Page 49 of Refuge for Flora

“No. Honestly, I didn’t remember her name. I just called them, told them I’d overheard a couple of guys talking about a missing woman in their county, and asked if anyone had been reported missing.”

“Did you tell them who you are? That you’re a fish and wildlife officer?”

“No. I just told them I’m a concerned citizen. But…”

She waited as long as she could before she blurted out, “Yeah? But what?”

“Are you sure you saw what you told me you saw?”

Flora rose up on her elbow, an arm still draped across him, and glared at him. “You think I imagined severed arms and legs being fed to a gator? Are youserious?”

“I think you thought that’s what you saw.”

“So I’m a liar?”

“No. I’m not saying that. I’m just questioning if you really saw what you think you saw. Because there haven’t been any women reported missing there. None.”

“So? Maybe her folks don’t know she’s missing. Maybe nobody cares. Maybe somebody reported it and the sheriff’s office has gotten so tired of dealing with the scum that they didn’t bother to take the report. But I saw what I saw, Barrett, and if you’d seen it, you wouldn’t forget it either. I willneverforget that. And I don’t appreciate you acting like you don’t believe me.”

“I didn’t say I don’t believe you. I’m just telling you that as far as law enforcement in PikeCounty knows, there’s no missing woman. That’s all I’m saying.”

“Well, trust me, she’s missing. She’s gator shit by now.” At those words, Barrett winced. “Uh-huh. Sounds pretty crude. Well, it was. You’ve never seen anything like that.”

“No, and I’m glad too.”

“Yeah, well, I wish I hadn’t, but I did, and it was right damn awful.” Flora lay back down, her cheek resting on his chest, but she trembled with anger.

“Look, maybe they just don’t know yet. Maybe it got reported in another county.”

She sighed. “No. She’s from PikeCounty. Lived there her whole life. There’s nowhere else it would be reported.”

Barrett feathered a little kiss on her forehead. “Let’s just try to get some sleep. I’m sorry I upset you. I didn’t mean to. I just wanted you to know what I found out.”

“Okay. Fine. And now I’ll have nightmares all night because you brought it up.”

“I hope not. But you have to understand, it’s quite the fantastical story, Flora.”

“Oh, it absolutely is. You should’ve had to live it. I was so sick that I couldn’t eat for a week. You just can’t imagine.”

“No. I can’t. I wish there was somebody you could call somehow.”

“I need to check my email and see if my cousin sent me anything. That might give me something.”

With a finger under her chin, Barrett lifted her face and craned his neck to kiss her lips. “You can come down and use my computer tomorrow. Now, sleep. Night, babe.”

Maybe Rissa had sent her something. She needed to know, and she’d find out the next day.

But for some reason, she didn’t feel a bit better.

* * *

He’d always gottenup early, so when he woke the next morning, he decided to make breakfast for everyone. It was hard to extricate himself from Flora without waking her. They’d gotten so twisted together in the night that he wasn’t sure which arms and legs were his own, but by the time he’d untangled them and crawled out of the bed, he was sure she’d be awake. Nope. She slept like the dead.

He found everything he needed and set about measuring and pouring until he got the batter just the right consistency. Then he left it to sit and headed back to the bedroom. As he slid back under the covers, Flora roused. “Hey, babe,” he whispered into the back of her neck as he spooned her.

“Hey. Where were you?”

“I went in the kitchen and whipped up some pancake batter. As soon as you and Mrs.Murphy are up, I’ll cook them.”

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