Chapter 29
Twenty-Nine
“ Y ou look like hell.”
Esther rolled her eyes and stepped back to admit her sister and her friends into the house. “Thanks, Edie. It’s good to see you too. Love you.”
“You know what I mean.” Edie answered Esther’s snarkiness with an eye roll of her own, then hugged her tight. “Did you sleep at all?” she asked as she let go.
“After I talked to you? No. I did a little before that, but only a couple of hours.” She glanced past her sister at Audra. “Your contact called. We made some headway.”
“Brilliant. Let us dump our stuff and we’ll go over things and come up with a plan, yeah?”
Esther nodded. “Edie can stay in my room with me; two of you can take Asher’s room, and one of you can sleep down here.”
“I’ll take the sofa,” Audra said.
“That works.” Edie headed for the stairs. “Essy, did you change bedsheets yet?”
“No.”
“Okay. I’ll grab a set from the linen closet for the spare room. Brooke, Annabeth, if you want to come with me, I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
While they went upstairs, Esther turned to Audra. “You can stow your bag in the corner over there, if you want. Or we can put it in the laundry room.”
“Wherever. I’m not picky.”
“That corner is fine.” Esther pointed to a spot by the front window. “The laundry room is kind of tight.”
“Sounds good.” Audra walked over and deposited her bag. “So, what did you and Jo discover?”
“Connie Tyler’s real identity.”
Audra’s eyes widened. “Seriously? It was that easy?”
“With facial recognition and AI, yes.”
“That makes me worry about the future of undercover work. I’m glad I’m out of that game.”
Esther plopped back down on the couch, sinking into the cushions. “How is normal life treating you?” Audra had retired from her job with Britain’s Secret Intelligence Service just a few months ago.
Following Esther’s lead, Audra sat in the recliner. “It’s been an adjustment. I’m not used to having so much free time. Though Brooke’s been keeping me busy.”
“That’s right. Edie mentioned Brooke asked you to head up security for the new resort.”
“All I can say is, I’m glad I have Sam and the others to help me implement the security system. Once the place is up and running, I can see myself in charge of day-to-day operations. But the actual system? That’s not my forte. She hired an outside consultant too.”
“She’s aiming for next year, right?”
“Yeah. June. The building’s exterior is done. So are the private cabins. It’s all interior work now and hiring staff.”
Esther couldn’t wait to see it. Knowing Brooke, it would be elegant and luxurious, but affordable. The woman was as rich as Midas, but she was down-to-earth. She wanted the resort to be for everyone.
Clatter on the stairs drew her attention. Edie, Brooke, and Annabeth rounded the corner from the short hallway.
“All settled?” Esther asked.
“Yes,” Edie replied. “Fill us in. What did you find out?”
Esther stood, picking up her laptop from the coffee table before walking over to the island. She opened it. “So, I found a family photo of the Tylers from a news article. Jo ran an image search on it and found a match to Connie Tyler from a social media picture at high school in Pennsylvania that’s a good fifteen years old. There were no names with the picture, but because I’m one of those planning types and am on every committee under the sun, including my class reunion committee, I have a subscription to a yearbook website. Jo searched it and we found her. Connie’s real name is Lindy Nieman. Her parents were murdered just shy of eleven years ago. The police thought she’d been killed, too, but dumped elsewhere. Her body was never found.”
Brooke scoffed. “Because she’s been living under an assumed name. Are we sure she didn’t murder them?”
“I mean, it’s possible.” Esther lifted a shoulder. “She probably would have just found out she was pregnant. Maybe they didn’t want her to keep the baby? I don’t know why, though. She was an adult at the time. Just out of college. I don’t think she killed them, though. The police found a significant amount of her blood at the scene. I think she was wounded, maybe left for dead. Or she was wounded, taken, and then escaped.”
“I think we should talk to her,” Annabeth said. “Go straight to the source and get answers.”
Brooke chuckled. “Dean’s rubbing off on you.”
“Well, it worked when we looked into my sister’s death.” Annabeth shrugged.
“I agree with you,” Audra said. “Having her daughter missing, and the fact that we already know who she is, will probably make her more willing to talk.”
“Then let’s go.” Esther closed the laptop. Stroud would just have to deal with her interfering. If she shared this info with him and he tried to take over, Connie might clam up. Especially if she’d been involved in her parents’ deaths. Esther didn’t care about that. She just wanted to find Asher and Leah.
