InSight

wasn’t a stranger’s. It was her ex-husband’s. And it wasn’t his voice that shot fear through her. It was Luke’s. His tone held the pain of her life, and for the first time he faced the man who had caused it.
    “You son of a bitch,” Luke said. “What are you doing here?”
    Stewart’s words were incoherent and fearful, a rattling non sequitur of meaningless phrases, of which Abby understood only one: It wasn’t me. He said it repeatedly, the energized bunny with a brand new set of batteries ― manic, different from the Stewart who snatched her away to the mountain retreat.
    She heard Luke’s frustration. “What the hell is he saying, Abby? I can’t make sense of anything.”
    “I don’t know,” she said, facing in Luke’s direction. “It’s a jumble, even for me. Where is he? Bring him to me.”
    “Oh, no. I don’t want him anywhere near you.”
    “He won’t hurt me.” For some inexplicable reason, Abby believed her words. She didn’t think Stewart came to harm her.
    “He’s delusional,” Luke said. “I won’t take the chance.”
    “Then hold on to him. Do it, Luke. I’ll be okay.” When he got close enough, she mouthed, “Get my recorder. I want whatever he says on tape.”
    “I’m taking him with me,” Luke said.
    She heard him drag a mumbling Stewart into the study, returning with the recorder. He placed it in her hand and she activated it.
    Abby spoke calmly. “Sit him down beside me so I can talk to him.”
    “I don’t like this,” Luke said, but nevertheless directed Stewart to the seat next to her on the sofa. “I’ve got a gun pointed at your head. One wrong move toward her and I won’t hesitate to use it, so don’t tempt me.”
    “I won’t, I won’t,” Stewart said in a panicked voice.
    Abby reached out, found Stewart’s face, and touched his cheek. His hand covered hers while he rocked back and forth. “Calm down, Stewart. Take deep breaths and speak slowly, because I can’t understand you. Why are you here?”
    “His brain is fried, Abby,” Luke said. “We need to call Pete.”
    Stewart’s agitation erupted. “No, no, no, no, no, no. No!”
    “Calm down. It’s okay,” she said in a non-threatening voice. “No one’s calling anyone. Tell me why you’re here.”
    She heard Stewart inhale as she instructed. His words followed more clearly.
    “They’re killing me, Abby. I got away, but they won’t stop if they find me.”
    Luke had obviously moved to see Stewart’s mouth. “So you led them here. Right to Abby.”
    Abby heard the wire-tight tension in Luke’s voice. He fought to exercise the rational judgment that made him a good cop, but Abby knew this was personal.
    “No, no, I wouldn’t do that,” Stewart said. “I wouldn’t, Abby.”
    She felt in possession of two volatile chemicals and hoped she harnessed enough composure to keep one from touching off the other.
    “Okay, Stewart, I believe you. Tell me, who are they and why are they following you? What do they want?”
    “I can’t think anymore. Sometimes things are clear, but other times…”
    She persevered. “Why did you come here?”
    “To tell you that I didn’t know what I was doing when I hurt you and Macy. I don’t know how it happened. I had to make you understand before they find me and send me back. Don’t let them send me back, Abby. Please.”
    If Abby hadn’t seen him kill his daughter with her own eyes, she would have believed him. But she had, and nothing could erase that last image burned in her brain. She tried to put the vision aside. That was then; this was now. Take a deep breath.
    “Now, tell me who’s after you, and why.”
    “I don’t know. They did things to make me forget.”
    “Who did those things to you?”
    “I can’t remember. They gave me pills and shot me full of drugs that made me see things, that made my paintings talk to me. No more. I need to sleep. I’m so tired. Let me rest. One minute.”
    “Not now, Stewart,” Abby pleaded. “You have to tell me why Dr. Scanlon gave you drugs. What did he want from you?”
    When Stewart didn’t answer, Luke said, “He passed out. I don’t think we’ll get anything more out of him right now.”
    Abby turned off the recorder. “We’re so close, Luke. He’s come here for absolution. If we call the police, they’ll send him back to Scanlon’s hospital where the doctors will do what they’ve been doing for the last eight years. Drugging the hell out of him.” She paused for a