Page 20 of Fear of Flames
“What if…?” she began, turning from side to side.
“We haven’t been followed.”
“Sheriff Perkins could have sent someone ahead.”
Fletch’s jaw clenched as he shook his head. “I’ve had your house watched.”
“By whom?”
“Another contact. Everything is clear. Go inside.” He reached over to her thigh. “The bus ticket and airline ticket are on your kitchen counter.”
“Someone was in my house?”
“Someone who wants you to stay safe.”
Her chin fell to her chest. This was all too much. She wasn’t supposed to be a character in her stories…and yet…” She looked up. “None of this is real.”
Fletch’s eyes opened wide. “Shelly, I’m sorry, but it is real and to keep yourself alive, you need to face that.”
“No,” she said with new energy. “I can do this if I imagine it’s not real. It’s my story.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Of course, I wouldn’t have written my own father’s murder, but maybe if I…”
Fletch slowed the truck a few houses away from Michelle’s home. “What kind of security do you have?”
“The usual. Camera doorbell, a camera by my back door.”
“Inside?”
“Nothing.”
He pressed his lips together.
“If you’ve been watching me, wouldn’t you know that?”
Putting the truck in park, Fletch reached for Michelle’s hand and brought her knuckles to his lips. “You can do this. You come from incredibly brave parents.”
“My dad, yes, but…parents…what do you mean?”
He inhaled. “I mean, you can do whatever is necessary to put this behind you, Shelly. Denny never wanted you to be involved in any of this. Go, use the paper trail and continue living your life. Use the keypad on the garage to get inside. I’ll stay close for a few days, to be sure Perkins stays away.”
“But I won’t see you.”
He shook his head. “You never have. Remember, I’m not real.”
Michelle reached for the door handle and turned back. “Thank you for saving me.”
The tension eased from his features. “Thank you for…for being you.”
With tears in her eyes, Michelle made her way up the sidewalk to her driveway. After entering the code, her garage door rose.
Chapter
Nine
40 hours earlier – Iron Falls
* * *
Dennis Holdcraft trudged through the accumulating snow. His destination was veiled by the blowing flakes creating near white-out conditions. He’d purchased the twelve-acre property near Iron Falls, Massachusetts, nearly eight years earlier. While his house was isolated enough, where he was headed was even more hidden. The old shed had been on the property when he bought it. Back then it was filled with hunting and fishing gear.