The group filed out the door and into the SUV Edie rented at the airport. Esther gave her sister directions to Leah’s house.
As they turned down the Tylers’ street minutes later, Audra let out a soft groan. “Crap. I was afraid of that.” She peered through the window, gaze fixed on the police car parked in the driveway.
“How do we get past them?” Brooke asked. “We can’t just waltz up there and knock. I mean, we can, but I doubt we’ll get inside. And even if we do, the cops will want to listen in. Do we want that?”
“No,” Esther said. “She might not talk if the police are involved.”
“Essy, do you think you could talk your way in?” Edie asked as she drove past the house. “She knows you.”
“Maybe. But you and Audra might ask better questions.”
“You did pretty well on digging up dirt on your own,” Brooke said.
“Only because I had Jo’s help. It was talking to her that got me thinking.”
“Okay, so we need to lure her away or sneak in.” Audra frowned, a thoughtful wrinkle to her forehead.
“Or you do what you do best.” Edie grinned.
Esther groaned. “What are you thinking?”
Edie lifted a shoulder. “Audra, you spent a lot of time pretending to be someone else.”
“And?”
“So, what if Esther goes in? Just to offer sympathy. But once she’s past the cop, she convinces Connie to play along with what’s about to happen.”
“What do you want to do?” Annabeth asked.
“We pretend we’re Connie’s co-workers, and we heard about Leah. We’ve come to offer support. Audra can lie us past the cop.”
“That sounds good.” Audra leaned forward. “Circle the block and park. You should go in with Esther, though. The police officer might recognize you. It’ll make more sense for you to be with your sister. He or she will know you’re not Connie’s co-worker if they recognize you.”
“Good point.” Edie stopped at the stop sign and made a right-hand turn. “Everyone in agreement?”
A chorus of “Yes” echoed through the car.
“Awesome.”
They circled the block, and parked down the street, out of view of the Tylers’ front windows. She and Esther got out and walked down the sidewalk.
“You good to do this?” Edie asked. “I know you don’t like lying.”
“In this case, I’ll make an exception. We have to find them.” Her voice broke, and she blinked furiously to keep the tears at bay. She’d cry later.
Edie stopped her with a hand on her arm. Esther looked at her, still battling back tears.
“Oh!” Edie’s eyes widened. “You fell for him, didn’t you? I hoped this would happen.” A wide smile wreathed her face.
“I know you did. But now is not the time to discuss it. None of it will matter if we don’t find him.” Esther marched away, hanging onto her emotions by a thread.
She so missed Asher’s smile and his quick wit. It still boggled her mind how hard and fast she’d fallen for him. But it shouldn’t surprise her. The man was brilliant and funny, but most importantly, kind. He had a heart of gold and wouldn’t hesitate to do anything he could to help someone. He just checked all the boxes for what she wanted in a partner. The last couple of days without him, all she’d been able to do was think about their time together. Her mind had analyzed all the little details and every flicker of a feeling that had passed through her heart since he’d arrived. It hadn’t been terribly hard to recognize she’d fallen in love with him.
Heart aching, she walked up the Tylers’ front steps and knocked on the door, Edie close behind. Buster barked from deep inside the house. The officer who answered was one Esther recognized. She’d gone to school with Landon Garner.
“Esther? What are you doing here?” His gaze traveled past her, taking in Edie standing at the bottom of the steps, and his frown deepened.
“Hi, Landon. I heard about Leah and her dad. She’s my student. I came to talk to Mrs. Tyler.”
“I’m not supposed to let anyone in.”
“Why not? Is Mrs. Tyler a suspect?”
“No. Detective Stroud didn’t say why. Probably so we don’t upset her.”
“How about you ask her if she’ll talk to me?”
“I can pass along a message.”
“Officer Garner? Who’s at the door?”
Esther leaned around Landon at the sound of Connie’s voice. “It’s me, Mrs. Tyler. Esther Campbell. Leah’s teacher.”
“Let her in,” Connie said, walking closer, holding Buster. The dog’s bark turned to a whine, and he wiggled in her arms as he saw who’d come to visit.
“Ma’am—”
“I’m not a prisoner, Officer Garner. And this is my house. Either let her in, or I’m going out.”
