Page 115 of Call Back

“Roy . . . He can’t know that I took you to the office. No one can.”

Oh, crap. I had to warn her. “Belinda.” My stomach cramped and I placed a hand on my abdomen to keep from hunching over. “I told Brady.”

The color drained from her face. “Told him what?”

I took several steps toward her, but she cringed away from me. “I told him about the files. But I didn’t tell him we went there last night. He thinks you told me about the files this morning. I told him what we found in Emily’s . . . and mine.”

“How could you?”

“Belinda, if Bill killed those women . . .”

“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” she asked in the most hateful tone I’d ever heard from her.

If she’d slapped me in the face, it wouldn’t have surprised me more. “I tried to keep a man from killing more innocent people.”

“I trusted you,” she said bitterly. “I shouldn’t have told you, and now you’ve ruined everything.”

“What did I ruin?” I asked in a teary voice. Had she told me to keep it a secret? I’d shared so many secrets and half-truths I was struggling to keep up.

Belinda turned her back and headed for the stairs. “I’m going to get ready to leave. I trust that you’ll have someone pick you up within the hour.”

“Belinda!” I called after her. A huge weight pressed into my chest, and I gasped to catch my breath.

I picked up my phone and called the first person who came to mind.

“Momma?” I said when she answered. “I’m at Belinda’s. Can you come get me?”

“Magnolia? Are you crying?”

“What?” I wiped a tear from my cheek. “No. I’m fine. But I’m at Belinda’s, and I need someone to pick me up.”

“I can’t, Magnolia,” she said, sounding weak. “I’m not feeling well.”

Fear knifed into me. “I should come check on you.”

“You’ll do no such thing,” Momma said. “I’m at Tilly’s and she’s taking good care of me.” She paused. “I can probably send her.”

“No, she needs to stay with you. I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”

I could call either Brady or Colt, but I was tired of relying on other people, particularly men. And while I knew I was in danger, Brady had said I should be safe if I stayed away from my usual places. That I could do.

I used my Uber app to call for a car. When it showed up ten minutes later, Belinda still hadn’t come down, but I’d found a piece of paper and left her a note next to the coffee maker.

Belinda,

I hate that I hurt you. You’re the sister I always wanted and I love you. I don’t want to lose you. Please tell me what to do to make this better.

Love,

Magnolia

I had the Uber take me to my car, which was still in the apartment complex parking lot. The driver gave me a sideways glance that suggested he considered this a drive of shame, but I didn’t care, even if the guy recognized me.

I needed to get a legal gun, but I had no idea where to get one. A quick search brought up several gun stores, but none of them opened until ten. It wasn’t even nine o’clock.

Unsure of what to do, I called the next person who came to mind.

“Maggie?” Colt asked, sounding groggy with sleep. “Are you okay?”

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