Authors: Brandilyn Collins
Why should I even try?
Because if Baxter managed to find her first, he’d kill her.
My head lowered into my hands. So it had come to this. I’d started out with dreams of bringing Baxter to justice. Now I had to worry about keeping Melissa alive.
I stared at my lap, frustration and fear zinging my nerves. Then, out of nowhere, a new thought landed like an errant ball in my dull brain. I picked it up, turned it over. Examined its every side. It was a dirty ball, scuffed. One that would make you want to wash your hands after touching it.
I closed my fingers around it.
Voices sounded in the hall. My head jerked up, and Melissa stilled. We cast feverish looks at each other. The voices grew close, passed the door, then faded.
My muscles refused to relax.
I checked the clock. 9:05.
What if Perry never showed? My plan would fall apart.
I watched the clock turn 9:10. Then 9:15.
A soft knock rapped at the door.
Melissa gasped. Heat shot through my veins. I pushed off the bed and scurried on silent feet to the door. “Who is it?”
“It’s Perry.”
I unlatched the bolt and eased open the door. Perry pushed inside and bolted all the locks behind him. He looked out of breath and tense, wary. A strand of his gray-black hair stuck out from the side of his head. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
“You okay?”
“Looks like it’s going to be ‘One of These Nights.’ Like the Eagles’ album.”
His dark brown eyes searched mine.
“Track five,” I said.
Knowledge flicked across his face. He gave me a slight nod.
“
What
are you
talking
about?” Impatience rolled off Melissa.
Perry looked past me to her. “This would be a good time to thank me for putting my life on the line for you.”
“Thank you. Unless you’ve got the police waiting outside the door.”
His jaw tightened. “I don’t.”
She nodded, her forehead creasing until once again she looked like a frightened child. “How do we do this?”
“I cruised the parking lot before coming in. I didn’t see anyone lurking around. Granted, I may have missed someone. But my car’s unlocked and parked right near a side door. We hop in and take off.”
“And what if it doesn’t work?”
“You got a better idea?”
“I had my own ideas. Then
she
came along.” Melissa gestured toward me with her chin. “Now look at me. Running for my life.”
Perry flexed his forehead, and his entire scalp moved. He and his wife had raised two daughters. That experience now played across his face. “You listen to me. Joanne’s trying to help you, and so am I. But I’ve had about enough of your attitude. So tell you what—she and I are leaving. You want to stay and fight this thing on your own, have at it.” He focused on me. “Let’s go.”
No way was I leaving Melissa. Either Perry’s frustration was getting the best of him, or he was bluffing. I hurried over to get my purse, then planted myself in front of her. “I have a plan.”
“Really. Better than your last one?”
“Let us get you out of here. Once we’re safe, you and I will have a long talk. I’m going to teach you how to disappear—for good.”
Melissa blinked.
“I know how to find people. Which means I also know what they can do to
not
be found.”
Perry stood behind me. I prayed he kept silent.
Melissa’s eyes narrowed. “Why would you do that?”
“I don’t want to. I want you to tell authorities what you know. Once Baxter’s put away, you’ll be safe. You won’t have to hide.”
“That’ll never happen, and you know it, Joanne. Somehow he’ll go free. And he’ll come after
me.
I wouldn’t even live to see the trial.”
I nodded, defeat in my expression. “Then you’re going to need my help.”
Melissa’s gaze roamed from me to Perry and back. “You’ll really do that?”
“Yes.”
She surveyed me a moment longer, then walked over to pick up her handgun from the bed and placed it in her purse. “Okay.”
Perry eyed her handbag. “That thing legal?”
Melissa shrugged.
“No wonder you don’t want to face the police.”
She threw him a withering look. “So where are you taking us?”
“Let’s just get out of here.” I waved a hand. “We’ll talk about it in the car.”
We gathered at the door, animosity and grudging kinship vibrating between the three of us.
“I checked around before coming to the room.” Perry kept his voice low. “There’s a stairway to our left. It leads to a side fire exit. My car’s parked right by it.”
My heart fluttered. We were really going to do this. “What if he’s out there, watching for us?”
