Page 38 of Devil's Due

I chuckle. “Something like that.”

Another woman might have turned toward me, her expression trying to read mine to see whether I was serious. I only notice that’s missing when she doesn’t. If she could see, her gaze would be fixed at a point on the floor.

Another woman might be in hysterics. Her dog is fighting to be able to walk again if not for its life, and I’ve just forced her to face up to the fact, whatever she’s running from may have caught up with her. But then she’s faced more adversity and challenges than most other people I’ve met in my life. I suppose she’s had years to get used to it, but that she doesn’t berate how much she’s lost makes me admire her.

“You got a good family?”

Now she smiles. “The best, yes.”

“Well let me help you get back to them in one piece, yeah?”

“How can I trust you? And what help can you provide?”

“Well,” reminiscent of the position I’d take in Demon’s office, my elbows go back on my knees and my chin rests on my clasped hands, “have I done you wrong, so far?”

“What if you were working with them? What if you’re trying to trick me? Getting on my right side, sucking me in. Then… hurting me? You were there right at the time the car ran me down.” Her mouth twists as if she’s tasting something unpleasant. “You’ve quickly reached the assumption I’m not who I say I am. How did you do that, Beef? Or did you already know?”

As the thought hits her, she shudders. Her visionless eyes search for my face.

Quickly I rush to reassure her. “Once I pieced everything together it was obvious. I picked up on the clues you let slip. Maybe someone else wouldn’t have put it all together. I assure you, Stevie, I have no idea of this ‘them’ you think I might be working with. I have no idea of your real name or what you’re involved with.” She doesn’t seem convinced, so I try to explain. “Think about it, babe. Think about how we met. Sure, I was there when you had your accident. I always hang around to watch women being run over with my bike loaded up with all my clothes. Oh, and don’t forget, immediately coming up with a plan to worm my way into your good books by looking after your dog. Kinda proves I’m not just muscle, doesn’t it babe?”

Fuck me, she giggles.Down, fella, I instruct my cock.

Chapter Fourteen

After the brief moment of mirth, she stands as though she’s uncomfortable. It’s hard to accept she can’t see a fucking thing as she confidently walks from one side of the room to the other, and then back. Then she does it again. I can well appreciate her warning about not moving furniture. If that stool, for example, was put in her path she’d end up flat on her face. She needs a moment, I give it to her, watching the fleeting expressions come and go as they rearrange her features. Her brow furrows, then smooths, her lips press together. Her mouth twists as though she’s remembering something that’s painful.

Several minutes pass before she turns her face in my direction. “I was warned not to tell anybody anything. They impressed on me just one careless word could lead them to me.”

I’m hanging onto every clue here. She’s referred tothema few times. That rules out an ex. I know she’d told me that herself, but it’s good to have confirmation.

It’s not easy for just anyone to set up a new identity, so I’m pretty certain we’re on the right track thinking she’s in witness protection. If there wasn’t a mystery surrounding her, I could have written off that car as just an accident as we first thought. Now I know more, it seems unlikely to be a coincidence. I’d bet good money, someone has got the information about where she is, and that that someone shouldn’t have. I can do nothing to help her unless I know who that is.

“Who knows where you are, babe? Your family? Have you had any contact with them? Could someone have let anything slip?”

“Don’t you think I’d love to talk to my mom? To my dad? My sisters? Have you any idea how hard it is to be so far away and unable to even pick up the phone?”

I don’t. Sure, I’ve left my family to come to Pueblo, but I can call, go back to visit, hell, go home for good if that’s what I wanted. Drummer would probably give my Tucson patch back in a flash if I explained staying away was too hard. To be so alone, unable to hear a friendly voice when she wants to. I can’t imagine that. My respect for her increases yet again.

My brow furrows in sympathy. “Did you know how hard it would be?”

“I knew.” Her head dips and rises. “I just had to harden myself. I have to do what is right. It’s just for a few months, then I’ll be able to pick up my old life again.”

“You sure about that, babe?”

“Beef,” she suddenly cries, “I’m not sure of anything.I’mnot the one who did anything wrong, yet I’m the one being punished for it.” She paces again, then stops. “I was in danger, I couldn’t have stayed. Not when it wasn’t just me, they threatened my family too.”

I try to join the dots and come up with a likely explanation. “You’re going to testify against someone.” It seems obvious now. She’s being kept off the radar until the court case. Then she’ll resurface, give her testimony, and hopefully put whoever it is away, and it will be safe for her to return.Will it be that easy?To be given a new identity, to be moved, from what I’ve picked up, halfway across the country means it isn’t a small case of shoplifting.Corporate crime?That seems likely, it can’t have been something she could have seen, so something she knows, perhaps. Through her work? Maybe.

She hasn’t replied.How can I get her to trust me?“You got a beer, babe?”

“Sure, yes.”

“It’s okay, I’ll go.” Getting to my feet I go into her kitchen and get two beers. Returning, I put one into her hand. “Come sit by me.”

I’m pleased when she does. She takes a drink and then places her bottle on the coffee table.

“I’m running too, babe,” I start to tell her.

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