Landon sighed and stepped back.
Esther didn’t hesitate. She hurried in and quickly took charge, fretting over Connie like the best church grandma in existence.
“How are you holding up? I can only imagine how you’re feeling.” She wrapped an arm around Connie’s shoulders and steered her toward the kitchen, giving Buster a quick scratch. The dog licked her hand. “We should have some tea and chat.”
She glanced back, spearing Landon with a look as he attempted to follow Edie. “Would you mind giving us some privacy? I’m sure we’d all like to unload some stress without a stranger listening in—no offense.”
His mouth flattened, but he nodded. “I’ll be in the living room if you need me, Mrs. Tyler.”
Esther didn’t give Connie a chance to respond. She ushered her through the kitchen door to the small table.
“Rob never mentioned you were so pushy.”
“I’m not normally. We need to talk.”
Walls went up in Connie’s eyes, and her shoulders went back.
“Have a seat.” Esther gestured to the table.
Edie crossed to the cabinets and started opening them. “Where do you keep your tea? Or would you rather have coffee?”
Esther knew what her sister was doing; she was giving legitimacy to Esther’s spiel for Landon’s benefit. Edie could also see the living room from where she stood. He wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop if he couldn’t get close enough without being seen. She just hoped he didn’t call Stroud.
“I’ve had enough coffee to keep me awake for the rest of my life,” Connie said. “Tea is in the skinny cupboard by the fridge. Mugs are to the left of that. What’s going on?”
Esther and Edie shared a look, then Esther decided to just rip the bandaid off. “We know who you are.”
The walls in Connie’s eyes slipped, letting panic shine through loud and clear.
Esther held up a hand. “We won’t tell anyone. In a minute, some of our friends are going to knock on your door, pretending to be concerned co-workers. You’re going to convince Landon to let them in, then we’re going to have a frank discussion about who took your daughter and our friend Asher.” She motioned between herself and Edie. “We know you had your reasons for running all those years ago, but you need to come clean. It might be the only way we find them.”
Connie’s panic turned to despair. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she whispered.
“We’re going to fix it,” Esther promised. She nodded to Edie, silently telling her to text Audra.
“No.” Connie shook her head. “No one can.”
“Honey, you don’t know me and my friends.” Edie looked up after sending the text. “You lucked out getting Esther as Leah’s teacher. She knows people. Including me.”
Connie stayed silent, the set to her shoulders and the thinly veiled panic in her eyes saying she didn’t believe them. Esther couldn’t do anything about that right now. She’d need convincing, and the only way to do it was to just get on with things.
Edie filled the teakettle with water and set it on the stove to heat. It had barely warmed when there was another knock on the door.
Buster barked and squirmed in Connie’s arms.
“He’s getting up,” Edie said, watching Landon.
Murmurs reached them a few seconds later.
“Connie? Sweetie, it’s Audra from work. We’re all just worried sick about you and your family.”
Esther bit back a smile at Audra’s Americanized voice. She nudged Connie and tipped her head toward the door.
The other woman stared at her for a moment, a flash of defiance in her eyes, but soon stood. “This better be worth it.” She put Buster outside in the backyard, then exited the kitchen.
“Poor Landon,” Esther murmured, getting up to stand in the doorway with Edie.
“I almost feel sorry for him. But he shouldn’t have been put in this position,” Edie said.
Esther agreed. Stroud was being rather protective. Maybe he’d noticed Connie’s hesitation when answering his questions last night too.
Landon glared at the group of women as they traipsed inside. He gave the door a toss behind Annabeth, and it shut with a little more force than necessary. Esther stepped back as Connie led the others into the kitchen.
“Hello,” Esther said, holding out a hand. “I’m Esther, Leah’s teacher. This is my sister, Edie.” They needed to make this look legit. Landon would question things if they seemed to know each other right off the bat.
“I’m Audra. These are my friends, Brooke and Annabeth.”
“We were about to have some tea. Would you like to join us?” Edie asked.
“That would be lovely,” Audra said.
With pleasantries exchanged, they moved deeper into the kitchen.
“Tell me what’s going on,” Connie said, keeping her voice low as they settled around the table. Edie stayed near the stove and Annabeth leaned against the wall while the others sat.