“It’s a chance we have to take. If anything, he’s probably watching the front door. Once you’re in the car, duck down in the seat. But remember, he’s wounded. He may not be here at all. Yet. So the sooner we get going, the better.” Perry raised his eyebrows. “Ready?”
I nodded. He looked at Melissa, patted his waistband. “I have a gun too.”
He
did
? Maybe I should have known. Perry and his detective novels. I managed a smile.
“But we can’t go walking through the hotel with weapons drawn.” Perry pulled back the bolt latch. “Keep yours in your purse.”
He opened the door, stuck out his head, and checked both directions. Stepped out, waving us to follow. We scurried in a tight group down the hall and came to a stop at a corner. Perry peered around it, then urged us on. On our right was the stairwell. He went through the door first, peering down toward the first level. Melissa and I followed close behind.
My legs trembled. Quiet as we tried to be, our breathing seemed to echo up every level. My palms were sweating. I glanced at Melissa, saw my fear in her face.
We reached the bottom. The door sat straight ahead.
My throat dried up. An image of the gunman dressed in black flashed through my mind. He was out there, wasn’t he? The hunter waiting for his inevitable prey.
Perry pulled car keys from his pocket and put them in his left hand. Leaned in close to Melissa and me. “Once we go through the door, move
fast
.”
We nodded.
He lifted his shirt and withdrew his gun from its waistband holster. Inched the door open and peered outside. He glanced over his shoulder. “Now.”
Perry pushed out into the night, Melissa and I right behind. Perry’s car faced us. I scurried to the passenger front, Melissa to the rear. In peripheral vision I saw a few parked cars, a tall parking lot light. No one lurking. No gunman.
We threw ourselves inside the car. Melissa and I slid down in our seats. Perry put his gun in the console. He backed out, braked hard, and lurched forward toward the street. I sat half on the floor, the edge of my seat digging into my back, watching the streetlights slide by the window. The night sky hung starless and gray-curdled, threatening more rain.
We stopped again, then turned right. I squirmed to look over my shoulder. The hotel faded in the distance.
Perry’s eyes flicked from road to rearview mirror. He drove straight-backed, headlights from oncoming cars washing over his face. “Don’t see anyone following. But stay down.”
He went right. Then left. Right. Left. My mind flashed back to my own white-knuckled drive away from 264 Anniston. “See anybody?”
“No.”
Clothes rustled from the back seat.
“Stay down, Melissa,” Perry barked. “Don’t get up till I tell you.”
He made more turns until I lost all sense of direction. Out the window, commercial buildings gave way to houses. I could no longer hear sounds of traffic.
My legs were getting cramped.
Perry slowed. Veered right.
He exhaled a long breath, flexed his fingers against the steering wheel. “We did it.”
I wriggled up into my seat. Melissa did the same. We were on a quiet residential street, no cars around. We’d made it. I could barely believe it. We’d
made
it.
A prayer of gratitude breathed through my lips.
But this night wasn’t over. Far from it.
“Now what?” Melissa’s voice mixed relief and anxiety. “Where do we go?”
Perry shot me a sideways questioning look.
“Now I make a phone call.” I reached in my purse for my cell phone.
JULY 2004
Melissa was synching Baxter’s schedule on his computer with his Blackberry when a call came in from Rex Shalling in Texas. Mr. Shalling and his wife were moving to the Vonita area and were buying a multimillion-dollar home in an upscale area. The sale would go through in a few days. It was a sale Baxter badly needed.
“Just a moment, Mr. Shalling.” Melissa put him through to Baxter.
“Hello, Rex.” Baxter leaned back in his chair. “How are things with your job transfer?”
A long pause. “I see. How wonderful for you.” Baxter’s voice held a different tone. Jovial but forced. A client wouldn’t have heard the deep disappointment. Melissa did.
She turned to watch Baxter. His shoulders slumped.
He hung up the phone and stared at it.
“Bad news?”
A moment passed before Baxter answered. “He’s ending up getting a promotion in Texas. Won’t need to move after all.” He spoke without turning around.
Melissa closed her eyes. Baxter had lucked out by being both listing and selling agent on the deal. Even after cutting his fee from 6 percent to 5, he stood to make around $140,000.
All that money—gone with one phone call.
Baxter slammed his fist against his desk. He shook his head, rubbed his temple. “I can’t
believe
this.
