“Madison! Dinner!”

“Coming Dad!” she yelled from her bedroom floor. Putting down her pen, she closed her books and neatly stacked her homework.

Her father was bent at the waist, pulling a casserole out of the oven. She began gathering plates and silverware when her father said, “It’s only the two of us tonight, jelly bean. You’re mother called and said she’d be working late. Something about a new case.”

Madison looked down at the two plates she’d automatically grabbed. Her mind hadn’t even considered making it three.

He took her silence as condemnation. “It’s only for a short time. She’s new on the force and wants to make a good impression.”

She scooped a heaping pile of chicken and rice on her plate. “It’s Friday night. I thought the whole point of moving was so she could spend more time with us,” she said, following her dad into the living room. She sunk into the couch next to her dad. They always ate there when it was just the two of them, neither liking the formal dining room.

“Give it time. Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

“There’s always going to be a new case, Dad, whether we live in a large city or some beachside town. I don’t see why I had to leave all my friends so she could work the exact same hours. We could have stayed.” Not hungry anymore, she dropped her fork on the plate.

“She’s trying. Her partner’s shooting really shook her up. It could have easily been her who died that night.”

Madison closed her eyes, remembering the panic she felt when they got the call to rush to the hospital. All they knew was that an officer had been fatally wounded in a shootout. She’ll never forget the rush of relief she felt when she saw her mother standing alive and well in the emergency room. Her knees literally gave out and sank to the ground with a small sob.

After that fateful night, her mother started to change. She grew restless, constantly prowling around at night, too agitated to sleep. She snapped at her husband and started badgering Madison about every little thing. She wanted to know where she was going, whom she was going with and what they were planning on doing. Her mother even checked up on her a few times, showing up at the mall or park where she hung out.

For Madison, the sudden interest in her life was unwelcome. She was use to the easygoing nature of her dad. He trusted her, allowing her to do what she wanted—within reason of course. So it insulted her to constantly be questioned by her mother, interrogated like a criminal.

It was her father who suggested the move, explaining a change of pace in a quiet town might do them some good. Eight weeks later, they packed and flew to Edgewood.

“I don’t mean to sound ungrateful. It’s just…”

“I know. It’ll get better. You’ll see.” He patted her head like he did when she was little. “What do you say after dinner we buy some ice cream sundaes and bring one to your mom like we use to? I’m sure it’ll make her day.”

Madison forced a smile on her face. “That sounds great, Dad.”

When they stopped by the police station her mother was hunched over her desk, twirling the ends of her hair as she read a file. She smiled as they approached, the expression making her look ten years younger.

“To what do I owe this surprise?” she asked, hugging Madison.  

“Just wanted to stop by and say hello,” her father said, giving her a kiss, then handing her the cold treat. Her parents continued to talk to each other till Carson’s dad, Mr. Marks, came over.

“You working late too?” her dad asked after a quick handshake.

“Wrapping things up. Need to get home to the family.”

“How’s that FEC case going? Any new leads?” her mother inquired.

He shook his head. “It’s an odd one. The only pattern I see is the thief takes rare, collectable items. Other than that, there’s nothing connecting them.”

“Well, good luck.”

“Thanks. I’ll see you guys later. Have a good night.”

“What’s that about?” her dad asked when Mr. Marks walked away.

“We’ve gotten reports of some petty crimes happening in the area. Items have gone missing from homes.”

“Better make sure all our locks work.” He turned to give Madison a teasing wink. “Good think we have a cop in the family. No one would dare rob us.”

“Not like they would know she lives there,” she remarked, watching the doors of the police station click shut as Mr. Marks left for the night.

“Madison!” he growled. “Apologize.”

“Sorry.”

His nostrils flared at her unrepentant tone, but he let it pass. He took her mother’s hands and entwined their fingers. “Did you hear the good news? Our girl’s been promoted to sports editor of the newspaper.”

Her mother beamed. “That’s great, honey. I’m so proud of you.”

“It’s only temporary and I didn’t even want it.”

“Regardless, Carson wouldn’t have given you the position if he didn’t think you were capable.”

She shrugged nonchalantly, but a part of her heart swelled at her mother’s praise. “Are you going to be here for much longer? There’s a movie marathon on I thought we could watch.”

Her mother’s face dimmed at the question. “I can’t tonight. There’s too much work that needs to be done, but what about tomorrow?”

“Never mind,” she muttered, scoffing at her own naivety.

“It’ll be fun,” her mother wheedled. “And I promise no work. I’ll be home by five.”  

“You’re going to work tomorrow? It’s Saturday!” Madison shook her head. “Just forget it. You obviously have better things to do.”

Her mother’s expression morphed into that of a seasoned cop. “What I do is important, Madison. People are counting on me.”

“I like how your sense of duty only extend to those who aren’t blood related.”

“That’s enough, young lady,” her father snapped. “Don’t speak to your mother like that. You’re grounded for a week and no TV privileges. Go wait in the car.”

“With pleasure,” she said in a low voice, stalking out.

“I just don’t know what to do with her anymore,” she heard her mother say. “I thought things would improve between us once we moved.”

“Just be patient,” her father responded.

Madison snorted. Nothing was going to change when her mother refused to see the problem and from what she could see, that was never going to happen.

****

By the time it was Wednesday, Madison had forgotten about Avery’s invitation to join the study group. It wasn’t until chemistry class when Avery stopped by her desk that she remembered.

“You’re coming today, right?” When Madison didn’t respond, she went on to say, “And I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“Then why did you ask me?”

“To be polite.”

Avery looked so expectant she could do nothing but ground out an, “I’ll be there.”

As she made her way to the public library lugging her bag full of books, Madison wondered why they didn’t meet at the school library. It was closer and more convenient. The four friends stood by the fountain near the entrance. Avery waved her hand and motioned for her to come over.

“I’m so glad you made it.”

“You didn’t give me much of a choice.”

“There’s always a choice, Madison,” Avery commented, slipping her arm through her own.

They walked inside and headed up the stairs to the back of the library where the reference section was. They rounded a corner and came to a large room lined with ceiling to floor bookcases that held government publications. Madison was about to ask where they were studying when Avery pulled her into the room. They passed seven bookcases before walking down the eighth. At the end of the aisle was a wooden door and a golden plaque with the words “Study Room FE-2C” engraved onto it.

“I’ve never been back here before,” she whispered.

“Most people haven’t. We stumbled across it a year ago.”

They entered a medium sized room with a long table in the middle and four matching chairs. It was run-down, wallpaper peeling off and brown spots staining the carpet. Madison was confused why they used this room when there were nicer ones downstairs.

To be continued...