CHAPTER 13
Luke carefully slipped the pile of mail into his over-the-shoulder workbag, the Velcro scratching as he ripped the front flap open. On top of the pile of outgoing mail, he placed Natalie’s most recent letter. They’d become more sporadic, but he still pored over every one, searching for clues for his ongoing investigation into the Maranatha House, Andy Garner, and the elusive Dr. Neal.
The past two weeks had been strained between Luke and Annie. Annie kept a wall up whenever he brought Clayton over in the mornings, had turned down an invitation to join the Richardsons for dinner after May’s spring concert, and avoided coming inside when she dropped off Will after taking him on a shopping trip to the mall.
Luke knew what Annie wanted. She wanted Luke to tell her to stay. She wanted him to refuse to give the recommendation Brian had requested at May’s party. She wanted him to acknowledge the necessity of her presence in their lives. But how could he do those things? Brian was her husband, this was her life, and if she didn’t want to move, she’d have to stand up and say so. But she wouldn’t. So the stony silence continued.
When he dropped Clayton off at her house Monday morning, they ran through the same script they’d been stuck in since the party.
Annie opened the door. “Hi, Clayton!” She went automatically to her knees. Luke gently guided him across the threshold and tossed the heavy black duffel on the floor beside him. Clayton wrapped his arms around her neck as she picked him up.
“I missed you, Annie.” He’d dropped the “Miss” in front of her name months ago, and Luke decided not to care.
She pressed her nose against Clayton’s. “I missed you more,” she whispered and gave him an Eskimo kiss, pretending to drop him a few inches before setting him on the floor. When she looked up, Luke’s gaze flew to his shoes.
“Well, thanks.” He flipped his keys around on his pointer finger. “You two have a fun day.”
“We will,” she said in the same overly chipper voice as always, flicking the door closed with her fingertips. Luke stomped to the car, looking back to see if they were watching from the front window. It was empty, like it had been for the past two weeks. He shook his head once and headed down the tulip-lined brick path to his car.
So far no one had called him for a reference, and he couldn’t help but be relieved. He had all his selfish reasons to keep Annie here, but there were an increasing number of more pressing ones that he was having a hard time ignoring and they all had to do with Brian. How had he missed the warning signs for so long? Brian had always been controlling and condescending with Annie, but in the past few weeks Luke couldn’t help but notice a fading bruise on Annie’s hip when her shirt flipped up as she leaned over to get Clay’s shoes and another on her upper arm just a day ago when she wore short sleeves for the first time in a week. He’d been telling himself that they could be from a stray weight at the gym or a fall while running.
Had there been signs all this time and he’d never seen them? Did Natalie know? Probably not. Whenever they had a double date with the Gurrellas, Luke always knew the first words out of Natalie’s mouth at the end of the night: “Brian’s such an ass.” Luke agreed—Brian was an ass. But was he a physically abusive ass?
Luke flopped his head back against the headrest. Maybe he was being paranoid. Brian was their family friend and a police officer. If anyone should know better, it would be Brian.
But what if I’m wrong? How many people had been wrong about his father? How many could’ve done something sooner and saved his mom? Luke didn’t hesitate. He made a sharp U-turn at the next green light. Clayton couldn’t spend another moment in that house until he knew for certain.
Luke pulled into Annie’s driveway minutes later. Mid-May the grass was finally turning green, and Brian’s lawn was neat and orderly as always. A row of yellow and red tulips traced the curved brick path, glowing against the freshly turned black soil. It always amazed him how something that is broken on the inside can look so perfect on the outside. Nearly running now, Luke leaped up onto the front porch and pounded on the door with the side of his fist. Annie opened it, eyes wide, Clayton hiding behind her legs.
“Oh, Luke, it’s just you!” She tossed the dish towel she was holding over her right shoulder, hand covering her heart, giving him a clear look at the bruises on her upper arm. “You nearly gave me a heart attack!”
“Hey, guys. Sorry to come back so soon. I . . . uh . . .” He should’ve thought this through a little more clearly before rushing back. What was he supposed to say now? “Can we talk for a second?”
Annie stepped back. “Come on in.”
“It’s okay; I don’t want to stay long. I realized Clayton has a doctor’s appointment today.” He leaned against the doorjamb, trying to act casually so he didn’t frighten her off like an injured animal. Annie’s nose wrinkled, folding several freckles in half.
“Oh,” she breathed out, even her fake smile fading fast. “I’ll go get his stuff.” A trail of toys led from the door to the family room, where Annie and Clayton spent most of their time. His plan for a fast escape seemed unlikely. Luke stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
“Let me help.” He picked up a mini-teddy bear with blue fur and an unopened box of markers and tossed them in the open duffel bag. Annie dumped another armful in right after him, and some electronic toy started talking in a whiny British accent.
“A says ah, A says ah . . .” the voice sang.
