“You tell her,” Larry said.
“Yeah, never again,” Lindy agreed.
He gripped his head. The voices were so strong. Were they talking out loud? Or just getting louder in his mind. Feeling dizzy, he sat.
* * *
Oh, God. She was in trouble. Kenneth was mentally unstable. And she was trapped here with him. She’d driven away the only person close enough to help, so she was on her own. Her only hope was to soothe Kenneth into calming down. Was it possible to reason with someone who should be on medication but wasn’t? For Calvin’s sake, she had to try.
“Look, I know I said I wasn’t interested, but maybe we could go out sometime and see.”
“You’re just placating us,” one of the voices said. He’d used three distinct ones so far—one was meaner than the rest and seemed to be the instigator of the violent streak. If she could get Kenneth back, she’d have a better chance.
“Kenneth,” she said, hoping that would call him out. “I don’t believe you want to hurt us.”
“Kenneth is busy,” the rude voice said. “I’m in charge now, and getting Kenneth what he wants is my top priority.”
“I don’t think hurting us is what Kenneth would want,” Julia said. Talking to Kenneth about Kenneth was weird, but she would do anything to get through.
A knock at the door interrupted them. Kenneth startled and held up the gun that had been lying in his lap. He put a finger to his lips, and they were quiet until the knocking sounded again.
“Julia, it’s Alex. I know you’re in there. Open up.”
“He won’t go away,” Julia said. “I could answer it and tell him we’re fine.”
Multiple expressions crossed Kenneth’s face, annoyance, confusion, anger, before he finally acquiesced. “Have Calvin open it.” He waved the gun from Calvin to the entryway.
At first, Julia panicked. Then she realized Calvin answering alone would be a sign to Alex. He knew she would never let Cal do that, especially when they were hiding from someone dangerous.
“Cal, honey,” Julia said to him. “Open the door just a little, and tell Mr. Alex we’re busy, okay?”
“Don’t say anything else, or I’ll shoot your mom,” Kenneth said.
“Jesus. You don’t have to threaten him like that,” she snapped, quickly losing patience. Mentally ill or not, she wouldn’t have him upsetting her son. She knelt in front of Calvin and swiped at the tears streaming down his face.
“It’ll be okay, sweetheart. I’ll be right here.” The three of them walked to the door. Julia and Kenneth stood behind it so they would be out of sight when Cal opened it.
“Tell him you’re busy, and that’s it, kid,” Kenneth growled.
Julia scanned the room for a weapon while he watched Calvin. A kitchen knife? Something heavy?
He was too big to beat in a fight. And what if she got knocked down, and he took or hurt Calvin? She’d have to make sure he went down on the first blow, or she chanced only making him angrier. That was a risk she wouldn’t take. She just hoped Alex would put the pieces together.
Calvin did as he’d been told and sent Alex away. She’d been tempted to scream, but Kenneth had the gun pointed at the back of Calvin’s head, and she couldn’t gamble on whether or not he would actually shoot him.
If she only had to deal with Kenneth, she might have a chance, but he seemed to have other personalities that took over off and on. And they came across as completely unreasonable.
Kenneth closed the door and locked the deadbolt with an ominous click.
She picked up Calvin and walked to the couch. How did they get out of this? What was his endgame? Did he really think they would all waltz out of here and become a happy family somehow? She held Cal close and prayed Alex would figure out they were in danger and call the police. Before Kenneth lost it completely.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Alex’s phone vibrated in his pocket. It was Mitch. “Hey, bro. What’s up?”
“Good news. Bad news,” Mitch said.
“Good first,” Alex said.
