See Me

  "Hurry up, Evan!" Colin shouted. "I need your help!"

  Evan disconnected the call, staring at Margolis as though he might pass out. From the corner of his eye, Colin saw Lester roll his head to the side. Already waking.

  "Grab the cuffs!" he said. "Make sure Lester can't get away!"

  Evan, still staring at Margolis, seemed frozen in place. Colin could feel the blood continuing to soak through the remnants of his shirt; he could feel the warmth in his hand, his fingers red and slick.

  "Evan!" Colin shouted. "Cuffs! On Margolis's belt! Now!"

  Evan shook his head and began fumbling with the cuffs.

  "And then get back here as fast as you can!" Colin shouted. "I need your help!"

  Evan hurried over to Lester and slapped one cuff on Lester's wrist and then dragged Lester's body closer to the rail, slapping the other cuff around a post. Lester moaned, coming to as Evan rushed back. Evan fell to his knees near Margolis, his eyes wide.

  "What do I do?"

  "Take over the stomach wound... where my hand is. And press hard!"

  Though the blood loss was definitely slowing, Margolis's breathing had grown shallower...

  Evan did as he was told and Colin used both hands on the neck wound, and seconds later, Colin heard the first of the sirens. Then a growing chorus of them, and while he willed them to get here faster, all he could think was Don't die on me. Whatever you do, don't die...

  On the porch, Lester moaned again and his eyes finally blinked open, unfocused.

  A sheriff's deputy was the first to arrive, followed quickly by an officer from the Shallotte police department, both coming to screeching halts in the middle of the street, lights flashing. Both men jumped out of their cars and rushed toward them, guns drawn, uncertain what to do.

  "Detective Margolis has been shot!" Colin shouted as they approached. "The guy cuffed to the railing was the one who shot him!" Both the deputy and the officer looked toward the porch and Colin forced a steadiness in his tone. "The gun's still up there. We can't let these wounds go. And make sure the ambulance is coming--he's lost a lot of blood and I'm not sure how much longer he can hold on!"

  The officer approached the porch while the deputy ran back to his car and shouted into the radio that an officer was down, demanding that the ambulance hurry. Both Colin and Evan kept their focus on the wounds; Evan had recovered enough for some color to have returned to his cheeks.

  Minutes later, the ambulance arrived and a couple of paramedics hopped out and grabbed the stretcher. More sheriff's deputies had arrived by then, along with additional police officers, the street out front now crowded with vehicles.

  When the paramedics finally took over for Colin and Evan, Margolis was looking even worse. He was nonresponsive and barely breathing by the time he was placed on the stretcher. The paramedics were moving quickly; the stretcher was loaded into the back and one of the paramedics hopped behind the wheel while the other stayed with Margolis. By the time it was rolling forward, the ambulance had a police and sheriff escort, sirens blaring, and only then did the world start slowly coming back into focus.

  Colin could feel the shakiness in his limbs, the nerves beginning to subside. His hands and wrists were coated with the syrupy feel of drying blood; Evan's shirt looked as though it had been partially dipped in a vat of red dye. Evan wandered off, bent over, and vomited.

  One of the deputies went to his trunk, returning with a couple of plain white T-shirts, and handed one to Colin, the other to Evan. Even before Colin gave his statement, he was already reaching for his phone to call Maria and tell her what had happened.

  But as he spoke, all he could think about was Margolis.

  Over the next hour, as the sky dimmed and finally went black, an even larger crowd of police officers and sheriff's deputies had descended on the bungalow, as well as a detective from Wilmington and the county sheriff.

  Lester was delusional and argumentative, screaming gibberish and resisting arrest before finally being secured in the back of a squad car and sent on his way to jail.

  Colin offered a statement to the sheriff, a police officer from Shallotte, and Detective Wright from Wilmington, all three asking questions at various times, then Evan did the same. Both admitted that they had no idea what had happened once Margolis had entered the house, only that he hadn't been in there long before the gunfire sounded. Colin also told them that Lester could have finished off Margolis, but hadn't.

