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The children were sent outside to play, while the adults remained in the room with Officer Harris. Mary-Anne held Luna tight as she walked to the tree fort with Bobby.
“Bobby, did you really mean what you said?” Mary-Anne asked, dangling her feet off the side of the fort, kicking in the air.
“Of course I did,” Bobby replied, “Your dad was a creep and I hate him! I hate what he did to you and your mum! I hate him for hurting my sister! But I don’t hate you.”
Mary-Anne burst into tears. Bobby reached over and drew her near, pushing her head to rest on his chest. Luna readjusted herself in Mary-Anne’s lap, then settled in to sleep, purring deeply.
*********
“Officer Harris, this isn’t the end of Mary-Anne’s story, is it?” Robert asked, “There are so many questions that still aren’t answered. Like, what happened to Tracey’s car? Why didn’t they find Tracey when they searched the area?”
“And why can Mary-Anne remember so clearly, tiny details,” added Lisa, “when she couldn’t even recall Tracey last week. Forget the fact that now she’s telling us exact towns, where she went with her father and details about Tracey no one knew.”
“Maggie, perhaps you can explain further?” Officer Harris asked.
“Memories are funny things,” Maggie began, “Lisa, you work part-time in the transitional home. You’ve been around women who remember nothing then one day; you find them on the floor in tears. Remembering every detail of abuse they endured as children. Sometimes younger than Mary-Anne.”
“Yes, that’s true.”
“You know how a smell, a feeling, even a touch can trigger responses,” Maggie continued, “You and Robert have seen this several times first hand – Mary-Anne flipping out over seemingly nothing.”
“Yes, that’s how this all started,” Lisa stated, “A fight in the school yard.”
“Right. Now knowing all this, does that help to explain how Mary-Anne can be totally in the dark last week and now recalls many details, even Tracey’s tattoo?”
“Maggie, it is all making sense,” Lisa said, “It’s all part of the PTSD. The fight triggered memories of her father and Tracey, for reasons we don’t really understand. Once that floodgate opened, the rest came.”
“But hon, how does that explain a 4 year old remembering exact towns?” Robert asked, “I’m really skeptical especially since she started by lying to us. How do we know this is the truth?”
“Let me answer that one, Maggie,” Officer Harris replied, “First is the issue of the tattoo. How would Mary-Anne know about the tattoo when she never heard either of you speak of this? Then there is the matter of the chain. You’ve identified it as Tracey’s. Even if the story doesn’t check out, one thing is clear – Mary-Anne met Tracey.”
“Fine but there still is the matter of the car. Where did it go?”
“Good question. I’m going to notify my buddy in the Winnipeg detachment of the latest updates. He’s been tracking this since I was called into the case,” Officer Harris stated, “He has no leads on Mary-Anne or her father. Which doesn’t surprise us at all. He could have been using a false name. We’ve identified at least 6 different identifications he took on; none are registered in the motel Tracey last stayed in. Or any of the motels in the area. He could have used another id though.”
“Is it also possible that Mary-Anne’s memories are not as clear as she wants us to believe?” asked Lisa, “Could she be telling us what we want to hear?”
“Yes, that’s always a possibility,” replied Maggie, “She may be filling in gaps with stories. But as Officer Harris stated, we do know that at some point she was with Tracey.”
“Something keeps telling me though,” Robert muttered, “This is far from being over.”
********
Bobby dried Mary-Anne’s eyes and offered his shirtsleeve to wipe her nose. What were a few nose germs between friends? He kept his arm tight around her shoulders, giving her strength and courage to face whatever lay ahead.
“Mary-Anne?”
“Yes”
“Was Tracey, I mean, was she, well, did your dad really rape her?”
“Almost but I hit her and she fell.”
Mary-Anne began to cry all over again. Bobby continued holding her, willing himself not to cry as he soothed her.
“It wasn’t your fault, Mary-Anne.”
“So you keep telling me. But my heart doesn’t believe that.”
“That officer, he said we still can’t talk but to hell with him.”
“Bobby!” Mary-Anne sat up and turned, looking at him in shock, “I’ve never heard you talk like that. You always do as you are told.”
“Tough. You need to talk, so talk. Who’s going to know? Me? Luna? We won’t tell!”
