She’d never gone into detail about her breakup with Fredrick other than he’d cheated on her.
It was hard to hide that when Karl witnessed her putting all his possessions on the front porch and came to help her.
The picture that Cassidy had sent her of her ex kissing someone else was visible.
“Do you believe him?”
She shrugged. It hadn’t occurred to her to ask him to prove it. His threat that she was harassing him now was too prevalent in her mind.
“I’ve given up believing in anyone right now.”
Karl put his arm around her shoulder. “Don’t be that way. You can always count on me. I’ll never lie to you. Come over to my place and wait.”
“Thanks, but I’m supposed to be in my car away from the building.”
Karl stiffened and frowned, his arm dropping away quickly. “Says who?”
“A friend,” she said.
Karl stepped back. “Nonsense. You don’t want to be alone. Come in and have a cup of tea with me. We can see when the police get here.”
She let herself be guided to Karl’s. A cup of tea wouldn’t hurt and with no curtains on Karl’s windows, she’d see everything that was happening and who pulled in.
“Thanks, Karl. You’re such a good friend.”
“Someone has to keep an eye on you,” Karl said, his gaze moving to her face, the smile sincere, but the confusion evident with it.
20
STICK TO THE TRUTH
Clay raced to town after throwing plywood in the back of his truck with his tools, then hit the button to call his brother.
“Hey,” Ford said.
“Someone threw a rock through Meredith’s window. I’m heading there now. She reported it. Not sure if it made its way up to you.”
“It hasn’t, but I’ll meet you there,” Ford said.
“Thanks.”
He disconnected the call. He was positive she wouldn’t be happy that she was getting more than one sheriff coming to take her statement.
He hit the gas to get there faster.
Maybe he shouldn’t have hung up on her, but he didn’t want to stand around gabbing and he knew she’d do that.
He could talk to her in person once he looked around himself.
When he pulled into her apartment complex, he’d beaten the sheriff’s deputy there. Even Ford. What the hell, it’d been over ten minutes since he’d called his brother. He was halfway to Meredith’s when he’d made the call.
And she didn’t listen.
Her SUV was still in front of her house and she wasn’t in it.
He turned when the door next to her place opened and she walked out followed by another guy. Older than her, but not like a father figure.
Bald, maybe five foot six, a good twenty pounds overweight and a thick belt on his jeans holding them up higher than it should.
