The crash box set, p.100
The Crash Box Set, page 100
part #1 of EMP Crash Series
“Well, there is another option,” Luis said.
“I'm listening,” Grace said, tilting her head up to look at him.
“You could always get to know Anna. Have you spoken to her much?”
“Not really, I thought I'd let her and Mack have some space.”
“Well, think about it from her point of view. She hasn't seen her husband for a long time and they're finally back together, but he has all these experiences with me, you, Saul and the others and we haven't really shared that with her. We've kinda had a part of her husband that she never has seen, so she's probably quite jealous of us as well. Plus, she's in this new place where a lot of people have shared history. I know she's doing that creative group thing, but she's probably quite lonely, too. Maybe you should try getting to know her properly. We could even go on a double at some point.”
“That's not actually the worst idea.”
“I'm not just a pretty face,” he said, kissing her once on the lips, then the forehead.
He wrapped his arms around her as she did with him. The two of them snuggled together for the night, trying to forget about the stresses of their lives, although Grace did feel better. She realized that while she had heard Mack talk about Anna often, she didn't actually know the woman herself. It was time to rectify that. So, she made plans to go see her soon, and hopefully it wouldn't be awkward.
As she nuzzled into Luis she noticed the lines of worry etched upon his face. She didn't ask him about it because she knew he couldn't talk too much about the case, as parts of it had to be confidential, but she hoped he wasn't taking on too much to try proving himself. She caressed his cheek and rose up to kiss it softly, then moved around to his mouth where their kisses grew deeper and more passionate. Then they moved to their bed and stripped each other of their clothing, and made love, trying to forget about everything that worried them.
Chapter 3
In the days that followed, Maggie and Luis began questioning people. Perusing the crime scene had given them no additional information. Maggie had been trying to piece together a portrait of the killer from the information they had been given, but as yet it had been challenging. Luis had been trying to help as best he could, but he still was new to the job and hadn't been given any actual training. Although he liked to joke that he had seen enough crime dramas to be able to give a good impression of a cop, it was up to Maggie to do most of the legwork.
They had worked through all the facts of the case and attempted to whittle down the characteristics of the killer. Unfortunately, most of the people in the settlement fit the criteria they had laid out. Whoever had killed Peter knew the guard rotation, and were able to sneak out in the middle of the night without being seen.
“Surely that means it's likely to be someone who lives on their own, so they wouldn't disturb anyone?” Luis suggested, but Maggie wasn't convinced.
“Whoever it was managed to creep through the settlement without anyone noticing. If they can do that, then it shouldn't have been a challenge to slip away from anyone close to them.”
The blade had been drawn across Peter's throat. There were no hack marks, and the body didn't have any other wounds. It had been a quick stroke, one that the killer had planned. It wasn't something that was performed on the spur of the moment, and the fact that it was only a single wound gave Maggie the impression that whoever did the killing managed to detach themselves from the crime to some extent.
If they had been lost in anger, there most likely would have been more stab wounds all over Peter's body. It was clear the intent was to kill him as there was no way Peter could have survived the cut. In fact, he most likely choked on his own blood, as Mindy had speculated after examining the body. Maggie found this intriguing as it meant whoever killed Peter didn't want to talk with him or hear a confession, they just wanted to see him dead.
So far, there hadn't been anyone who presented themselves as the prime suspect, and Luis didn't have enough honed instincts to properly consider anyone. Maggie had to tell him there was no use suggesting anyone based on the way they were acting when everyone was acting so similarly. It had been a long time since anyone had had to deal with the law, and they were naturally skittish. Many of them also had given so much to New Haven that they were incensed they were being questioned regarding the crime. Maggie and Luis had to deal with some unfavorable glares, and more than a few doors slammed in their faces.
“How dare you accuse me of this? Sure, I've done things I'm not proud of, we all have, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to go kill a kid in cold blood, even if he deserved it, if you ask me. Hell, he probably deserved more of a punishment than that for what he did. But I'm not going to stand here and have you talk to me like that because I've done nothing wrong. So, go and bother someone else.”
This was the gist of what most people said to them. At first Luis tried to argue back and ranted about it to Maggie, but Maggie was used to it.
“Most people don't like being suspected of things they didn't do, which is perfectly reasonable,” she explained and, soon enough, Luis came to tolerate it, and even expect it.
When someone reacted differently it made him raise his eyebrows, but it still wasn't enough for Maggie to think she knew who the killer was. It also was incredibly difficult to rule out anyone. Most people's alibis were from the people they were sleeping with, which easily could have been lies to protect the person. Maggie wanted to believe the best in people, but a career as a cop in the city had given her more of a cynical edge. She wasn't quite ready to follow Mack's lead in being optimistic. Saying that, she had ruled out a few people, and told Luis that.
“Mack didn't do it, not least because there are fewer places he'd rather be than in bed with his wife. But if he did it, there wouldn't have been any signs of foul play. Hank is a man of religion, and I don't think he'd be able to walk upright if he had done it, even though he had more reason than anyone.”
