Page 94 of Refuge for Flora

“Flora told us. You do know Velma’s dead, right?”

There was little doubt that Bradley was about to have a stroke. “What? No. You’re wrong. She just run off somewhurs.”

“No, Bradley. Velma is dead. Darryl killed her.”

“No. Yore lyin’.” Bradley’s face turned beet red and he was spitting as he talked. “Darryl wouldn’t never do nothin’ like that. Velma is my girlfriend. He wouldn’t do nothin’ like that right there.”

“He did. He got mad at her because she was mouthing off, so he slammed her up against the wall with his hand around her neck, and then he gutted her alive.”

“No! He did not! Darryl wouldn’t do that!” Bradley screamed.

“He did. He gutted her alive, then cut her up with a chainsaw and fed her to the gators.”

The red-faced man went white as a sheet. “No. He wouldn’t,” Bradley whispered.

“Yeah, he did. Sure did. Made Flora watch and help. Why do you think he’s been so obsessed with finding her? He wanted to kill her because she was the only one who knew what he’d done to Velma. What about your friend now, Bradley? What about your buddy who’s brought you here and gotten you into a world of hurt? Have you seen him do that with somebody else?”

If Barrett had thought Bradley was pale before, he was wrong. The tall, skinny man blanched white as flour. “I can’t… he wouldn’t… Are you sure?”

“Flora told me the whole story. It’s why she ran, Bradley. She was afraid of Darryl. You should be afraid of him too.” Something had been tickling Barrett’s brain, and suddenly, he knew what it was. “So this guy who was supposed to find Flora? What did Darryl do with him when he didn’t bring her back? Or did he bring her back?”

Bradley looked away. “No. He didn’t bring her back.”

“So where is she?”

“I dunno. He said she run out the back door.”

“Okay. So what happened to the guy?”

“You mean Ajax?”

Barrett stared at him. “Big guy, jailhouse tattoos.”

“Yeah. That was Ajax.”

“Was?”

“Yeah. Darryl, he… God damn it, can you hand me that trash can? I’m gonna be sick.” Barrett had no more than handed it to Bradley when the skinny man wretched into it.

“Bradley,” Barrett cajoled as the man choked and sputtered, “where’s Flora?”

“I don’t know. And I’m tellin’ the truth. Ajax was ‘sposed to bring her back, but he didn’t, so Darryl…” A look passed over Bradley’s face, something Barrett didn’t recognize, and when he spoke, it was exactly what Barrett had hoped for. “Whatever you want to know, I’ll tell ya. You just ask me. That sumbitch was ‘sposed to be my friend and hekilltmy girlfriend? Naw. That shit don’t fly with me. You ask me a question and I’ll tell you what I know.”

The door opened and two detectives stepped in. “He’s all yours,” Barrett said as he rose.

“Thank you, officer, and good luck.”

“Thanks.” Barrett flew out the front doors of the station, climbed up into his truck, and took off toward Mrs.Murphy’s house. Flora was out there somewhere. Dead, alive, no matter what?he had to find her.

And when he got there, the first person he saw was Conor. “I don’t know these woods, but I’ll help.”

“We’re here to help too,” Kirby announced, and Jonas nodded from beside him.

“We want to help too,” a male voice said from behind him, and Barrett turned.

His mom, dad, sister, and brother-in-law stood there in boots, jeans, and long-sleeve shirts. “We know these woods as well as you do or maybe better. If she’s out here, we’ll find her.” His mom took his arm and looked up into his face. “We’ll find her, son. I promise.”

Another voice caused him to turn, and he found his friends standing there. “We won’t stop until we do,” Zyan assured him as Landee nodded in agreement.

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