Chapter Twenty-Seven

JULIA ROLLED AWAY, scrambling to her hands and knees. Her stomach roiled. Nüwa stood over Martin’s still form. Julia swallowed the bile in her throat.

Horror filled her as she watched Nüwa lift the shovel again. “No!” She crawled toward Nüwa, grabbed her shirt. “No, Nüwa, no.”

Nüwa looked down at Julia, face twisted in rage. “Why not?” Her arms shook visibly.

“Because he’s taken enough from you.” Julia stood, tightened her grip on Nüwa’s shirt. “If you kill him, you’ll never be free of him.” She glanced at Martin’s crumpled form. Blood streamed from his mouth. Another small pool gathered behind his ear. His jaw hung at an unnatural angle. “If you haven’t already.”

Nüwa’s chest and shoulders rose and fell. Time spun out between them. Julia relaxed her grip when Nüwa lowered the shovel.

Nüwa stepped away from Julia. She flicked her wrist and used the edge of the shovel to push the pistol out of Martin’s reach.

Julia forced herself to touch two fingers to the pulse point on Martin’s neck. His skin was clammy, and his pulse slow under her fingertips. “He’s alive.” Her gaze locked with Nüwa’s. The rain eased, becoming a steady drizzle.

Nüwa nudged Martin’s leg with the toe of her shoe. “Pity.”

“You would’ve gone to jail.” Julia stood. “We need to call the police.” She patted Martin’s pockets. After locating her cell phone, she thumbed it on. Nüwa stood guard over Martin, the shovel over her shoulder. Julia prayed silently she would get through, and the police would arrive soon. If Martin so much as twitched, Julia was uncertain she would be able to stop Nüwa. Her fingers trembled as she dialed 9-1-1. A surreal energy surrounded them as she explained their emergency to the dispatcher. After concluding the call, Julia stuffed her phone into her pocket. “We’ll need to meet them at the cottage.”

“What if he wakes up?” Nüwa pursed her lips.

“What if he does? I don’t think he’s going to get far. I’m pretty sure you broke his jaw.”

Nüwa snorted. “I wish I’d broken his neck.” Her eyes blazed. “If he had harmed you, he would not have left this maze.”

“I’m afraid to leave you alone with him.”

Nüwa frowned at her and hefted the spade to her shoulder. “Afraid of what?”

The distant wail of sirens filtered through the hedge. “Of him waking up. Of you killing him.”

Nüwa pursed her lips. “I’m not leaving him until the police come and I know he’s in custody. I’ve spent too many years hiding from this disgusting fucker. I am not going back to being afraid to live.”

Julia lifted her shoulders and let them fall. “I’ll go. Promise me you won’t kill him?”

Nüwa narrowed her eyes at Julia. “I will do whatever it takes.”

“Whatever it takes?”

“Whatever it takes to make sure he never bothers us again.”

 

THE AMBULANCE CREW loaded Martin into the van. He had regained consciousness in the maze as the emergency medical technicians had worked on him. His words were garbled and nonsensical. Nüwa had reluctantly surrendered the shovel.

The sheriff had been joined by local police. More arrived, it seemed, every minute as notice was sent to the federal agents. A deep chill settled in her bones as the adrenaline wore off. Julia hovered nearby, explaining her side of what had happened to the police. Nüwa rubbed her palms over her arms. She and Julia had declined the paramedics’ offer of a trip to the emergency room, preferring to be treated at the scene.

After an interminable time and a cataloging of their minor wounds from their encounter, and determining Julia did not need stitches, the officer in charge offered them both her card and a packet of information about a victim support group. Nüwa smiled and nodded, willing them all to leave so she could drop her façade. Her phone had buzzed twice during their time with the police, her mother’s number flashing across the screen. Nüwa sent her calls to voice mail, unable to deal with one more thing now.

Julia crossed the gravel lot of the cottage. “They’re finished with me. You?”

“Yes.” Nüwa raised her shoulders and let them fall. She inclined her head toward the maze. “They said they would be a while longer collecting evidence. Said they would call me when they were finished.”

The ambulance pulled away with its lights flashing.

“Want to wait here? Or at your apartment?” Julia rested her fingertips on Nüwa’s arm.

“There’s another evidence crew at the house.”

“Come inside.” Julia clasped her hand and drew her toward the cottage. “I’ll make us some coffee.”

“I have to talk to my parents.” Nüwa studied the wet gravel dotted with deep puddles as they crossed to the door.

Julia unlocked the door. “Excuse the mess.”

Nüwa stepped inside. Carving tools lined the work area. Scattered over the bench top were drawings and half-filled coffee cups.

She paused, spun in a slow circle taking in Julia’s studio space. On the long work bench a clay model stood in silhouette. Nüwa glanced at Julia.

It was herself. Her features exquisitely detailed by the sculpture. She was sitting at a piano, the muscles of her back and arms defined. Her hands were on the meticulously depicted keyboard. The folds of her gown flowed down over the bench, downward until it curved back up and became the body of the piano.

“It’s not finished.” Julia moved the ice pack the rescue squad had given her for her jaw. She pointed to an uncut block of stone nearly as tall as Nüwa and twice as wide. “It’s the rough draft for the large piece.”

Nüwa tilted her head. “It’s exquisite just as it is.”

“Thank you.” Julia flushed, her cheeks a dark red hiding her freckles. “I didn’t want you to see it until I had finished it.”

Nüwa pursed her lips. “Like playing a new piece before you’re ready?”

“Exactly. Coffee?”

“Please.” Nüwa followed Julia up the stairs to the living space. Julia unlocked the door and pushed it open. “After you.”

Nüwa stepped into the tidy space, a sharp contrast to the workshop below. She strode to the window looking out over the yard and the maze. “It always looks so small from here.” She leaned to the left, straining to see if the police and evidence van were still in the parking lot. “You’d think I killed him for as long as they’re taking.”

“I’m glad you didn’t.” Julia scooped coffee into the French press.

“I wanted to. I’ve wanted to since he murdered Jane. Fantasized about it for hours. In detail. If you hadn’t been there, I would have. I would have bashed his head with the shovel until my arms gave out.” Nüwa turned away from Julia. “I’ve not said anything like that to anyone but my therapist.” Nüwa’s stomach twisted on itself. Had she exposed too much of herself? Julia’s silence needled her. “Say something, please.”

“I love you.”

Nüwa turned to face Julia. Studied her expression. “You do? Even after all of this? Knowing what violence I’m capable of?”

“You didn’t go seek him out. He found you. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. He killed Jane. Murdered a guard and a physician. Murdered a private detective. And who knows how many folks we don’t know about.” Julia’s voice cracked. “And he would have murdered me, too, if you hadn’t…”

Nüwa strode across the room, gathered Julia in her arms, and held her tight.

A tight sob escaped her, and her body shook in Nüwa’s embrace. “Shhh. My love. I’m here. We’re safe.” Nüwa rested her chin on top of Julia’s head and rubbed her back in slow circles. They were safe. And for the first time since Martin Fenster entered her life, Nüwa believed it.