The officer looked at Trent.
“Ruth and I are divorced. She disappeared nine years ago and she’s now trying to get me back.”
“Mr. Urbane? Mrs. Behr?”
Trent and Allison turned around. A man in a suit held his hand out. Trent shook it. “Yes?”
“Detective Jones. It’s good to meet you both. Sorry, it’s under these circumstances.” He reminded her of Clint Eastwood. He may have been nearing his sixties but had an air of control about him. Welch walked away, towards the driveway.
“Same here. Did they catch Ruth? I never thought she’d go this far.” Trent pushed a hand through his hair.
“No. She’s very good at disappearing.”
“Tell me about it.”
Allison tucked into Trent a little more. What would drive someone to do something like that? She was able to sneak into her house, create the disaster in her yard, and get in and out of her work place without being spotted. “Did you get the report we made yesterday?”
“Yes. I came into the office this morning and it was on my desk. I was trying to dig up information on Ruth’s past, when I got the call to come here. So far I haven’t come up with anything, except what I’ve already told you Mr. Urbane. Allison, are you up to checking if there are any damages inside?”
Allison took a deep breath. “Yeah.” Trent slid his hand in hers and brought it up, kissing the back of it. They stepped off the street into her yard. Getting closer to her house, the writing on the door was as noticeable and in your face, as she remembered. Jones walked up to Lt. Welsh who stood near the driveway. All three stopped before the edge and stared at the spread of blood and guts. “What is it? Please, tell me it’s not real.”
“Samples are being sent for testing but everyone’s betting on animal guts.” Welsh lifted a plastic zip lock with a bloody chunk of something in front of her face. “Whoever did this could have gotten it from a meat processing plant or maybe but less likely, a grocery store. We’re looking into the processing plants. There’s several in and around Lincoln.”
Allison nodded, still unable to wrap her brain around the idea of how crazy Ruth could be. A chill ran up her spine and she shivered.
“Let’s check the inside of the house?” Jones walked away and headed to the front door with Welsh. The word in red got larger and more hateful as they got closer. Welsh stepped in front of them and put his hand on his side arm.
Whoa! Could she be in there?
“Your house has been cleared. This is only a precaution.” He turned the knob and pushed the door open. They moved through the entryway and living room slowly.
“Do you notice anything out of place?” Jones asked.
She looked around. Everything appeared to be in place. Was it possible to feel anymore creeped out? She kept expecting a crazed Ruth to jump out from behind a closed door. Everything looked normal and she shook her head. Following Welsh, she entered the kitchen. Still nothing out of the ordinary.
The last room they checked was her bedroom. At first glance everything seemed to be in order. She went to her closet and peeked inside. “Ma’am.” Allison closed the closet and turned around. Welsh was pointing at her dresser. Everyone stared at the mess.
Allison carefully stepped up to it. The picture of her, Rick and their kids lay broken. Glass littered the top of the dresser. With the same paint used outside, there was a message spelled out on the wall above. “You had your man. Stay away or you’ll join him.” Allison hands automatically covered her mouth.
After a moment of silence, Jones turned to Trent. “Do you have a picture of this woman?”
“I have a copy of an old picture.”
“Mrs. Behr, you should change your locks and secure all other possible ways to get in.”
Trent responded. “As soon as we can, we’ll head to the store. Let me get you that picture.”
“Welsh, stay with her.” Jones followed Trent out of the bedroom. The officer stood by the door keeping his eyes alert but averted.
Allison approached the dresser. She picked up the broken picture frame. She looked at it closely. It was so easy then. The picture didn’t look damaged. She undid the back over the trash can, slid the picture out, and dropped the frame in. Turning back to her dresser, she noticed another picture lay where her frame had sat.
Gently placing her family picture down, she picked it up. It was of Trent, Ruth and John. John was maybe a year old. Trent held his son and his arm around Ruth. They were so happy. “What happened to you, Ruth?” She whispered.
