day. Neither did Kurt.
After work, Ellie met Maya for a quick dinner, then headed home to get ready for Gail’s return the next day. Gabbie’s lifestyle didn’t lend itself well to long-term parental visits; it was rare for her to be home more than two nights in a row—not when there were nightclubs, movies, theater productions, sporting events, or any number of other things to do. And Gail…well, they didn’t make homebodies like her anymore.
“Just as well,” Ellie had said to Maya. “Apparently, she’s discovered online dating sites. Can you believe that—my mother putting herself out there online like that? It’s crazy.”
She walked Maya to her apartment, then headed home with her bag of leftovers. If she hurried, she could make it back before the last of the sun disappeared behind the mountain. The streetlights were on, so that wasn’t a problem, but as soon as that sun set, the temperature was going to drop like a rock.
Pastor Pete was shuffling around his bench outside the church, rearranging his cardboard and moving his one little duffel bag to one side, then the other.
“Hey, Pastor.” Ellie hopped over the narrow ditch and started toward him, her bag of food held out in front. “I’ve got some fried rice and chow mein for you.”
Pastor Pete turned, frowned as though he’d never seen her before, then tapped his Bible, always clutched close to his chest.
“Sober up, food girl. Your enemy the devil lurks around like a noisy beast, seeking someone to devour. Peter five eight.”
“Okay, thanks.” It was her stock answer every time he quoted scripture to her, because she had no idea what any of it meant. Her whole life, she’d opened a Bible maybe two or three times, and that was only because Jayne and Nick had the Scott family Bible in their house. Ellie loved the feel of the crazy thin paper it was printed on and the fact that generations of Scotts were listed there in the back pages.
Knowing that Pastor Pete didn’t like people handing him anything, she set the take-out box on the end of the bench, tucked a plastic fork under the handle, and offered him a brief wave.
“Have a good night, Pastor.”
“The devil lurks, food girl! Read your Bible!” One more tap on the old weathered cover of his book before he spun back around and started to rearrange the cardboard he’d just set up a few seconds ago.
She didn’t see another soul until she turned onto her street and Dickie waved to her from his front porch. But two steps inside her front door, she froze dead in her tracks.
Tulip petals—black tulip petals—lay scattered across the floor, starting at the front door and trailing through the living room, into the kitchen, and up the stairs. And there, on the coffee table, sat a glass vase with the naked stems sticking straight up.
She wouldn’t scream; she wouldn’t panic. No. Instead, she stepped backward out the front door, pulling out her phone as she did, and fumbled to punch in Brett’s work number. Straight to voice mail. Damn it. Okay, she needed to calm down, but her voice shook so hard she could hardly leave her message. Next she called his personal cell number, on the off chance that he had it with him on shift.
Voice mail again.
Shit!!
Don’t panic. Stay on your porch so you can see Dickie and he can see you. That’s it. Now just dial 911. Why are those damn numbers so small all of a sudden?
The operator didn’t tell her anything she didn’t already know, but it was a comfort just hearing someone would be coming. If need be, she’d walk across the street and bunk at Dickie’s for the night.
Right—and what if Kurt was lurking over there again?
Gripping her phone so tight she thought her knuckles might crack, she dialed Maya’s number.
“You don’t have to come over,” she began. “I just need someone to talk to until the cops get here.”
Judging by the way she was breathing, Maya was obviously hurrying somewhere, but she kept Ellie calm, coaxing out the whole story, short as it was, and then assuring Ellie that she was going to be safe, and that Kurt wasn’t going to get away with it.
“I don’t know, Maya.” Ellie caught the knot of panic that threatened to bubble out and shoved it back down as headlights started down her road. Cops, maybe? No.
The phone line cut out two seconds before Maya burst out of her car and raced up