Page 106 of Safe With Me

His eyes widened after Jude said “charges.”

“She doesn’t have to do that. I would have told her family to tell her I’m sorry, but they told me they don’t really speak to her, and when they do, they can’t mention me. I get it.”

Keith snuck me a look, and I replied with a tiny nod.

However delusional he still was, he seemed sincere. Maybe therapy had helped. The mention of her family not really speaking to her made me angrier than anything Ted had said so far.

“How did you know she was here?” I asked before I could help myself.

“I couldn’t find her address, but her brother said she was probably up here since her cousin’s family lived in town and it was far enough in the middle of nowhere to hide. I figured it was small enough to look around and find her.”

I clasped my hands together and leaned forward, taking a chance I hoped Keith wouldn’t kick my ass for.

“I will let her know you’re sorry. And that she doesn’t have to worry about you bothering her ever again.”

“You all know her, I guess,” he said, darting his eyes back and forth.

“We all do, yes, but I’m her boyfriend. I will extend your apologies when I see her at home later.”

I caught Keith’s head whip to mine in my periphery.

Ted’s eyes went wide as he nodded slowly. Whoever was behind those vicious notes of the past couple of days would have lunged at me by now, and judging by Ted’s surprised reaction, this was new information to him.

I’d believed my first instinct, but now I had all the confirmation I needed.

“You’re free to go,” Keith said. “But I’d take that same road out of Kelly Lakes tonight and head back to Philly. It’s nice thatyou wanted to make amends, but the best way to do that is to stay as far away from her as possible. Get me?”

Ted swallowed and pushed up to stand.

“I’m free to go?”

“You are,” Jude said. “You can get your car and be on your way.”

Ted muttered a thank-you as he headed for the door, pausing as he glanced at me over his shoulder.

“Please tell her I’m sorry. I know I crossed the line. A few times.” He lifted his shoulder in a shrug before the officer outside led him toward the front desk.

“I know,” I said, holding up a hand as Keith scowled at me. “But I needed to push. And now we know.”

“It’s not him.” Keith’s head fell back as he cupped his forehead. “I don’t know if I fully believe that he was here to apologize, but finding out she had a cop boyfriend may have squashed any other plans he might have had.”

“Agreed,” Jude said, tossing the folder onto the table. “Couldn’t be easy, could it?”

“Chief!” Mrs. Canale, our station secretary, rushed in the open door. “Mrs. Scarpullo is here to see you. She said she has proof that Mrs. Wagner’s dog has been terrorizing her yard.”

“I don’t have the energy for this today,” Keith grumbled. “Although I’d love for this to be the biggest problem we had again.”

I nodded, wishing along with him that the worst part of my day was another bullshit call to one of their houses.

“She said she has video from her cameras that she needs you to see right now.”

“Wait,” I said as my heart leaped into my throat. “She has cameras all over that house. Her house is almost right across the street from the Francos. Knowing her, she has extra cameras on the side facing Mrs. Wagner?—”

“Which should give us a clear view of the side entrance to Lila’s apartment. God bless that woman’s spite,” Keith said on a loud exhale. “We will take that video to view right now.”

Keith jogged to the front desk, and I was right behind him as an agitated Mrs. Scarpullo popped off one of the waiting area chairs.

“Chief, I need someone to look at this right away,” she said, handing him the SD card.

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