Page 28 of Out of the Shadows (Angelhart Investigations)
“I don’t want to talk to anyone,” Charlie said, but didn’t make a move to slam the door on Margo, so she walked into the condo
and closed the door behind her.
Charlie drained the beer he was drinking, tossed the bottle, and grabbed another. Margo figured this was his fourth beer.
“Go ahead, drink and feel sorry for yourself,” Margo said. “I don’t really care. But your kids are worried about you. Either
I’m going to sit here with you all night to protect your life—” she patted her gun so he understood what protecting him entailed
“—or you’re going to come back with me to Laura’s house so your kids know you’re safe and I’ll have help protecting you, and
Jack will have help protecting Laura and your kids.”
“She doesn’t need me. She doesn’t want me.”
Margo sat down on the couch across from Charlie.
“Your kids need you,” she said. “Divorce sucks. I know. My brother went through a divorce he didn’t want and he did everything
in his power to save his marriage. But Whitney didn’t want to work on the marriage, she didn’t love him, and she didn’t want
to save anything. From what I know about Laura, she tried. You tried. Shit happened and it didn’t work.”
“It’s all my fault. I lied to her. I... lost our house. I lost everything. And I tried to make it right, when I heard about
something of value in the storage unit, I thought, this is it! I can make a business of this and be a success and she’ll come
back! But she won’t. She’ll never forgive me. I just wanted to be a better husband, a better father.”
“I don’t know anything about your marriage, but Laura thinks you’re a great dad. You need to be here for your kids. And Jerry
Aberdeen doesn’t know you gave the jewels to the Thornton family. He thinks you have them, and he’s going to be looking for you—or going to Laura because hurting her will force you to turn them over. I
don’t know his plan, but it’s safer for you all to be in the same place until the police find the bastard.”
Charlie frowned, drank more beer. “Nothing I do turns out.”
“Oh, stop with the pity party.” Okay, she didn’t have a lot of tact. She never had. She wanted people to see reality, accept
it, move on. “You have two great kids and that’s more than most people can say. You have a good job and I talked to your boss.”
“You did?”
“I had to find you. And he said you did great work, you can fix anything, and everyone likes you.”
“Really?” Charlie perked up.
“He also said you’re lazy and unreliable, coming in late nearly every day.”
“Oh.”
“So my advice? Play to your strengths, minimize your weaknesses.” Why she was giving life advice to a man in his thirties,
she didn’t know. But she’d pretty much say anything to get him to come with her. “Find ways to get to work on time. Continue
doing the good work, and good things will happen.”
“But Laura doesn’t want me back.”
Margo didn’t comment. Charlie knew the truth; he just had to accept it.
“I’ll stay here,” he said as he sulked. “I promise I won’t leave.”
“Okay. I guess I’ll make myself at home.”
“No, you can go. You need to go. My kids need you to help protect them.”
“Charlie, I already told you—I stick with you wherever you go. Your kids made me promise.”
“Laura doesn’t want to see me.”
“Laura wants you safe. Here, or there. It’s your call.”
“Fine. I’ll go with you.”
Margo was relieved. She wanted to back Jack up. She just had a bad feeling about this whole thing. Aberdeen was desperate,
and desperate men did reckless things.
“Pack a bag. I’m giving you five minutes.”
He went into his bedroom. Margo dialed Jack to let him know she was on her way with Charlie. He didn’t answer. She texted
him. He didn’t respond.
She called out to Charlie. “Pick up the pace, we need to go now.”
Margo then called Luisa.
Luisa didn’t answer.
“Now, Charlie.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know, but you’d better buckle up because I’m going to break some traffic laws.”