Page 36 of Watch Me

“If I knew that, we wouldn’t be standing here, Buttercup.”

“Am I … safe?”

“I’ll never let anything happen to you.” He kissed the top of my head, and then we were silent for a few moments while he continued to hold me in his arms. “I need to ask … who else knows where you live?”

I pulled my head back, looking into his deep blue eyes. “No one. I haven’t met anyone since I’ve been back.”

“What about at school?”

“I mean, I have classmates, but I’m not friends with anyone nor have I told them where I live.”

We pulled apart. “Someone knows you live here beside me.”

I thought for a moment. “Maddie does. I gave her my address for emergencies and whatnot.”

“Maddie? Would she—”

“Would she what? Kill people?”

Before Ethan could respond, there was a knock at the door. My heart began to race again as I watched him move toward it. Once I saw Shawn standing on the other side, I relaxed slightly. How could Ethan think my daughter had something to do with this? How could he think she was a killer? Besides, she was at school in Michigan.

I needed to sit down, so while Ethan talked to his partner, I sat on my couch, thinking about who else knew where I lived. No one came to mind except maybe Judy because she had my info in my employee file. But then …

“Eth,” I called. It was barely a whisper as uncertainty still coursed through mybody.

He paused his conversation and moved so he was crouched down in front of me. “What is it?”

“It’s a long shot, but maybe it’s someone from work?”

He stood, anger radiating from him. “That fucking barback?”

“Derrick?” I drew my head back slightly because I wasn’t thinking about him at all. I was thinking of one of the other bartenders. I knew Tommy and Frank had a key to Judy’s office because they needed to get money at the start of the day or put money in the safe atclosing.

“Is that his fucking name?”

I swallowed. “Yeah.”

“He knows where you live?”

“No. I mean, I’ve never told him.”

“Then why do you think it’s Derrick?”

I sighed. “I don’t think it’s him exactly.”

“Then who?”

I looked over at Shawn and then back at Ethan. “Judy has my address for my W-2 and whatever. Maybe Tommy or Frank grabbed my file and got my address,” Isuggested.

“I’ll go check it out. Check out this Derrick guy too,” Shawnsaid.

“Tommy works the early shift, and I don’t think Derrick is working tonight,” I stated, turning to face Shawn. “We mostly work the same shift because he’s in school too.”

“Same college?” Ethanasked.

I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Then we’ll go to his house. I’ve wanted an excuse to rough him up,” Ethanadmitted.