She held up a shaky hand to stop him. “No, please. It’s hard enough to talk about it. If I stop now, I might not continue.”
He simply nodded, and she picked up her story. “The same detective who was assigned to Mr. Warner’s murder case came to the hospital while they were setting my wrist. I filed a report, but it wasn’t going to do any good since I had my back to him the whole time. The detective promised to ask for extra patrols around my house and studio as a precaution. He drove me home after I was discharged.
“The killer was waiting for me at my house. As soon as I stepped inside, he grabbed me. He slapped his hand over my mouth so I couldn’t scream. I kicked him. It took a couple of tries, but I finally got him good enough that he dropped his hand. I screamed. The detective hadn’t left yet. He was talking to one of the patrols that had come by, so he heard me scream. He busted in, and the killer shot him and the patrolmen with him. I ran and hid in a tree on a neighbor’s property a couple of doors down from my place. I didn’t climb down until I heard sirens stopping on my street.
“The officers weren’t killed, thank God. The district attorney insisted on putting me in protective custody. It was crazy. Icouldn’t identify the man, but as long as he thought I could, I was in danger. The problem was that the killer had a way of finding me. He killed my protective detail to get to me at the hotel where they were keeping me. That’s when I left town. I figured I couldn’t do any worse on my own than with the police, and I wouldn’t put any more officers in harm’s way. I never stayed anywhere longer than a couple of months because I was afraid he’d get to me. Then one day, I was on a bus heading to Atlanta, and we broke down in Ivy Springs. It wasn’t a regular stop, and when I tried to find it on the Internet to learn more about it, nothing came up.”
“So you stayed.”
She nodded. “I stayed. I only planned to for a few months, but Wally convinced me to stay longer. He gave me a job, paid me in cash, and found me the apartment with Ms. Miller. I paid the rent in cash. We found someone to make me a fake ID. If anyone suspicious came to town, the gossip mill would alert us, and I would stay out of sight. I don’t socialize with enough people for anyone to know me or recognize me. I even changed my appearance.”
Ben regarded her skeptically. “How? No offense, but you were always blond and blue-eyed.”
For a second, she’d forgotten how little he knew about her as an adult. “Oh, um, when I started my own business, I realized very few people took me seriously as a young blond woman. I dyed my hair red, and you would be amazed at how that changed people’s attitudes toward me. So when all of that happened with Mr. Warner, everyone knew me with red hair. When I went on the run, I dyed it jet black. After coming to Ivy Springs, Monahelped me get back to my natural color. I never expected to stay here for this long, but when the months passed by without incident, I started to believe I was safe.”
“Maybe you are. Maybe whoever was after you is no longer worried that you’ll talk.”
For a moment, hope sprouted in her chest, and she smiled weakly. “I wish I could believe you’re right, but you’re not. Since I disappeared, the police somehow uncovered evidence that makes me a person of interest in Mr. Warner’s murder. If I turn myself in, I’ll be arrested and killed while in custody. I believe that. And there’s one more thing that I haven’t told you that isn’t something your brother would have uncovered.”
Ben’s eyes narrowed. “You remember.”
She nodded, not surprised that he’d guessed. “I remembered who the killer is. As long as I’m around and can testify against him, he has a lot to lose. The minute he can get to me, he’ll follow through with what he promised. I believe he’ll rape, torture, and eventually kill me.”
“Tell me.”
Paige wasn’t sure she could say the name. She’d kept it to herself for so long, part of her feared that uttering it aloud would bring the devil to her doorstep.
“I saw him on the news several months ago, and it all came back to me as clear as the picture on the TV. Darius Boyd is the man I saw kill Marty Warner.”
“Darius Boyd? As in the owner and CEO of DB Network Solutions?”
“One of the richest men in the country,” she added . “Yep, that’s him.”
“Damn, Paige. Are you sure?”
She nodded. “When I saw him on TV, he was standing next to his son, Cassius, as his son announced his intention to run for president of the United States. The camera zoomed in on him, and it was like time stood still for me. I remembered stepping up to the French doors at Mr. Warner’s house, and Darius Boyd moved into view with his gun drawn. My mind didn’t even register who I was seeing before he pulled the trigger. But when I saw him again, I remembered everything about him. He wasn’t wearing a suit like he usually does when he’s interviewed or photographed. He had on jeans and a green work shirt. His face was so cold, like it was made of stone. I think he’s the one who came after me at the studio and probably at my house.”
“I thought you said you didn’t see who attacked you?”
“No, but I heard him. When he broke my wrist and told me what he’d do to me. I’ll never forget his voice, so when he spoke at his son’s press conference, I knew it was him. I can’t be sure he was the one who broke into my house and shot the detective or the one who killed my protective detail. But the other times? It was Darius Boyd, no doubt.”
“And you’ve told no one about this?”
“Wally and Mona know I’m hiding from someone dangerous. Ms. Miller has an inkling that I’m in some sort of trouble, but nothing more. And that’s it. No one else except for you.”
When he didn’t say anything more, she wondered if she’d rendered him speechless. She understood that. It was an incredible story, one that rivaled the suspense movie she watched the other night. If she hadn’t lived it, she wouldn’t believe it.
Paige walked over and sat in a chair next to the couch.
“It’s okay. I appreciate your offer to help, but now that I’ve told you everything, you know how much trouble I’m in. You have a family and a lot more to risk than I do. I’m not mad if you decide to walk away from this. I would if I could.”
He enveloped her hand in his. She hadn’t realized how cold she’d felt until the warmth from his hands stung her skin.
“I’m not walking away. You can’t face this alone. Not anymore. I’m here for you, but you need more help than I can give you by myself.”
She shook her head vehemently. “I’m not going to the police, Ben.”
“No, not the police. But I need to loop in some other people who can help us. My brothers, to name a few. Some friends of ours who have helped us before.”
