Ties That Bind

Chapter 5

LAURA SAUNDERS' PARENTS DIED IN a car accident when she was five. Her aunt and uncle on her father's side took her in and raised her. According to the records, their names were Albert and Helen. Besides Laura, they had no children of their own.

Madison and Terry were sitting outside the senior Saunders' house in the Crown Vic, she in the driver's seat, he on the passenger side. She told him it gave her a queasy stomach to be chauffeured. The truth was she liked being in control, of everything, preferably.

The air conditioner couldn't compensate for the sun beating through the front windshield, yet she refused to move. She asked Terry to get a Hershey's bar out of the glove box, which he did reluctantly.

"It's going to be melted at this point."

Madison shrugged her shoulders, took a large bite, and washed it down with a gulp of coffee. "I wish I could delegate this off to you."

He glanced at her mouth, back to her eyes. "I'm not going to comment about that today."

"Good choice."

"What is that? Two bars in three hours?"

"Shut up, Terry." She wasn't eating because she was hungry. She needed emotional comfort. This pacifying with chocolate started back in her teen years and stuck with her.

"I'm not going to feel bad for you and volunteer to take care of this. I'm keeping track, and it's your turn."

"Come on, Terry. For the team."

"Nope."

"Lucky me." She hated this part of the job. She would rather be doing anything else—having her legs waxed or getting a root canal.

"I'm sweatin' my bag off. Can we get this over with?"

Madison stuffed the rest of the bar in her mouth. Her cheeks bulged to capacity, but she managed to siphon the rest of the coffee in there.

"I should put in for a new partner. One with better habits."

"You're complaining about bad habits? You're the one sitting over there talking about your bag!" She laughed. "Besides, what would you do without me? I add excitement to your life."

"I'd find a way to cope."

They stood in front of the Saunders' door. Madison said, "I'll give you one more chance to step in."

"Not doing it."

"Maybe I should be the one to put in for a new partner."

"You wouldn't survive without me."

She heard the smile in his voice, but she couldn't allow herself to look at him now. His eyes would distract her from gathering enough inward strength to get through this.

She had to brace herself and convince herself she was doing them a favor. It was more like a necessary evil that was unavailable in this world. She knew she was naive for thinking she could rid the world of killers, but the challenge had embedded itself in her genetic make-up.

The door opened barely wide enough for the man's head to fit through. She recognized him from the photograph on Laura's bookshelf. "Mr. Saunders?"

"This is." As he opened the door wider, Madison caught a glimpse of a woman beside him who appeared to have years on him. She was wrapped in a shawl and wearing flannel pajamas. Seeing her dressed that way seemed to intensify the humidity, and Madison felt sweaty from looking at her. As the woman came more into the sunlight, her eyes were dark and sunken. They revealed the nightmare that must currently be her existence—chemotherapy.