Detective Mackey's Second Residence

  Late Evening

  James is seated on the living room couch, staring blankly ahead at the opposite window. Not a single light is on in the entire house. The oppressive darkness surrounding the silent detective feels like a glove tightening over his throat--threatening to snuff out his very life. Yet, he continues to sit alone in the dark. Lacking the energy and the will to do more than blink.

  His entire life is falling apart. Everything he has fought and worked so hard to achieve will soon mean absolutely nothing. His reputation as a stellar and upright detective will never truly be restored. This can't be how it ends. Why?

  Loud, incessant knocking on the front door jars Detective Mackey from his brooding. He slowly blinks, unsure of who that can be. It can't be Dave.

  "James!" Madison yells through the screen door. "James, open up! I know you're in there! James! James?!? James, open this door! Open this door, now! I'm not playing with you! Let me in! James?!? James!!!!"

  Detective Mackey considers ignoring his more than annoyed wife. She shouldn't be here. Madison shouldn't see him like this. However, the thought of Madison standing alone on the porch,--constantly calling his name and fearing the worst--draws James to his feet.

  Slowly making his way to the front door, James rests his right hand on the cool wood. He takes a deep breath before opening the door. Madison's has her right hand poised to knock again when James pulls the inner door wide enough to peek out at her.

  "James...What the hell are you doing here?" Madison chastises her husband in a shaky voice. "Why are you all alone in the dark?"

  "Madison, I....,"

  "Don't Madison me, James Mackey!" Madison barks, her voice growing stronger the longer she stares at James' sullen face.

  Madison adjusts Jamie Junior in his sling and glowers furiously at Detective Mackey. So far, the detective has made no move to open the interior door wider. He continues to stare out at her through a space of about a foot and a half. Madison places both hands on her hips and taps one slender foot impatiently. The foot not keeping the screen door open.

  "Open this door, James Mackey! Now!"

  "Madison, I don't..."

  "NOW!"

  James lets out a loud sigh before deciding he'd better do as she asks. Opening the interior door, James holds the screen open so that Madison may enter the home. He waits until she is completely inside before shutting the front door. He turns on the living room light via a dual switch beside the door.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  "Madison, I really don't think this is a...," James says, swiveling to look at Madison.

  James stops mid sentence when he observes the intense expression on Madison's face. She looks as though she wishes to strike him. Instead, she steps closer and cradles his face between her hands. Gazing into James' solemn eyes, Madison goes up on tiptoe. She kisses him with all of the tenderness and emotion she can muster. James wraps both arms around her middle, drawing Madison in close--but not close enough to crush the tiny infant strapped to her bosom. After a small eternity, they move apart, continuing to keep eye contact.

  "James? What are you doing here? Dave called me...," Madison begins.

  "Awwww, Dave!" Mackey groans, shifting his gaze towards the ceiling.

  "Don't be mad at Dave, James. He was worried about you. He said you weren't answering your phone and that he'd spoken with pretty much everyone at the station. But no one had seen you since Detective Samuels escorted you out. He was trying to get ahold of you to let you know he's coming back a day early. Octavia's gonna stay in Oxnard for a couple more days, but Dave will be back day after tomorrow. He wanted you to know he's got your back, James. And so do I. We believe in you, James. You're gonna have to keep believing in yourself. I don't know what you were doing...Here in this house...In the dark. But I don't like it. I was scared. Please don't ever scare me like that again, James. Please. I couldn't do this without you. Not with a newborn baby."

  "Oh, Madison. Oh no. I wasn't...No," James gasps, truly realizing what Madison had suspected. "I would never have done that to you. Or Jamie. Oh no, Madison. I love you too much. No."

  Embracing Madison as hard as he dares, James kisses the hair at the crown of her head. Jamie Junior chuffs from deep within his sling. The fingers on the tiny infant's hands flex as he grasps at empty air and struggles against both hunger and sleep. Before long, choppy whimpers escape Jamie's lips. James raises his head from the frizzy nest which is Madison's hair. He smiles down at his son with sorrow and regret.

  "I would never have hurt you like that, Madison. I swear to you...That's not why I was here. I was doing some checking on Mayor Gunther's not so secret daughter. The young woman they found murdered. The young woman I saw shot. She had...A very tumultuous life. Her mother's life wasn't much better. Simon...He did what he could to hide most of the real dirty details from the public eye. I guess...I just got caught up in everything and my emotions starting going haywire. I didn't...I don't want you to see me like this, Maddie. And I don't...I don't want you to be there if the department decides to cart me in. I wanted to spare you that pain."

  "Shouldn't that be my decision, James. I made the decision to marry you. For better...For worse. I wasn't just speaking words, James Mackey. I meant every single one of them. You're my husband. And Jamie is your son. If they want to come and get you...They'll have to go through us."

  "But..."

  "No buts, James. That's the way it is. Now...I want you to get your stuff together. And I want you to drive me and your son back home. Do you understand me, James? We're a family. You belong with us at home. No matter what happens."

  "Okay," James says with a weak smile. "Let me gather up my things. Be right back."

  "Okay," Madison whispers, allowing James to lean in and gently kiss her.

  James is halfway to the dining room when he suddenly backs up and returns to the living room. He squints questioningly in Madison's direction.

  "Why didn't you just use your key, Madison?"

  Madison kisses Jamie Junior's head and then offers James a smug smile.

  "I wanted you to answer the door," Madison answers.

  "Ha. Fair enough," James chuckles, before disappearing up the hallway.