Page 40 of Traces Of You

“I know you want to ask me things. Go ahead.”

“I don’t know if you want to talk yet.”

“I might as well get it over with. I thought of what you said about communicating with the same dictionary. We can’t move forward if I can’t get some of the past out. Just know everything will not come out.”

He nodded. “I’m more concerned about the past week right now. Are you going to tell me Oliver’s last name?”

“Frontage,” she said. “I told Gale. I checked to see if anything happened to him. Your sister scared me yesterday. She asked if I tried to kill Oliver by putting the sleeping pills in his food whenhe’d been drinking. I hadn’t thought of that until he ate it and it took effect so quickly.”

“I’ll see if I can find anything,” he said.

It’d been something that crossed his mind too. That if anything happened to Oliver, she could be on the run. He wouldn’t know unless he ran her name, and to do that, it’d alert Gainesville Police she was in this area.

He didn’t know how well Oliver knew people on the police force, but it wasn’t something he wanted to risk.

“I checked the news in the area online today. I have seen nothing. Oliver had social media accounts and they’ve been active with him posting things.”

He stalked the three feet toward her. “You’re on social media right now?”

“No,” she said. “I’m not stupid. But he’s public with his posts. I’m not on any social media. Most of what Oliver reads and posts is on Reddit and I know his username.”

“What is it?” he asked, pulling his phone out to make a note of it.

She read it off. “He’s made a couple posts in the past few days.”

“Anything to be concerned about?”

“No. He’s always following these weird conspiracy things. Nothing makes sense. Half the time his posts don’t relate to the subject either. I don’t know. I asked him once about it and he got mad at me and wanted to know why I was interested or concerned about what he read or did.”

He’d make note of that too.

“Why did you stay?” he asked.

“I tried to leave.” She flipped the burgers over. “He found me and brought me back. It was worse after that. I was afraid to try again until I had a solid plan.”

“Like last week?”

“Yes. I still didn’t think I was ready. It might have been a mistake to leave after the break-in. I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking of anything other than life had been calm since I broke my arm.”

“Sincehebroke your arm,” he corrected.

She snorted. “Same thing in his eyes. I just feared something was going to happen soon. It was in my gut. I saw an opportunity and took it.”

“And we are going to keep you safe,” he said. “You have nothing to worry about here. It’s not costing you anything to live here. You’re making some money in tips. If you need more or anything, just tell me.”

“I’ll be fine. I’ve got money put away. I’m making more online.”

His hands went up. “Whoa. What?”

“Relax,” she said. “Oliver knows nothing about it. No one does. I told Gale.”

He hated his sister knew more than him.

“Can you tell me about it and let me be the judge?”

She grabbed two plates down and set them on the counter, then opened the rolls and put them on the plates.

They made their dishes and sat at her table to eat.