Meredith listened to the article twice, just to make sure Tripp’s name wasn’t mentioned.No suspicious circumstances were noted.She wondered if the police were involved, and if they’d spoken to Tripp.
Her heart pounded with trepidation as she closed the digital page.She glanced around the computer room warily.She didn’t feel safe here.She wouldn’t feel safe anywhere.The letter she’d written was a ploy to explain her disappearance to her family, and to protect them from Tripp.He’d threatened to kill them, too.And now he would do everything in his power to make sure she wasn’t found by anyone but him.
Meredith massaged her temples, trying to think.She needed an escape plan.She had nowhere to go, and no way to get there, but she’d saved several thousand dollars.She could buy an old truck and cross the border into Mexico.
She didn’t want to leave Lost Lake, though.She wanted to stand her ground.She’d built a life here.She had a job she enjoyed, and a place to call home.She had Wade.
Although she was reluctant to confide in him or ask for his help, the option appealed to her more than relocating to a foreign country.Meredith didn’t harbor any illusions about him, however.He’d made his intentions clear: he was interested in a physical relationship.She couldn’t count on him for the long term, but he was a good man to have around.He was a big, strong police officer.He could offer his protection.
She wavered, caught between a rock and a hard place.Staying at the ranch wasn’t the wisest choice.She didn’t want to put Wade or Wynona in danger.Tripp was a violent man with an unlimited number of thugs at his disposal.
Meredith also didn’t think she could cozy up to Wade Hendricks without getting emotionally attached.In some ways, risking her heart was scarier than fleeing to Mexico or facing off with Tripp.
The most practical concern, and a major stumbling block, was that Wade would make a police report as soon as she confided in him.He was too much of a Boy Scout to do otherwise.Meredith didn’t trust the police in Lost Lake, or anywhere else.If Tripp Gilley rolled into town, they’d bend over backward to accommodate him.Tripp was clever, charming, and famous.She didn’t stand a chance when it was her word against his.
Feeling deflated, she typed in a new set of search terms:BORDER CROSSING STATIONS NEAR ME, andTrucks for Sale in Lost Lake, Texas.
Chapter Thirteen
Wade spent mostof the day working on action items for Sheriff Nava.
He tried to put Mary out of his mind.Memories from last night’s encounter reemerged at frequent intervals, taunting and tantalizing.He regretted the moment of weakness, but he couldn’t dwell on it.The list of responsibilities kept growing as new crimes were reported and disaster efforts stabilized.Wade listened to the radio with one ear as he barreled through a stack of paperwork.Although he didn’t have a lot of spare time to devote to his John Doe, he sent an email to the coroner’s office to inquire about the forensic sketch he’d requested.Then he went to Rocksprings to follow up on an auto theft.He was on his way back to the station when a call came in from Jackson Nava.
“What’s up?”Wade asked.
“You got a minute?”
“Sure.”
“I’m at Delia’s.”
Delia’s Diner was a fixture in Lost Lake and a frequent hangout for cops due to its prime location in the center of downtown.It was less than a block from the Crazy Horse Saloon.Jackson was outside, leaning against his squad car with a pensive expression.Wade pulled into the parking space next to him and got out.
“Is my mother on another crime spree?”Wade asked, only half joking.
Jackson didn’t smile.“I wanted to tell you about the interview with Elvira Franklin.”
“Okay.”
“Have you seen her before?”
Wade searched his memory.He’d gone into the bar looking for his mother once.“Black hair, red lipstick, very… curvy?”
“That’s her,” Jackson said.“I stopped by the bar to do the interview because of the sensitive nature of the questions.I figured she wouldn’t admit to an affair at home, in front of her husband.”
“Makes sense.”
“She corroborated Paul Murphy’s story.She was having car trouble, and he gave her a jump.”
“That’s all he gave her?”
Jackson lowered his voice.“Apparently she invited him over for a drink that afternoon, at her husband’s request.”
Wade gave him a puzzled look.
“According to Elvira, Charlie encourages her to sleep with other men.He gets off on it.The whole thing is, like, a kinky game.She seduces someone at a set time, and he barges in on them.”
Wade arched a brow.“That puts a different spin on it.”
