Page 37 of Final Escape
“No. He was demanding money. Again. But I don’t have it, and I don’t owe him a dime. When we divorced, everything was split equitably.”
Logan took another step toward Billy, crowding him until he again took a step back. “So the emails can stop. And the phone calls. And the unwanted visits. I can’t tolerate bullying in children, and in a grown man, it’s flat disgusting. A man stands on his own two feet. He doesn’t come sniveling around, trying to strong-arm a woman into paying his way.”
Billy shifted uneasily, and he glanced behind him.
Logan’s voice lowered. “So here’s your one chance. Get out of here now, before I truly lose my temper.”
A patrol car appeared at the corner of Main and Pine. Slowed, then stopped. The officer inside bent over to peer through his passenger-side window, then his door swung open and he stepped out to look over his car roof. He was the burlier of the two local deputies, the friendly one she’d met on her first day in town. Vance Munson.
“I got a call about some trouble. What’s going on here?”
Penny glared at Billy. “That was from me. This guy came into town to cause trouble. Maybe you can send him on his way—or even arrest him. He wasthreateningmy friend, here.”
* * *
BILLY EDGED FARTHERback into the shadows, his face pale and his eyes pinned on the deputy.
Now other people were gathering, and Carrie wished she could simply melt into the street. This was escalating into an even bigger scene, and there was no way to stop it.
And once Billy switched into defensive mode, there was no telling what he’d say—but it wouldn’t be true, and it wouldn’t be good. She turned to look at Billy. “If I were you—”
But during the moment when she’d looked away, Billy had disappeared.
CHAPTER NINE
After Billy slippedaway in the dark, Deputy Munson shooed the crowd away and then questioned Carrie and Penny on the street for a few minutes. After promising to file a report and keep an eye out for Billy in the future, he drove off.
Logan followed Carrie and Penny to Aunt Betty’s house, where Carrie picked up Murphy and her SUV. Logan followed her out to the rafting company property.
At the foot of the stairs to her apartment, he studied her intently. “You know Billy better than the rest of us. He has to realize that there were witnesses who saw him in town, even if the deputy didn’t get a good look at him. He’s hardly here on the sly anymore. Will he leave or stick around?”
“I’m not sure.” She glanced out at the faint outline of the towering pines rimming the parking lot. The moon was barely a sliver tonight, and the darkness seemed to close in on her from all sides. “I have no doubt that he knows where I live, though. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s been lurking around here, debating his next move. But I don’t think he’d be foolish enough to come out here tonight—not after being seen by so many people in town.”
“I didn’t see any headlights behind me.”
“And I didn’t see any behind me on the highway except yours, either. He couldn’t have driven that road with his lights off. It’s too dark, and on the hairpin turns he would’ve ended up over the edge or a ravine somewhere along the way.”