Mary-Anne reached over and softly brushed her fingers against his cheek.
“No, Bobby there still is too much to tell. It’s coming back in flashes. Each time the flashes become stronger. If we want to make my daddy pay for what he did, we have to do as we are told.”
“Hell, Mary-Anne when did you become so responsible?”
“When my daddy first hit my mummy.” Mary-Anne replied, “And again, when the memories returned about Tracey. I think Maggie drilled it into my brain when we first walked.”
Bobby scoffed at her words.
“Bobby?”
“Yeah”
“How come you didn’t cry about Tracey? Or what happened?”
“Boys don’t cry Mary-Anne. Besides what the hell good would tears do? It’s done. Time to move on.”
Mary-Anne looked at him puzzled.
“You don’t need to be strong for me, Bobby. I’ve been strong all by myself for a long time. I won’t tell if you cry.”
“Get off it, ok!”
“Listen! I’m just saying, boys do cry. Your dad was crying. You don’t always have to be my hero. Sometimes, you know, I could be yours.”
“Look, get off my case! I’m fine. I just offered to listen if you wanted to talk! Don’t be getting all mushy on me. Cry. Geesh, I’m not a baby, you know!”
Mary-Anne stood up. Luna jumped off quickly and ran to the back corner, settling into the pillows thrown there. Mary-Anne looked at Bobby puzzled, then laid down on her stomach. Looking over the edge of the fort, she muttered,
“I know you aren’t a baby. I just don’t know why you don’t cry.”
“Get off it, Mary-Anne before I push you over.”
“Go for it, I have nothing to live for anyhow.”
Bobby stood. Staring at her, he felt a lump grow large in his throat. How could she say that? Nothing was making sense. He didn’t even know why he was so mad at her. She was only trying to care but here he was, yelling at her. It all came out wrong.
“Fine, you have nothing to live for,” Bobby stammered, “Then just jump and break your stupid neck. And to make you happy, I’ll cry at your stupid funeral!”
Bobby climbed quickly down the ladder, then bolted out the back yard to the alley. Mary-Anne watched him run, confused and hurt by everything that had just happened.
“Don’t bother, stupid! Just run away! Go away! I don’t care!”
As Bobby disappeared, Mary-Anne got up and curled up on the pillows, holding Luna tight.
“But I really do care, Luna. I really do,” she said as she burst into fresh tears, “And I don’t know why.”
*****
“Officer Harris, what is the next move?” Robert asked.
“My friend will move up the investigation in Winnipeg. I’ll need to talk further with Mary-Anne, alone. Maggie will be with me but we really need some time without the family around.” Officer Harris stated.
“I understand” Robert replied.
Maggie added, “My office is still trying to verify the birth certificate and track down her biological father. We’ll also have to find out how the young girl is who Mary-Anne beat up.”
“Plus, I have to contact the prison and find out the exact date of release for Mary-Anne’s father,” Maggie added, “And find out the status of his petition to re-gain custody of Mary-Anne.”
Officer Harris interrupted, “I forgot about his upcoming release. I’ll contact the parole board and inform them of the current investigation. It should gain us some distance and time. With the information Mary-Anne provided, it should be enough to hold off custody for awhile. And hopefully….”
“Hopefully,” Robert added, “it’ll give us time to build a case and return him back to prison.”
“Right, one step at a time.”
************
Bobby ran. He ran without direction or purpose. He ran to out distance the demons lurking inside. The ones that threatened to run back to Mary-Anne and push her off the fort. Revenge.
Revenge for killing Tracey. Revenge for being a part of it all, for living with a man who would rape his sister. Revenge – cold, dark and ugly. It bubbled deep inside, grabbing Bobby’s heart, ripping it in shreds.
Bobby ran.
**************
Mary-Anne fell asleep. Curled up in the pillows, holding Luna tightly, she fell into a deep dreamless sleep. Still the feelings stayed trapped within her heart. As she slept, anger overtook her body, her hands tightened to fists. Luna struggled to escape than gave into fate taking one last breath, she died.
**************
Robert and Lisa sobbed after everyone left. They collapsed on the couch, holding one another tight and sobbed. Gut wrenching, straight from the heart sobs. They cried for Tracey, for Mary-Anne, for Bobby and for themselves.
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