  Later, after he and Evan had been cleared to leave, Colin called Maria to tell her that he was heading home to change but wanted Lily to drive her to the hospital so Maria could meet him there. As he was talking to her, he overheard a nearby officer tell Detective Wright and the sheriff that the house was otherwise empty, and that Lester appeared to have been living alone.

  After ending the call with Maria, Colin stared at the bungalow, wondering where Atkinson had been staying. And why, again, if Lester was so paranoid, he'd let Margolis into the house in the first place.

  "You ready to go?" Evan asked, interrupting his thoughts. "I need to shower and change and just get the hell out of here."

  "Yeah," Colin said, "okay."

  "What do you want to do about your car?"

  Colin looked over at it. "Let's deal with it later. Right now, I don't have the energy to care."

  Evan must have seen something in his expression. "Are you sure that going to the hospital is such a good idea?"

  For Colin, it felt like less of a choice than a requirement. "I want to know if Margolis is going to be all right."

  CHAPTER 28

  Maria

  Since Colin's phone call, Maria's mind had been racing, trying to piece together everything that had happened.

  Colin tracking down Lester. Lester shooting Margolis. Lester aiming the gun at Colin. Colin taking Lester down. Colin and Evan trying to save the detective's life. Margolis being loaded into the ambulance. Lester resisting arrest, screaming that he knew what Maria had done.

  Lester.

  She'd known all along that it was Lester, that he was the one to worry about, and she kept reminding herself that he was behind bars now. This time, he hadn't vanished or simply run off; this time, they'd caught him, and he'd shot a cop and there was no way he could get to her.

  What about Atkinson? a voice inside her asked.

  She didn't want to think about that. Still wasn't sure what to make of it. It still didn't seem to fit...

  Too much. What had just happened was overwhelming enough; the fact that Colin and Evan had been in the middle was nearly too much to process.

  Lily, Maria thought, was experiencing the same wild flow of emotions; since they'd arrived at the hospital a few minutes earlier, she'd barely spoken and continually scanned the parking lot, watching for Evan's car. Maria had the sense that Lily needed to see and touch and hold her fiance, as if to prove to herself that Evan was really and truly okay.

  And Colin...

  Of course he'd found Lester on his own; of course he'd rushed toward Lester while the gun was pointed in his direction; of course he'd taken Lester down without getting hurt in the process. And now, of course, Lester was locked away, and while she felt relief, there was anger in the feeling as well. Worry, too, for Margolis, and she had trouble understanding how Lester had gotten the better of him. She'd told Margolis that Lester was dangerous; she'd told him he had a gun. So why hadn't Margolis listened to her? Why hadn't he been more cautious? How could he have gotten shot? Maria didn't know, nor did Colin. When they had spoken earlier, Colin had said that he wasn't sure Margolis would survive the ride to the hospital. But Margolis must have survived, she thought. While she'd been waiting with Lily, half a dozen officers had entered the hospital and none had come out, which meant he was still alive, right?

  She was too afraid to ask.

  By the time Evan's car finally pulled into the lot, Maria could barely keep her thoughts straight. She followed Lily toward the car, and as soon as Colin stepped out she put her arms
around him and held him close.

  The four of them made their way into the hospital, got directions, and took the elevator to the second floor. They were directed down the corridor to the surgical waiting area, which was crowded with law enforcement personnel as well as a few people who looked to be friends or family. Somber and grim faces momentarily turned their way.

  Evan stepped closer to Colin. "Maybe we shouldn't be here," he suggested.

  Colin's face showed nothing. "He wouldn't have been shot if I hadn't called him."

  "It's not your fault," Evan said.

  "He's right, Colin," Lily added. "Lester did this, not you."

  Despite their words, Maria knew that Colin was still trying to convince himself of the same thing, but couldn't quite bring himself to believe it.

  "Fine," Evan said. "Do you see anyone we can ask about Margolis's condition? I don't see a nurse..."

  "Over there," Colin said, nodding toward a man in his forties with cropped gray hair. The man saw them as well and headed their way.