“Esther, you start,” Audra said, dropping the accent.
Connie’s eyes widened at the transformation. “Who are you people?”
“We’ll get to that,” Esther said. “But I’m going to start at the beginning, okay?”
The woman nodded.
“When I took this job, it was for the extra money. I didn’t give a thought to where it was or anything like that. But—and I don’t mean any offense—you don’t live in the greatest neighborhood. Being here sometimes gave me the heebie-jeebies, and I told Edie that. My sister is a former Army officer. She lives in Costa Rica now, which is why I wanted the extra cash; so I could go see her more. Anyway, she’s one of several former military and government agent-type people who live in the same area down there. Remember how I said last night I was concerned about someone lurking outside your house and mine?”
Connie nodded.
“Asher is a friend of Edie’s from Costa Rica. When I mentioned to her what was going on, she got concerned and talked to him about it. He’s a former intelligence analyst. The man can find information buried beneath layers and layers of red tape and hogwash.” Esther lowered her voice. “He discovered some discrepancies in Leah’s birth certificate and your identity. It was enough to make him come up here as a favor to her.”
Connie shot out of her chair, her eyes flashing with panicked rage. “I knew it was his fault! You two brought this upon us!”
Esther stood and patted the air. “Please keep your voice down, Mrs. Tyler.”
“Everything okay in here?” Landon appeared in the doorway.
Balling her fists, Esther kept her back to him and silently implored Connie to assure him they were fine.
The woman stared at her for a long moment, then glanced at Landon. “We’re fine. I’m just upset about Leah.”
“Maybe you all should go. Give her some space.”
“No, they’re fine,” Connie said. “I’m fine. You can go back to the living room.”
He rested a hand on the butt of his holster and tapped his fingers as he studied her. “All right. If you’re sure?”
“I am.” She seemed to shrink in on herself as she crossed her arms, clutching her sleeves.
With a quick nod and another long look at the group, he walked away.
Esther looked at Edie, waiting for her to signal they were safe to continue their discussion. After a moment, Edie nodded once.
“Let’s sit back down.” Esther motioned Connie to sit in her chair.
Her expression still wary and angry, Connie lowered herself to the seat.
“Asher and I didn’t do anything to trigger someone coming after you. Whoever it is, was already here. I think we got in their way, which is why Asher was taken.”
“You said you know who I am,” Connie whispered.
“Yeah. Last night, one of Audra’s contacts and I dug into your family. We found some old photographs and tracked you down with your high school yearbook. We know your real name is Lindy Nieman.”
All the color bled from Connie’s face. She grasped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white with her grip. She closed her eyes for a moment and a tear trickled out. “I haven’t heard that name or even thought of myself as that woman in so long.”
“What happened?” Annabeth asked softly. “Why did you run away and change your identity?”
“Because Leah’s father is a sick son of a bitch. I didn’t discover that until it was too late. I was already pregnant.” She sat back, wiping at her face with her sleeve, then crossed her arms. “Bradley and I met in college. We were both engineering majors. But he—he was on another level. Like MacGyver, almost. He was always making something out of nothing. I found him fascinating. And handsome. We’d been dating for several months and things seemed fine. He was a little possessive, but nothing terrible. It wasn’t until we got close to graduation that his demeanor changed. He started coming up with excuses why we couldn’t go visit my parents or making plans for us when he knew I had plans with friends. If I pushed back, he’d guilt me into canceling what I wanted to do and into doing whatever he wanted.”
“What did your friends and family say?” Brooke asked.
“They told me he was being controlling, but didn’t push the issue too much. At least, my friends didn’t. My parents were more vocal about it. Especially after I found out I was pregnant. That’s why I was at their house.”
“Did Bradley know about the baby?” Audra asked.
“No. I knew something about our relationship wasn’t right, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself.” She glanced down at her hands in her lap, picking at a catch on her fingernail for a moment before she looked up again and answered. “When I suspected I was pregnant, I took the test in a bathroom at school and left it in the trash there. A couple of days later, he had to work late. I didn’t have a car. He’d convinced me we could save up for a house faster if we only had one car payment, so I sold mine. I typically didn’t go anywhere I couldn’t walk or ride a bike to when he was working, but that day, I called my parents and asked if they would pay for a taxi to drive me the two hours to their house. They said yes without hesitation. I packed up my stuff and left.” Shifting, Connie wrapped an arm around her waist and raised the other, her fingers covering her mouth.
