33. Emma
THIRTY-THREE
Emma
Elias was Lori’s mystery man . He could’ve been there that night when Lori died. Could’ve pushed her.
And he was heading up the stairs right now.
Stella went to the open bedroom door, growling low. “Quiet,” I whispered. I shoved the snapshot of Elias and Lori in my back pocket, then stuck the broken picture frame beneath the chest of drawers. If he found it there later, he would probably just assume it had fallen. Or maybe it wouldn’t matter.
I had to tell Ashford. But first, I had to get Maisie and myself out of this house. Now .
Grabbing Stella by the collar, I switched off the light and hurried out into the hallway. Elias was just reaching the landing when I made it to the top of the stairs. Stella growled and barked, while I struggled to hold her back by her collar.
“Sorry!” I said. “She snuck up here while I was getting Maisie ready for bed.”
“Is something wrong?”
“Aside from the fact that I have a very naughty dog?” I tried to laugh, and it sounded forced. “I’ll take her back down to Maisie’s room. They both need to settle down for bedtime.”
Elias said nothing. And he didn’t move, either. I even thought about letting go of Stella, but she was no attack dog. Elias might hurt her.
He might do a lot worse.
With this photo, plus Ayla’s testimony, there would be enough evidence for the police to reopen the investigation into Lori’s death. Even if Elias hadn’t actually pushed her, he’d kept the secret of their affair from Ashford and the rest of the town for three years.
How far would he go to keep anyone from knowing? If he’d kept this kind of secret from Ashford, what else was he hiding?
“No worries.” Elias slowly stepped aside, watching me. Stella and I went down the stairs. My heart pounded. I felt his eyes on me the whole way.
My pulse was racing, my vision feathering at the edges as I took Stella into Maisie’s room and closed the door. It didn’t have a lock.
“Emma, I brushed my teeth! I’ve been doing just like you told me.” Maisie was lying in bed with the covers pulled up, reading one of her chapter books.
My chest filled with deep affection for her. This sweet, innocent little girl.
I knelt beside the mattress, feeling the photo of Lori crinkle in my back pocket. Stella stayed by the door to the hallway, growls still rumbling in her throat.
“Guess what, Maisie-doodle?” I whispered. “We’re going to have an adventure.”
“An adventure? Another one?” She didn’t look excited, and I couldn’t blame her.
“I know, there’s been too many already today. But this is important.”
“Is it more of those paporters?”
I smiled at her mispronunciation. “Yes. More of those mean reporters.”
“Like that man from before? Who grabbed you and wouldn’t let you go?”
I nodded. There was no way I could tell her the truth. Not right now.
Her lower lip trembled. “He was the meanest one. Even more than all the others that were shouting.”
“I’m afraid someone like that is coming here. But I won’t let him hurt you.”
“Will Elias be okay?”
“He’ll be fine. He’s staying here.” I grabbed Maisie’s cardigan and shoes. Thank goodness we hadn’t left them by the front door. Pulling back the covers, I lifted her to standing, helping her get dressed.
“What about Daddy?”
“I’ll tell him where to meet us, and?—”
With a jolt of panic, I realized I didn’t have my phone. It was still upstairs.
Floorboards creaked overhead. Elias was up there. Shit, shit.
I had to get my phone. I had to warn Ashford. If he showed up here and we were missing, and Elias figured out the reason…
“Actually, you and Stella will go ahead of me. I’ll come a few minutes behind you, and your dad will meet us. I want you to go to the neighbor’s house.” I took Maisie to the window. “See those lights?”
“That looks far. Can’t you come with me?”
“It’s only a little bit far. Stella will be with you, and I know how brave you are. I remember how you kicked that reporter’s leg. You helped me.”
“Can’t I stay with you? I can help you again.”
“No, honey. Not this time. It’s very important that you do as I say. When you get there, tell the neighbors that there is a scary man here. He could be dangerous. They need to call 911. Send the police here to help. I’m going to warn your dad.”
She whimpered. “Emma, I don’t want to.”
My eyes burned with tears. I hugged Maisie tight. “You can do it. I know you can.”
I wanted to keep her with me. But I couldn’t risk Maisie’s safety, and I couldn’t risk Ashford’s either. Even if I got my phone and called 911 right now, this could turn into a hostage situation if Elias was desperate enough. With a father on the SWAT team and a stepmom who was a hostage negotiator, I knew that far too well. Every minute was crucial.
I was out of options. Maisie had to go right now, before Elias left his bedroom. His windows faced the opposite side of the house, so he wouldn’t see Maisie or Stella leaving.
