one,” she answered. “I mean, we know each other and I’ve interviewed him before. But other than that I don’t think you could even classify us as friends. Why do you ask?”
“Because I found you at his house,” Matt said.
Again Maggie tilted her head to the side. Like the movement would shake loose a memory that would make the puzzle whole. Then her face lit up.
“Well, then, did he tell you who did this to me?” She motioned to the back of her head where the initial blow that had knocked her unconscious had happened. While waiting for the ambulance Matt had inspected the injury in an attempt to understand the situation a little better. It hadn’t helped. “Unless... Did he do this to me?”
“That’s what we’re trying to piece together,” Billy hedged.
“Why not ask Dwayne?”
Matt took another step forward. He knew Billy was trying to ease the woman into the information to see how she reacted but Matt was tired of it. Tired in general. It was time to cut to the chase.
“Because you weren’t the only one I found,” he started. “Dwayne was beaten badly with, as far as we can guess, a baseball bat. One that you were holding when I found you.”
A crinkle began to deepen between Maggie’s eyebrows. She took a moment to respond with notable reserve.
“You think someone attacked us both and left the bat behind?”
“Or it was you who attacked Dwayne,” Matt offered.
That crease turned from concern to something he couldn’t read. It caught Matt off guard.
“I might not remember an entire day or so, but I wouldn’t hurt Dwayne Meyers. In fact, I wouldn’t use a bat to hurt anyone unless it was self-defense,” she said, voice even. “And, even if I had, what do you think happened? You think I used him as batting practice and then knocked myself unconscious? What would I gain from any of that?” This time her eyes found Matt’s and hunkered down on them. “I know you don’t like me but do you really think I’m capable of that?”
Matt remembered the first time he’d seen Maggie Carson. Her thick, wavy hair had been short then, but still wild. Despite five years it was the same dark oak color with a few new spots of lightened brown from, he guessed, days spent outside in the sun. She was still slender, as she had been back then, but not as rigid. When she’d first introduced herself Matt remembered thinking she looked very much like a woman with the world on her shoulders, forced to struggle to keep them upright. He’d never stopped to think about the woman’s personal life much past that, considering she had been there to question him about Erin’s death. But now?
Matt caught himself wondering about the life of the woman staring up at him with true, forest green eyes. Ones he realized he’d never really forgotten.
Ones he realized he believed.
But then what had gone on in that house?
Matt opened his mouth to answer Maggie’s question when a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. The three of them turned just as it was opened.
A young woman, maybe early twenties, flushed at the sight of them.
“Oh, I—I’m sorry,” she said hurriedly, eyes bouncing across each of their faces. “The nurse said you were awake and we could come back.”
No sooner than she’d said the word we did a boy with round glasses pop his head around her hip. His gaze went straight to Maggie’s.
Out of Matt’s periphery he saw her entire demeanor change.
“Well, hey there, little dude,” she exclaimed, voice softening.
The boy, perhaps five or six, beamed. Then, just as quickly, he shrank back and looked up at the men. He was shy.
“It’s okay,” Maggie coaxed. “These are Mommy’s friends.”
Mommy? Matt thought, surprised. He hadn’t known she had a kid.
“We can come back,” the younger woman blurted out, face now completely red. Her gaze shifted to Maggie again and then dropped down to what must have been her wrist cuffed to the railing. “I—I can skip class today,” she offered.
Matt took a step to his right until he was touching the bed. It effectively cut off everyone’s view of the cuffs.
Billy cleared his throat.
“I don’t think we’ve met,” he said, stepping forward with his hand outstretched. He moved into the woman’s and child’s sightlines, also blocking Maggie from view. “I’m Sheriff Billy Reed.”
Matt turned, pulling his handcuff key out. Maggie remained silent as she watched him uncuff her as quietly as he could. She met his gaze and gave one small nod.
A silent thank-you.
It, like the boy, caught him off guard.
He returned it with a nod of his own.
Like she said, he might have issues with her, but he wasn’t heartless. The boy was probably already freaked out that his mother was in the hospital.
But where was his dad?
Matt turned back to the sheriff and his conversation, trying to move past thoughts of Maggie’s love life. He had bigger things to worry about.
“I’m Larissa. I babysit Cody occasionally.”
“So then, you must be Cody,” Billy said. Matt watched him kneel down in front of the boy. He nodded. “And I’m guessing you are ready to hang out with your mom for a bit.” Again the boy nodded. “Well, why don’t I make you a deal? You go grab a quick hug from her and then you can walk with me to the vending machine down the hall for an early-morning candy bar while my friend Matt finishes talking to your mom.” Matt didn’t have to be next to Cody to see his face light up at the mention of a candy bar. Billy turned to Maggie. “If that’s okay with you?”
“Only if you save half of it for me,” she said with a grin. Another expression Matt wasn’t used to seeing from the woman.
Cody nodded, raced forward and jumped on the bed for a hug. Maggie winced but kept smiling. Even with the meds she was being fed there must have still been some pain from the hit that had knocked her out. She returned the hug with a few words in the boy’s ear Matt couldn’t hear. He giggled and then was off with the sheriff. Larissa followed, still flushed.
“If you needed a reason to believe I didn’t attack Dwayne, then that boy is it,” Maggie started. “I don’t need to be able to remember the last day to tell you with certainty that I wouldn’t jeopardize his life by suddenly being a violent and callous woman.”
“Then give me a reason why you were at Dwayne’s,” Matt said. “Because I can’t accept that everything that happened in the last day came out of nowhere. If you weren’t friendly with the man, then you must have been talking to
