Chapter 21
Shortly before six, Maggie woke with a start when she felt something nuzzling her neck. In her foggy, sleep-filled state she thought it was Ted and almost said his name aloud when she opened her eyes to see a pair of emerald green eyes staring at her. Not Ted. She laughed out loud and sat up, the unnamed cat sitting on her chest. “You’re making yourself right at home, I see. The cat purred and rubbed against her arm and chest. Maggie thought it was the most beautiful animal she’d ever seen, and he was all hers. She had a friend now to talk to. She could tell him about her worries, her fears, share her victories and her failures and he wouldn’t judge her. He’d listen, purr, and let her know he was there for her. A true friend. Something she’d forgotten how to be.
As Maggie stroked the cat in her arms, she stared into the fire and thought about her conversation with Ted and what she had to do to try to make things right. She stretched her neck to see up at the clock on the mantel. A little after six. If she didn’t get to Harry’s dojo before the training class, she could go later and wait till it was over, which would probably be the better idea.
Maggie fed the cat again, showed him where she’d placed his litter box in the downstairs powder room, then made up a special bed for him by the fireplace. She got a perverse sense of pleasure by using Ted’s pillow for the cat.
In the blink of an eye, she whipped up an omelet for herself, ate it, cleaned up, then added some more logs to the fire. She closed the glass doors to make sure no sparks flew out that could set the carpet on fire. She smiled as the cat settled itself on Ted’s pillow and went to sleep. She really had to come up with a suitable name for her new roommate.
Satisfied that her house was in order, Maggie called for a cab to take her to Harry’s dojo. She could have taken her own car, but she didn’t want to walk six blocks to the parking garage where she kept it. Besides, she didn’t like driving in snow. Or rain, for that matter.
When she climbed into the cab, Maggie was stunned at how calm and peaceful she felt. When she’d come home earlier in the day, she’d been tied in knots. To think that a little two-pound ball of yellow fur could have such an effect on her was mind-boggling.
Normally, the ride to Harry’s dojo would have taken sixteen minutes. She knew this because she’d once timed it. Not tonight, though, not with the snow, and the plows working to sand the roads. The driver dropped her off fifty-two minutes from the time she’d stepped into his cab.
Maggie was crossing the street when a horrible idea hit her. What if Harry had canceled his class because of bad weather, and she’d made the trip for nothing? She strained to see through the falling snow, and could see a dim yellow light in the front windows. It was impossible to see who was parked where. She forged ahead and trudged her way around to the back so she could use the rear entrance. Only the boys and friends entered the dojo from the back. Not sure if she was friend or foe, she took the high road and tapped on the back door. When there was no response she opened the door, poked her head in, and called out. When there was still no response to her verbal greeting, she shut the door and advanced into the room. She froze in place when she heard a bloodcurdling bark, then a deep growl. Cyrus. Maggie sucked in her breath and didn’t move until she saw Jack and the others outlined in the doorway.
“I came to apologize to all of you,” Maggie said in a jittery voice. “And to tell you that I’m tendering my resignation and will be going back to Maryland.” She started to shake then, not sure if it was from the cold or because of the men standing in front of her.
“Easy, Cyrus. It’s okay, boy. It’s Maggie. You know Maggie.”
“It’s cold out here. Come into the waiting room,” Abner said.
“It’s okay, I’m not staying, but thanks for thinking of my comfort. I’m sorry that . . . that I spied on all of you. You’re my friends, and I guess I forgot that for a little while. But having said that, in my own defense, you all closed me out. Everyone is always so damn busy that it’s a major problem to send a text or call just to say hi. I don’t even know you guys anymore. And you know what else, I’m not sure I want to. Why’d you all have to sneak around? It was like suddenly you all were guarding this planet’s biggest secret. We were supposed to be . . . family, able to count on each other.”
Maggie’s voice broke on a sob, but she rushed on. “I’ve always been there for each and every one of you, time after time, and you damn well know it. Yeah, sometimes I’m bossy, yeah, sometimes I’m over the top with my ideas and plans, but in the end, it always worked. Until recently,” she said, her tone fierce.
“I called off the detectives. You guys are unfettered now to do whatever it is you’re doing. I’m sorry, too, about that banana tree. It was a stupid thing to do. I just wanted you all to know you weren’t as smart as you thought you were, and if I could figure it out, so can certain other people. Well, that’s all I have to say. Good luck with whatever it is you’re doing.”
To her dismay, tears started to roll down her cheeks. Cyrus started to whimper. Maggie gave her muffler a wide swing, wrapped it more securely around her neck, and turned to go.
She was almost to the door when she felt her feet leave the floor and she was suddenly airborne. And then she was falling and felt someone catch her. Jack! Harry had tossed her to Jack. Oh, God, they were going to kill her. Cyrus barked his head off, then started to howl.
Everyone started talking at once but whatever they were saying made no sense to Maggie. Either they were going to rip her apart or they weren’t. “Okay, okay, how many times do I have to tell you I’m sorry? I’m sorry, okay? I’m going to get out of your hair; there’s no need to kill me or . . . to . . . do whatever it is you’re . . . ah . . . planning.”
“No one is killing anyone,” Harry said. “We accept your apology in the spirit it was given. We’re going to welcome you into our little club, aren’t we, guys?”
“Uh-huh,” Jack said.
“You bet,” Abner said.
Maggie looked at the Big Three: Ted, Espinosa, and Dennis. The three of them were smiling and nodding. She swooned. “You forgive me?”
“It’s either that or kill you, and we have never been in the killing business,” Harry snapped.
“Oh, God! I love you guys!” Maggie said, as more tears flowed down her cheeks.