“I'll have to take your word for that. You know him better than I do.”
“I'm ruling you out, because you know what kind of world of pain you'd be in if I found out you were trying to play me. Grace has spent enough time with Mack to follow his lead. She wouldn't want to jeopardize what he's trying to build here.”
“What about Saul and Freddie?” Luis asked.
“Those two...well, I'm not as sure about them,” she said, and Luis began realizing that he would have to look at his friends, people he trusted, with new eyes.
There was one person they didn't talk about, however, and that was Tristan. Maggie could sense that Luis was refraining from bringing him up as a suspect, and she appreciated his respect for her. She would deal with Tristan in her own time. She tried to think back to that night, but she had slept through it. She didn't want to think that her own son was capable of murder, but he had changed and grown so much, in some ways he was almost unrecognizable. But she wasn't ready to talk to him yet. Instead, they went to Saul.
The big man was outside, as usual, wearing just a tank top, seeming impervious to the cooler temperatures that were blowing through New Haven. His long hair was tied back in a ponytail and he looked to have given his beard a trim since the last time Maggie had seen him. Evidently, having a woman was doing him some good.
“I thought it wouldn't be long until you two came around,” he said, letting his ax drop to the floor.
He gestured to a bench he was in the process of making. Maggie and Luis sat down. Luis had filled Maggie in on some of Saul's history. She hadn't been surprised to find out he'd had his run-ins with the law, but that didn't necessarily make him the killer now.
“We're trying to get to everyone. Unfortunately, the suspect pool for this crime is rather large,” Maggie said.
“Yeah, can't say I envy you. Regretting volunteering yet, Luis? You could have been out here in the sun like me, working with your hands. There's nothing more rewarding.”
“I'm good where I am,” Luis replied.
“So, what can I help you with? And before you ask, no, I didn't kill him. Thought about it, but I'm trying to turn over a new leaf.”
Saul's words left Luis taken aback, but Maggie continued, undeterred by his frank way of speaking. In fact, she preferred it, since she didn't have to try looking for the subtext of what he was trying to say.
“Did you agree with his imprisonment?” she asked, crossing her legs and leaning forward slightly. She had a notepad, but she preferred to listen and observe what Saul said.
He shrugged. “It's not like I wanted him running around here, but I always thought that keeping him around was going to be trouble. Still, it's hard to know what to do with him. If you send him out there, either he's going to die or he's gonna come back and make you regret what you did. Mack isn't one to consider death an option, so he didn't have much of an alternative, really.”
“Did you think Peter should have been killed?”
“It's not for me to say, really. I'm just a simple man trying to have a simple life, but where I'm from people weren't afraid to punish others properly. In this world, maybe we need to have some harsher rules in place.”
“You've been spending a lot of time with the kids. Do you think any of them would have been capable of it?”
“Capable? Sure, whether they would have or not I can't tell you. I don't think so, though, not from what I've seen.”
“How have they been since they found out that Peter died?”
“Subdued mostly, but not changed too much. I don't think the younger ones really grasp what happened. The older ones mourn him. They still liked him, even after what he did, but they haven't spoken about it much, and I haven't really encouraged them. I prefer to keep them occupied so they don't start getting depressed. Freddie says it's good therapy. If you want to know how they really feel deep inside, then you'd be better off talking to him.”
“Thank you,” Maggie said. Luis rose slightly as he thought they were leaving, but Maggie wasn't done just yet.
“And one more thing, can you tell me anything about Alison? She knew a lot of the people who Peter hurt and--”
“Now look here,” Saul said, shifting his body to look more intimidating. His brow darted down and his eyes narrowed. His biceps bulged and his voice lowered to a rasp.
“You can ask questions about me, about the kids, but don't you go digging around a good woman like Alison. She's an angel and she's not capable of hurting anyone. So, don't you even go and try to disturb her. I have a lot of respect for you two given all that we've been through, but that woman is special to me, and things change pretty damn quickly in this world, including friendships.”
The underlying threat in his words was clear. Luis gulped, and couldn't believe that Maggie wasn't affected by it. When they scurried away he asked Maggie how she could remain so calm. She merely tilted her head and brushed it off, saying that she got used to it being a cop.
“When I was a rookie, nobody really had taken me seriously. I was lucky enough to come through in a time when being a female cop wasn't just a pipe dream, but we still weren't that common and a lot of men thought they could scare me and boss me around. I quickly learned that either I had to stand up to them and not let it get to me, or I wouldn't make it six months. Guys like Saul, you just gotta know how to handle them. They're quick to anger, so you must remain calm, and try not to show any fear. They don't want to get into a fight, they're just ready to end one if the need arises.”
Then it was onto Freddie. He was looking stressed, and Maggie regretted that she hadn't spent much time with him recently. They both had been so busy, although it looked as though he had aged about ten years. His face was sallow and his eyes bloodshot. His hair was unkempt and his attention kept wandering. Maggie asked him mostly the same questions she had asked Saul and Freddie. He gave them a little more insight into the minds of the children.
