Revealing Annie - Freya Barker Page 0,62
on the door at the side of the trailer.
My instincts engage and instead of kicking it in, I touch the knob first. Warm, but not hot. Just as I take a step back to aim my boot at the lock, strong arms band around me, dragging me back.
“What the fuck are you doing, Sumo?” Cap yells in my ear.
I struggle, but I stop when Tony steps into my sight.
“Jesus fucking Christ, man. Her car’s not here. Look!”
I turn to find the carport I’m under empty.
In the past ten minutes since Tony dragged me away and ordered me to stay on this side of the road, I’ve watched Annie’s home and belongings burn to the ground. I know my team did what they could, but other than making sure the fire wouldn’t jump to the neighboring trailers by keeping those soaked, there wasn’t a whole lot.
Luckily no one appeared to be home at Edward Shelby’s place, or at Mrs. Sokoloff’s next to him, and the rest of the row works during the day. A small crowd of onlookers gathered beside me and I try to ignore the snippets of gossip that filter my way.
“…only time I saw her was walking that fat little dog…”
“…something fishy. She never talked to anyone…”
I step away from the group; afraid I’ll say or do something I’ll regret.
Tony joins me.
“Did you try calling her?”
“No answer.” I glance over at him. “What did you find out?”
“Fuck all.” He runs an agitated hand through his hair. “Middle of the fucking day and no one saw a goddamn thing. Tell me how that’s possible?”
“Well, if they approached from the back along the river and waited until Annie’s neighbors were gone, no one would’ve seen anyone. At least not from the road.”
“Let’s go find her,” he says before leading the way to his cruiser. “Where to?” he asks when I get in the passenger seat.
I’ve been agonizing for the past ten or so minute where else she might have gone. If she has friends outside of her elderly neighbors, she hasn’t really mentioned them. The only other place she might…
“The shelter.”
“Where?”
“The dog shelter near Walmart.”
“Shit,” he mutters, putting the cruiser in gear. “Shoulda thought of that.”
While we drive I keep trying her phone, but I know if she’s there, she’ll likely be in the back with the dogs and have her phone in the desk drawer.
When Ramirez turns into the parking lot and I spot her car parked to the side, the knot I’ve had in my chest releases. I fucking hope she’ll talk to me and let me explain, because I’m not looking forward to having to hurt her again with the news her trailer is gone.
“You’re not getting out,” Tony observes beside me.
“Fucking hate having to tell her she has nothing left but her car and what’s at my place. That is, if she’ll even talk to me.”
“I’m coming in.”
He starts getting out of the car but I stop him with a hand on his arm.
“Thanks, but I’ve got this.”
If Annie has another breakdown, I don’t want Tony to be there to witness it. Not because I’m afraid of what he’ll think, but because I don’t want Annie to be embarrassed again.
“Sure?”
“Yeah. Don’t hang around for me. I’ll give you a call later.”
Like the first time I walked in here, no one is at the desk in the front office. I walk straight to the door leading to the kennels and peek through the window.
She’s sitting cross-legged on the floor in front of the kennels with the Shepherd Lab mix, who’d taken a shine to Bryce, lying with his head on his legs beside her. She’s reading from the book on her lap, one hand distractedly stroking the dog’s fur.
“Oh hell to the no,” I hear behind me.
I turn to find Margaret holding a carrying tray with two drinks in the one hand as the front door falls shut behind her.
“You are not coming in here making her cry again.”
“I have no intention to,” I assure her, but realize that may well be a lie when I tell Annie about her trailer. Margaret snorts, clearly not believing me. “I don’t know what she told you but—”
“That girl doesn’t tell me anything,” she grumbles before waving a finger in my face. “But I have no doubt you had something to do with it. Men.”
“I think she overheard something that she misinterpreted. It’s important I talk to her, Margaret.”
She squeezes her watery eyes into slits and tries staring me down,