by Dori Lavelle
I called a taxi and walked out of the house without saying a word to Lin. The last thing I wanted was for her to read something from my face or between the lines of my words. When all was said and done, she was Jude’s employee and her loyalty was with him.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Diana waited for me outside her apartment on the outskirts of town. She looked nervous, and I understood. I wouldn’t have dragged her into my mess if I had someone else to turn to.
But I didn’t plan on staying with her for long. I planned to leave town as soon as possible. Being in the same town as Jude once he found out I’d left would be dangerous. I’d be gone by midnight.
“I’m so sorry,” Diana said while she prepared one of the guestrooms for me.
I’d never been to her place before. For a struggling single mother, she lived in a surprisingly luxurious apartment building with six bedrooms, three marbled bathrooms, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. From what she had told me in the short time we’d been friends, she barely earned enough to keep her children in school. I’d even considered going behind Jude’s back and giving her a bit of money to help with her urgent financial needs.
“You have a really nice place.” I sat down on the bed and laid my money-filled purse on my lap. “I thought …”
She shrugged and busied herself with the pansies in a vase on the windowsill. “We moved in here three weeks ago.” She paused. “Antonio finally decided to pay up.” She turned back to face me with a smile. “I’ll go and make us an early lunch. It should be ready in an hour. Get yourself settled in and come and join us downstairs.”
“I’m sorry, but would you mind if I took a short nap?” I leaned against the pillows. “I’m exhausted.” My body felt like lead and my mind was so clouded my thoughts were a mess inside my head. I felt as if I hadn’t slept for years. I had to clear my mind before it caused me to make mistakes.
“Okay,” Diana said and headed for the door. “I’ll put something in the fridge for you. You can eat when you wake up.”
“Thanks, Diana … for doing this.” What would I do if I didn’t have her?
She smiled and nodded.
When she left the room, I made a call to a car rental company, and I managed to convince the owner to drop the car off at an address three blocks away from where Diana lived, instead of having me pick it up. He also agreed to payment in cash. I’d intentionally contacted a company that a quick search on the internet revealed was struggling financially. Beggars can’t be choosers. Of course he agreed, especially when I offered to pay him a little extra for his trouble.
In a few hours, I’d be back home in Serendipity. I’d heard there was an inn that was known to be a small haven for people running away from their problems. When I called the Drawbridge Inn, the owner first claimed they didn’t have a free room. When I injected raw emotion into my voice, she paused for a long moment and then told me someone had checked out while we were on the phone.
Everything was going as planned and I had no reason to believe that Jude would find me. Serendipity was small but not tiny. And he’d probably think I’d choose another town and not a place close to my heart. But right now I needed the comfort that only the familiar offered. Even though I had no family or friends there, it had been home to me.
But I also knew he’d do everything to make sure I was found. He had both the money and the motivation. If only I could go to the cops. But that was not an option. The skeletons inside my own closet had to stay hidden at all costs. I got myself into this mess, and I’d get myself out of it.
With my eyes closed, I listened to the laughter of Diana’s little boys drifting up the stairs. For a moment I envied her what she had. I had always wanted to have kids, but with a man I loved and trusted. Amazing how a fairytale could go so horribly wrong. Thank God I never had any kids with Jude. It would have been that much more complicated to leave him.
I tossed and turned for an hour, watching the clock. Eventually, I gave up on sleep and decided to do something productive. I disappeared into the bathroom where I opened the brown carryall tote bag Diana had left there for me. I rolled my long hair into a bun and pulled on the wig cap, followed by the wig. The short, jet black bob with bangs totally transformed me. Next, I applied the fake eyelashes and caked my face with makeup. When I gazed back into the mirror, I saw someone else, someone I used to know. Myself, when I worked at Allure. I had never wanted to become my mother, but sometimes the things we despise most are the ones we attract.
On the night I would never forget, my desperation had led me to follow a rich, hairless client with a potbelly and beer on his breath to the Serendipity Devine Resorts. How was I to know that a few hours later my life would change forever?
Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus. Dwelling in the past only brought me heartache.
To complete my look, I changed into tight, black jeans that had once belonged to Diana and a bright red tank top. I pulled a scuffed denim jacket over the top and sprayed myself with cheap flowery perfume. I was dressed the part. I was back to being the girl many respectable people avoided. I looked like a hooker. No longer the wife of one of the richest men in America. Just the way I liked it.
***
I had dinner with Diana and her identical twin boys, Colby and Daniel. They were both in high spirits as they shared with me stories of their school days and competed at showing me who had the best toys. I smiled, but my heart was in my throat. It was 6 p.m. and Jude had probably already started the search. He’d never be able to reach me since I’d gotten rid of my old phone and SIM card. Diana had given me a spare one. I didn’t want to give Jude a chance to track me down.
While I pushed my food around on my plate, I prayed Jude wouldn’t torture Lin for information she didn’t have.
Half an hour before midnight, I hugged and thanked Diana who held me for a little longer. “I’m so sorry,” she said again, and when she looked at me, her eyes were wet, just as mine were.
“Thank you for helping me.” I squeezed both her hands. “I won’t forget this.”
“When you get to where you’re going, will you contact me?” I recognized the note of fear in her voice. She was a true friend. She feared for my life.
I wanted to say yes. She had proved to be a good friend. After what she’d done for me, it would only be fair to inform her of my plans. But one more person knowing could mean death for me. “I’m sorry, I can’t.”
She nodded. “I understand. Be safe.” She got a call from Antonio then, and left my room to answer it.
At midnight, I stood on the curb of Smithson Street, waiting for my car to arrive. My foot wouldn’t stop tapping. I was more nervous that I’d expected to be. Fear literally poured out of each of my pores. Even with deodorant, my armpits were damp. What if he found me before I had the chance to leave town? What if after all this, I ended up back at the house of horror? I wouldn’t survive the torture. Not this time.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
My plans changed before the rental car arrived. Taking the train would have been safer. I hadn’t quite thought that through. How would I return the car to them without exposing myself in some way? I wasn’t planning on returning to Madison anytime soon, if ever.
Just as I saw a car slowing down as it headed in my direction, I spun on my heel and headed in the opposite direction, walking as fast as my feet could carry me. Ten minutes later, I arrived at a grocery store with a public phone box outside. I slipped inside it. Trying not to gag at the stench of urine and vomit, I used the location app on my new phone to find the nearest train station. When I found the information I needed, I left the phone cubicle and dialed the number that I had memorized. I walked over to the dark side of the grocery store, where the garbage cans were kept, litter crunching under my feet. As the phone rang, my nose wrinkled at the rotten garbage and mildew.
After what seemed like forever, someone with an ambiguous voice answered. He or she informed me that a train passing through Serendipity had just
left ten minutes ago, but another was scheduled to leave in an hour.
No problem. I’d just kill time. But I wouldn’t wait at the station, just in case Jude happened to be watching it for signs of me. The less time I spent there the better. I’d waste enough time so that as soon as I arrived there I’d just buy my ticket and slip onto the train.
I sank down on a piece of cardboard on the ground next to one of the bins—an empty liquor bottle at my feet—and pulled up a map of Madison on my app.
After studying it for a moment, I learned that the station was only ten minutes away. Good. I’d wait here until close to the time I had to catch the train.
Forcing myself to breathe, I sat on my money-filled purse and hugged my knees to my body, listening to a dog barking, cars honking, and the faint sound of classical music drifting from the open window of a nearby apartment building. I watched a dog rooting through trash.
Very few people walked by. The few who did, didn’t bother talking to me. Thank God for the transformation. I was just another homeless person. It didn’t stop me from being afraid though. I was on the open streets and there were some crazy people out here with me. But fear of Jude trumped the fear of strangers. The distant wail of a siren also comforted me. So, I kept my head down while still keeping an eye on passersby, grateful for the jean jacket as the temperature started to drop.
