He backed away, slowly at first. Then, reversing direction, he bolted down the path toward the lake, soon disappearing from view. Maybe the jerk thought he could wave down theMinne Ha Hatwilight cruise and plead for rescue, but thirty seconds later we heard him crashing through the woods to our right, scrambling uphill like a herd of deer on the run. So much for chivalry. The guy was going to save his own ass and leave me here with an unhinged and armed woman.
But J.J. was already unzipping her shoulder bag and stuffing the gun inside. I let out the long, ragged breath that had been trapped inside my chest.
“You think he’s going to call the cops?” she asked me.
“I don’t know,” I said truthfully. “What about Lisa? Is she okay?”
“She’s fine. I saw her take off in her car a little while ago, like a bat out of hell.”
“Then he might not call them. He won’t want to open that can of worms if he doesn’t have to.”
“And what about you? Are you going to blast this all over the Internet?”
“No.” That was the truth, too, at least for now. “I write about homicides, and as far as I know, you haven’t committed one.”
J.J., I noticed, had begun to tremble, and I could sense her rage quickly retreating, leaving behind only the ugly muck of regret.
“Where’s your car?” I asked.
“Behind the leather outlet on the far side of the motel.”
“Why don’t I walk you over there, make sure you’re all right.”
I was betting on the fact that she didn’t have any fight left in her and even if she did, she wasn’t going to direct it at me.
She nodded, looking stunned, as if what she’d done was finally sinking in. I took her arm and led her back up the hill. As we rounded the building, it occurred to me that there could be cops pulling into the lot at that very moment. Doug Claiborne might want to keep his bad behavior under wraps, but he probably also cared about his family’s safety, at least more than he did for mine.
If the cops were coming, though, they were taking their time. J.J. and I trooped the short distance to the outlet, where the bright white SUV was parked all by its lonesome in the lot. As she climbed into the driver’s seat, I opened the passenger door and slid in beside her. This was my chance to snag the backstory, which I figured she’d cough up simply to discouragemefrom going to the cops.
It was going to take some coaxing, though. She had her face in her hands now and was rocking back and forth. Thishad to be a rare sight, I realized—J.J. not being the boss of the moment.
“Are you going to be okay going home?” I asked. “I could drive you myself and take a cab back for my Jeep.”
Nothing. Just the rocking.
“J.J.?”
“No, I can drive. I need a minute, though.”
“Will anybody be home when you get there?”
I wasn’t exactly worried she’d harm her kids, but she still seemed agitated, and I didn’t like the idea of her being alone with them tonight.
“No, my kids are overnighting with my ex.”
“And what about the gun? Is it yours?”
“Yes. I bought it for protection after my divorce.”
I considered asking her to turn it over, but I had little experience with firearms, and I wouldn’t feel the least bit comfortable with this one in my possession.
“Do you have a safe place to store it?”
“Yes—and don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt anyone. I just wanted to scare that dirtbag, make him wet his friggin’ pants.”
She dropped her hands into her lap and looked up. Though it was cool in the car, she had a film of sweat on her face and black mascara had smudged like bruises under her eyes.
“Of course, I’m therealasshole, for ever falling for him.”