The teakettle whistled. Edie shut it off, then busied herself making several cups while Connie continued.
“When I got there, I told them what was going on and that I was scared. As much as I didn’t want to be pregnant or to have any sort of connection to Bradley moving forward, I couldn’t bring myself to have an abortion. I wanted Leah from the moment I found out about her.” Her face crumpled, but she quickly drew in a breath and swiped at the moisture on her face again. “Mom and Dad told me they’d do whatever they could to support me and the baby. I went to bed that night still scared, but at least I had some hope.”
“He figured out where you went, didn’t he?” Edie’s voice was quiet.
Again, Connie nodded. “Yeah. He showed up about twelve-thirty that night. Made a racket, banging on the door. Dad answered it to tell him to go away. I hung back, but I could see him. There was a wildness about Bradley I’d never seen before. He was completely unhinged. When he refused to leave, Dad said he’d call the police, then tried to shut the door. Bradley kicked it open. Dad—” she broke off with a choked sob. “Dad fell back, landed on the floor. Mom rushed over to help him up, and I ran forward to try to make Bradley back off. He shoved me, and I hit my head on the corner of the foyer table on the way down. It tore up a big flap of my scalp and made me black out. Just for a minute.” She indicated the side of her head.
Edie handed her a cup of tea. Connie wrapped her fingers around it, but didn’t drink.
“When I came to, he had a small statue—a cast of my parents’ hands—in one hand and was using it to hit my mom. My dad was already lying in a pool of blood.”
Brooke gasped, and she and Annabeth both covered the lower half of their faces. Esther’s stomach turned.
“I knew I had to get out, or I was next. While he was”—she swallowed hard—“distracted, I picked up my mom’s keys and purse and slipped out the open front door. I just drove. No idea where to go. Bleeding.”
“Why didn’t you go to the police?” Brooke asked.
“Because I was terrified I wouldn’t win. That they’d believe him . And then—if I wasn’t arrested for their murders—that I’d end up right back in the same place. Under Bradley’s thumb. Except then it would be our child, too, who he could control. I—I just couldn’t.”
“How did you become Connie Tyler?” Audra asked. “Changing your identity isn’t something most people know how to do. Especially young women who come from good families. They never have a reason to know people who know how to do that.”
“Short answer? I got lucky. After I fled, I drove for a couple of hours with a sweater I found in the backseat pressed to the side of my head. Once I finally felt like I’d put enough distance between myself and… and…” She flip-flopped a hand. “Anyway, I stopped at a rest area and used the first aid kit in my mom’s car to clean myself up enough to not scare people, then I put on a jacket my mom left in her car, went inside, and cleaned up some more. I needed gas and caffeine, so I got back on the road and stopped not long after at an all-night gas station. The clerk there was some older, curmudgeonly type of man. He took one look at me and knew something was wrong.” She rolled her lips in, pressing them together for a moment before continuing.
“Drake Camden and his wife, Carlie, saved my life that day. And Leah’s. Somehow, he convinced me to come into the back to their breakroom. While I sipped on water and snacked on some crackers, he called his wife, who was a retired nurse. She showed up and got enough out of me to know I wasn’t in a good place. I know it was dumb to trust strangers, but something kept whispering that I could trust them. Carlie took me back to her house, stitched me up, got me into some clean clothes, and let me sleep.”
Connie twirled the tea mug in her hands, staring at it without seeing it. “When I woke up the next morning, I thought for sure they’d demand answers, but they didn’t. They told me I was welcome to stay as long as I needed. It only took me a couple of days to decide I wanted to tell them the truth. I needed help to stay away from Bradley, and they deserved to know who I was after being so kind.”
“So they know who you are?” Audra asked. “The old you and the new you?”
“Yes.”
“Are they still living?” Edie asked.
“Yes. As far as I know.” Connie moistened her lips and tapped her nails on her cup. “After I told them what happened and how I didn’t want to go back, Drake called in some favors. He’d run with a rough crowd for a while when he was younger and still knew people. One of his buddies was really good at forgery, and he created a new identity for me. I’ve used it ever since, and it’s always held up, even on our taxes and when I married Rob.”