“They are traumatized and some of them do harbor hostility toward Peter, but I wouldn't say they would have killed him. I think they wanted an explanation more than anything, and killing him wouldn't have done that. In their eyes, he betrayed them and they don't understand why. I'd say the parents were more likely to do it, given how Peter kidnapped their children and then made them into something that they probably don't recognize.”
Maggie took his words under advisement, but she still was more than a little frustrated since she and Luis were no closer to finding out who killed Peter than they had been before.
They spoke to the new arrivals as well as some of the parents. Gary, in particular, reacted with hostility. “You're only coming to us because we're new. I haven't seen you question other people you know this much. We came here under the promise of a new beginning, but I'm wondering if that was all just false pretenses. Are any of us safe here? I'm starting to think we would have been better staying where we were.”
His reaction instantly put Luis on the defensive and made him suspect Gary. He suggested that Gary could have killed Peter to try causing a schism between the two groups, but Maggie wasn't convinced. She didn't really like Gary all that much, but he was more of a troublemaker than anything else. She didn't think he would go to the length of killing someone just to make a point. No, it was someone else, someone who was eluding her, and the investigation continued.
Tristan hadn't been able to sleep that well ever since Peter had died. He'd wrestled with a number of conflicting feelings. He knew he shouldn't have been happy that Peter was dead, but he couldn't stop the wave of relief that filled his heart. The world had been rid of one more monster, and to him that wasn't a bad thing. He had stayed away from his mom, knowing that she was investigating the crime. He didn't want to be around that because it reminded him of what life was like before, when she never had any time for him because she was always on a case. But Tristan knew something his mother didn't.
He knew who did it.
He marched across town and paid a visit to Sharon, who was on her own. She looked surprised to see Tristan, and wasn't comforted by the dark scowl that seemed permanently etched on his face.
“I know you did it,” he said bitterly, “but this doesn't change anything. I can see why you thought killing him would change my opinion of you, but it doesn't. I never can trust you again. I won't say anything, but my mom will figure it out soon enough. So, it's just another thing you've done that's been a mistake. Quit while you're ahead and go turn yourself in,” he said.
As he turned away, he heard her pleas for innocence mixed in with the tears that were streaming down her face. Tristan hardened his heart and closed his ears to her, even as part of him tugged back as he thought of the sad expression on her face.
Chapter 4
After Grace had done her duties for the morning, she found herself at a loose end. There were still plenty of things to do, and yet nothing that required her immediate attention. It was times like these when she could almost forget the hectic rush of life. Time seemed to have little meaning anymore as there were an abundance of hours in the day in which she could do anything she wanted. But there was another reason for her restlessness on this particular day. She was filled with anxiety about getting to know Anna.
When she had been speaking to Luis it had seemed natural, but her mind was playing tricks on her. She was so scared that she and Mack's wife weren't going to get along that Grace wanted to delay the experience for as long as possible. It was completely irrational, and she was aware of this fact, but it didn't stop it from being true. She went to the entrance of New Haven and spoke with the guards, looking out to the rows of cars they had placed to make it more difficult for anyone to enter. She went to the dark patchy grass where the pyre had stood, where people still came to pay their respects to the dead. She wandered all over the settlement, her anxiety growing more and more, until she told herself to stop being silly and just get it over and done with.
There was no reason why she and Anna shouldn't have gotten along. Since the end of the world, Grace had found herself bonding with a lot of different people, which still shocked her considering how she had spent most of her life alone. And yet, there was a fear that if she and Anna didn't hit it off, her friendship with Mack would dissolve, adding more pressure to the encounter.
When she couldn't find any more excuses she made her way, slowly, over to where Anna was with her creative group. These people had been meeting regularly ever since Anna had had the idea. The group's size fluctuated depending on the days. Sometimes it seemed as though most of New Haven was in attendance, while other times there were only a few people. Some people only came to watch and be around as the creative energy flowed and people told their stories. On this occasion, Anna and a few others were painting, while another few people seemed to be working on a collaborative story, which Grace was sure would be performed soon. They had no shortage of material. That was for certain.
Grace kept her distance for a while, just observing the group. She wished she had the opportunity to explore her creativity, but all her ideas had to do with code, and without electronics she was left without an avenue. She often thought about whether there would be a time when electrical devices would work again, but as she looked around New Haven she didn't know if that would be a good thing or a bad thing. The last thing they wanted to do was repeat the mistakes of the previous world. She actually liked belonging to a community of people, rather than distancing herself by creating an online profile.
Growing ever closer, she heard snippets of the story. She smiled to herself at the arguments they were making to each other, about whether the story was too funny or too tragic. One of them thought people needed a bit of humor to lighten their mood, another said they wanted the story to reflect reality. It made Grace smile because there were so many other things to worry about, yet these two people only were concerned with their story. It was humbling, in a way.
