Reunion

The knock came two nights later.

Ned was reading. Meerka was cleaning the counters.

The Constable let himself in. He looked wet. He looked tired.

-I have the address, he said.

He handed Ned a slip of paper.

-She is in Go---. With a family. She is safe.

Meerka stopped cleaning. She stared at the paper in Ned's hand.

-Reshma? she whispered.

-Alive and well, the Constable said. The family says she is working. She is healthy.

Ned nodded. He put the paper on the table.

-And the rest?

The Constable whistled.

Two other men walked in from the rain, dragging something between them.

It was heavy and wrapped in a blue tarp. It groaned.

They dropped it on the rug and the Constable pulled back the tarp.

A man. Mouth taped up. Bound with zip ties. His face was swollen.

Meerka dropped the plate she was holding.

She knew him.

The man on the floor looked up. His eyes went wide when he saw her. He tried to scream against the tape. Muffled panic.

-Is that him? Ned asked, pointing at him while looking at Meerka, still sitting at the table with his book.

She shook in place, and nodded.

-Good, Ned said. Great.

He stood up and closed his book.

-Take him downstairs, he told the men. Please.

The Constable nodded to his deputies. They grabbed the man by the feet and dragged him toward the cellar door. His fingernails scraped against the hardwood.

Ned looked at the Constable.

-Drink?

-I’m on duty, the Constable said. I’ll take the bottle.

-Hey, one glass, Ned said, handing him the wine from the shelf and a corkscrew

-Next time, the Constable said, putting the corkscrew down, tipping his hat and walking out into the rain.

The house was quiet again. Except for the muffled thumping from the basement.

Ned looked at Meerka. She was picking up the shards of the broken plate while her eyes darted to the basement door.

-Leave it, Ned said. We have work to do.