Page 100 of Traces Of You

“So stupid,” she said. “I make sure I obey all the traffic laws. I never thought to check my brake lights.”

He should have thought of it. He’d even made a comment to Clay that the car wouldn’t pass inspection in New York.

“Let’s go inside. It’s chilly out here.”

She’d left the front door open when she ran to him. They walked in, him shutting and locking it. He didn’t need to lock it, but he wanted her to know it had to always be done.

“Do you want something to eat? I know you left early and it’s been a long day.”

“I could use something to eat,” he said.

She went to the fridge and opened it. “I’ve got a chicken breast and potato salad.”

“That works,” he said.

He got himself a glass of water while she heated the chicken in the microwave and made him a plate. He didn’t need her waiting on him, but he also understood that it gave her something to do.

She was nervous again when he hadn’t seen her like this in weeks.

She was tugging at her shirtsleeves while she stared at the chicken spinning inside the microwave.

When it dinged, she jumped, even though she knew it was going to happen.

He took the plate out of her hand and pulled her to the table to sit with him while he ate.

“I’m going to stay tonight,” he said.

“You don’t need to,” she said. “There is no way he could get here this fast and no saying he could even find me. I’ve got no record of being here.”

Which was smart that she didn’t. No job on file, no bank or credit cards, nothing to trace her here.

She was stopped on the main road that one would turn on to get gas right off the Northway. It couldn’t have been more perfect for someone to assume she was still heading north. Maybe even after this time, heading back south from being north.

All it proved was she was alive and well and a long way from Florida.

“That’s right. I keep telling myself we need to continue as we were, but I couldn’t live like this forever. I’m glad I won’t have the missing person part hanging over my head.”

“That is one positive thing,” he said. About the only good thing in his mind. “I don’t want you to get trapped in your head with anything. I’ve got you. My family has you.”

“I talked to Gale. Clay is angry with me.”

That didn’t surprise him. “Why didn’t you tell him you were leaving?”

Those were the rules and she’d been following them. He didn’t know why she hadn’t today.

Would it have stopped what happened?

Who was he to say? Clay might have watched her leave, would have seen the light out. Paid attention to his phone that he answered when she called before handing her information to his deputy. Anything to have changed the narrative.

It was more wishful thinking in his mind. His mother was already beating herself up over this too. For not arguing more that she’d take the delivery as was the plan.

He didn’t want his mother to feel guilty. It wasn’t anyone’s fault.

Things couldn’t always be controlled and this was definitely one of those instances.

“I thought nothing of it. I swear. Your mother was going to do it and I said I would. I didn’t think I’d see you tonight and it’d give me something to do. Then she told me to go early and since it was still my shift, she knew where I was going.”

Any other time he’d say it was okay. But this time it bit them in the ass.