Clearcall - Embry Call

Detour

When Madelaine woke up to the soft tones of her alarm, her father was downstairs. The low roar of a bubbling coffee pot was amplified in the quiet morning. She stretched and yawned her way into the kitchen.

"Morning, Mads," Charlie said. "Up early?"

"Yeah," Madelaine slumped over in a chair. She pressed the heels of her palm against her eyes, willing the sleepiness to leave her body. "I was wondering if I could have a lift into town this morning?"

Charlie frowned over a steaming cup of coffee. He was already dressed in his uniform and had a plate of toast resting on the counter beside him.

"I need to go to the library before class."

"Homework?"

Madelaine sighed. "No, there was an accident at school and—"

"Accident?" Charlie asked, suddenly alert.

She raised a hand as if to say down boy. "I'm fine, it was just a stray snowball. But I dropped my book and it's water damaged. I need to go in and talk to Quinton about paying for the replacement."

Charlie's expression softened. "Oh, sure. Need money?"

She shook her head, thinking of the bills she'd found tucked in the shoe box under her bed. "I've got some. Thanks, Dad."

He smiled warmly, the corners of his eyes crinkling and pressed a kiss to the top of her head and walked back towards his room. "We'll leave in twenty minutes, leave a note for Bella."

Madelaine saluted mockingly and scribbled on a notepad: Morning, I've gone with Dad — going to pay my dues at the library. See you at school!

She pushed it away, glancing up at the window. The sky was lighter than usual and the roads could be deceiving. She pulled the paper back and added: Road is extra icy today — stay safe.

Madelaine figured an 'x ' or a 'love you' would be pushing it, so she signed off with a beady eyed smiley face. Satisfied, she tucked the note under the apple Bella would grab for her breakfast and ducked back upstairs to get ready.

❖

Outside the air was clear and the ground was lined with snow and deadly ice. Charlie took Madelaine's elbow in hand as they went down the steps.

"Put chains on the truck and cruiser earlier." Charlie said gruffly as they clambered into the cruiser. "Going to be busy today."

Madelaine murmured her agreement. Whenever the road was icy, the police department would become bustling with road incidents. La Push Rd. in particular was prone to accidents, there something about the swerving road and claustrophobic atmosphere of towering trees that beckoned danger.

The journey was short, as most drives in Forks were. Charlie drove with the confidence of a man who knew and respected the road—Madelaine could only hope to be half as collected as him. He pulled into the space nearest the library. The cruiser idled, it was silent compared to Bella's truck.

"Want me to come?"

"I'll be fine, thanks for the lift."

The footpath was just as icy as their driveway. Madelaine inched along. The ruined book was small enough to fit in the depths of her coat pocket.

Charlie didn't pull away until Madelaine's fist was knocking on the library door. She waved to him while she waited for Quinton.

❖

Quinton had grown up with Charlie. He had a full head of grey curling hair and a dash of freckles arching across his cheeks and nose. He was a kind man, always smiling and pottering about the library. He worked mostly alone with part-time help from Mary Morgan, an almost retired woman who walked with a striped cane and a perpetual scowl.