Twenty-Eight
Allison walked around the house one more time with Welsh as her shadow. This time she paid more attention. The only thing she noticed was some of her clothes were missing. Nothing else looked out of the ordinary so she went outside in search of Trent.
Her yard was finally quiet again. Trent was at the end of the driveway spraying it down with the hose. The chunks of meat had been cleared away and the last of the blood rushed down into the gutter. “Looks much better, thanks.” She stood next to him and put her arm around his waist.
He put his arm around her shoulder. “You don’t have to thank me. It’s the least I can do.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s getting late. We can go to the hardware store tomorrow, get some paint for the door and your room, along with other supplies.”
“Works for me.” She watched Welsh get in his vehicle and leave. Walking back to the side of the house, Trent turned off the water and put the hose away. “Everyone gone?”
“Yeah, Jones said to call if we need him. He wanted to get back to the station and do some more digging.”
“We better check on the kids.” Allison was exhausted. “Can you drive?” Hand in hand they went to his truck. As they pulled away, Allison took another look at her home. The large pine trees laid shadows over the door, giving it a creepy feel. Even after a fresh coat of paint, she was going to see the ugly word that had been put there with so much hatred. Thankfully Liz and Stephen didn’t see it.
Allison knocked on Emily’s door surprised to find it locked. Emily opened her door and threw her arms around Allison, dragging her inside. “Are you guys okay?”
“Yes.” Allison mumbled in her blond hair.
Trent stepped in behind them and closed the door. Emily locked it then attacked Trent too. “I’ve been so worried. Liz and Stephen are too. So what happened? Do the cops have any leads? Is Ruth in jail?”
“Emily, slow down. She’s still out there, but the cops are looking.”
She looked from Allison to Trent a couple of times. “Okay.” She turned and walked away. They followed her into the kitchen. “Your kids are downstairs with Wayne watching some movie on TV.” Digging in the fridge she pulled out a bowl and pulled the lid off. “I’ll warm up some spaghetti for you two. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
Allison wasn’t hungry but let her warm up the dinner. It would give her something to do to keep herself occupied. Trent raised his hand about to say something but Allison put her hand on his arm. She reached up and whispered in his ear. “Keeps her busy. Let her do it.” He nodded.
Grabbing two plates and forks, Allison led Trent to the kitchen island. The microwave beeped and Emily brought the bowl over setting it in front of them. Allison brought the food closer and dished herself and Trent a little bit of the noodles. In Emily’s state of mind she wouldn’t notice how much they ate as long as they had some. While they ate, they gave Emily the details of what happened. She gasped a few times and her eyes almost popped out of her skull. By the end, all she was doing was shaking her head.
When their plates were empty, Emily took them to the sink and put the leftovers back in the fridge. She turned the water on and rinsed them.
“In the morning, we’ll hit the hardware store and get supplies” Trent turned to Allison. “Do you want me to get a couple of rooms at the motel I was staying at? I can reserve them for a few days.”
“No, stay here.” Emily dropped the silverware she’d been rinsing.
Allison looked at Trent. She was comfortable pulling up the couch at her best friend’s house but didn’t want to put Trent out. She’d go where he was comfortable.
“I would feel much better if you all were here.” Emily walked up to them dropping water as she went.
He shrugged. “Sure, it’d be easier than getting a motel.”
Looking back at Emily, she had her hands clasped in front of her and bottom lip stuck out. Allison chuckled. “Ok. You twisted my arm.”
Emily bounced in place. “Yeah. I’ll put Liz and Stephen in the guest room and set you two up on the couches down stairs.” Emily rushed down the hallway.
Trent pulled Allison to him. “I’m glad she invited us. I might be able to sleep.”
“Me too.” She leaned her head back and Trent kissed her. “It’ll be nice to have you in arm’s length.
“Ok, you two love birds. You’ll have to get a room elsewhere if you’re going to continue that.” Emily grinned from ear to ear.
“Oh, shush up.” Allison blushed grabbing Trent’s hand, and led him down the stairs.
