Chapter 6 - The Darkest Night
Through her tears, Maisie recounted the rest of the night. Her words painted a picture of survival that no child should ever have to experience.
When the porch light clicked off, she realized no one was coming. The sounds of breaking glass and Leo's muffled screaming from inside the house terrified her. She knew she couldn't stay on that porch.
She took off her own scarf and wrapped it around Ruby's head. She gripped her sister's mitten-covered hand and started walking down the icy steps.
She didn't know the way back to the hospital. She just knew they had to find a place to hide from the cold and the screaming man inside the house. They walked down Maple Street, the biting wind cutting through their winter coats. Snow piled rapidly on the sidewalks, making every step a struggle for three-year-old Ruby.
Eventually, Ruby couldn't walk anymore. She fell into a snowbank, crying that her legs hurt.
Maisie, running on pure adrenaline and sisterly love, picked her up. She dragged and carried Ruby until they reached the community park. There, she found the large, concrete drainage pipe near the playground—a place they used to hide during summer games of hide-and-seek.
She pushed Ruby inside, away from the wind. She took off her own coat and laid it over her sister. Then, she wrapped her arms around Ruby, locking them tight, and promised her that Mommy would come. She stayed awake as long as she could, watching the darkness, until the cold seeped into her bones and forced her eyes shut.
It was a miracle a snowplow driver had stopped to clear the park's access road. His headlights had caught the reflective tape on Maisie's snow boots jutting out from the pipe.
As Maisie finished telling her story, she fell back against the pillows, utterly exhausted but lighter. The truth was out in the open.
Detective Miller entered the room just as she finished. He had a look of grim satisfaction on his face. He beckoned me into the hallway.
"You were right," he said softly, closing the door behind us. "We found Leo."
"Where?"
"Hiding in your parents' basement. Passed out. He was high on a mix of meth and alcohol. We found a hunting knife on the kitchen counter, and dried blood on the living room carpet. Looks like he cut his hand smashing a window."
"And my parents?" I asked, my voice deadly calm.
"They were trying to pack a suitcase for him. Trying to get him out of town before we came back with a warrant. They’re both in custody right now."
A wave of profound relief washed over me, followed immediately by a burning anger.
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"I want to see them," I said. "Before you book them into lockup. I need to look them in the eyes."
Miller hesitated, then nodded. "Follow me to the station."