  "Who's that?" Maria whispered.

  "Detective Wright," Colin said. "He was one of the people who took my statement earlier. Evan's, too."

  When Wright approached, he offered his hand and both Colin and Evan shook it. "I didn't expect to see you here," Wright offered.

  "I had to know how he's doing," Colin said.

  "I just got here a few minutes ago, but so far, there haven't been any updates from the surgeon yet, other than that he's still hanging in there. As you know, he was in pretty bad shape when he arrived." When Colin nodded, Wright motioned toward another area of the room. "I know that you've been through a lot already," Wright went on, "but I was wondering if you'd stick around for a few minutes. Someone's been asking for you. She wants to talk to you."

  "Who?" Colin asked.

  "Pete's wife, Rachel."

  Maria watched as Colin's expression went neutral. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

  "Please," Wright said. "It's clearly important to her."

  It took Colin a moment to answer. "Okay," he said.

  Wright turned, heading toward the far side of the room, stopping when he reached an attractive brown-haired woman who was surrounded by half a dozen people. He nodded toward Colin and Evan. Rachel Margolis immediately excused herself from the group and started toward them. As she approached, it was clear to Maria that the woman had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mascara slightly smeared; she seemed to be barely holding it together.

  Wright made the introductions and Rachel offered a brief smile that held nothing but sadness.

  "Larry told me that you helped save my husband's life," Rachel said.

  "I'm really sorry for what happened to him," Colin said.

  "Me too," she said. "Thank you. And I... um..." She sniffed before dabbing at her eyes. "I just wanted to offer my thanks to both of you. For thinking clearly, not panicking, calling the ambulance. Putting pressure on the wounds. The paramedics told me that if you hadn't done what you did, Pete wouldn't have had a chance. If you hadn't been there..." She was on the verge of tears, the words so heartfelt that Maria felt a tightness in her throat. "Again... I..." She drew a ragged breath, trying to hold it together. "And I want you to know he's tough, so he's going to be all right. One of the toughest ever..."

  "He is," Colin agreed, but Maria had the sense that Rachel Margolis barely heard him, because she'd really been talking to herself.

  The evening rolled on. Maria sat beside Colin as they waited for news. Evan and Lily had gone to the cafeteria a few minutes earlier, and Maria listened as the conversations gradually gave way to murmurs of worry. People in the waiting room came and went.

  Colin remained quieter than usual. Every now and then, an officer or detective would come by to thank him and shake his hand; though he was polite in his responses, Maria knew it made Colin uncomfortable because he still blamed himself for what had happened, even if no one else seemed to.

  And yet, the depth of his guilt surprised her. It had been clear all along that Colin and Margolis held nothing but disdain for each other. It was a paradox of sorts, and though she wanted to draw Colin out and get him to talk about his feelings, she knew he wanted to work through them alone. She finally leaned toward him.

  "Will you be all right if I step out to the hallway? I want to call my parents. Serena, too. I'm sure they're wondering what's going on."

  When Colin nodded, she kissed him on the cheek, then left the waiting area, heading down the corridor to a quieter spot where she had a modicum of privacy. On the phone, her parents sounded as worried as everyone in the waiting room and had dozens of questions; toward the end, her mom said that she'd make dinner, and asked that Maria come by the house with Colin, along with Evan and Lily. Her mom asked in a way that made it hard to say no, but that was okay. After all that had happened, she wanted to see her family, too.

  Back in the waiting area, Colin was in the same spot where she'd left him. He still wasn't talking much, but as soon as she sat beside him, he reached for her hand, holding tight. Lily and Evan returned from the cafeteria, and soon after that, the surgeon finally entered.

  From where she was sitting, Maria watched as Rachel Margolis walked toward him, Detective Wright by her side. The room went quiet, everyone worried, everyone needing to know, and it was impossible not to hear the doctor, even from a distance.

  "He's survived the surgery," the doctor announced, "but the damage was even more extensive than we expected. The procedure was also complicated by significant blood loss, and for a while, it was touch and go. But right now, his vitals are stable. On the low side, but stable."

