Eventide

Chapter 12. Legends

Chapter 12

Legends

(Birds And Boats, by Gregory & The Hawk)

　

“I thought we were going to die out there,” Annabel said. Bandages covered the burns on her hands and neck and ears. “I’ve never been so scared in my life, but I couldn‘t just leave Alicia there to burn.”

“We weren’t about to let that happen,” I said. “Who would give me a hard time if you died?”

A wan smile threatened the corners of her mouth, but her eyes looked haunted with the memory as we sat at her kitchen table. It would be a while before the emotional trauma healed, I suspected.

“Brogan is catching Hell for his actions that day. He was right not to tell you all the search wasn’t sanctioned, but wrong to have made that call without the authority of the State Police.” She shook her head. “Leave it to Brogan to do the right thing no matter the consequences.”

“Will he be able to get back on the team?”

Annabel rolled her eyes. “I wouldn’t count him out just yet. He has a way of getting what he wants when push comes to shove.”

Roy brought me a fresh cup of coffee, then tenderly kissed Annabel on her forehead. “Far as I’m concerned, I owe all of you for saving my family.”

When Roy said family, I knew he included Alicia.

“I read in the paper about Alicia’s past,” I said. “I’m guessing you were there, Annabel. What happened?”

Roy sighed as he rubbed Annabel‘s back. “This happened less than six months after Annabel joined the force here, about thirteen years ago. She almost quit law enforcement afterwards.”

“I got there before anyone else and blood was spattered all over the walls and furniture,” Annabel said, staring into her cup. “First thing I heard as I entered was Alicia screaming bloody murder in the kitchen. I had to step over her mother’s body to get to her and almost fell in the doorway. The linoleum floor was really slick, if you know what I mean.”

She pulled her gaze from the coffee cup and looked at us. “Funny, isn’t it, the things you remember? The floor was made up of black, white, and aqua squares. I remember wondering who would choose to put such an ugly floor down and thinking that maybe they had gotten it for free or on sale and that’s why they had chosen it. As I drew my sidearm and scrambled into the kitchen, I remember thinking that the blood made the floor even uglier because red didn‘t match.”

Annabel shook her head with a rueful smile that wasn’t really a smile at all. “He had a butcher knife buried to the hilt in Alicia’s leg and he was yanking the handle, trying to pull her out from under the sink with the knife. She screamed, but her little arms stayed locked around the pipe under the sink. To this day, I’ve never seen anyone fight so hard to live.”

Roy put his arm around her shoulders. She clutched her cup, hard. “I didn’t hesitate or shout anything, just shot him twice in the chest.”

“Annabel arrived in time to save Alicia’s life, but he had already killed her mother, sister and brothers,” Roy said, giving Annabel a moment to compose herself so she could continue.

“He kept screaming that he sees her, even with two holes in his chest. I kicked him in the head again and again until he stopped. I wanted to go outside and be sick, but I needed to help the little girl...Alicia, I mean. It was a big knife and her leg was so thin. She would have died from blood loss if I hadn‘t kept myself together enough to help her. I waited till later to throw up.”