Page 105 of Midnightsong
Angie’s eyes were drooping. The clock on the wall facing her was tick-tick-ticking away, and it was close to evening. The dim lights were doing her no favor in keeping her alert.
“I don’t know. I’m sorry. I want to help,” she said. “I promise I don’t know any more than what I’ve told you. The mer are secretive. They haven’t revealed all their secrets to me.”
They studied her, the silence stretching longer and longer, the tension between them thickening with each passing moment.
“Okay, thank you. We’ll keep everything you said on record.” Balcerzak stood and Lopez followed suit. “We’ll take you home.”
“Wait. One more question before we go?” Angie said before they left the office.
“Yes?” Lopez.
“Did you find any information on the Mer-Queen’s killers?”
Balcerzak shook his head. “That’s no longer our priority. At least not now.” They kept walking and Angie followed at their heels.
“What do you mean?”
“The information is classified,” Lopez said, opening the backseat door for Angie.
The ride back to Creston felt like it passed much more quickly, and she texted her family that she was coming home. The interrogators thanked her again before leaving in their car.
Angie was left standing in front of Mia’s house in the cold, arms and legs shaking.
The information was classified?
Were Saeryn and Cassia up to something again?
She didn’t like the possibility of the answer being yes.
Forty-Six
Angie
Angie arrived home from dropping Bàbaoff at physical therapy, and Mia took the car from her to pick up her children from her in-laws’ place.
She, Mia, and Bàba planned to do his physical therapy exercises together, and they could rest with cups of hot tea on the balcony. A recreation of the old days with a challenge to drink as much tea as they could before the weather turned their drinks cold.
Snow fell, dotting Angie’s lashes and bangs, as she strode across the short driveway. Evidently it had snowed last night, if the inches-thick, powdery coating on the ground was any indication. Snowflakes drifted from the skies above and she held out a hand, watching as they landed on her gloves and became tiny puddles.
Mia arrived home twenty minutes later, her shoulder-length hair pulled back with a large clip, and she gave Angie a hug. “Is everything okay?” she asked when she pulled away.
“Angie ayí! You’re home!” Rosie bounced up and down, her small face bright and cheery, and it couldn’t help but put Angie in a cheerier mood.
Angie kneeled to give Rosie and little Jack a hug. “An-gie.” Jack struggled before saying the next word. “A-yi?”
“Yes, you got it perfect this time, sweetie. You all hungry?”
“It’s been a long morning. Jack might need his nap.” Mia looked down at the top of her son’s head.
“No nap.” Jack shook his head and jumped up and down, his tiny feet pounding against their hardwood floors. He pointed to Lulu, who had came downstairs and stuck her head out from the stairwell at the commotion. “Kitty!” He bolted for her, and she turned tail and sprinted upstairs.
Angie shook her head with a faint smile and walked to the kitchen to boil two cups of jasmine green tea for her and Mia and poured two cups of water for the kids. “How’s work been?” She set the cups on the living room coffee table where her sister had already put out four bear and moose-shaped coasters.
“Fine. Been thinking more seriously about leaving my job.” Mia reached for her teacup, eagle eyes glued to her children. It was a miracle to Angie that her sister didn’t miss or spill her mug even when she wasn’t looking at it.
Rosie ignored the water and ran up the stairs, presumably to look for her brother.
Her comment piqued Angie’s attention. Mia loved her position at the hospital, at least, to her knowledge. “Really? Did something happen at work?”
