We did not need to be caught by Kency Blount breaking and entering.
I flipped off the light and grabbed the computer. I couldn’t see anything, so I felt around until we reached the back door. The lights had blinded me, putting a blue-ish orb smack in the middle of my field of vision.
“Come on and be quiet,” I said.
Meredith did as I said. We crept out the back door as the police approached the front. I still couldn’t see that well.
As we headed away from the house, I stumbled and slid down a slope. I knew the creek wasn’t far. I held the computer above my head and pushed down my heels, trying to stop my descent.
It sort of worked. I landed in the ice-cold water but managed to keep the computer dry. Meredith splashed in beside me.
With my teeth chattering, I turned to her. “Are you all right?”
“I’m freezing.”
It sounded like someone was crashing through the hedges in front of the house. I rose slowly, trying to keep the sound down.
I was soaked to the marrow. My jeans felt like concrete wrapped around my legs. My sweater hung heavy and clung to my drenched skin.
“Ugh.”
Meredith grabbed my arm. “Come on,” she whispered. “The restaurant’s not far from here. Let’s get you there and get you into warm clothes.”
“At the restaurant?” I said.
“I live above it.”
How had I missed that?
We walked slowly along the creek. I never did hear Sheriff Kency Blount’s voice booming from the house or see the police car, but it had to have been her. Who else would’ve been shining a bright light at Slick’s house?
When we reached Soul Food and Spirits, Meredith led me upstairs to her small apartment. It was nice, tidy, with exposed brick just like downstairs. She lit a gas log fire and handed me a towel.
“Bathroom’s over there.”
I took the computer and the towel into the bathroom.
“You sure you don’t want to leave the computer here? For safekeeping?”
I shook my head. “There’s something I need to see.”
With that, I closed myself behind the door. Meredith had been kind enough to leave me a pair of sweatpants and long-sleeved T-shirt on the counter.
I peeled off my clothes and dried myself as best I could. My panties and bra were soaked. I tossed them in the pile and pulled the T-shirt over my naked D-cup boobs.
“I hope I don’t have to go running anytime soon,” because I didn’t need my boobs flapping in my face.
I toweled dry and opened the laptop. I’d remembered the password written on the piece of paper. The ink was now gone, washed away by the creek.
I typed it in. “Come on. Come on.”
Xavier’s e-mail was easy enough to find. I did a search for Anita and any variations I could think of. After a few seconds—
“Viola!”
I’d hit the jackpot.
There, in bold letters was an e-mail from Anita Tucker telling Xavier what a wonderful time she’d had. Then she word vomited about the Ghost Team. She mentioned me. My heart thundered.