Nudging the window frame open, I helped Maisie climb onto the sill and jump down.
Stella barked, and I reached over to hold her mouth. “ Shhh .” When I lifted her, not an easy task, she jumped the rest of the way.
“I’ll see you at the neighbor’s house,” I whispered through the open window. “You’re so brave, Maisie. I believe in you. Now go .”
They took off toward the lights of the neighbor’s house. The moonlight was a blessing and a curse. It would help Maisie avoid tripping and getting hurt along the way, but if Elias looked out a window on this side of the house, he might see the two of them.
I had to hurry.
Closing the window as quietly as possible, I turned and went to the door. Opened it. Looked out into the hallway.
Nothing.
With careful footsteps, I went into the hall and then climbed the stairs. The house looked the same as before, bright and inviting, yet everything now seemed slightly off. Like the wood floors and plaster walls were rotting just below the surface.
My heart hammered my ribcage as I stepped onto the landing. Elias’s bedroom door was closed. Had he gone to bed? He’d left all the lights on, but maybe he’d assumed I would turn them off after Ashford arrived.
What if I was overreacting, and all of this was some kind of mistake?
But if it wasn’t ?
I reached into my back pocket, touching the edge of the photo. That picture didn’t lie. Nor did the inscription on the back. Elias was hiding a major secret, and I couldn’t afford to find out what he’d do to keep it.
In the guest room, I ran my hands over the bedspread looking for my phone. I could’ve sworn I had tossed it here earlier after texting with Ashford. But there was no sign of it.
I bent to look under the bed. Then searched my backpack. What the hell? Where was it?
Dread choked me, my stomach roiling with fear.
“Hey, Emma. Looking for something?”
The panic surged, almost whiting out my vision for a split second. “Just my phone,” I said, not turning around. I was afraid he’d see it on my face. The accusations and distrust. “Have you seen it? Maybe you…picked it up or something.”
“Why would I do that? It would be rude to take things that don’t belong to me. Don’t you agree?”
I spun around. Elias loomed in the open doorway. His usually friendly expression had morphed into something cold and menacing. His eyes were flat. Lifeless.
“Give it to me,” he said in a low monotone.
“What?”
“Don’t play dumb. I just saw it in your pocket.”
Instinctively, my hand flew to my back pocket. The top of the photograph stuck out.
Elias lunged, his hands rough as he spun me and pushed me down onto the bed. I screamed. “Get off me!” He shoved my face into the mattress, while his other hand pulled the photo from my pocket.
“This is private,” he growled. “Did you tell Ashford? Does he know?” His elbow dug into my back.
“You took my phone!”
“Does he fucking know?”
“Let me go. You’re hurting me!”
Elias flipped me over. He had my phone now, like he’d just taken it from his own pocket, and held it in front of my face to unlock it. “Let’s see what else you’ve been doing.” Still pinning me to the mattress, his thumb scrolled and tapped at my screen.
Finally, he exhaled. “You have a missed call from Ashford from a couple minutes ago. Good thing you didn’t answer.” He let go of me, taking a small step back. “Look Emma, this is a misunderstanding. You need to give me a chance to explain. It’s not what you think.”
“You just showed me everything I need to know about you.”
Bending my leg, I kicked him as hard as I could in the crotch.
Elias shouted, folding in half. My phone clattered to the floor. Leaping up, I grabbed my device and ran for the stairwell. My socked feet slipped, and I nearly fell on my way down.
When I reached the front door, I flipped the deadbolt, threw the door open, and ran down the porch steps and into the cool night air.
The barn . I’d be able to hide and call the police. Plus, I would be leading Elias away from the direction of his neighbors. Maisie probably hadn’t made it there yet.
Heavy footsteps thundered down the wooden stairs inside the house. “Emma!” he yelled.
Rounding the side of the barn, I searched for a side entrance. When I reached the door, panic hit me again. What if it was locked? But the knob turned beneath my fingers.
I went inside, closing the door softly behind me. Elias wasn’t far. He was running, yelling my name.
I had to hide.
The barn was a large, open space. It was dark. A play of moonlight and shadows. Once, there had probably been stalls for animals and hay, but now it was full of large, upright tanks. The brewing equipment Elias had mentioned. Metal shone in the darkness.
I found a small nook and ducked inside, unlocking my phone.
A door opened. “Emma, I know you’re in here.”
