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Authors: Catherine Bybee
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“I did the best I could. I hope it’s okay?”
“Of course. I am going to change clothes.”
****
Myra stared after him, wondering what she had done wrong. She thought he would be pleased to come home and not have to cook for himself. It was the least she could do to repay him for all his generosity.
She finished setting the food on his table, poured herself some wine, then waited for him to return.
The meal was full of awkward comments and difficult moments. Gone was the previous day’s lightheartedness and fun. Something was bothering Todd, and he wasn’t ready to talk about it.
It got to the point where they both ate in silence.
Finally, when they were cleaning the dishes, she summoned up the nerve to ask, “What’s bothering you? Did something happen at work?”
He stared out the window avoiding her eyes.
“Yeah, something happened.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He looked up. “Elizabeth McAllister came into the station today.”
She flinched.
59
Catherine Bybee
“How do you know her?”
“I don’t.”
“Then why did you give us her name?”
Myra put their dirty dishes in the sink. “I was told she might help me when I got here.”
“By whom?”
She waited a beat and turned toward him. “I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t, not yet anyway.”
“Dammit, Myra, why not!” He dropped the plate in the sink. It broke into several pieces.
“You wouldn’t—”
“Understand,” he finished for her. “Well understand this—Elizabeth McAllister walked into the station today holding out hope that we had some word where her sister is, and thought maybe, just maybe, we had some answers for her. How do I know you didn’t have something to do with that?”
“I had nothing to do with Tara’s disappearance.”
“You say her name like you know her.”
“I do.”
“How can I believe you had nothing to do with her vanishing into thin air?”
“I didn’t,” she cried.
“You’re lying!”
“I told you I wouldn’t lie!” she yelled back.
“Where is she?”
“I can’t tell you.”
He had backed her into a corner, verbally and literally. She felt the wall, and saw his hands shoot out, caging her in. “Then you know where she is.”
“Aye.”
“Is she alive?”
“What do you think I am? A monster?” Her eyes poured fury on him. “Of course she’s alive.”
“Why hasn’t she come home?” He fired questions faster than she could process them, forcing her 60
Silent Vows
answers before she realized what she said.
“She can’t.”
“Why not?”
He moved in closer, she couldn’t catch her breath. “It isn’t safe. Don’t you understand that? ’Tis dangerous for Tara to return here.” She trembled, and cursed herself when she felt a tear fall out of her eye. Spent, she stood there shaking, and unable to control it. Damn him! Damn him for pushing her like this.
He cursed himself under his breath and tried to gather her close. She held herself stiff in his arms.
“I’m sorry.”
She didn’t cry, not really. A few tears trailed down her cheeks, but she refused to fall into the abyss of depression.
When he let her go, she put distance between them and started to clean up the broken dish in the sink. “Let me get that.”
She stopped, her words void of emotion. “If I had somewhere to go, I would leave here this minute. If I could go home safely, I would pop out of here in the blink of an eye.” Literally, she thought. “But since I cannot do either, I’m stuck. So unless you are going to make me leave, can you please give me a little peace so I can gather my thoughts? Or would you still like to interrogate me?”
Maybe she wasn’t being fair to him under the circumstances, but she’d had just about all she could take for one night.
****
He left her alone and stood next to the fire.
Flames lapped up the wood, bringing a nice warm glow to the room. He couldn’t remember the last time he lit a fire. It
“Of course. I am going to change clothes.”
****
Myra stared after him, wondering what she had done wrong. She thought he would be pleased to come home and not have to cook for himself. It was the least she could do to repay him for all his generosity.
She finished setting the food on his table, poured herself some wine, then waited for him to return.
The meal was full of awkward comments and difficult moments. Gone was the previous day’s lightheartedness and fun. Something was bothering Todd, and he wasn’t ready to talk about it.
It got to the point where they both ate in silence.
Finally, when they were cleaning the dishes, she summoned up the nerve to ask, “What’s bothering you? Did something happen at work?”
He stared out the window avoiding her eyes.
“Yeah, something happened.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
He looked up. “Elizabeth McAllister came into the station today.”
She flinched.
59
Catherine Bybee
“How do you know her?”
“I don’t.”
“Then why did you give us her name?”
Myra put their dirty dishes in the sink. “I was told she might help me when I got here.”
“By whom?”
She waited a beat and turned toward him. “I can’t tell you.”
“Why not?”
“Because I can’t, not yet anyway.”
“Dammit, Myra, why not!” He dropped the plate in the sink. It broke into several pieces.
“You wouldn’t—”
“Understand,” he finished for her. “Well understand this—Elizabeth McAllister walked into the station today holding out hope that we had some word where her sister is, and thought maybe, just maybe, we had some answers for her. How do I know you didn’t have something to do with that?”
“I had nothing to do with Tara’s disappearance.”
“You say her name like you know her.”
“I do.”
“How can I believe you had nothing to do with her vanishing into thin air?”
“I didn’t,” she cried.
“You’re lying!”
“I told you I wouldn’t lie!” she yelled back.
“Where is she?”
“I can’t tell you.”
He had backed her into a corner, verbally and literally. She felt the wall, and saw his hands shoot out, caging her in. “Then you know where she is.”
“Aye.”
“Is she alive?”
“What do you think I am? A monster?” Her eyes poured fury on him. “Of course she’s alive.”
“Why hasn’t she come home?” He fired questions faster than she could process them, forcing her 60
Silent Vows
answers before she realized what she said.
“She can’t.”
“Why not?”
He moved in closer, she couldn’t catch her breath. “It isn’t safe. Don’t you understand that? ’Tis dangerous for Tara to return here.” She trembled, and cursed herself when she felt a tear fall out of her eye. Spent, she stood there shaking, and unable to control it. Damn him! Damn him for pushing her like this.
He cursed himself under his breath and tried to gather her close. She held herself stiff in his arms.
“I’m sorry.”
She didn’t cry, not really. A few tears trailed down her cheeks, but she refused to fall into the abyss of depression.
When he let her go, she put distance between them and started to clean up the broken dish in the sink. “Let me get that.”
She stopped, her words void of emotion. “If I had somewhere to go, I would leave here this minute. If I could go home safely, I would pop out of here in the blink of an eye.” Literally, she thought. “But since I cannot do either, I’m stuck. So unless you are going to make me leave, can you please give me a little peace so I can gather my thoughts? Or would you still like to interrogate me?”
Maybe she wasn’t being fair to him under the circumstances, but she’d had just about all she could take for one night.
****
He left her alone and stood next to the fire.
Flames lapped up the wood, bringing a nice warm glow to the room. He couldn’t remember the last time he lit a fire. It
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