Chapter 33
33
Lenore stood for a moment, staring after Sisco had left, running to the parking lot when he got a call. Worried and angry that someone had broken into her house, her mind fell into turmoil. My house! Oh God… what if Evie and I had been there alone? Then it struck her—whoever broke in knew they weren't there, which meant someone had been watching her.
Her knees threatened to buckle, but Evie's tiny hand on hers brought her attention back to her daughter. Looking down, she tried to smile but had no doubt it was as strained as her body felt.
“Where did Sisco go?” Evie asked.
“Oh, honey, it's okay. He got called away for work and needed to go check on something. He'll try to come back if possible, and if not, we'll catch a ride with one of your friends, and then we can go…” She had started to finish the sentence with the word home but now wasn't sure what to say. If someone had broken into her house, that was the last place she'd want to be. Lenore had planned on doing laundry and grocery shopping tomorrow to get ready for school to start on Monday. But now, she had no idea what their lives might look like for the next several days. She felt the weight of the unsolved case on her shoulders, angry that someone could steal her sense of safety and happiness.
Still holding Evie's hand, she looked around and realized they were now separated from Evie's circle of friends. Many people were milling about the streets, children laughing and gathering more candy as the shopkeeper continued filling their bags.
The sun was close to setting, and she pulled out a coat for Evie to add to her sweater.
“But if I wear this, no one can see the top part of my pretty dress!” Evie complained.
“Yes, but you'll be warmer. If we stay out here much longer, you'll need to wear a cap instead of your tiara.”
“Mommy, princesses don't wear caps!”
“Then you'll be a trendsetter princess who starts a whole new line of princess caps, and everyone will want one.”
With more shops where adults in costumes handed out candy, Evie was in heaven as they continued trick-or-treating. Evie laughed as they made their way back up the street. They continued greeting friends from school and chatting with townspeople they knew. Lenore finally stopped to dig her phone from her pocket, wanting to text Sisco to see if she should get a ride with one of their friends. She couldn't help but worry, hoping he could return to pick them up, but if not, she wanted to know before all their friends had left. Staring at her phone, she took her eyes off Evie.
A scream sounded out among the laughter and squeals of other children, and her heart clenched. She instantly recognized the sound of her daughter's distress. Her head jerked up, and she spied an adult in a costume near one of the stores. Their hand was wrapped around Evie's upper arm. A full mask hid their face, but fear and anger shot through her at the sight of someone grabbing Evie.
“Let her go!” Lenore screamed, racing forward. The man was dragging Evie toward an alley between two sets of stores, but Lenore reached him first. She swung downward with the full force of her arms, snapping his grip from Evie. He looked at her, but she could only see his eyes through the mask. She pushed her daughter behind her when he leaned closer again. With a mother's instinct, she cocked her arm back and punched him in the nose.
He howled and backed up several steps before turning and running down the alley. She battled the urge to run after him, adrenaline coursing through every vein and nerve in her body. She was in fight, not flight mode, but she couldn't chase him and keep Evie safe. Turning, she found her daughter in tears, and she dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around her shaking child.
Several people gathered around, all wondering what had happened and offering support. Looking up, she cried, “Did you recognize him? Did you recognize the man who tried to grab her?”
No one had realized what was happening, and even though they could describe the costume, no one knew who had been wearing it. The sound of pounding boot steps came near her, and she instinctively knew the man they belonged to.
“Let me through, let me through,” called the harsh voice that wrapped around her like a warm blanket.
She felt rather than saw Sisco drop to his knees next to her. One of his arms wrapped around her shoulders, the other went around Evie, and the three held each other tightly. He stood, gathering Evie in his arms, and gently pulled Lenore to her feet.
Frazier stood close by along with two police officers, and she blurted, “A man in a costume grabbed Evie and tried to pull her down this alley. I managed to break his hold on her and hit him in the nose. He ran off, but no one recognized him.” Her gaze held Sisco's eyes, and she said, “What's going on? What's happening at my…um…” Her gaze now cut to Evie, whose eyelashes still held drops of tears.
“Let's get you somewhere safe,” he murmured.
“Can we go… um…” She leaned closer before finishing. “Home?”
“Not now,” he said, shaking his head. He must have read the anguish on her face because he pulled her in tightly and said, “It's going to be fine. You did the right thing, and I've got you now.”
She was still shaking and had no idea what awaited her. The idea that someone put their hands on Evie and tried to take her had her raging inside. “I hope I broke his nose,” she muttered, not wanting Evie to hear but unable to keep her livid thoughts from spilling forth.
With Evie tucked safely in his arms, Sisco led them across the street. An ambulance was nearby, and he guided them to the back, where he greeted the two paramedics.
Sitting in the back of the ambulance with Evie on her lap, Lenore tried to keep her tumultuous thoughts from overflowing. Answering the questions presented to her, she kept shifting her gaze over to Sisco, knowing he'd given in to the anger yet managed to appear calm on the outside.
Sisco worked with the paramedics to check Evie's arm. Other than bruising, it appeared unharmed. He turned to Lenore. “We can go to the hospital to get an X-ray.”
“Mommy, no!” Evie turned her frightened, begging gaze up to Lenore.
Offering what she hoped was an expression of calm to Evie, she looked at Sisco. “Evie's so tired of hospitals. If this is just bruising, let's handle it without going there.”
He capitulated but added, “I want your hand looked at.”
She glanced down to see the bruising along her knuckles. Wiggling her fingers, she had to admit her hand hurt. Nodding at him, she shifted when he climbed into the back of the ambulance. There was very little room for anyone else. He teased Evie and made her laugh while the paramedics checked Lenore's hand and gave her a cold pack to hold. She was amazed at how he could set his anger aside to present the fun Sisco that comforted Evie.
By now, most of the trick-or-treaters and their parents had gone home, and the shopkeepers were shutting down their stores. The police were also ensuring that the restless teenagers were heading home.
Another man had appeared next to Frazier, and Sisco introduced the local FBI agent she'd remember speaking to. She nodded toward Agent Tomey and spied sympathy in his intelligent eyes.
“Let's take this back to the compound,” Frazier suggested.
She wasn't sure how Sisco would react, but she simply nodded since she couldn't go home and knew they needed to debrief what was happening. Once they were at the vehicle, Frazier leaned closer. “I'm riding with you. Would you rather sit in the back with Evie?”
She nodded and slid into the seat beside Evie. “My candy!” Evie cried, fat tears starting to roll down her cheeks.
Her concern over having dropped her bag of candy when being grabbed overshadowed everything.
“Got it,” Frazier said. “See?” Frazier held up the bag of candy that had been placed near his feet in the front seat.
Lenore jerked her head toward the front, and a smile split Evie's face. As ridiculous as it seemed, Lenore was grateful that her daughter was once again surviving another trauma and that a retrieved bag of candy made everything right in her world.
For herself, she began to wonder if she should keep her therapist on speed dial.