Chapter 16
While Mark fixed the apartment door, Cole looked out into to the parking lot, checking on Maeve who was sitting in her car.
He didn’t realize she even owned a car since she walked everywhere.
They’d never had a reason to talk about it before.
He’d be lost without his truck but since he lived so close to the fire station, he hardly ever had to use it.
He assumed the situation was the same for her.
Living at his house for a while wouldn’t change anything, her walk would be a few blocks closer.
“Okay, all fixed. Here are the keys. I put a new deadbolt and handle on it, and I also put a slide chain on the inside, just to make her feel a little safer.”
“Thanks again Mark. Not sure she’ll be here for a little while though, it’s really got her spooked.”
His buddy said to call if they needed any more help and he took off. Cole double-checked the keys in the locks then shut up everything. He climbed into the drivers’ seat, fastened his seatbelt then looked at her before he started the car.
“Have everything you need?”
“I have my clothes, everything else is just stuff.”
“It’s really going to be okay Maeve; I know you don’t think so right now but we’ll get through this. What about your mail, should we have it forwarded?”
“It doesn’t deliver to my apartment; I’ve always had it go to the café. I’m there more than any other place. Except for now I guess.”
He could tell things were dismal for her. She couldn’t stay at her house and the fire inspector hadn’t cleared the café to open yet so she was in limbo. He felt bad for her and there wasn’t much he could do to help, except to offer his own home. He just needed to keep her going forward.
“Let’s head to the police station and then after we’re done there, maybe we could grab an early dinner somewhere. I’ve got a few movies I rented last week that are overdue, but we can go back to my place and watch them if you want.”
“Whatever you want is fine.”
Cole slowed the car at the stoplight and touched her leg. She turned her sad expression toward him.
“Are you sure the people in the lineup wont’ be able to see us? If it is the same person doing all of this, I don’t want them to know if I implicate them.”
“I’m positive, those things are made that way for a reason. The people standing in that room will only be able to see themselves but for us it’ll be like looking through a tinted car window. The police would never put you in danger and neither would I.”
They pulled into the station lot and found a spot in the visitor parking. When they were both out of the car, he hugged her to him until he felt her relax. He kissed her forehead then grabbed her hand and walked her into the building where he asked to speak with Detective Wilson.
“Thanks for coming Maeve, I’m Detective Wilson. Follow me and we can have a quick chat.”
He led the way to the interrogation room and closed the door behind them. After a twenty-minute conversation with a lot of questions that she didn’t really know the answers to, the detective moved them to another similar room.
“Cole, I don’t think I’m ready for this.”
“You heard what the detective said, he just wants you to look through the men and if any are familiar to you, just let him know. Like I said, they already have the guy, so they just want to know if you’re as familiar with him as he is with you.”
“When you say it that way, it sounds really creepy.”
“I know, sorry.”
Cole put an arm around Maeve, pulling her close for moral support.
***
Maeve was extremely nervous to see the line-up of men about to be displayed in front of her. She was slightly curious to know though, what kind of a person could do this to someone. She was glad Cole was with her, he always made her feel safe.
She jumped when the door opened, and Detective Wilson entered the room. He turned the lights down low and picked up the telephone, telling the person on the other end they were ready.
She could see people on the other side of the glass filing into the room, but it was too dark to see what they looked like. A few seconds later the lights in that room lit up bright and a voice told the men to face forward.
“Okay Maeve, from left to right, slowly take a good look at each person as they step forward and tell me if you think you know any of them.”
She nodded in agreement but didn’t really have any words. She made her way through each person until she got to number eight and she tensed.
“I know that man.”
The detective picked up the phone again and told number eight to step up again.
“Okay Maeve, how do you know this person.”
She looked at Cole and back at the detective.
“He’s a customer of mine at the café.”
“Okay, do you know him well?”
“I don’t know him at all actually. He started coming in for lunch a couple weeks ago I think but I’ve never had a conversation with him until a few days ago.”
“A conversation about what?” The detective pulled a notebook from his pocket and started scribbling notes.
“Just about lunch. Actually, Cole was there too. This guy came in after him, but Cole let him order first. He started asking personal questions about what I was doing over the weekend. I ignored it, took his order and while I was in the back making it, the guy turned on Cole. He wanted to know what he was doing there and that he shouldn’t be bother me. ”
“Was Cole bothering you?”
“No, not at all. I had to force that other man to leave. Then he came the next day. While my partner was helping him, Cole came in and I went to talk to him. The man got angry because I wasn’t paying attention to him, so I told him to leave, or I’d call the police. That was the last I’d seen him.”
The detective turned back to the phone and said they could take all the men out.
“Thanks, so much Maeve. You both are free to go but keep your phone close, I’ll be calling you in the next couple days.”
“Is it that number eight?” The detective hesitated, avoiding eye contact with Maeve at first.
“It is actually, but keep that on the downlow, it isn’t official yet. We haven’t been able to connect him with the café fires, but he was your burglar. The officers caught him going through the woods.
“Will you keep him locked up then?”
“Yes Maeve, we will. He’ll be sitting for a length of time until his court hearing, but we’ll keep you up to date on any of the details as they progress.”
Cole and Maeve thanked the detective and left the station.