Moments later, Camellia nodded. “Ahh, he was dating somebody else. Mary Jo Gallagher. He changed his status from “in a relationship” to “it’s complicated” two weeks ago. Wait I’ll check her social. Her sites are…oh my God.”
The color had drained from Camellia’s face and the fear he’d seen earlier returned to her eyes. She turned the phone his way.
“In memoriam,” he read, beneath a photo of a pretty blonde.
Camellia had pulled out her own phone by then, and within few more seconds said, “Suicide. Hanged herself last weekend. Body was found in the woods about five miles from her home. She left a note stuck to the tree.”
“Holy God,” he said. “He drove her to suicide?”
“Maybe.” She lifted her gaze to his. “Or maybe it’s a damn good idea for me to get out of town for a while. Can you, um…be ready tomorrow?”
“I can. But—and don’t take this wrong. I swear I’m not violating our agreement—are you gonna be okay alone tonight?”
“Of course I am.”
Camellia
Camellia didn’t sleep a wink. Every time the wind rattled a shutter or a pipe groaned, she thought it was Earl coming after her. She’d changed her phone number and notified the police last night, first thing, before staying awake all night long.
It was okay, though. She’d had a lot of preparing to do. Like dragging Dad’s camping duffle down from the attic. Thing was four feet long and packed like a jigsaw puzzle. She packed a smaller bag for herself and did some online research, too.
In the morning, she couldn’t wait to get out of there. She had the most horrible feeling that Earl was going to jump out at her just before she managed to get away, and it was terrifying. She didn’t mean to leave rubber on the pavement in front of the house, but she did anyway.
She drove to the usually bustling village parking lot in town. It wasn’t bustling yet, because it was too dang early. You could barely tell it was daytime, the sky was so overcast.
They’d decided to take Wolf’s truck on the drive down to Big Bend, as it was more reliable than hers. Oh, her little Civic was solid, but all the routine maintenance stuff her dad used to take care of for her hadn’t been done since he’d passed, and she knew it was past due for a lot of it.
She didn’t want to leave her car at her mother’s. If her car wasn’t there, Earl would assume she wasn’t either and stay away. Even though her mom would be safe on her cruise for the next ten days, she didn’t want Earl sniffing around her place.
She found a parking spot out of the way and pulled in, then taped a pre-written note to her windshield. “Not abandoned. Please don’t tow. Back in a week.”
She was leaning over, smoothing the tape to her windshield when she heard the rumbling sound of Wolf’s pickup. That old truck sounded way better than it looked, that was for sure. She turned to watch as he drove right up behind her car and rolled his window down with a hand crank. His long black hair was pulled back in a band today, and his smile was warm. He wore a black felt cowboy hat, pushed back on his head.
“Morning,” he said.
“Morning.” She grabbed the normal-sized backpack and the giant-sized duffel bag from her car and slung them into the back of his pickup, then went around to the passenger side and climbed in.
“You good?” he asked.
She noticed how closely he was looking at her. He wondered if she’d heard from Earl, she realized.
“I’m good. Got a new number immediately, as you know from our texts this morning.”
“Got it. Saved it. Didn’t use your real name in my phone either.”
“No? What did you use?”
“Veronica Mars,” he said.
She rolled her eyes and laughed softly as he drove away from the village, heading south. “I talked to Mom. They’re already the cruise ship, which leaves port at nine.”
“That’s good. I was worried.” He handed her a coffee from the console. “Place all locked up?”
“Like a vault.” She took a sip, said, “Mmm,” and took another. “I talked to Detective Simms last night. She was the one who helped me before, when Earl was everywhere I looked.”
“And you told her? About the girlfriend’s suicide?”
She nodded while drinking coffee, then lowered the cup and said, “She hadn’t heard. No reason she would, I guess. But she’s interested now. Said she’d keep me posted, and she’s been pretty good about that in the past.”
