Toby said nothing, just looked around the room as if he were already seeing things from a new perspective.

“Make sure the vision in your left eye doesn’t become blurred or doubled over time. If it does, see a specialist right away, okay? Your retina got jarred. Hopefully, not too badly. I want you to wait here while I bring the women back in. They’re human beings, Toby, not just objects of entertainment. They have feelings. Like you and me.”

“I should leave.”

“Not yet. You need a few butterfly bandages to control the bleeding.” Nathan retrieved a clean washcloth from the kitchen and folded it into a quarter of its original size. “Hold this over the cut with pressure. Is your truck an automatic or stick?”

“Automatic.”

“Think you can drive?”

“Yeah, probably.”

Nathan patted his shoulder. “Details. Start noticing them.” He retrieved his 9-millimeter from the bedroom and told Cindy to follow him. They left the house through the front door and found Mara and Karen sitting in his Mustang.

“Party’s over,” Nathan said.

Karen climbed out and hugged Cindy. “Are you okay?” She looked at Nathan. “Is he gone?”

“No, but he will be soon. I think you’ll find he’s sorry for what he did.”

She stared at him for several seconds. “We’ll see about that.”

He led the women back into the house. As Nathan hoped, Toby apologized and offered to pay for all the damage he’d caused. Karen said she’d forego the money if he agreed to never come back and they struck a deal. When Nathan was sure things had cooled down and Toby was no longer a threat, he motioned for Mara to follow him. Once outside, he removed his wallet and handed her a wad of hundred-dollar bills. “To cover the damage.”

She was reluctant to take the money, but accepted it with thanks and a long hug.

“You could’ve hurt that guy a lot worse than you did.”

Nathan didn’t respond.

“Did you want to?”

“At first.” He answered her unspoken question. “I saw something in him.”

Mara stared for several seconds, hugging herself in the cool air. “If you ever want to talk, I mean, you know, just talk.…”

He turned to leave.

“Nathan?”

“I’ll call you soon. Thanks, Mara.”