get checked out. Even after I told them I was fine.”
“Tara.” I rest my elbows on the top of my thighs and scoot in closer, lowering my voice. “If there’s anything you would like to tell me confidentially, you know you can.”
Tara looks at me, eyes welling with tears again, and I think we might have a breakthrough for a moment. She opens her mouth to say something, and the door opens again, cutting her off. She looks away from me, and whatever she is about to say is buried deep, swallowed in fear, yet again.
Detective Hill comes into the room, and he has a little girl with him, a girl I’ve had the pleasure of meeting once or twice. Madison, as Tara said, a beautiful little five- or six-year-old girl who has probably seen more trauma in her life than the average adult person will see in a lifetime.
“We’ve been here for almost two hours now,” Detective Hill says, his eyes narrowing in my direction. I see Tara flinch out of the corner of my eye, but Kasper doesn’t scare me, not even a little bit. I’ve dealt with scarier men than him. “Are we almost done here?”
“Kasper, please,” says Tara quietly, but her words are ignored as Detective Hill wheels on me. He’s an intimidating guy, Kasper Hill. Despite my hatred towards the man, at least I can admit that. Tall and built, with a permanent smirk that reeks of arrogance and control. I’ve always avoided him at all costs until I just couldn’t anymore.
“This is the procedure,” I tell him, trying to keep my voice from shaking. I don’t fear for myself, but I’m terrified for Madison and Tara. As soon as those two girls leave this hospital, it’s out of my hands. It’s out of the frying pan and into the fryer for them.
“Procedure, my ass,” says Kasper, and I look back at Tara, who is staring at the floor now. Her skin is clammy and pale like she’s about to be sick. I smile at Madison, who barely smiles back before turning her attention to the floor. Then I look at Kasper.
“Can you please give us another moment? We’re not finished here.”
Before Detective Hill can answer me, Tara shakes her head and gets quickly to her feet, swaying as she does so, and slips her purse strap over her shoulder.
“No need,” she says with a smile, but behind that smile is terror. Raw, unrestrained terror that looks like it’s about to break through at any moment. “I’d like to go home now.”
Don’t make this worse than it already is,her eyes beg.Please.
“Tara—” I start to say, but she cuts me off with a wave of her hand.
“I apologize that they had to call you in,” she says hurriedly, taking Madison’s hand in her own. She pulls her daughter close to her, then flashes me another tight-lipped smile that looks so out of place in this situation. “But I’m fine. Really. I think it’s time for us to go home.”
“I agree,” Kasper says, his lip curling into a dangerous sneer. “But thanks so much for your unwanted help.”
There’s nothing I can do to stop them. Nothing at all. So instead, I follow them out of the hospital room, helpless, and watch Detective Hill escort his family out of the ER doors. He doesn’t even look back. None of them do.
“No luck, huh?” Trent asks, joining me at the bay window. I shake my head, angry with Detective Hill and myself for letting them go again.
“One of these days, she’ll come through that door barely alive if we’re lucky. It’s only a matter of time before he kills her.”
“You didn’t have a choice, you know,” reminds Trent, squeezing my shoulder. “We can’t help her until she’s ready to help herself.”
“She’s married to a violent cop.” I fold my arms across my chest and sigh, leaning back against the admissions desk as I shake my head. “She’s terrified for herself, and I imagine her kid, too. One day it will be too late, Trent, I’m telling you. He’ll kill her and maybe even Madison, too. And all we can do is sit back and wait for it to happen?”
“It’s the job, Jami.” Trent sighs and squeezes my shoulder, handsome face shadowed by the demons he meets every take at work, including this one. “I know you want to help, but we can’t. Not until she comes forward. Otherwise, you’re just poking an angry bear. And believe me … you don’t want to end up on the shit list of a bad cop, okay? Especially not a cop like Kasper Hill.”
“Screw Kasper Hill.” I don’t realize I’m grinding my teeth until my jaw begins to ache, but despite how much I try to relax, it doesn’t come. “Someone needs to take him down a notch.”
“Maybe someday somebody will,” says Trent. “It might even be you, Jami. But until then, it has to be Tara, first and foremost.”
