Detective Morgan stood up. He pushed his dress jacket aside and all the men placed their hands on their guns. “Easy. I’m a detective,” Morgan said and showed them his badge.
“From Connecticut?” the sheriff asked, approaching with caution.
“Yes, sheriff. I just got into town to see Marlena, then I was heading to talk with you.”
“Why is that?” Mike asked.
Detective Morgan looked at Marlena and she slowly approached.
“He was assigned to my case back in Connecticut. He was the one who told me to disappear because they couldn’t prove anything against Peter and how he tried to kill me,” Marlena told them.
“What’s going on?” Roy asked and he placed his hands on Marlena’s shoulders and Rita and Regan joined them, too.
Everyone stared at Detective Morgan. He took a deep breath and released it.
“Marlena is in danger. I’ve been trying to find her for several weeks. Someone ran a check on the fire in Connecticut. I was tipped off.”
“That would be us. We were trying to figure out a full name to this Peter guy who tried to kill Marlena. We take care of our own around here. If she’s in danger then we need to know everything,” Sheriff Gordon told the detective.
“Then I suggest we all sit down and go over what I have. There’s no telling how close Peter could be to finding Marlena, but he’s pretty damn resourceful. And if I was tipped off about the calls and interest into the fire at Marlena’s apartment, then someone might have tipped off Peter. That’s why I headed out here right away. He’s got money, and he has connections. Someone is definitely keeping him well hidden, and knowing about what we found in his apartment, the man won’t stop until Marlena is dead.”
* * * *
Marlena washed up in the back bathroom of the diner. She held on to the sink and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She was overwhelmed with emotions. News spread fast about Marlena being in trouble and the place erupted in support. Adele, Alicia, and Mercedes were there, plus the Ferguson men, the Dawn men, the sheriff, and townspeople, and even Parker, and some of the locals who owned the stores in town.
Mike wasn’t kidding when he told her that she had the protection of the people of Chance and that they were pretty damn resourceful.
She closed her eyes as the tears flowed. Never in her entire life, even for a moment, had she experienced such love and compassion. Never.
The door creaked open.”
“Marlena, are you okay?” She heard Rita’s voice and she nodded her head but didn’t turn around.
“Aww, baby. It’s going to be all right. My sons, the sheriff, all of us are here for you and will protect you from that bad man,” Rita said.
Marlena had told the crowd thank you, but she was overwhelmed as they all remained there while the detective told them about Peter, where they thought he might be, and what evidence they had to prove he was after Marlena. There had been pictures, and he even described what he planned on doing to her to make her suffer. All the people were affected by the information and all of them vowed to protect her. It was too much.
“Why are you hiding in here, when everyone is out there worried about you?”
“I needed a minute,” Marlena said and wiped her eyes and then turned toward Rita. The woman smiled softly at her as she caressed her arm.
“You’re a strong, brave young woman, and you’re perfect for my sons. They love you, and I know you love them.”
A tear rolled down her cheek.
“But I don’t want to place them, the town, you, and Roy and Regan in danger. I love your sons. I would do anything to protect them.”
“And they love you.”
Marlena nodded her head and wiped her eyes again.
“Now, straighten out your shoulders, hold your head high, and be strong, like you have been. This man can’t have you. He can’t take you from us, from Chance. You remember that, and you help the detectives, the sheriff, Mike, and the others to get this guy before he even steps into town. Okay?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Rita pulled her into a hug and Marlena lost it all over again.
“If I had a daughter, I would want her to be as beautiful and as strong as you, Marlena. You’re family. You’re stuck with us, so get used to it.” She gave her shoulders a squeeze then wiped her own tear from her eye before walking out of the bathroom and through the kitchen.