My phone had no service. I was too far from the house, so I must’ve lost my connection to wi-fi. I could still call 911, but could the dispatcher find my location? I couldn’t risk speaking to anyone.
But any minute, Maisie would get to the neighbor’s house. She’d be safe and warm, and they would call for help. They’d send the police. Please , I thought.
“Just come out, and we can talk about it,” Elias said. “I was seeing Lori. That’s true. Which you must’ve guessed from finding that photograph. Stupid of me to be so sentimental. I told you I can’t throw things away. Though it’s not exactly my fault that you decided to be nosy.”
It sounded like he’d gone to the other side of the barn. A beam of light played off a high rafter in the loft. Instead of switching on the overheads, he was using a flashlight to search for me. Why?
The answer appeared in my mind. He’s keeping the lights off in case Ashford drives up. Doesn’t want anyone to know we’re out here .
Carefully, I crawled deeper into the alcove, feeling around in the darkness. My hand closed around a heavy piece of wood. Something I could use as a weapon.
“I meant to tell Ashford a long time ago. I swear. But when Lori and I got together, it was complicated. Which is something I have to think you’d understand, of all people.”
My grip tightened on the plank of wood. How dare he compare himself to me. But he was trying to draw me out. Get me to respond.
“Lori wasn’t happy in a loveless marriage. Things weren’t going well for me either, and that’s what I confessed to her. It started out casual. Then we developed feelings for each other. She resisted it because I was married, but I won her over.”
With lies , I thought. I had no doubt he’d said whatever was necessary to convince Lori to accept him. To make her believe he was in the process of leaving his wife.
The flashlight beam swept a far wall. His boots shuffled over the dirt.“Ashford was one of my best friends, but in case you haven’t noticed, he can be a self-righteous asshole. As if he can do no wrong. He was the same back in high school. He acted like his family’s problems were the end of the world. But Ashford never acknowledged how good he had it. He had siblings who loved him. A mom who took care of them, even if she later passed away. I fought for every friendship, for that spot on our wrestling team, for my girlfriend. Yet Ashford could go around being a jerk half the time and people still loved him.”
Elias kept walking, coming closer to my side of the barn. I worked to keep my breaths even and quiet.
“When he and Callum left for the Army, they barely kept in touch with me. Just expected that their old friend Elias would be here when they got back. And you know what? I was. My restaurant was going okay. I got married to Holly because everyone expected it. I had managed to put together some kind of life for myself here. And then Ashford sweeps back into town with his beautiful new wife and their adorable baby daughter, and everybody acts like it’s the fucking return of the king.”
So you were jealous , I wanted to say. And that’s why you went after Lori .
The leather of his boots creaked. He was getting closer.
“Lori was so lonely. I realized that right away. Ashford likes to pretend he’s the hero, but he’s the one who trapped her in that marriage. I felt trapped in my marriage too, and I wanted to find a way for us to be together. I looked out for Lori. Tried to do the same for you too, Emma. I kept an eye on you, like that night after you left the brewery. Making sure you were safe.”
My skin crawled. Elias had been watching me? Following me?
“Ashford was Lori’s jailer. I was trying to set her free.”
He’d almost reached me. The flashlight beam darted behind a nearby fermentation tank. I held my breath, gripping the wooden plank.
Then he turned. Went the other way. Now was my chance. I had to get out of this alcove and try to reach the door.
Slowly, I got up and tiptoed across the space, stopping to hide behind another fermentation tank.
“That’s why I told her she should ask her sister for money. So I could get my divorce, and we could start our new life together. But even though he didn’t know what we were planning, it was like Ashford was inside Lori’s head. Telling her that what we were doing was wrong, and that she shouldn’t trust me. Poisoning her against me. Lori tried to end things with me. So what happened was his fault, not mine.”
Crouching to stay low, I dashed out from behind the fermentation tank.
The flashlight beam hit me.
I screamed and ran. Elias was right behind me, closing the distance. The wooden plank whistled through the air as I tried to hit him, but it smacked into his arm and he knocked it to the ground.
He grabbed me, shoving me to the dirt and pinning my arms behind my back.
“I believe you!” I shouted, struggling. “You didn’t mean to hurt her. Don’t make the same mistake. Let me go!”
“For you to go running to Ashford, so he can turn the whole town against me? No way. I’ll make it look like one of those reporters or a crazed Ayla Maxwell fan tracked us down. Broke into the house and kidnapped you.” He leaned down, his voice a harsh snarl in my ear. “And I’ll make sure that nobody ever finds you.”
His hands closed around my throat.