Last Chance - L. P. Dover Page 0,93
wife already has the guest bedroom ready for you. Deputy Savage is at your house now, grabbing some of your things. It should be enough until you get to Wyoming.” He looked down at the phone and cleared his throat. “George, I think that about wraps it up. I’m going to step out so you two can talk.”
“Thanks, Robert. I appreciate you taking care of my daughter.”
“Anytime.” Robert grabbed his keys and stepped out of the room.
As soon as the door clicked shut, I picked up the phone and sat there; the enormity of the situation hitting me all at once.
“Hadley, you there?”
I took a deep breath. “I’m here. I keep thinking I’m going to wake up from this nightmare.”
“Don’t beat yourself up. It’s not your fault.”
“Does Scott’s family know?” I asked, swallowing hard. He didn’t have a wife or kids, but he still had parents and siblings who loved him.
The line grew quiet before he came back on. “Yes. They’re upset, but they knew the risks.”
“Will you please tell them I’m sorry?”
“Yes, pumpkin, I will. Now why don’t you go home with Robert and get some rest. You have a long day tomorrow.”
That was an understatement.
Continue reading Roped In now
EACH STEP I TAKE IS PAINFUL. Not in the sense that I’ve been physically injured — unless you can count my heart being torn out and ripped to shreds, twice, as being physically hurt — but in the sense that my body aches with any type of movement. I’m sore all over from too much crying and a lack of eating. Withering away to nothing, as my best friend, Lois has been saying for the past two weeks.
The fact that it’s been two weeks since my life has been turned upside down flipped inside out and run through the ringer stops me mid-step. Lois smashes into my back, no doubt looking at her phone, texting someone she shouldn’t be and meddling in my affairs. Even though I love her, I want her to stop. I want to wake up from this nightmare and have my life go back to the way it was six years ago.
Lois places her hand on my back, urging me silently to take the next step, and the next one and the next one after that. She’s been my rock for as long as I can remember, and surprisingly there was a time when I didn’t need her as much, but that’s all changed.
At the top of the staircase sits a table with a small bouquet of freshly picked flowers, a nice touch to the drab location. When Lois pulled in front of the building, I recoiled in my seat. The brick building, old and worn with age, shows no sign of being welcoming. The sidewalk is cracked and weeds grow in between the slabs. The only saving grace is the park across the street, and while it’s empty, it looks inviting, if not a place to escape.
Lois opens the door before I can raise my hand to knock. She’s impatient with me and I understand why. I know deep down she’s afraid I’m going to turn and run. Believe me the thought has crossed my mind a time or two. I know it’s not the answer, but it makes the most sense. If I can’t be found, I can’t be hurt, and I’ve had far too much hurt in my life to last me until my last breath. With her hand on my back, she gives me a gentle nudge to step into the office. The woman behind the glass wall looks up briefly and gives us a half smile. She probably feels the same way I do about the building. It’s lacking in life, much like I am right now.
After giving her my name, I sit down next to Lois. Her face is now stuffed in a magazine, and she’s ignoring me. This is her idea of tough love. I’ve been down this path with her before so I know what to expect. You’d think by now I’d be a pro and can deal with whatever is thrown my way, but I’m not. It seems that every few years my idea of happiness turns into a weak excuse for life.
My name is called, and I’m directed through an open door. The room I step into is lackluster and cold. I cross my arms to ward off an impending shiver and chastise Lois for making me wear a dress today. My cardigan is resting in