***
Allison woke to a delicious aroma and her stomach rumbled. Opening her eyes, she let them adjust to the morning light. Trent sat on the couch reading the newspaper. She propped up on her elbows and he lowered the paper and smiled. “Sleep well?”
She smiled back. She loved the messy morning hair on Trent. “Yes.”
He leaned forward and gently kissed her. “Liz and Stephen are up and eating. Do you want them to go to school?”
“Yeah. No reason for them to sit around. I’ll let Bob know I won’t be in.”
“We’ll go to the store for supplies after breakfast?” He stood and held his hand out to her. She sat up and put her hand in his letting him help her stand. He pulled her into his arms and held her close. Her head swam as he leaned down and lightly kissed her. Trailing kisses across her jaw then down her neck she closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the moment.
Too soon he pulled back. “Should we join everyone upstairs?”
“Yeah.” Even though she wanted nothing more, than to stay right where she was. They walked upstairs together and into the kitchen. “Good morning.”
“Morning.” Replied everyone.
After breakfast, Allison saw Liz and Stephen off for school, and then helped Emily clean up. “Trent and I are going to the store. I called Bob letting him know what’s going on and that I wouldn’t be there, so I’ll see you after work.”
“K.” Emily held her hand out to Allison. “Here’s a spare key. Call me if you need anything.”
Emily and Wayne left for work then Allison and Trent climbed into his truck. They drove in silence for a while. She sat in the middle seat leaning on Trent. Soft music played. Being near Trent, she had to keep reminding herself she was in danger. But it was hard, because he made her feel safe and loved.
Trent pulled into the parking lot. Jumping out, he went over to her side, and opened the door. He stopped her before she jumped out. Leaning into her, he held her chin in one hand. “Thanks for not running.” He moved his hand through her hair smoothing it away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.
Running her hands up his chest she grabbed his collar and slowly pulled him to her. “I’m here to stay. No running.” He wrapped his fingers in her hair and kissed her. He put his arms around her waist and lifted her out of the vehicle then set her on her feet.
In the store they moved down the different aisles hand in hand. Allison was glad Trent knew what he was looking for. In the hour they had been there, she picked out new locks, paint for the front door and her bedroom, and Trent helped her decide on an alarm system.
“Hey, I’ve got to go to the bathroom.” They looked around then spotted it at the back of the building. “I’ll be right back.” She made her way to the bathroom. She slipped into one of the stalls as someone came into bathroom after her and occupied the stall next to her. A minute later she stood at the sink washing her hands. As she rinsed her hands, the door to the other stall opened.
Allison looked into the mirror. A woman with long reddish brown hair that hung loose and wild left the stall. She didn’t look at Allison and turned her face away from her. The woman stood at the sink next to Allison. Ruth! The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. It was time to get out of there and find Trent. Turning the water off, she reached for the paper towels. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on the back of her head and slammed her forehead into the wall.
“Keep your lips off my man.”
Her head screamed with the pain and her vision blurred. Allison brought her hand up to her forehead. Blood dripped into her eye and she franticly tried to wipe it away. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of Ruth, just before being tackled to the floor. She tried to roll to her side but Ruth pinned Allison on her back with her arms to her sides.
“Stay away from Trent.”
“No, we’re together now. You’re the one that needs to go away, Ruth.”
Ruth slammed her hand over Allison’s mouth. The taste of liquid copper spread over her tongue.
“Big talk for a little bitch.” A smile slid across Ruth’s face as she pulled a knife from her pocket.
Allison’s eyes widened as she recognized the weapon. It was the missing knife from her kitchen. It was only a few inches in length but it would do plenty of damage.
Ruth lifted her hand but immediately grabbed Allison’s bottom lip. “We’ll see if Trent wants to even look at you when I’m done.”
A fresh stream of blood ran over her tongue. “You ended things a long time ago. This won’t help.” Allison struggled kicking her legs hoping to buck her off. Ruth was surprisingly heavy for how thin she was.
“Getting rid of you will. And I know exactly how to do that.” Ruth pressed the knife against her neck.