A harsh ringing made me jolt so hard my head slammed against the wall behind me. Luckily, the bun underneath my wig cushioned me from cracking my skull.
I pulled the phone from my pocket. The number was familiar. It had to be Joel from the car rental place. Feeling like an ass, I waited until the ringing stopped and then switched the phone off.
Nothing hindered my plans. An hour later, I sat on the train as it rumbled out of the station, driving me to my freedom.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
At 3 a.m., Mrs. Drawbridge welcomed me into her inn with warmth. She accepted cash, no questions asked. Then she led me to a small, but clean room with worn vintage furnishings. Just stepping inside made me feel immediately safe. Since leaving Jude just a few hours ago, I finally breathed out.
“Nothing lasts forever, you know,” Mrs. Drawbridge said with a kind smile. “Not even pain. After a while, heartache disappears and only leaves a footprint that fades with time.”
The hurt must have been written all over my face. From her words, she had obviously seen many people in pain.
“Thank you,” I said softly. “I’ll remember that.”
“Good.” She reached for the door handle. “Get some rest. If you need anything, let me know. Breakfast is at eight till 11 a.m. See you later.”
Mrs. Drawbridge started to close the door, but I gripped the handle. “Can I have breakfast in my room? I … need to be alone.”
“Of course. I’ll bring it up to you at eight thirty. Sleep well. Whatever you’re running from, you’re safe here.”
Left alone, I took a quick shower, then climbed under the cool sheets, dressed in one of Diana’s t-shirts. No more sleeping naked for me. Before I fell asleep, I hugged the pillow as if it were a person, a comforting teddy bear. I needed something to hold on to. I needed to grasp on to the idea that I wasn’t completely alone. But I was. I had no one but the fear raging inside me. The fear that this newfound piece of heaven would not last, and Jude would eventually find me.
***
My phone rang again shortly before 6 a.m. Why had I even switched it on? Apart from Diana and the car rental place, no one had the number.
I opened my groggy eyes and peered at the blinking screen. Unknown number. It could be Diana, but I didn’t want to answer questions I had no answers to. It tore my heart apart to be losing a friend, but my life in Madison was over.
I stared at the blinking screen until the phone stopped ringing. Then I switched it off again.
My mind drifted to Jude. Had he spent the whole night sweeping the streets of Madison? Had he stumbled upon mistakes I’d made. I was pretty certain he would have discovered the missing money.
Despite the distance between us, I still couldn’t unravel the hard knot inside my stomach. His obsession with me was so intense and dangerous. What if he never gave up the search?
Unable to go back to sleep, I remained under the covers, eyes closed. I woke after an hour and stood under the shower again, scrubbing myself, desperate to wash any traces that Jude had left behind. I had only stepped out when there was a knock on my door, and I heard Mrs. Drawbridge’s voice filtering in from the other side of the door.
“Coming.” I wrapped myself in one of the towels hanging from hooks behind the door, tying the belt around my waist as I walked to the door. I peeped into the keyhole but saw no one there. I frowned. I hadn’t been that long, surely.
Holding my breath for no reason, I cracked the door open and peered out into the hallway. When I lowered my head, my gaze landed on the breakfast tray, which was filled with a few baked goods, butter and jam, eggs and sausages. Mrs. Drawbridge was respecting my wish to be alone.
I opened the door wider and carried in the tray. After making sure the door was locked, I moved back into the room and sat on the unmade bed, balancing the tray on my lap. The hem of the towel hiked up and I glimpsed a dark mark on my leg, one of Jude’s souvenirs. In a flash, my mind tried to take me back there. I shook my head and told myself in a whisper that I was safe. He was far away and would never hurt me again.
I smiled as I picked up the donut from a white ceramic plate. A toothpick was stuck in its center with a small sign on it. Welcome to Drawbridge Inn. My mouth watered as I lifted it to my lips, but I lowered it again when I noticed the kitchen towel that was folded neatly on one end of the rectangular tray. Was it for wiping my hands? What was the point when I could wash them in the bathroom?
