Page 28 of A First Sight

Ignoring everything around me, I flipped open the latches and lifted the lid, needing to see for myself that the case had done its job and protected my instrument from the–

My heart stopped.

“No. No.” I shook my head, sending a jolt of pain through my face, but it was nothing compared to what was happening in my heart. “No, please. No.”

Pieces.

It was in pieces.

My mother’s Stradivarius. The one that my father gave her for their first wedding anniversary. He brought it from Scotland to America in hopes one of their children inherited her musical talent. The violin I picked up when I was five years old and tried to play. The one I learned on despite it being too big for me at first. I auditioned for Julliard and then the Philharmonic with it. It was the only violin I ever played and the one thing I always felt connected me to the mother I never knew.

And it was gone.

Completely and utterly destroyed.

TWENTY-FIVE

DRAKE

“Stay down!”I resisted the urge to punch Dale in the face again. My hand was throbbing, but seeing his bloody lip was well worth it.

“You don’t know who the fuck you’re messing with,” Dale snarled at me from where he was sprawled on the sidewalk.

“What’s going on?”

I looked up to see a burly, dark-haired man in a black uniform hurrying over. On his massive chest was a nametag and, beneath it, the wordsecurity.

“This son of a bitch hit me!” Dale said as he struggled to his feet.

“I did,” I admitted. I shifted my stance to keep an eye on Dale and within arm’s reach. I didn’t know where Maggie went, but I would not let him out of my sight until he was restrained. “But only to stop him from hitting…a woman.”

“That’s bullshit!” Dale staggered before finding his balance. “Come on, Hal. You know me.”

Hal crossed his massive, meaty arms and gave me a narrow look. “I do.”

“The taller guy is telling the truth.”

All of us looked at the older woman standing a few feet away. She pointed her cane at Dale. “That one hit a young woman. I saw it.”

“I did no such thing,” Dale hissed.

“You did, young man.” She gestured with her cane again. “Hit her with that briefcase.”

Hal turned toward Dale, the suspicion on his face shifting targets. “You hit a lady?”

“You’re going to take her word over mine?” Dale looked like he wanted to call the older woman something foul, but didn’t. He was collecting himself. “Look, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Dale said. “I have to get to work.”

“I don’t think you should go anywhere, Mr. Leighton.” Hal took a step toward Dale.

Finally, feeling I could take my eyes off Dale, I turned to where I last saw Maggie. Except she wasn’t there.

“Dammit. Where’d you go?” I muttered under my breath. A slight flicker of panic threatened, but I pushed it down.

As the first sound of police sirens reached my ears, I spotted her on the other side of the street. She was sitting with the violin case in front of her. People were standing around her, but no one was calling for help, so I hoped that meant she was okay.

I wouldn’t leave it to hope, though. No more sitting back and watching, trying to protect Maggie from the outside.

I turned to Hal, who was keeping Dale from leaving. “The woman he hit is over there.” I pointed. “I’m going to go check on her. The police can talk to me there, too.”

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