Allison stilled and lifted her head back as much as the hard tile floor would allow. As the blade sliced her skin, she looked up into Ruth’s face. Crazed green eyes pierced sent a shiver went through Allison’s body.
“What? Nothing to say now? See, you’re no better than me.”
A scream echoed through the bathroom. A large lady in the doorway was surprised by the scene. She slipped back out the door and Allison could hear her as she moved away. “Help, help. Someone’s being attacked in the bathroom.”
“Guess we’ll have to finish this later. Till next time.” Ruth pushed herself off Allison, squeezing the breath out of her. Allison waited to take a deep breath until Ruth ran out of the bathroom then sighed in relief. She brought her hands up to her face and wiped as much of the sticky mess away as she could. Carefully she touched the gash on her forehead and winced. She laid still, wanting to get off the floor but she shook all over. Trent, come find me. Breathing deep, she concentrated on calming her ragged breath and relaxing her body.
Twenty-Nine
Trent looked through the hand tools while he waited for Allison. Picking up a set of Kobalt screwdrivers, he turned them around in his hands. He’d ask Allison if she had any. Dropping them in the basket he turned and spotted the ladders against the wall. He didn’t know exactly what she had or needed. It was difficult to look for things on his own. Turning away from the ladders, he walked in the direction of the bathroom. She should be finished by now.
A woman screamed from the direction he was headed. He looked up as a pile of unruly hair flew past. “Oh no.” He left the basket and ran for Allison. If anything happened to her he would never be able to live with himself. He burst through the door and slid to a stop on the smooth floor. Allison lay on the floor, hands covering her face. His mouth dropped, it looked like someone had smeared red paint all over her face. If only. Blood ran in her hair from a gash above her eyebrow.
Kneeling next to her, he brushed back the hair stuck to her face from the drying blood. “I’m so sorry.” She dropped her hands and lunged herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He caught his balance before he hit the flo
or.
He held her chin and checked her out. “She must have followed us again.” Along with the still bleeding cut above her eye, her lip was split and swollen. Both would bruise. Trent helped her stand and walked her over to the sinks. Making sure she was steady, he grabbed some paper towels. On the wall next to the towels, a splash of blood trailed a couple of inches down.
He couldn’t believe he had been so careless. He folded a pile of towels together and gently placed them over the cut applying pressure. Allison leaned against the wall, resting her head. “Man, you have a cut on your neck.”
Her hand went to her throat. “She had a knife.”
A knife! Ruth was getting desperate. Now she was resorting to weapons. He won’t be so careless anymore.
Allison pushed off the wall and looked in the mirror. “She really did a number on me.”
Trent turned when he heard the door open. Detective Jones walked in with a young female officer behind him. She held a camera and started snapping pictures right away. Jones stepped up to Allison and she turned to face him. “Well I can’t say I expected to see you again so soon.”
“Neither did we.” Trent shook the man’s hand.
Jones moved Allison’s hand away from her head and tilted her chin up. “She got you good, huh.”
The female officer stepped up next to Jones. “I need to get pictures of your injuries?”
Allison stood still as the woman snapped away. “That should do it.” She turned and left without another word.
Opening the door, Jones held it for everyone. “A warrant for Ruth is being drawn up. I’m going to look at the security cameras. I’m sure they got a shot of her. Hopefully, we’re able to catch her soon.”
Trent put his arm around Allison and helped her walk out of the bathroom. “Have you found any more information on where she’s been?”
“No. So far I’ve come up with nothing. I’ve been searching the areas where she was last known to be but I’m going to expand my search.
An EMT, walked up to them. "I need to take a look at your injuries." The EMT wiped away the blood on her forehead. “It doesn’t look deep. I don’t think stitches are necessary.” Her forehead was cut open about an inch long so he applied two butterfly bandages. He told her the cut on her lip would be tender and the cut on her throat was only a couple of layers deep. “I don’t see any sign of a concussion, but be aware. If you feel nauseous or dizzy go to the hospital.” He turned to Trent. “If she seems out of sorts or any slurred speech, get her in.”
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