Chapter 2 - Red and Blue Shadows
The cruiser slowed to a crawl, its tires crunching softly on the asphalt. Officer Davis rolled down the driver-side window, his flashlight cutting a sharp beam through the gathering dusk.
“Everything alright over here, Marcus?” Davis asked, his tone polite but cautious. He knew this neighborhood; he knew the families.
Marcus immediately dropped his hands, the rage vanishing from his face as if it had never existed, replaced by a smooth, easy smile.
“Just a family disagreement, Officer. We’re working through some parenting stuff,” Marcus said smoothly, taking a step back toward Claire and Sophie.
Claire felt a cold sweat break out along her spine. She knew that mask. She had lived behind it for ten years.
“We are not fine,” Claire said, stepping forward into the beam of the flashlight. “He threatened us.”
Marcus laughed softly, shaking his head with an air of patient exhaustion. “She’s stressed, Officer. The custody paperwork is getting to her head. Look at her, she’s not thinking straight.”
Officer Davis looked between them, his eyes lingering on the black boxing glove still clutched in Claire’s hand.
“Ma’am? Is that true?” Davis asked, his gaze shifting back to Claire.
Sophie whimpered, tightening her grip on Claire’s cardigan. The little girl’s trembling frame broke something inside Claire’s chest, dissolving any lingering hesitation.
“He didn't just threaten me,” Claire said, her voice rising slightly. “Check the trunk of his sedan, Officer. The one parked in the driveway.”
Marcus’s polite smile faltered for a fraction of a second, just enough for his jaw to clench.
“Don’t do it, Claire,” Marcus muttered under his breath, stepping close enough for only her to hear. “You’ll ruin everything we built.”
May you like
Davis shifted the cruiser into park and opened his door.
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