Page 22 of Operation: Unify

“Randy said there were a few frozen meals. He had one of them before he left. We can go shopping later, but I think we should drive out of town to do that. I don’t care if we need to go an hour out of the way, I’m not going to be looking over my shoulder every few minutes as I try to buy food.”

Melinda nodded her approval of the plan. “I know of a little mom and pop store about an hour from here. They don’t have a huge selection, but I like that you can hear the door open and close because of the bell above it and I like that the shelves are short enough that if you stand on tiptoe, you can see everyone in the store.”

What kind of life would she have to live to make her think that way and not even realize it was defensive? That was exactly the kind of place they needed, but it sickened her to think that Melinda had lived that way for years. “Sounds like a plan.”

“Seriously, I’m not saying you need a shower, but it’s okay if you want to go take one. You look tired and it will help. I’ll befine. I’ve lived this long, so another twenty minutes won’t be an issue.”

The pull of the hot water and letting the last two days go down the drain was more than Lacy could stand. “Fine, but I’ll be quick.”

“I’ll have a few of these frozen lunches made by the time you get out, then we’ll plan how we’ll get food and what we’ll need to do so we can leave. Now that my aunt is gone, I have no reason to stay here.”

“Except you’re a suspect for the time being. We can’t leave until they arrest someone for the crime and clear you to go. We didn’t touch anything but the door, so they won’t find our prints anywhere. They have to clear you, but I don’t want to leave before we get the okay.”

“I know. I also know that he’ll tell the police that my aunt and I were estranged and hadn’t spoken in years. He won’t tell them it’s because he told me there would be severe consequences if I spoke to her, only that we were estranged so there must be bad blood there. He’s made it so easy for himself to frame me for everything.”

“Only because he made it so you can’t fight back. We’ll win this. The truthwillset you free.” She just had to keep believing that.

Lacy headed for the bedroom she’d decided to use while they were staying there and gathered a change of clothes and a towel from the rack in the closet. Randy had told her there was also a washer and drier in the house that they could use, making the house a better long-term option than a hotel. If only she could relax for even a second.

She headed into the bathroom, locked the door, and turned on the vent fan. Within a few minutes of turning on the hot water, steam covered the mirror and hung in a mist near the ceiling. She got in and closed the curtain. The shampoo leftin there was better than the stuff she used at home, and she poured a liberal amount into her hand and lathered her entire head, letting the fragrance and the soft bubbles sooth her frayed nerves.

A softcreakstalled her, and she froze. Was that the door? Hadn’t she locked it. “Hello?” she said quietly in case she’d heard something that didn’t exist, and her mind was playing tricks on her again.

She heard slight shuffling just outside the shower curtain and the stuttered groan of writing on the mirror. “Hello?” The pitch of her own voice betrayed her sudden fear. She was trapped in a shower with someone on the other side of the flimsy plastic.

There was no way she was going to open that curtain. She heard the door of the bathroom close, and Lacy whipped the stiff plastic out of the way. In streaky letters on the mirror in front of her read the words,I’ve got her. You’re next.

Chapter Eight

Connor rushed to fish his phone from his pocket as he sat down to lunch. Without a word of hello to his men in the cafeteria that was more of a large dining room, he stuck the phone to his head. “Connor.”

“I need you,” Lacy’s voice shook like she was crying.

“I’m on my way. Pin your location and send me a text. Don’t go anywhere or leave until I get there. Lock all the doors.” He headed for the area to dump his full tray.

Lacy interrupted him. “He got her. He somehow got in here when I went to take a shower. I don’t know how he knew or how he got in. There doesn’t seem to be a forced entry. She wouldn’t have let him in, would she?” Now Lacy sounded frantic, the sound devastated his nerves.

“I don’t know. Lacy, you know as well as I do that women who have been abused never feel like they have full control, and they don’t learn how to take it back for a long time. We don’t know what he said. I wonder how he found you so quickly though. Is it possible he was following you? You told me he jumped on your car. You have a WY license plate, so that makes you pretty easy to spot.”

“I suppose you’re right. Should I park my car somewhere and rent one?”

He wanted to be there and pull her to his chest and tell her he’d protect her. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine. Instead, he was hours away and feeling more helpless than a newborn calf. “No. Stay right where you are. Lock the doors. Don’t let anyone in. Not anyone. You don’t know who to trust. Understand?”

She made a smallum-humnoise of agreement. “What about Randy? He helped me twice today.”

Who was Randy? Why was this Randy helping his wife? “And he could be the reason you were found so quickly. Like I said, don’t open the door for anyone but me.”

“Okay. Hurry.”

He glanced down the line and handed his full tray to Junior who was waiting his turn with his wife, Gabby. They were about to have their first child. “I need to go. No time to eat. Edwyn and Teddy are in charge.”

Junior stalled him for a second. “Is your dad healed enough to do the work? If not, I’ll help him without saying that I am.”

“Thanks. Keep an eye on him. He’s not above doing more than he should because he feels he has to. I’ll check in soon.”

He headed straight for his room and threw a few items into a duffle bag, then slung it over his shoulder. As he jogged down the stairs, Dad met him at the foot. “Edwyn sent me a text. He said he heard you talking to Lacy on the phone, and it sounded serious.”

“I’ll have to thank him later for listening in.” But that was for another day. “Lacy needs me. She’s in trouble.”

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