Page 156 of Call Back

Chapter 30

Gettingout took more effort than I’d expected. There was a fair amount of blood on my dress, which was bound to draw suspicion.

“Colt, get your truck,” Belinda said in a brisk tone when we reached the second floor. “Drive behind the house, and I’ll bring Magnolia to you, out of view.”

Colt shot me a look as if to make sure I was okay with this plan.

I nodded, trying to hide how badly my arm hurt.

He turned to Belinda. “Will you tell Roy you’re leaving?”

“I’m staying.”

I started to protest, but she held up her hand. “No. Think about it. Once the bodies are discovered, it will look odd if all three of us are gone. I’ll say you two left because you couldn’t keep your hands off each other. I’ll be the eyes here to find out what’s going on.”

“Belinda . . . I can’t leave you,” I choked out through a throat thick with tears.

“You can and you will.” She looked up at Colt. “Why are you still here? Go.”

Colt took off toward the front, and Belinda and I headed to the back staircase. We stayed silent until after we’d slipped through a back door to the garden.

“You have to leave Roy, Belinda,” I said. “You accomplished your goal. It’s time to leave him.”

“I didn’t accomplish anything. Not really.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe I thought it would work. I can’t believe I put you in danger.”

“You think my father really cares?” I asked. “He’s a selfish asshole. Pack a bag when you get home and then come to Momma’s house. She’s going to need help when she comes home, so that’s where I’ll be from now on. If you need physical backup, call Colt.”

“Why are you being so forgiving?” she asked.

“We’re family. Family sticks together.”

We pushed through a hedge to reach the street behind the house. Colt’s truck was already rounding the corner.

“Belinda, why did you take me to Bill’s office? What did you hope to find?”

“I really did think he might be the serial killer, and if your father thought his partner was after you . . .”

If Bill wasn’t the killer, then who had we overheard in Bill’s office that night? Who had burned down the house? That person now had the necklace Brady gave me. The real killer.

“You were trying to lure him out. He never showed up tonight. See?” I said. “He doesn’t give a shit.”

“You’re wrong,” Belinda said softly. “He cares more than you know. He was there tonight.” She paused. “Magnolia. He’s the one who killed Rowena and her guy.”

My mouth dropped open as Colt pulled up to the curb. How?

Belinda opened the door and pushed me in. “Take her to Lila’s. I’ll let you know when I hear something.”

She shut the door, and before I could say anything at all, she was already hurrying back toward the house.

* * *

Colt studied my face. “On a scale of one to ten, how much trouble am I in?”

There was no doubt he cared about me, but there were so many unanswered questions. But when I thought about them, the trauma of what just happened hit me full force. My voice broke as I said, “I can’t talk about it right now.”

He wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me close. I leaned my head into the crook of his arm.

Fat tears leaked from my eyes, which pissed me off. I needed to keep it together.

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