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Authors: Brenda Minton
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She could hear them at the window, shoving against the screen. With the phone held to her ear she reached around on the top of her desk for her purse, and her mace. Faith was there, talking to the police, and then saying reassuring things about help being on the way.
And then she heard the sirens.
Chapter Six
M ichael answered his cell phone, easing away from the crowd with an apologetic look for his mother. She sighed and whispered something to the woman at her side about his "church work."
"Noah?" Why would Noah be calling?
"There's a problem at the church."
Michael threaded his way through the crowded art museum and walked out of the building. "What's up?"
"A prowler call. I had my scanner on and I thought you'd want to know."
"I'm at the gallery, and I left Maggie at the church. I should have made sure she left or got home safe." He closed his eyes. "Do you think it's Vince?"
"I don't think he would do that. The police are on the scene now."
Michael rubbed the back of his neck, wishing the gesture would be a magic cure for stress. It didn't help. He kept picturing Maggie at the church, afraid. And that thought got replaced by the look of panic in her eyes when she'd hurried from the van.
"Michael, do you want me to drive down there and check on her? I think they were going to escort her home, but I can make a few calls."
"If I leave…" But then, how could he stay?
"Mom forgave you for skipping out on her dinner party the other night. This time she won't go easy on you."
"She'll get over it. Make calls, see if she's okay. Get a message to her that I'm going to be there in five minutes."
"It isn't too late to call this whole thing off."
"Yes, it is." He had committed to getting information on Vince. He was already in the game and he couldn't back out now. He also wouldn't let Maggie be hurt.
His mom took the announcement that he was leaving as well as he thought she would. Her eyes reflected hurt and her pursed lips meant that he would hear about it later. He kissed her cheek and told her he loved her. That softened her a little.
"I love you, too. I just worry. Michael, I don't want you to do anything that will get you hurt again."
"Mom, I'm not going to get hurt. I have to check on a friend. On Maggie."
"Maggie, the girl from church?"
"Yes, Maggie."
He hurried from the gallery, glad that nobody tried to detain him to talk. And then he had to drive the speed limit to Galloway, for fear of being pulled over again. He couldn't risk that.
When he pulled up to the church, the police were still there. Maggie was sitting on the front steps. Faith was with her. He hadn't been needed after all.
More often than not, Maggie let him know that his presence wasn't even wanted. They had settled into an uneasy truce that sometimes felt like friendship.
She looked up when he approached. Her eyes were luminous, but there were no tears. Of course there weren't. She looked like she didn't need anyone, not him or Faith. Not surprisingly, Pastor Banks was at the corner of the building, talking to the police. He lived in the house next to the church, he would have seen the lights.
"Michael, what are you doing here?" Maggie didn't seem at all like a damsel in distress who needed his rescuing.
"My brother called. He heard the address on the scanner and thought I'd want to know." And he wanted to be someone who could be counted on. He didn't know if he needed to prove that to her or to himself.
"You didn't have to come over. We're fine."
"I can see that."
Faith stood, casting a look at him before leaning to kiss Maggie on the top of the head. "I'm going now. Looks as if the big, strong man is here to take care of you."
"I don't need a big, strong man to take care of me. I can take care of myself." Maggie smiled though, at Faith, not at him.
"Of course you can." Faith shook her head and then gave Michael a conspiratorial wink. "Make sure she gets home okay."
Michael nodded at Faith, and then he tensed. What now?
And then she heard the sirens.
Chapter Six
M ichael answered his cell phone, easing away from the crowd with an apologetic look for his mother. She sighed and whispered something to the woman at her side about his "church work."
"Noah?" Why would Noah be calling?
"There's a problem at the church."
Michael threaded his way through the crowded art museum and walked out of the building. "What's up?"
"A prowler call. I had my scanner on and I thought you'd want to know."
"I'm at the gallery, and I left Maggie at the church. I should have made sure she left or got home safe." He closed his eyes. "Do you think it's Vince?"
"I don't think he would do that. The police are on the scene now."
Michael rubbed the back of his neck, wishing the gesture would be a magic cure for stress. It didn't help. He kept picturing Maggie at the church, afraid. And that thought got replaced by the look of panic in her eyes when she'd hurried from the van.
"Michael, do you want me to drive down there and check on her? I think they were going to escort her home, but I can make a few calls."
"If I leave…" But then, how could he stay?
"Mom forgave you for skipping out on her dinner party the other night. This time she won't go easy on you."
"She'll get over it. Make calls, see if she's okay. Get a message to her that I'm going to be there in five minutes."
"It isn't too late to call this whole thing off."
"Yes, it is." He had committed to getting information on Vince. He was already in the game and he couldn't back out now. He also wouldn't let Maggie be hurt.
His mom took the announcement that he was leaving as well as he thought she would. Her eyes reflected hurt and her pursed lips meant that he would hear about it later. He kissed her cheek and told her he loved her. That softened her a little.
"I love you, too. I just worry. Michael, I don't want you to do anything that will get you hurt again."
"Mom, I'm not going to get hurt. I have to check on a friend. On Maggie."
"Maggie, the girl from church?"
"Yes, Maggie."
He hurried from the gallery, glad that nobody tried to detain him to talk. And then he had to drive the speed limit to Galloway, for fear of being pulled over again. He couldn't risk that.
When he pulled up to the church, the police were still there. Maggie was sitting on the front steps. Faith was with her. He hadn't been needed after all.
More often than not, Maggie let him know that his presence wasn't even wanted. They had settled into an uneasy truce that sometimes felt like friendship.
She looked up when he approached. Her eyes were luminous, but there were no tears. Of course there weren't. She looked like she didn't need anyone, not him or Faith. Not surprisingly, Pastor Banks was at the corner of the building, talking to the police. He lived in the house next to the church, he would have seen the lights.
"Michael, what are you doing here?" Maggie didn't seem at all like a damsel in distress who needed his rescuing.
"My brother called. He heard the address on the scanner and thought I'd want to know." And he wanted to be someone who could be counted on. He didn't know if he needed to prove that to her or to himself.
"You didn't have to come over. We're fine."
"I can see that."
Faith stood, casting a look at him before leaning to kiss Maggie on the top of the head. "I'm going now. Looks as if the big, strong man is here to take care of you."
"I don't need a big, strong man to take care of me. I can take care of myself." Maggie smiled though, at Faith, not at him.
"Of course you can." Faith shook her head and then gave Michael a conspiratorial wink. "Make sure she gets home okay."
Michael nodded at Faith, and then he tensed. What now?
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