  "When can I see him?" Rachel Margolis asked.

  "I want to keep an eye on him for another couple of hours," the surgeon hedged. "If things keep on like I hope they will, I may be able to let you in for a few minutes later tonight."

  "And he's going to be okay, right?"

  That's the million-dollar question, Maria thought. The surgeon seemed to have expected it and continued in the same professional tone.

  "As I said, he's stabilized for now, but you need to understand that your husband's still in critical condition. The next few hours are going to tell us quite a bit, and I'm hoping to give you a more definitive answer tomorrow."

  Rachel Margolis swallowed. "I just want to know what I should tell our boys when I go back home."

  Boys? Maria thought. Margolis has children?

  The surgeon's voice softened. "Tell them the truth. That their father survived surgery and that you'll know soon." He kept his focus on her. "Please understand, Mrs. Margolis... there was severe trauma to the trachea and your husband is currently on a ventilator..."

  Maria couldn't watch any longer as the surgeon began to go into the details of Margolis's injuries. Glancing away, she heard Colin's voice.

  "Come on," he whispered, no doubt thinking the same thing she was. "The details aren't our business. Let's let them have some privacy."

  Maria and Colin stood; Evan and Lily followed suit, and they left the room. When they were outside, Maria stopped and told all of them about the call with her parents and what they'd asked.

  "I know you're all probably exhausted and that you two were just in the cafeteria, but my mom made us dinner, and--"

  "Okay," Colin said. "I still need to get back to my car tonight, but that can wait for a bit."

  "You don't need to explain," Evan tossed in. "We get it."

  Maria rode with Colin in Evan's car; Evan and Lily followed in Lily's car, and as they pulled to a stop in front of the family's house, Serena was waiting for them out front, along with her parents. As soon as Maria got out, Serena enveloped her in a hug.

  "Mom and Dad have been crazy worried about you all night, you know. Mom hasn't left the kitchen for hours, and Dad keeps checking the windows and doors. Are you holding up all right?"

  "Barely," Maria admitted.

  "I'm thinking that you're going to need a seriously long vacation
after this."

  Despite everything, Maria laughed. "Probably."

  After Serena, Maria hugged her parents, then introduced Evan and Lily. Surprising Maria--as well as her parents and Serena--Lily spoke Spanish, albeit with a Southern accent. Because the front door was still boarded up, they went through the garage and into the kitchen before taking their seats at a table that was soon covered with dishes of food.

  As they ate, Maria told her family about their earlier meeting with Margolis, and Colin walked them through all that had happened after that. He paused every couple of sentences so Maria could translate for her mom. Evan added further details, especially when it came to the confrontation with Lester.

  "And Lester is still in jail, right?" Felix asked when Colin had finished. "And he won't get out?"

  "Crazy or not, he shot a cop," Evan said. "I'm not sure he's ever going to get out."

  Felix nodded. "Good."

  "What about Atkinson?" Serena broke in. "You said he was working with Lester?"

  "I don't know. It was something Margolis was looking into. Supposedly they knew each other, but even so, it just doesn't add up," Maria answered.

  "Then who slashed your tires?" Serena pressed.

  "Maybe Lester paid some kid to do it because he knew the hospital would give him an alibi."

  "And the car at the park?"

  "Maybe Lester's borrowing it." Maria shrugged. "I don't know."

  "If Atkinson is out there, what are you going to do?"

  "I don't know," Maria repeated, hearing the frustration in her tone. She knew there were still too many unanswered questions, even after all this, but...

  "Lester was the one I was worried about," she said. "He's the one who scared me, and whether he's working with Atkinson or not, the only thing I know for sure is that Lester can't get to me anymore, and..."

  When Maria trailed off, Serena shook her head. "I'm sorry for asking so many questions. It's just that I'm still..."

  "Worried," Felix finished for her.

  So am I, Maria thought. And Colin is, too, but--

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the muffled ringtone of Serena's phone. Serena pulled it out and sent the call to voice mail, her expression both hopeful and worried.