“Well, obviously I’ll drink to that.”
They clinked water glasses and dug back into their food. “This is nice, Zoey. It’s been too long.” Lily leaned her head back to let the sun glow over her face as she chewed.
“Jesus, girl, it’s half-price sandwiches with county highway sounds included. You need a vacation.”
That part was definitely true. A couple more years and she might actually be able to afford one.
By the time Lily returned home, she felt like she had been on vacation, complete with the slight warmth of a bit too much sun on her arms. She put more swing in her step as she stowed her purse in the office and headed back out to make the rounds. Bring on the detective’s questions about her ex. It wasn’t like she hadn’t dealt with them a hundred times over, and she was tired of being scared.
It had all felt so dire when he first disappeared. When the police had come back day after day, then started pulling her into the station just when she thought they’d given up. But there weren’t many big stories in Herriman, and they’d been humiliated by Jones’s escape.
Lily had been too, in more ways than they knew.
But she couldn’t go back to living like that. Couldn’t suffer through the sleepless nights and the sobbing and the wild-eyed feeling that she might lose her mind at any moment.
Jones couldn’t hurt her anymore, not really. Definitely not more than she could hurt him.
Could he?
CHAPTER 9
As far as he could tell, she never stayed away from the property long, and therefore never left him much opportunity. Instead, Lily seemed to be always lurking around the complex, or in the office, or at least inside the shitty little apartment behind it.
Today’s unexpected departure had given him the chance to put on a jacket, pull a baseball cap low to shield his face, and explore the grounds for a few minutes.
It had been easy enough to peel back a section of fencing before zip-tying it back into place, since he’d carefully chosen an isolated corner that seemed safe from cameras. Once inside, even with the cameras rolling, he doubted she would suspect him of anything at all. He was only a random renter, an average white guy walking through the complex as if he owned the world. He noted every nook and cranny in the place in case he needed a quick hiding spot, but made his way steadily toward the office.
A six-foot-tall wooden privacy fence jutted out from the wall of the brick building that housed the office and the family living quarters. Knowing she was gone, he made a show of walking up to the office door and knocking as if he needed help. Keeping his chin tucked to hide behind the cap, he pretended to scroll through his phone for a moment while he peered in at the office layout and the heavy white door behind it that probably led to the apartment. He finally feigned losing patience for the camera aimed toward the door, then wandered down the walk as if he were still looking for help.
After following a turn in the concrete path to step around to the side of the apartment, he peeked through the slats of fencing. A cement patio hid behind the planks, hosting a couple of cheap chairs and a grill. A sliding glass door provided entry, and the open blinds allowed him to see into their home.
Though he didn’t dare linger, he was able to catch sight of a flimsy dinette table and chairs, as well as the edge of a couch inside. He knew from long experience that opening a sliding door was as easy as taking candy from a baby. If he needed to get inside—
Something heavy thudded into the wood next to his ear, and his heart was still in midexplosion when he registered a bitter scratch of claws and a line of sleek fur. A black cat turned and glared at him before hopping into the patio area.
“Shit, that can’t be good luck,” he drawled, laughing with relief that he hadn’t been caught prowling.
Taking the cat as a sign, he backed off and worked his way around the entire building before hitting the exit button on the gate. Whatever might happen in the coming days, he needed to get the lay of the land so he’d be ready for anything.
CHAPTER 10
“This is so exciting,” Josephine whispered as they left Everett’s mom behind in the apartment and rushed outside. School had felt interminable, waiting for the moment when he could finally show Josephine the locker. Fear still skittered beneath the excitement, but it felt distant now as his body pumped out adrenaline.
“Speaking of . . . ,” Everett said as he shrugged his backpack on. “Follow me closely to avoid cameras.”
“Everett! Hey there!”
He jumped in guilty shock when he heard the shout.