Chapter 49: Confrontation

Maryanne grips her phone tightly, her body trembling as they pull into the parking lot of the old house. It isn’t far from where their house is. Caroline was this close all along.
Max puts the car into park and turns the ignition off, “Maryanne, you shouldn’t’ve come. Stay in the car.” He glances at her for only a second before opening his door.
Maryanne bites out, “I am not staying in here when Riley is in there.” She swings open her own door, fighting the tingle in her legs causing her muscles to be weak. She takes a sharp breath in and tries to reorient herself before fear causes her to panic.
“Maryanne,” Max warns as he quickly moves towards the front door.
Maryanne refuses to back down and is right behind him, her eyes wide with terror.
Max glances back toward her before huffing, “Fine, just call the cops while we’re here. We can’t wait for them to arrive but having them here will help.”
“Okay,” she nods and swipes open her phone.
It takes a few rings before the call is answered.
“Yes, detective? We found the culprit.” Maryanne lowers her voice as Max reaches the front door.
The detective’s deep voice rumbles through the phone, “What, how?”
She rushes her words, trying to explain it all before they enter the house, “It’s Caroline. Max’s cousin. She is Riley’s aunt. She was mad when she was passed over for guardian. She has priors and she knows that one more arrest will send her to prison for life. She has been stalking us for months.”
“Where are you,” he questions roughly. Anger is threaded in his voice.
Maryanne looks back past the car and to the street. “At an abandoned house several blocks West. She wanted to be close.”
“Don’t go in,” the detective orders.
“Too late.”
“You. . . we’re on our way. Don’t make any rash decisions. If what you tell me is true, she is dangerous and can snap at any moment. Just stay away from her.”
Max slowly creaks open the door. Maryanne is almost whispering now, “How far out are you?”
“About five, maybe seven minutes.”
“We will try to stall her.”
The detective audibly groans, “Maryanne, this is not a good idea.”
She huffs in response, “I never said it was. See you soon detective.”
“Maryanne, stay behind me.” Max’s voice is so soft that she is almost unable to hear him. He peers into each room as he continues down the hallway.
“We need to find Riley.”
“I know that, but what if Caroline has a weapon, or worse?”
“Okay,” Maryanne gives in, nodding. She falls back and only peers around his should, looking down the hall. She is, for the most part, hidden.
There is a shriek that echoes against the rotting walls.
Max freezes, whispering, “Did you hear that?”
“It sounds like Riley crying.”
“Come on,” he hurries along, heading toward the end of the hallway where the noise came from. As they draw closer, Riley’s screams became more constant.
Max slowly eases open the door to the back bedroom. Maryanne’s heart is racing as she tries to take a look inside. Max fills the entire doorway though, keeping her hidden.
“I knew you would figure it out eventually.” Caroline is in the center of the bedroom while Riley is stuck in a large playpen in the corner of the room. Tears stream down the child’s face as she screams.
Caroline is in the same state as she was when she approached Maryanne in the restaurant. Her clothes are filthy and her eyes are sunken into her face.
Max tightens his fists and booms, “Caroline, let Riley go.”
Since Maryanne is still hidden by the hallway wall, she hangs back, silent. She creeps back through another doorway, trying to find another way into the room. She notices a Jack and Jill bathroom that leads right into Caroline’s room.
Caroline hisses, “She is under my protection. I am her rightful guardian.”
“The court decided otherwise,” Max sighs and takes a step forward.
“It doesn’t matter. They don’t know what is best for Riley. I do.”
“Caroline, Riley is happy with us. Does that not matter at all?”
She shakes her head, her ratted hair dangling in her eyes, “I can make her a lot happier.”
Max waves over to Riley who clings to the edge of the playpen, staring up at him. “Does she look happy?”
Caroline sneers, “It’s just because you’re scaring her.”
“She was crying before I ever showed up.”
“Enough. Get out of here Max. I am not giving Riley up. She is mine.” Caroline pulls out a large pocketknife and grips it tightly.
Max eyes the blade and calculates how close she is to Riley. “You know the police are going to find you.”
Maryanne inches into the connected bathroom, making as little sound as she possibly could.
Caroline cackles, “They’re looking everywhere except this neighborhood. By the time they realize I am here, or by the time you tell them, we will be gone.”
“Don’t do this. Riley deserves what is best. You can’t give that to her.”
“I am sober now, Max.”
“I understand that, but you just kidnapped her. How can you expect to take care of her if you’re in prison?”
“I’m not going to prison.”
Caroline pivots toward Riley, but Maryanne barges into the room. She barrels right for Caroline, taking her at the waist and knocking her to the ground. The knife skids across the floor as Caroline’s wrist hits the floor.
Fear explodes through Max’s chest as he witness’s the take down, “Maryanne!” He moves forward, kicking the knife farther away.
Caroline groans in pain and tries to whip around, clawing at Maryanne, “You—”
As Maryanne pins the woman’s hands down under her legs, the front door to the house is kicked in and a horde of police officers swarm around them, their guns drawn.
Max swoops up Riley in one movement and hides her eyes from all of the mayhem, “I’ve got Riley.”
The head detective barges through the room holstering his weapon. He motions for two officers to take over holding Caroline down for Maryanne. “You should not have gone in alone.”
Max nods, “I’m sorry detective, I only wanted to get Riley home safe. I followed my gut and knew that Caroline wasn’t going to be here for much longer.”
“Even so, you put yourself at risk.”
He shrugs and tightens his grip on the child, “There’s no such thing, when Riley needs help.”
Maryanne stands, stepping away from Caroline before turning toward Max. “Riley,” she allows her tears to escape, cascading down her cheeks,
Max pulls her into a group hug, kissing the top of her head, “I told you we’d get her back safely.”
Through her sobs, she whimpers out, “Thank you, Max.”