entered with Melvin right
behind her. He slapped the folder onto the table. “Read it.”
As he turned to leave the room, Sue
stopped him. The folder in front of her was thin. It couldn’t possibly hold
everything about her. “Where’s the rest?”
“What rest? That’s all there is.”
He reached for his pocket as he closed the door with more force than was
necessary.
Sue could just hear him pacing in
the hallway and the sound of his nebulizer as he took several hits.
Roxie stuck her head out the door
only to see Will standing in his own doorway. He shook his head and Roxie
disappeared back inside. Will quickly followed .
“What is going on?” Roxie
whispered, sneaking another peak at Melvin.
Will explained that Melvin wanted
Sue to read the information they had on her case.
“Is that wise?” Roxie was
concerned.
“I don’t know. But Melvin was
adamant and I decided to let him go ahead. We’ll see. It shouldn’t take her
long to read what we have.”
He was right. Fifteen minutes later
Sue stepped meekly from the conference room. “Is that really all there is?” She
addressed Melvin who had stopped pacing and watched her closely.
“As I said.” He nodded.
“I believe I owe you an apology.”
“Accepted.”
“Can you please take me home?”
During the ride back to her house, the
couple was quiet. Sue had been amazed at the lack of information Will had
accumulated. All he had was information about the theft of the hair dye from
the dollar store, the break-in at a house, and an interview with Doris, the
homeowner. Another couple of pages covered the vandalized vending machines and
notes made after Will talked to the owner of the campground. There were a lot
of details about his search for her. Lists of abandoned
buildings and their locations. A written documentation
of his conversations with Candy, Dilly, and the officers at the scene of
Brenda’s murder. And, of course, there was a thorough report of finding
Sue at the church and the stand-off with Zeke. Nothing in the file touched on
the sordid scenes Zeke had put her through, nothing about her memories of
childhood experiences, nothing that would lead anyone to believe Sue was
anything other than an unfortunate victim. As the adrenaline drained away, Sue
felt an urge to cry.
“Melvin,” she began as he escorted
her to her door once again.
“No, Sue. Just stop right there.
Everything is okay. There’s nothing to discuss.” His eyes were sad as they held
hers. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow for your first self-defense class.”
He waited until he heard the door
being locked from within before returning to his car.
Chapter 11
Sue chewed the side of her nail,
mixed feelings flooding through her. She had attended two classes on
self-defense and was starting to get the hang of the different moves a woman
could use to protect herself. She had to be careful since her feet were still
healing and the wound in her side remained tender. After explaining to the
instructor she’d been injured, he took it easy on her, taking her through the
maneuvers slowly.
“You can do the workouts as soon as
you feel up to it; but as long as you’re familiar with the moves, you should be
able to put them to use if necessary.”
“Thank you, Wayne.”
Sue smiled, genuinely pleased with the class.
Afterward, Melvin drove her to the
gun club where she was going to shoot a firearm for the very first time and her
nerves were vibrating.
Melvin glanced sideways at her and
noticed her reticence. “You’ll be fine, Sue. I think you’ll actually enjoy it.”
“What are you carrying on about?
I’m not nervous.” Sue shifted her eyes to Melvin.
“ Rightttt ,”
Melvin agreed and they both smiled, more at ease with each other since the
blowup they’d had. “Anyway, Sue. There’s really nothing to worry about. I’m a
member so you’ll go in as my guest. You’ll get to choose a weapon to try, be
issued a pair of earmuffs, and we’ll head to the
behind her. He slapped the folder onto the table. “Read it.”
As he turned to leave the room, Sue
stopped him. The folder in front of her was thin. It couldn’t possibly hold
everything about her. “Where’s the rest?”
“What rest? That’s all there is.”
He reached for his pocket as he closed the door with more force than was
necessary.
Sue could just hear him pacing in
the hallway and the sound of his nebulizer as he took several hits.
Roxie stuck her head out the door
only to see Will standing in his own doorway. He shook his head and Roxie
disappeared back inside. Will quickly followed .
“What is going on?” Roxie
whispered, sneaking another peak at Melvin.
Will explained that Melvin wanted
Sue to read the information they had on her case.
“Is that wise?” Roxie was
concerned.
“I don’t know. But Melvin was
adamant and I decided to let him go ahead. We’ll see. It shouldn’t take her
long to read what we have.”
He was right. Fifteen minutes later
Sue stepped meekly from the conference room. “Is that really all there is?” She
addressed Melvin who had stopped pacing and watched her closely.
“As I said.” He nodded.
“I believe I owe you an apology.”
“Accepted.”
“Can you please take me home?”
During the ride back to her house, the
couple was quiet. Sue had been amazed at the lack of information Will had
accumulated. All he had was information about the theft of the hair dye from
the dollar store, the break-in at a house, and an interview with Doris, the
homeowner. Another couple of pages covered the vandalized vending machines and
notes made after Will talked to the owner of the campground. There were a lot
of details about his search for her. Lists of abandoned
buildings and their locations. A written documentation
of his conversations with Candy, Dilly, and the officers at the scene of
Brenda’s murder. And, of course, there was a thorough report of finding
Sue at the church and the stand-off with Zeke. Nothing in the file touched on
the sordid scenes Zeke had put her through, nothing about her memories of
childhood experiences, nothing that would lead anyone to believe Sue was
anything other than an unfortunate victim. As the adrenaline drained away, Sue
felt an urge to cry.
“Melvin,” she began as he escorted
her to her door once again.
“No, Sue. Just stop right there.
Everything is okay. There’s nothing to discuss.” His eyes were sad as they held
hers. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow for your first self-defense class.”
He waited until he heard the door
being locked from within before returning to his car.
Chapter 11
Sue chewed the side of her nail,
mixed feelings flooding through her. She had attended two classes on
self-defense and was starting to get the hang of the different moves a woman
could use to protect herself. She had to be careful since her feet were still
healing and the wound in her side remained tender. After explaining to the
instructor she’d been injured, he took it easy on her, taking her through the
maneuvers slowly.
“You can do the workouts as soon as
you feel up to it; but as long as you’re familiar with the moves, you should be
able to put them to use if necessary.”
“Thank you, Wayne.”
Sue smiled, genuinely pleased with the class.
Afterward, Melvin drove her to the
gun club where she was going to shoot a firearm for the very first time and her
nerves were vibrating.
Melvin glanced sideways at her and
noticed her reticence. “You’ll be fine, Sue. I think you’ll actually enjoy it.”
“What are you carrying on about?
I’m not nervous.” Sue shifted her eyes to Melvin.
“ Rightttt ,”
Melvin agreed and they both smiled, more at ease with each other since the
blowup they’d had. “Anyway, Sue. There’s really nothing to worry about. I’m a
member so you’ll go in as my guest. You’ll get to choose a weapon to try, be
issued a pair of earmuffs, and we’ll head to the
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