She squeaked and sagged at the suddenness of her freedom. I caught her around the waist and she sucked in a sharp breath as I touched a sore spot. I wondered what he’d done to her before we got there.
“Steady now,” I said. “Tell me when you are ready to stand.”
“How did you do that?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
“I’m okay,” she said after a moment. “You can let go.”
I slowly released her, staying close in case she started to fall.
“Here.” Lorraine came into the glass enclosure. She held out a light-weight robe.
“Thanks.” Lydia took it. Her hands shook. She winced as she moved to put the robe on. “Fuck, but that hurts.”
“Sorry,” I said, guilt surging. “I could have stopped him sooner, but thought we should get some video so you’d have proof for the cops.”
She gave an adamant shake of her head. “Don’t apologize. You’re right. If I’m ever going to be free of him, I need to be able to show the world just what kind of man he is.”
“Why pretend to be scared and broken?” Lorraine asked curiously.
“He’s a coward. He likes to talk. He always talks more when I’m not sassing him. I hoped I’d get lucky and he’d give me some kind of ammunition.” She looked at me as she tied the robe around herself. “I’m more grateful than I can say for you stepping in.” She made a face. “The cops are going to call me stupid for coming back to him just to protect my cats, though. It probably was fucking stupid.”
I shook my head. “I get it. I’d have done the same.”
She gave me a distrusting look. “You don’t have to say that. I know how ridiculous it was. A couple of cats don’t matter as much as I do. Except for me, they do. I knew he wasn’t going to kill me, though. He’s always had a thing for hurting me. He likes it when I cry and beg.”
The way she said it struck me hard. It reminded me of the way I talked about what Aunty Mommy had done to me. Like it was just the way things were, and I had to deal with it because it wasn’t changing. Only I’d been wrong, and so had Lydia. Aunty Mommy got herself killed, and Lydia made friends with Stacey. I couldn’t do anything about my torturer, but I could do something about Lydia’s.
“Anyhow, I wasn’t going to let him hurt my cats, and I figured that if I escaped with them once, I could do it again, and this time I’d figure out how to disappear.” She sighed. “Itwasstupid. I should have at least thought of a better plan, but I didn’t have time. I had to come immediately or he’d….”
She trailed off and swallowed.
“No judgment here,” I said softly.
“It’s just that Carson only came after the cats because of me. I had to try to help them. They wouldn’t be in the situation if not for me.”
“You don’t owe me any explanations,” I assured her. “I really do get it. I dealt with my own abuser. She threatened my friends, and trust me, I’d have done anything to keep them out of her clutches.”
“But that was people. I did this for cats. The police aren’t going to take me seriously. Again.”
“They will. We have video and you’ve got witnesses.”
“Right.” She squared her shoulders and tossed the hair out of her face. “This time is going to be different.”
“Fucking right it will be,” Jen said.
She and Lorraine had stepped inside the enclosure.
“What’s with the fuckwit?” Lorraine asked. “What did you do to him?”
I considered my handiwork. Flannery looked panicked and was looking down at himself.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
He looked at me. “What did you do to me? Is it some kind of poison?”
I was tempted to tell him to figure it out himself, but I had time to gloat and make him aware of his new limitations. I decided to indulge myself.