“Was he a friend of Drake’s too?” Brooke asked.
“Sort of. He’s the son of a friend. Rob needed some stability in his life after he got out of prison, and I needed someone who’d not only be willing to defend me and my child, but could help provide for her. I was terrified to use my degree, since Bradley’s in the same field, so I’ve never worked anywhere that needed beyond a high school education. But that meant we were living near the poverty level. I could barely make ends meet. There were no extras in our lives, and I didn’t take any unnecessary time off work. That worked fine until Leah got sick.” She ran her thumb along the edge of her cup.
“Five years ago, she contracted a simple bacterial infection, but it somehow made it to her heart. I couldn’t afford to take time off work, but she had to have treatment or she’d die. I was desperate, so I called Drake and Carlie. That’s when Drake mentioned Rob.”
“So you just married a man you didn’t know?” Brooke gave her a curious frown.
“I did it for Leah. I met with Rob once before I agreed and laid out everything. That it would be in name only, and that he’d help take care of Leah. He was in a bad place and needed a fresh start. I knew it was a gamble, but I didn’t see any other way. I know he’s not the friendliest man, but there was something in his eyes when we met. He was as desperate as I was. So, we agreed to let Drake’s friend put his name on Leah’s birth certificate. I introduced him to Leah as her father, then we got married.”
“She doesn’t know Rob’s not her biological father?” Annabeth asked.
“No. I never talked about her dad, and she never asked. She was only four at the time, so she wasn’t asking too many questions yet. Honestly, if this hadn’t happened, I would have never told her. Rob’s been good to us. He completely turned his life around and became the husband and father we needed. I’m truly grateful for all he’s done.” Her face crumpled and a cascade of tears ran down her face.
Esther covered one of Connie’s hands. “I’m sorry. How’s he doing? We never asked.”
“It’s touch and go. He’s sedated in the ICU. I wish I could be there, but the police want me at home in case the kidnapper contacts me.” She snorted. “But if it really is Bradley, he won’t. I’ll never see Leah again.”
“That won’t happen,” Edie said. “Not with us involved. You didn’t see his face last night?”
Connie shook her head. “No. He had a hood up and a baseball cap underneath, and he never spoke. The build was right, though. And there’s one other thing.”
“What?” A curious frown dipped Esther’s eyebrows.
“Leah’s medications are gone.”
Esther’s eyes rounded. She glanced at Edie and their friends.
“You’re sure?” Audra asked.
Connie nodded. “When I got home, I noticed Buster didn’t come running. He was outside, and we didn’t put him out there before we left. It put me on alert, so I went through the house quick. That’s when I noticed her meds were gone. Some of her clothes are missing too.”
“Did you tell the police this?”
“No.” Connie hung her head. “I didn’t want them to ask too many questions or start digging too deep into my past. But I think that’s inevitable now.”
Most likely, Esther agreed. “Okay, so where do we go from here?” She turned to Audra and Edie. “We’re assuming Bradley is behind this, yes? Especially with the fact the medications are missing?”
The two women shared a look. Esther frowned, sensing they had something to say she wouldn’t like.
“Yes,” Audra said. “But we also don’t want to discount other possibilities.”
“Such as?” Esther raised an eyebrow, unsure what other possibilities there could be.
“That this is about you,” Audra said.
Esther’s other eyebrow joined the first one, and they both arched higher. “What? Why would it be about me? Why would Leah be involved?”
“I was mulling this over on the plane ride here,” Audra glanced at Edie, whom Esther didn’t think looked surprised by the turn in the conversation. “It’s possible someone is obsessed with you. It could be Bradley, or it could be someone else entirely. Asher was in the way, so the guy took him out. As for Leah, Edie and I think he could be trying to create a family for you. Or using her as a lure, so you’re a more willing participant.”
“No.” Esther sat back and stared at Audra, then her sister. “No. Because if that’s true, Asher’s probably already dead, and I can’t accept that.” The ache in her chest that had been present since Asher disappeared grew two sizes, opening a yawning hole in her heart. He couldn’t be dead. She refused to believe it.
“None of us want him to be dead,” Edie said. “But we need to consider the possibility.”
“You can consider it all you want. I refuse.” Esther pushed back from the table and stood. She needed to get out of the house and get some space before she exploded. Without another word, she spun on her heel and left.