And Colin…
Of course he’d found Lester on his own; of course he’d rushed toward Lester while the gun was pointed in his direction; of course he’d taken Lester down without getting hurt in the process. And now, of course, Lester was locked away, and while she felt relief, there was anger in the feeling as well. Worry, too, for Margolis, and she had trouble understanding how Lester had gotten the better of him. She’d told Margolis that Lester was dangerous; she’d told him he had a gun. So why hadn’t Margolis listened to her? Why hadn’t he been more cautious? How could he have gotten shot? Maria didn’t know, nor did Colin. When they had spoken earlier, Colin had said that he wasn’t sure Margolis would survive the ride to the hospital. But Margolis must have survived, she thought. While she’d been waiting with Lily, half a dozen officers had entered the hospital and none had come out, which meant he was still alive, right?
She was too afraid to ask.
By the time Evan’s car finally pulled into the lot, Maria could barely keep her thoughts straight. She followed Lily toward the car, and as soon as Colin stepped out she put her arms around him and held him close.
The four of them made their way into the hospital, got directions, and took the elevator to the second floor. They were directed down the corridor to the surgical waiting area, which was crowded with law enforcement personnel as well as a few people who looked to be friends or family. Somber and grim faces momentarily turned their way.
Evan stepped closer to Colin. “Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” he suggested.
Colin’s face showed nothing. “He wouldn’t have been shot if I hadn’t called him.”
“It’s not your fault,” Evan said.
“He’s right, Colin,” Lily added. “Lester did this, not you.”
Despite their words, Maria knew that Colin was still trying to convince himself of the same thing, but couldn’t quite bring himself to believe it.
“Fine,” Evan said. “Do you see anyone we can ask about Margolis’s condition? I don’t see a nurse…”
“Over there,” Colin said, nodding toward a man in his forties with cropped gray hair. The man saw them as well and headed their way.
“Who’s that?” Maria whispered.
“Detective Wright,” Colin said. “He was one of the people who took my statement earlier. Evan’s, too.”
When Wright approached, he offered his hand and both Colin and Evan shook it. “I didn’t expect to see you here,” Wright offered.
“I had to know how he’s doing,” Colin said.
“I just got here a few minutes ago, but so far, there haven’t been any updates from the surgeon yet, other than that he’s still hanging in there. As you know, he was in pretty bad shape when he arrived.” When Colin nodded, Wright motioned toward another area of the room. “I know that you’ve been through a lot already,” Wright went on, “but I was wondering if you’d stick around for a few minutes. Someone’s been asking for you. She wants to talk to you.”
“Who?” Colin asked.
“Pete’s wife, Rachel.”
Maria watched as Colin’s expression went neutral. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Please,” Wright said. “It’s clearly important to her.”
It took Colin a moment to answer. “Okay,” he said.
Wright turned, heading toward the far side of the room, stopping when he reached an attractive brown-haired woman who was surrounded by half a dozen people. He nodded toward Colin and Evan. Rachel Margolis immediately excused herself from the group and started toward them. As she approached, it was clear to Maria that the woman had been crying. Her eyes were bloodshot, her mascara slightly smeared; she seemed to be barely holding it together.
Wright made the introductions and Rachel offered a brief smile that held nothing but sadness.
“Larry told me that you helped save my husband’s life,” Rachel said.
“I’m really sorry for what happened to him,” Colin said.
“Me too,” she said. “Thank you. And I… um…” She sniffed before dabbing at her eyes. “I just wanted to offer my thanks to both of you. For thinking clearly, not panicking, calling the ambulance. Putting pressure on the wounds. The paramedics told me that if you hadn’t done what you did, Pete wouldn’t have had a chance. If you hadn’t been there…” She was on the verge of tears, the words so heartfelt that Maria felt a tightness in her throat. “Again… I…” She drew a ragged breath, trying to hold it together. “And I want you to know he’s tough, so he’s going to be all right. One of the toughest ever…”
“He is,” Colin agreed, but Maria had the sense that Rachel Margolis barely heard him, because she’d really been talking to herself.
The evening rolled on. Maria sat beside Colin as they waited for news. Evan and Lily had gone to the cafeteria a few minutes earlier, and Maria listened as the conversations gradually gave way to murmurs of worry. People in the waiting room came and went.
Colin remained quieter than usual. Every now and then, an officer or detective would come by to thank him and shake his hand; though he was polite in his responses, Maria knew it made Colin uncomfortable because he still blamed himself for what had happened, even if no one else seemed to.
And yet, the depth of his guilt surprised her. It had been clear all along that Colin and Margolis held nothing but disdain for each other. It was a paradox of sorts, and though she wanted to draw Colin out and get him to talk about his feelings, she knew he wanted to work through them alone. She finally leaned toward him.