“God, I hate that toy,” Luke grumbled as he searched through the bag for the white ABC tablet, opened a hidden panel on the side, and flicked the power switch off.
“I have been trying to turn it off for the past six weeks. I don’t know what kind of batteries you put in there, but they never die.” Annie laughed, crouched down beside him.
“Only happens on the annoying educational toys.” Luke smiled back, meeting Annie’s eyes for the first time in two weeks. “Batteries on the fun toys run out after two days, I swear.”
“I’m calling conspiracy on that one.”
“I’m thinking lawsuit. We’ll be millionaires.” Luke threw the toy back in the bag along with a few others and then zipped it up. He stood, the bag clanking with all the random toys flopping around inside. He was enjoying the friendly banter with Annie that had been missing in their recent interactions.
Once he reached his full height, he offered his hand to Annie. She hooked a chunk of short blonde hair behind her ear before placing her hand in his. Her fingers were long and cool, so thin he was worried he could crack them if he pressed too hard. Luke couldn’t imagine anyone wanting to hurt Annie.
“Annie. I’m sorry . . . about May’s party . . .” He fumbled as he searched for the right words to say. “I know I hurt your feelings.”
“It’s okay.” She pulled her hand away and glanced around his shoulder at Clay. “You were right. Just because Natalie thought you guys needed me, it doesn’t mean you do.”
“Is that what you thought I meant?” he asked, then readjusted the bag on his shoulder. He’d been trying to protect Annie, but he was hurting her instead.
“Mm-hm.” She nodded.
Luke shook his head and stepped closer, reaching out to touch her but stopping halfway.
“We need you, Annie. A lot.” He swallowed a few times. How much was too much to tell her? “I didn’t want to make you feel guilty for leaving. That’d be selfish. You deserve to be happy.”
She wrapped her arms around her torso. The flecks of brown in her eyes darkened like they could reflect her mood.
“Yeah. Happy.” She said the word like it was from a foreign language.
Luke took a step closer, seeing his opening. “Are you happy?”
She squeezed her body even tighter, biting at a spot on her lip. An old scar. Wondering where it came from made it hard for Luke to be patient. “Are you safe?”
She looked up, squinting. “Wait—why did you really come back today?” Even though they were inches apart, there was suddenly a wall a mile thick between them. “Clayton doesn’t have a doctor’s appointment, does he?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about . . .” Luke replied, glancing around for Clay. He’d made a tactical error, said a little too much. Once, soon after moving in next door, Terry had come over to have a talk with Luke’s mom. In her matter-of-fact way, Terry told Luke’s mom that they’d heard his dad’s outbursts and were worried about her bruises. His mom smiled, thanked Terry for her concern, and then walked her out without so much as a cup of tea or doughnut.
“It was one of those letters, wasn’t it? What did it say, Luke? Tell me.” He’d never seen her this aggressive. She leaned in till they were almost touching.
“It wasn’t a letter.” He slapped at his thigh, wanting to back away but feeling like it would make him look weak. “I’m worried, that’s all. I want to help you.”
“Help me with what?” She eyed him suspiciously.
“Brian. I’m worried that he’s . . .”
Before Luke could finish his sentence, a door opened to one of the upstairs bedrooms. Brian came around the corner, groggy. Annie let out a little “eep” and jumped back.
“Hey, Luke. Thought I heard you down here.” He leaned over the banister, shirtless in police department sweatpants, crossing his arms casually, obviously unaware of the tension. His right bicep bulged, highlighting a tattoo of barbed wire. Another tattoo scrawled across one of his pecs, one word, but Luke couldn’t make it out from so far away.
“Hey, Brian. I was about to leave.” Luke shifted the strap on his shoulder and waved to Clayton, who’d been curled up on the stairs stacking and restacking a bucket of Lincoln Logs.
“I don’t want to go to the doctor. I hate shots.” Clayton cowered against the carpeted step he was resting on.
Luke took Clayton’s little hand. “Don’t worry; no shots. Just ice cream when we’re done.” He might have to actually go to the doctor after all this buildup.
“See you tomorrow?” Annie asked, leaning against the wall, as far away from Luke and Clayton as she could possibly be.
“Uh”—Luke hesitated—“I’ll call you later.”
She tipped her head to one side like she didn’t completely understand what he was trying to say.
“Sounds good,” she answered in an incredibly normal voice.
When Luke turned to leave after waving his good-byes, Brian called to him.
“You get any calls yet? They said they’d be done with the background check in the next week or two.”
Luke didn’t turn around. The idea that he was leaving Annie in the house with a man who might also be her abuser killed him. Now that man was asking him for favors.
“Nope, nothing yet. I’ll let you know if I hear from them though.”
“Hey,” Brian called after him as he stepped out the door, “maybe they won’t call you at all!”
When the door slammed behind him, all Luke could think was, Let’s hope.