Софи Келли - Paws Аnd Effect

Once we were in my office Marcus hugged me. “How are you?” I asked, leaning back to study him. He still looked tired but he was in police officer mode and his emotions were firmly in check.

“We found Travis,” he said.

I waited, holding both of his hands in mine. There wasn’t anything I could say to erase the pain in his eyes. I would have given anything to be able to do that.

It was then that I noticed the beginning of a bruise on the left side of his jawline. I let go of his hand and touched it gently with two fingers.

He winced.

“He hit you,” I said softly.

Marcus nodded. “He still has a pretty good right cross.”

“You let him?” Marcus was strong, with fast reflexes. He’d clearly taken the punch instead of avoiding it.

He looked away for a moment and a flush of color came into his cheeks. “I don’t expect you to understand, Kathleen,” he began, “but he needed to.”

“I do understand,” I said. “Do you want some ice?”

“No, I’m okay.” He worked his jaw from side to side. “It looks worse than it feels.” He let out a slow breath. “He cried, Kathleen. He swung at me and then he started to cry.”

I felt the prickle of tears myself but I swallowed them away because this wasn’t about me. “What do you need?” I asked.

He let go of my hand so he could rake his own through his hair. “They’re both coming over to the house tonight. We, uh, we want to do something—I don’t know, maybe some kind of memorial service for the people she worked with and her friends. I thought maybe we could plan something.”

“That’s a nice idea,” I said. “What about Dani’s family?”

“There’s just an older brother and her grandmother. John is going to try to contact the brother.”

“So how can I help?”

“Will you come tonight?” he said. “I know you didn’t really know Dani but—”

I cut him off before he could finish the sentence. “I would be honored.”

He smiled and I saw some of the stress ease in his face. “I have to get to the station,” he said. “Hope is waiting to find out when we can expect the medical examiner to be finished.”

“All right,” I said. “I’ll see you tonight. If you need me before then—”

“I’ll call, I promise.”

I laid my hand gently against his cheek. “I love you,” I said.

He swallowed hard, pushing down some emotion. “I love you, too,” he said.

I walked Marcus downstairs and after he left Susan came around the desk to me. “I heard about Marcus’s friend,” she said, touching my arm. “I’m so sorry. If there’s anything you need to do we can hold down the fort here. I can call Mia in.”

News spread quickly in Mayville Heights, but I could see the genuine concern in her eyes and once again I realized how lucky I was to be in the small town with people who genuinely cared about me. As much as I sometimes missed my family back in Boston, Mayville Heights was my home now.

I had to clear my throat before I could answer her. “Thank you, Susan,” I said. “There isn’t anything I can do right now, but I might take you up on your offer later.”

She nodded and then wrapped me in a quick and unexpected hug before going back to the desk. I went upstairs to my office and once the door was closed didn’t even try to stop the tears from sliding down my face.

I drove out to Marcus’s house about four thirty with a crock of soup and two dozen of Rebecca’s whole-wheat donuts. Hercules had had another gazebo “meeting” with Everett, and Rebecca had walked him home. “Please tell Marcus we’re thinking about him,” she’d said. “Everett asked me to pass on his sympathies and to tell you that if Marcus or his friends need anything please let him know.”

“Thank you,” I said, wrapping her in a hug and thinking how such a simple gesture made me feel a little better, giving or receiving. “I think they just need some time.”

Rebecca nodded. “It isn’t just that they all lost a friend—which is devastating enough—they’ve also lost another connection to a time in their lives when everything seemed possible.”

“How did you get so smart?” I asked her.

Rebecca laughed. “I’ve been around long enough to pick up a thing or two—plus I drink a glass of warm water with lemon every morning.”

“I’ll keep both of those in mind,” I said.

Micah was sitting on the swing on Marcus’s back deck when I came around the side of his small house. She jumped down and meowed as though she’d been waiting for me, all her attention fixed on the bag of donuts. Owen had been the same way, clearly disgruntled because I wasn’t leaving any of them behind for him. To express his displeasure he’d disappeared from the kitchen—literally—and I’d been extra careful when I got in the truck in case he decided on another stealth ride.

“Donuts are not for cats,” I said firmly. Micah wrinkled her whiskers at me. She was much politer about expressing her unhappiness with me than Owen was. “I did bring you something, though,” I said, patting the pocket of my sweater.

She made a soft sound of happiness and rubbed her face against my leg. The back door opened then.

“Hi,” Marcus said. “I thought I heard someone out here.” He’d changed into a gray sweatshirt and jeans.

“Hi,” I said. “Micah and I were just talking about donuts.”

“Cats aren’t supposed to eat donuts,” he said.

“And you’ve never broken that rule with my cats,” I said. I handed him the canvas bag I was holding. “These are from Rebecca. And Everett offered his help if there’s anything you or John and Travis need.”

“That’s really nice of them,” he said as Micah and I followed him inside. “I don’t think there’s anything that needs to be done. Once the medical examiner releases her . . . body, the family is planning a service. And I think there’s also going to be another one in Chicago for the people she worked with.” He put the donuts on the counter and took the soup crock from me. “John talked to Dani’s brother. He’ll get in touch when their plans are finalized.”

“That’s good,” I said.

Marcus looked around the kitchen. “I feel I should be doing something.”

“Like what?” I asked. I took off my sweater and hung it on the back of one of the kitchen chairs.

“That’s the thing,” he said, swiping a hand over his neck. “I don’t know. Hope is taking the lead on this.”

“So let her,” I said, reaching for his hand and pulling him toward me. “Let the world turn without you for a little while.”

Marcus and I had half the soup for supper and I put the rest in his refrigerator. John and Travis showed up about seven o’clock.

“Hey, Kathleen,” John said. He’d changed into a white shirt with his jeans. He looked tired but his emotions seemed to be under control. I gave him a quick hug and he managed a small smile.

Travis, on the other hand, looked broken. There was dark stubble on his cheeks and his face was drawn as though he’d lost weight in the brief amount of time since I’d last seen him.

“Travis, I’m so sorry,” I said.

His mouth moved but at first no words came out. Then he said, “Kathleen, I owe you an apology. The last time I saw you I . . . I was an asshole.”

“You don’t need to apologize,” I said. His behavior at the restaurant didn’t seem like such a big deal now.

His eyes met mine. They were sad behind his glasses, and there were lines on his face I hadn’t noticed yesterday. “I do,” he said. “I can’t apologize to Dani. Please let me say the words to you.”

I nodded. I couldn’t speak. My throat was tight.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “If I could do it again . . .” He closed his eyes for a moment. “I’d behave . . . differently. Better.”