Excerpt Wednesday – Over The Edge

"Did you or did you not insinuate that my wife and I were responsible for Christopher Jacoby leaving you for another woman?"

She placed her hands on her hips as she stood mockingly in front of him. The fear she'd felt just moments before quickly left her. "I didn't insinuate it, Brant, I said it. Since when does that warrant an investigation?" She glanced at Tom who was observing the standoff with one eyebrow cocked.

Brant's eyes narrowed into two black slits. "Did you tell her that she'd be sorry for what she'd done?"

"What? You're nuts!"

"I can take you in right now for threatening my wife's life, and don't think I haven't thought about it. The only reason I didn't have you arrested last night was because Janna begged me not to. You should be on your hands and knees thanking her for that." He
pointed a finger in her face. "But let me tell you something, if you so much as even look at my wife the wrong way, I'll haul your ass in so fast it'll make your head swim!"

"Now hold on a minute, Brant," Tom broke in. "You have no right to talk to Maggie like this. She has rights."

"Stay out of it, Tom." He glared at the older man. "You don't need to become involved in this. Maggie needs to learn that life goes on and she's not the first woman to have ever been dumped."

"You bastard!" Maggie spat out without thinking of the consequences.

"I should take you in right now," he said squaring his jaw.

She looked fiercely into his cold, heartless eyes. "Go ahead. I've done nothing wrong. And what happened between Chris and me is none of your business…oh, I should take that back," she said with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. "You, as usual, couldn't stand to see me happy, so you had to make sure you ruined my life."

"Now, Maggie, what reason would I possibly have?" He chuckled. "You need help. Have you considered seeing a shrink? I can recommend someone, or better yet, you can sign yourself into the state hospital. It appears to me that you're on the verge of a breakdown. A long rest may do you some good."

Her eyes flashed. "Janna came here yesterday just bursting at the seams to tell me about Chris, but you know what? I don't care. He's not worth it."

Brant smirked. "I really couldn't stand to see Chris dating someone so beneath himself…white trash," he sneered. "And if you don't care, then why did you lash out at my wife?"

Maggie's body trembled and she opened her mouth, but before she could speak, Tom hastily grabbed her arm. "Let it go. He's not worth it. He's only trying to provoke you," he whispered close to her ear.

"What's that?" Brant asked moving toward them. "What'd you say, Tom?"

"Nothing, I was just calming Maggie." 

"Well, you'd better continue." He put his notepad back into his pocket. "By the way, Maggie, I'll let you know whether my wife decides to press charges against you for making threats against her life. In the meantime, you'd better watch that temper of yours." He tipped his hat as he slowly made his way out of the kitchen through the diner and out the front door.

After Tom was certain that Brant was gone, he slammed his fist on the butcher-block table. "That son of a bitch! Someone has got to do something. He can't keep harassing people like this."

"But he will keep on, Tom. No one can stop him." She was thoughtful for a minute. "At least not yet."

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