Free Becoming Maddie (The Casterhouse series Book 1) by Hannah Gittins

her.
    “Now I don’t want you to be worried, we will find him, and he will be brought back, and will face more charges. But I did have to inform you and ask you a couple of quick questions.” The Detective carried on. “Would you be able to answer them now?”
    She coughed slightly finding her breath stuck in her throat. It was too much to take in. She couldn’t do it. Maddie couldn’t sit here when he could be on his way to her right now!
    Her hand was squeezed and again her head was lifted by fingers under her chin. Warm caramel eyes shinned into hers and within them she saw him willing her on. Giving her some strength to answer the questions need. Because she knew, looking into those eyes, that she needed to get away from here. Not just for herself but for the people around her.
    “You can ask me any questions you like Detective.” Maddie said her voice suddenly sounding stronger than it had done before. It helped knowing that she knew what had to be done.
    “Do you know a Craig Chambers?” Detective Miller asked.
    Surprised at this question, she answered. “Yes. He was a friend.”
    “A friends of yours?” He asked.
    “No.” she said softly. “Why are you asking about him?”
    There was a long pause and then another big sigh. “He was the person that came to visit your ex-husband on the Monday that he swallowed the items. He was also the nurse that took him from the room.”
    Craig had always looked at her in a way that made her uncomfortable. But he had also looked at her with pity. He knew what she suffered and had often had to leave the house when things got bad. There had been a time when she had once asked him for help and hadn’t been given it. Sadly it was not the first time she had not been given the help that she badly needed. Craig had never struck her as a truly dangerous man, a lecher for sure but never a man to do real harm to another human being. What he was though was a weak soul who was a follower and an easy manipulated man.
    “Have you seen him recently?” Miller asked.
    “I have not seen him since…” Her tongue halted in her mouth not wanting to spill the words at all. And definitely not wanting to spill them with Aiden watching her so closely and listening to her every word.
    “Okay.” Miller cut into the pause knowing what she didn’t want to say. “Have you heard from your ex-husband?”
    “No.” she answered.
    “In anyway?” he pushed.
    “Not in anyway.” She answered again.
    “Not a call or letter?” He pushed harder.
    Maddie took a big breath and answered him in a way that she hoped left him with no doubt. “I have not heard from him since that night. The first few months he called every night. Every night .  But I never, ever answered and I never, ever would.”
    In those words she knew she had given some things, maybe too much, away but it had to be done.
    “I am sorry but I had to ask.” The Detective apologised.
    Of course he did, she told herself. He had to ask but she needed to make sure that he never had to ask again. Maddie wanted nothing to do with her past. Now she wanted to find out what she needed to know and start making plans.
    “That’s okay.” She said thinking about how to word the next question. “Do you know where?” Being careful to not give anything away to her listener. 
    “No Mrs Wallace I am afraid that we don’t. We have a few leads that we are following. You don’t need to worry as we will catch him and have him behind bars soon.” He answered.
    “Do you know what direction?” she now pushed him.
    There was silence that rung in her ears as she waited and almost gave in to begging to know the answer.
    “We, again, have a few leads but nothing certain.” He finally said softly.
    Maddie gasped and quickly pulled her hand free of the ever watching Aiden’s and covered her mouth. Her throat was tight as the tears started burning her eyes. But she couldn’t cry now because of the ever watching Aiden. She would not give in