up with him. I’ve done everything you’ve told me to do. Leave him alone, please. He was here because I drank too much and he drove me home. That’s all.”
Dennis seemed to be studying her as if he was trying to decide if she was telling the truth. “Good.”
Her heart pounded. She thought it would come out of her chest and land on the floor.
“You better not be lying,” he added threateningly.
“We’re over. I’m leaving.” She didn’t know what else to say.
“I don’t fucking believe you.”
“What else can I do, Dennis? What else do you want from me?” She was squeezing her fists so tightly they hurt.
“I want the fucker humiliated. I want him to feel like I felt,” Dennis hissed. “So you better figure it out!” He took a step closer.
“Isn’t it enough if I just leave?” She took a deep breath. “I only moved here for you, and since we aren’t together—”
“Yet.”
“Pardon?”
“We aren’t back together yet. When this is all over, you’re going to come back. People will know you lied and that that’s the reason you didn’t testify. And I, being the compassionate, forgiving, and understanding boyfriend, will take you back.”
Her eyes wide, she nodded in agreement.
“You’ll be at your parents’?”
She nodded.
“I think you’re making the right decision, Jessica. You don’t want to be with that loser. You need a man who takes charge and takes care of you.” He took a few steps closer to her and cupped her face with his large hands. “I love you, Jessica. This will be over soon, and I’ll personally go pick you up and bring you back from your parents’ when this is all over. We’ll move into my house.” Then he kissed her lips so hard she was sure they would bruise. His hand cupped the back of her neck, his nails digging into her flesh. It took all the strength she had not to gag or flinch. The man was delusional. It was best he believed whatever he wanted to believe.
He released her and started to walk toward the door. But then he stopped and looked back at her. Suddenly she saw something in his eyes she’d never seen before…something nefarious, something that sent chills down her spine. This man was crazy. She’d known that for a while, but it seemed as if he was really out of his mind now.
He took two long steps toward her, grabbed her ponytail, and pulled her head back.
“You better not fuck with me, Jessica. Remember what I told you. I will hurt you and everyone you know if I see at you the trial.”
She swallowed and tears spilled down her face. He released his grip, and she nodded.
“Good girl.” Then he left.
She nearly collapsed onto the floor, but she pulled herself up and without hesitation picked up the phone to call the only person who could possibly help her.
—
“Daniels.” The authoritative voice said through the phone.
“Jack, this is Jessica. Jessica Cross.”
“Oh, hi, Jessica. Everything okay?”
“Actually, no,” she said shakily. “Everything isn’t okay. Can we meet up? I need to talk to you. Alone.”
“Uh…yeah, sure. How about you come down to the station and—”
She knew that wasn’t possible—there were eyes on her. She felt it. She had to be very discreet.
“No. Meet me in thirty minutes at the Pier. There is a back door—most people don’t know it exists. Use that, and meet me in the office. It’s the first door on the right as soon as you walk in. No one goes in there except the accountant on Monday afternoons.”
“You’re kind of scaring me, Jessica. What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you when I see you.”
“Okay. See you there.”
“Please don’t tell anyone you’re meeting me. Please.”
“Of course. See you soon.”
She got dressed and drove to a small strip mall that was less than a block from work. She parked and walked inside one of the stores. She stayed for a few moments before asking the saleslady, whom she’d met a few times over the years, if she could exit through the back door.
She crossed the scrubby, trash-filled lot to the back of the building that housed the Pier. Once there, she used the keys she had forgotten to return to open the back door, which was rarely used, and left it unlocked for Jack. She snuck in, unnoticed, and went straight to the rarely used office.
Jessica sat in the leather chair behind the old desk, her fingers twisting a paper clip until it was deformed beyond recognition.
The door opened and in walked