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“Okay,” I say, taking a deep breath as I pull my phone out of my coat pocket.
My thumb hovers over the nine but just as I go to press it, Lila grabs my wrist, making me jump.
“Wait.”
My stomach lurches. “Yea?”
Her eyes are wide, like something just clicked into place.
“The…the…man…the one who got back in the car…”
Her mouth is hanging partially open as her eyes darken with fear.
“What about him?”
She swallows hard.
“I think I recognised him.”
Chapter 23
Marcus
Her words hit me like a punch to the gut – sudden and sickening. I take a step back, hands dragging through my hair as I try to make sense of the statement that just came out of her mouth.
“What?” I ask incredulously. “Youknowwho it was?” The question comes out sharper than I intend.
Adrenaline spikes in my veins. If she knows who it was, that changes everything. We give the police a name – we’re not just bystanders anymore. We’re witnesses. Maybe even targets.
But Lila quickly shakes her head, her eyes wide.
“No,” she says, her voice tight. “I don’t know who it was. I just… he looked right at me before he got in the car. And… he just… looked familiar. I don’t know where from. I’m trying my best to think, and I can’t place him.” Her voice cracks on her last word as tears well in her eyes.
Fuck. Okay. Think.
I draw in a slow breath, pacing back and forth in front of the door.
“You have no idea at all?” I ask, a little softer.
“No,” she says quietly, wiping away a tear. “I’m really trying, but it all happened so fast – God, maybe my brain is just making it up,filling in the blanks or something. But I swear, Marcus, for a second… it felt like I’d seen him before.”
I nod slowly, running both hands down my face, trying to focus.
“Do you thinkherecognisedyou?”
“I don’t know,” she murmurs. “I honestly don’t even know if it’s someone I know.”
I let out a big breath, my arms dropping to my sides as I look at her. She’s trying to hold it together, but this shit is enough to rattle anyone. The last thing I want is to make it worse.
“What do you want to do?”
The question hangs between us like a frozen breath.
After a long moment, she lifts her head. “We should call the police.”
“Alright.”
I make the call, giving the report to the operator – street name, what we saw, the vague description of the car, and my address. The whole time, I’m aware of Lila watching me, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. When the call ends, I slide the phone back into my pocket and turn to her.