Chapter Twenty-Five #2
“Then you have a lawyer. I’m in a bit of a tight spot right now and I won’t be able to meet with you in person for a few days. Let me draw up some paperwork and we’ll work through Eunice and her sister at the shelter.”
“I can’t afford you. Can we do a payment plan or something? I don’t have a job yet, but I’ll find one. I’ll pay you, I promise, just not all at once.”
“I’ll do it for free. You aren’t to worry about that. For today, get a cup of tea, cuddle your baby, and let the ladies there care for you, okay?”
“Free? Are you serious?”
“Very serious.”
“Wow. Okay, then. Thank you, Ms. Randolph.”
“I’m Elle. Just Elle. And you’re welcome. Is Teresa there now?” Eunice’s sister would know exactly what to do.
“Yes.”
“Can you give her your phone?”
“This isn’t my phone. I left that one at home. I wiped it first.”
“You are a very smart woman, Annie. A lot of people wouldn’t have thought to do that.”
“Thank you. Here’s Teresa.”
“This is Teresa. Hi, Elle. Good to talk to you again. What are your next steps?”
It seemed like forever ago that she’d gone to the shelter with Eunice. That she’d met Teresa and some of the women who were living there as they got their lives on track. But it had only been three days.
“I’m going to email you some paperwork. Can you text your email address to my phone number? I can’t go to the courthouse for a few days. Do you have the staffing to help Annie apply for a temporary restraining order?”
“I’ve done it way too many times for my girls. I could do it in my sleep. I’ll take care of that part.”
“Then I’ll start the divorce paperwork.”
Are you on speaker? Gary mouthed.
“Are we on speaker, Teresa?” Elle asked.
“No. Also, this is a burner phone we keep for the women here to use.”
Gary cleared his throat. “Teresa, it’s Gary Simpson. I’m here with Elle. I’m happy to send someone to go get Annie’s dog and bring it to her.”
“Normally I’d say yes, but one of the kids here is allergic. Get the dog and we’ll figure something out. Thank you, Elle.”
“I’m happy to help.” They ended the call and Elle met Gary’s curious gaze. “I met Annie at the pharmacy. I was buying candy cap caramels and she was buying arnica for some bruises. She was crying and I kind of sensed what was going on, so I butted in. I couldn’t help it. She was me, you know?”
“I know. I also know you did a lot of pro bono work in Sarasota with the shelters there. Don’t you need the money?”
“Fishing for information about me?” she teased.
“Unashamedly, yes.”
“Let’s say that I’m comfortable enough to do what I want, and I think what I want is to do pro bono work again.”
“Good. Roger Purvis is an asshole. The neighbors have called 911 to the Purvis house too many times, but Annie was always too afraid to press charges and her bruises were never visible.”
“Maybe she just needed to know that she wasn’t alone.” Elle looked around the house. “I wonder if the owners accept dogs. It would only be temporary.”
“I think they would for a cause like this. Have Penny ask them. She’s home. I saw her car in the driveway.”
On her phone, Elle punched in the cell number that Penny had left on the refrigerator. “I’ll do that.”
“Then I’ll get someone to pick up the dog.”
Mendocino, California
Wednesday, February 4, 5:25 p.m.
Ronan drove past Penny’s Corolla and parked his SUV in the garage. It had been a long day.
In between tracking Ashton’s credit cards, he’d organized the props Tamara would need on Sunday to impersonate Elle.
He’d never known buying a wig would be so complicated.
Or expensive. Howard had asked him to find a human-hair wig, but when Ronan had told him it could cost well over a thousand dollars, Howard had spit out his coffee.
Even with that requirement axed, it was still hard to find one of the right length.
He couldn’t check with any of the shops on the coast because word would get out and their plan for Sunday would be foiled. He’d ended up contacting a company in Santa Rosa, two hours away. One of the deputies was heading down there tomorrow for his daughter’s dental surgery, so he’d pick it up.
Another deputy had a wife who was a hairdresser. She’d be able to match Elle’s color.
He’d spent the rest of the afternoon in meetings with Howard, finalizing their plans and discussing every contingency.
It was the best he could do for today. Elle was as safe as he could make her.
He was tired, hungry, and he missed Elle. He wondered what she’d been doing all day. Hopefully she hadn’t been too bored.
He let himself into his house and locked the door behind him, scowling when he saw that Penny had forgotten to set the alarm.
“Penny!” He stepped over Puff, who was snoozing in front of the door. So at least there’s that. “I’m home.”
“In the kitchen.”
Which he’d deduced because something smelled good. He found Penny at the stove, stirring a big pot of chili.
“Are we feeding the neighborhood?” he teased, loosening his tie.
Penny threw a grin over her shoulder. “It’s for the ladies next door. Alexis is back from San Francisco and Tamara is still over there.”
Ronan had almost forgotten that Tamara had accompanied Alexis into the city for her court date.
“I assume everything went okay.”
“No problems, apparently. Tamara said to tell you she dropped the package off at the lab.”
She’d retrieved the hard drive from Elle’s security system, then. Not that they really needed it anymore.
“Good. I need to talk with Tamara about something anyway.”
That she’d been volunteered to lure Ashton Dempsey to the bluff on Sunday. He was sure Tamara would be all in, despite the danger. She was an adrenaline junkie.
Penny smirked. “Go on over.”
Ronan frowned. “What’s going on?”
“Not saying another word.” She mimed zipping her lips.
Ronan rolled his eyes. “Is that chili ready now? I’m starving.”
“It is. I’ll dish you up some.”
“No, I’ll take the whole pot next door and eat with Elle and the others. I’ll be right back. I need out of this suit. I can’t spill anything on it. It’s the last clean one I have.”
“If you give your other suits to me, I’ll take them by the dry cleaners on my way to Ukiah. I’m leaving soon, so hurry.”
Ronan paused in the kitchen doorway. “What? Why are you going to Ukiah?”
“We’re having a memorial service for Kasey Arnold. A bunch of us are going. I’ll be with a big crowd. It’ll be fine. I won’t wander off on my own or take candy from strangers. I can take care of myself.”
“I don’t know about that. You didn’t have the house alarm set.”
Penny slowly turned to him, her eyes narrowed. “You were two blocks away when I got back from walking Puff. I figured you’d be here in a few minutes.”
They shared each other’s phone locations and he could see why Penny hadn’t felt threatened. “Honey.” He gentled his voice. “There is a killer out there.”
“He’s not after me. He’s after Elle. That’s why she’s got a protection detail.”