Chapter 3 - The Men at the Door
The sharp knock echoed again.
David stood abruptly.
"Don't open it."
Jessica looked at him.
That sentence confirmed more than he understood.
Margaret's eyes narrowed.
"David, what is going on?"
He ignored her.
"Jessica, whoever you called, tell them to leave."
Victoria pressed a cold napkin against the gravy on her dress.
Her confidence had returned slightly.
"This is ridiculous."
Chloe clung to Jessica's hand.
Jessica lifted the girl into her arms.
"Sweetheart, go sit on the sofa where I can see you."
"I want you."
"I'm right here."
Chloe's fingers tightened around her cardigan.
Jessica kissed her forehead.
Then another knock came.
David moved toward the foyer.
Jessica blocked him.
"Move."
"No."
"Jessica."
"You told me not to ruin Christmas over one slap."
His expression hardened.
"Don't twist my words."
"I don't have to."
She pointed toward Chloe's face.
"Your words are standing right there."
Margaret came around the table.
"If this is some kind of military performance, you will stop it immediately."
Jessica nearly smiled.
"You really believe my job involves sending soldiers to family dinners?"
"I don't know what you do."
"No."
Jessica's eyes remained on David.
"None of you ever bothered to find out."
She walked to the door.
David grabbed her wrist.
The room changed.
Jessica slowly looked down at his hand.
David released her.
She opened the door.
Two people stood outside.
Neither wore a uniform.
The first was a woman in her early forties named Special Agent Rebecca Sloan.
The second was a tall man Jessica knew as Daniel Cho, an attorney from the Army's Inspector General liaison office.
Behind them stood two Chicago police officers.
David whispered something Jessica did not hear.
Sloan held up identification.
"Mrs. Carter?"
"Yes."
"We received the activation notice."
Margaret stepped into the foyer.
"What activation notice?"
Sloan's eyes moved toward Chloe.
The child's cheek answered the question before Jessica could.
One of the police officers stiffened.
Sloan's expression changed.
"Was a child struck?"
Victoria appeared behind Margaret.
"It was discipline."
The officer looked at her.
"Are you the person who struck her?"
Victoria lifted her chin.
"This is a family matter."
"No, ma'am."
The officer stepped inside.
"It stopped being only a family matter when you hit a five-year-old."
Margaret's face reddened.
"You cannot simply enter my residence."
The second officer calmly said, "You opened the door and invited us into a scene involving an injured minor. We are going to determine what happened."
"I invited nobody."
Jessica spoke.
"I did."
Margaret turned toward her.
The hatred in her expression was almost impressive.
"What have you done?"
Jessica shifted Chloe higher in her arms.
"What you should have done the second Victoria hit her."
Victoria laughed nervously.
"You're going to have me arrested over that?"
Jessica looked at Sloan.
"That's not why I called her."
David's face went white again.
Sloan glanced toward him.
"Mr. Carter."
He said nothing.
Margaret noticed.
Her gaze moved between them.
"David?"
He swallowed.
Jessica walked to the dining table and picked up her challenge coin.
Daniel Cho placed a slim sealed envelope beside her plate.
Jessica looked at David.
"This afternoon you asked me not to challenge your family."
David's breathing had become shallow.
"Jess, listen to me."
"I've been listening for seven years."
She tapped the envelope.
"Now you can."
Margaret reached for it.
Daniel stopped her.
"Mrs. Hayes, I wouldn't."
Her hand froze.
"What is that?"
Jessica answered.
"A preservation notice."
Victoria frowned.
"For what?"
Jessica looked at David.
"Fourteen companies."
Richard's fork slipped from his hand.
The sound of silver striking porcelain seemed impossibly loud.
Everybody looked at him.
May you like
Richard's face had gone gray.
And Jessica realized for the first time that David might not be the person at that table who was most afraid.