What
is happening with my sales?”
Melissa rose and walked over to him. Laid a hand on his shoulder. Her palm prickled. Never had she touched him like that. “I’m really sorry.”
He shrank away from her touch, his voice sharpening. “Not now, Melissa.”
She pulled her arm away, stricken.
Baxter straightened and threw a glance out the office window. No one was in the hallway. He raked his gaze up to her face. “Sorry, didn’t mean that. I just…someone might see you.”
Understanding flooded Melissa. She backed up one step and gave a tight nod.
Not now
, he’d said.
Not now.
Baxter turned away. Melissa went back to her desk.
She blinked at her computer. What had she been doing?
The atmosphere in the office tremored. Two minutes passed without a sound. Melissa sneaked a peek at Baxter. He sat with one leg stretched out, his left arm on the desk. Staring out the window. His fingers rose and fell in a slow, silent tap.
“Melissa?”
“Yeah.”
“That was nice of you.”
She gazed at his back. How she wanted to throw her arms around him and comfort him. Hang on and not let go. He worked hard all day, and what did Linda do? Spend money. Well, let the woman shop till she dropped. Melissa wasn’t going to spend another dime. She had enough clothes for a lifetime anyway.
“No problem,” she said.
On their drive home an hour later Melissa clutched her purse in her lap, toying with its handle. There was so much she wanted to say. Not one word of it would come.
“Not now, Melissa.”
They stopped at a red light. “Don’t tell Linda about the sale falling through,” Baxter said.
“You know I never tell her what happens at work.”
Baxter turned his head and surveyed her. Melissa met his gaze with meaning-filled eyes.
The light turned green. Baxter focused on the road. “She’s out tonight after dinner.” His tone was so casual. “Got some church volunteer meeting.”
Melissa’s heart flipped. “Oh. That’s right.” She pushed the purse around on her legs. “I’ll do the dishes for her.”
“You always do the dishes.”
“Well, then, all the more reason to do them tonight.”
Baxter smiled.
As they drove into the garage his mood darkened. Melissa could almost see the weight descend upon him. He slammed the Mercedes’ door. His jaw hardened, eyes turning cool as the moment when he faced his wife approached. Melissa trailed Baxter into the kitchen, giving him plenty of room. Not for herself, but to send a message to Linda.
They found her standing at the stove, fluffing rice in a pan with a fork. The smell of baking salmon filled the air. “Hi, honey.” Linda smiled at her husband, her eyes gauging. Melissa gave a slight shake of her head. Linda’s body tensed. “How was your day?”
“Fine.” He walked past her and left the kitchen, on his way upstairs to change.
Melissa and Linda exchanged glances. Melissa lay her purse on the counter and walked to a cabinet for plates. “Let me help. I hear you have a meeting tonight.”
“Yes, at seven-thirty.” Linda stilled and cocked her head. No sound from Baxter. “Did something bad happen today?” she whispered.
Work questions were one of the hardest parts of trying to keep balance in the household. Melissa couldn’t betray Baxter by telling Linda the truth. At the same time she needed to play Linda’s ally.
“I don’t know. I had a lot of copying to do. If he took some bad calls it was while I was out of the office.”
Linda set down the fork. “I just don’t understand why he’s gotten so bad the last few weeks.”
Melissa moved closer to the stove, one ear tilted toward the stairs. “I don’t either, but I’m so sorry. I mean, when I first came here I never would have guessed…”
“I know.” Linda’s voice tainted in bitterness. “You and the rest of the world.” She replaced the lid on the rice and turned down the heat. Such simple movements, but to Melissa they symbolized Linda’s life. Keep a lid on it. Try to keep Baxter from boiling over.
Why did adults have to be so confusing?
“When did he first hit you?” Melissa kept her voice low.
Linda stared across the room as if watching her own private screen. “Three months after we got married.”
“Nothing before that? Not a clue?”
“Not one. He had me fooled like everybody else.” She cradled her hands at her waist, watching one thumb rub over another. “The first time he did it I was so stunned. Just…shocked. He apologized later. Promised he’d never do it again. But of course he did.” Linda’s mouth twisted. “After awhile he stopped promising.”