“What time is it?”
“A little after three,” Maria said. She walked to the couch and patted the cushion beside her. When Colin sat, she leaned her head on his shoulder while he slipped his arm around her. “You should probably try to get some sleep.”
“I only have another hour until your dad is up.”
“I don’t think he’s sleeping. He’s probably tossing and turning like I did.” She kissed him on the cheek. “I’m glad you’re here, but my parents are, too. Right before they went to bed, they apologized to me for the way they treated you earlier.”
“There was no reason to apologize. They’ve been very gracious. Especially about me kicking in their door.”
She shrugged. “To be honest, it was pretty impressive. Doors generally keep people out, but this one didn’t even slow you down. They feel better knowing that you’re here.”
He nodded. Moonlight spilled in through a crack in the drapes, washing the living room with a silvery glow. “I wanted to tell you that the way you dealt with Lester was amazing. Not everyone would have been able to stay calm in that situation.”
“I wasn’t calm. I was terrified. Every time I closed my eyes tonight, I kept seeing his face. And it was just so… weird. I kept getting the feeling that he was more afraid of me than I was of him, even though he was the one with the gun.”
“I don’t understand it, either.”
“I wish the police had found him. I hate knowing that he’s still out there… following and watching and planning and hiding. What good will a restraining order do if they can’t serve him? And what if he shows up again before they do? I thought about leaving town, but what if he follows me? Or tracks me somehow. I mean, even I didn’t know I was going to be here tonight, so how did he know? And how did he know I’d be at the bar?”
“I’ve been wondering about those things, too.”
“And? What am I supposed to do? I just want to feel… safe.”
“I have an idea. It might be a bit over the top, but…”
“What is it?”
He told her.
CHAPTER 26
Maria
M
aria was sleeping on the couch when she felt Colin kiss her good-bye and whisper that he’d be back by eight o’clock. She was dimly aware of him slipping out the garage door. Surprising herself, she was able to get a few more hours of sleep before the sounds of the household roused her.
Over coffee, she shared Colin’s plans with her family. They listened with surprise. Her parents would have preferred that she stay where they could keep an eye on her, but they understood Colin’s reasoning and accepted her decision, asking only that she stay in touch.
Colin showed up at her parents’ house around eight with a disposable cell phone and followed Maria back to her condo. There, she showered, changed into jeans and a white T-shirt and black pumps, and packed an overnight bag. By nine, they were at the courthouse, where Maria completed and filed the necessary paperwork for the 50C. Margolis had been good to his word again; the clerk said that they’d get it before the judge to sign before the court convened for the day.
Using the disposable phone, Maria texted Margolis her number and asked that he keep her informed as to any progress regarding Lester Manning.
To her surprise, Margolis called less than half an hour later and asked to meet with her at a coffee shop. “It’s a couple of blocks from the courthouse, and we’ll be able to talk in private,” he said cryptically. She felt good about the fact that she’d filed the paperwork and decided to go with Colin’s idea. For the first time since all this had started, she’d acted instead of reacted. While there was no guarantee that they’d be able to serve Lester with the court order, taking the initiative made her feel as though she had some semblance of control.