I placed the donut back down. There was something underneath the kitchen towel. I pulled at a corner. My heart stopped at the same time the tray slipped off my legs and dropped with a clutter at my feet.
As if someone was after me, I scrambled back onto the bed and hugged my legs to my chest, trembling. My eyes didn’t leave the perfect white calla lily that was now covered in bright red jam, making it look as if it were bleeding.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
It had to be a coincidence. How would Mrs. Drawbridge know that calla lilies were my favorite flowers? No, it couldn’t mean anything. And yet it meant everything. This was a warning.
I sat on my bed shaking for what seemed like an hour. It hit me that coming to Serendipity had been a mistake. The town was too close to Madison. I had to move away to a bigger city, a place with enough people to swallow me, to hide me from my worst nightmare. Maybe I’d adopt a new identity and make it even harder for him to find me.
After calming my breathing, I checked again that the door was locked, shut all the windows, and then picked up the contents of the breakfast tray from the floor. I wiped up the mess with the kitchen towel. My hunger had completely disappeared.
Just to make sure I wasn’t imagining things, I called Mrs. Drawbridge, who answered in a chirpy morning voice.
“Did you get your breakfast?” she asked when she recognized my voice. “I don’t like disturbing my guests. They come to the Drawbridge Inn for privacy, and that’s what they get.” She paused and breathed in. “Can I help you with anything else, dear?”
“I …” I licked my lips as my heart started to race. I was afraid of the response even before I spoke again. “Thank you for the flower. Beautiful … It’s beautiful.”
“What flower, dear?”
That was all I needed to hear. The phone slipped from my sweaty grasp and fell with a thud to the floor.
I could still hear Mrs. Drawbridge’s faraway voice on the other end, but I couldn’t pick up the phone. With my arms around my legs, I rocked back and forth and sobbed long and hard.
It had to be him. He knew where I was. He was just biding his time before coming to get me. I was trapped. If he knew I was staying at the in
n, he would know when I came and went. I couldn’t leave my room. But then again, he had found a way to slip a flower on my breakfast tray. If he wanted to get to me, what would stop him?
I peered through the bedroom door to the front door, trying to listen to the sounds outside. But the thumping of my heart and my sobs were too loud to let me hear anything.
Still, I watched the door for one straight hour, waiting for him to enter, to find me, to take me back to his life, to punish me harder that he had done before.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Jude had everything to do with the flower, and he was near.
I picked up the jam-stained kitchen towel and smelled it. My stomach cramped. The faint, but still unmistakable masculine scent made me woozy. I dropped the towel, but the scent was stuck in my nostrils—musky, expensive. No point in trying to deny the raw truth.
My body thrummed with anxiety as my gaze swept the room, searching for possible weapons I could use to defend myself if Jude entered the room. I took in the empty vase on the round table near the window and thought of the iron rod that held up the shower curtain in the bathroom. Then I stood and opened every drawer. A thought crossed my mind and I ran to the tray. My heart fell. It didn’t surprise me that even though I would have needed it for smearing the bread with butter and jam, the knife was missing. He’d taken it.
Fine, I’d find another weapon. I lifted my gaze to the top of the wardrobe. First I saw the folded cable, and then the ultimate weapon—an iron. Hard, solid metal. If I used it right and fast enough, I could give him a deadly blow to the head or kill him, if forced to go that far.
In the end I sat cross-legged on the bed, surrounded by the iron, the iron rod, a shoe, the vase, a bottle. If one weapon failed me, I’d have another within reach.
Now that I was ready for him, all I could do was wait. But an hour and then two went by and no one came to my door. Now I was hungry and my bladder was filling, but I was just too afraid to move from the bed where I had the perfect view of the front door. I wouldn’t want him to catch me in a moment of weakness. Sitting on the toilet would definitely be one.
