He needed to get to Lydia.
Please, God, don’t let her be dead.
TEN
Glass had fallen on Lydia from where she’d crouched on the floor of the passenger seat when she’d seen the man running back toward River’s car.
River reached in through the broken window and unlocked the door. “You’re okay.”
She looked up at him. After he opened the door, she crawled out of the cubbyhole that had saved her life. River wrapped his arms around her.
“I was so afraid for you.” His voice washed with a measure of relief and joy.
“I was scared, too.” She closed her eyes and rested her palm on his chest, appreciating the strength of his arms around her and the gentle cadence of his voice.
She was surrounded by his warmth and the rhythm of his breathing. If only she could stay there, forever safe in River’s arms. She opened her eyes to the darkness and decay of the street around her. Back to reality.
He glanced up the street. “Not sure what’s happening with Maren, but we need to get you out of here.”
The chill night air surrounded her when she pulled away from the hug.
He glanced through the open door of the passenger seat. “There’s a lot of glass in there. Why don’t you sit in the back seat with Frankie?”
She reached in and grabbed Elsie’s floral jacket while River loaded up Frankie. The dog pressed close to her. Frankie’s warmth and soft fur and the sound of the dog’s breathing had a calming effect on Lydia. She held the windbreaker close.
In the front seat, River phoned Maren, who assured him she’d called in the shooting. “Okay, thank you for the help. You put in a long day… Have a safe drive home.”
She stared at the back of River’s blond head. “She lost him?”
“Yes, his car was parked in the busier part of this street in a parking lot. She was on foot when she saw the tan SUV pull out.”
She clutched the coat even tighter. “Why does he want me dead?”
“Not sure what’s going on here.” River rolled through the residential part of town and pulled out onto a street where there were businesses and neon lights. “That was quite a bit of glass that rained on you. Do you want to swing by the ER to be checked out?”
She looked at her hands and then touched her face. When she ran her fingers over her auburn hair, bits of glass fell out. The memory of the assault made her shudder. “I’m not bleeding. I just want to go home…back to your place.”
“We were on our way to get food and clothes before all this happened. Are you up to it?”
Fatigue settled into her muscles. “I don’t want to go back to my house. Let’s just grab some food.”
He drove to a box store that had food as well as clothes for sale. River stayed close to her as they entered the store together. She sensed that he was still on high alert. He’d checked his mirrors constantly while driving. He was expecting another attack.
After they got enough food for a couple days and a few items of clothing, River drove back to his house.
Once inside the house, he handed her the bag of groceries he’d been carrying. “Frankie and I are going to do a walk around the perimeter of the house. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
She nodded. After putting the groceries away, she collapsed on the bed, placing Elsie’s jacket on the pillow beside her. She rested her hand on the floral fabric and closed her eyes. Her mind raced. The logical part of her brain knew it was possible that Elsie was no longer alive. But her heart told her that Elsie was still out there somewhere. The kidnapper had known seeing the jacket would lure Lydia out of the car. Why she and Elsie had been targeted, she could not fathom. She closed her eyes and prayed for peace and for wisdom.
By the time she heard River and Frankie come back into the house, she felt herself drifting off to sleep.
Elsie, where are you?
She awoke to the sound of her phone ringing. Angel, her co-teacher.
“Oh, Angel, I’m so sorry. I meant to check in with you. There’s just been so much going on.”
“No worries. That’s not why I’m phoned this morning. The class is running just fine. Your lesson plans are very detailed, and the parents have really stepped up to help in the classroom. We’ll be fine in the short term.”
