Scott showered and attempted to sober up. Yeah, he’d fallen off of the wagon, again. But it happens. He had to stop the voices, so what else was he to do? But now, things were looking up. He had a check to cash and work to do. Damn, that Penny Greyer had pissed him off, which all by itself had been enough of a buzz killer. She was a dumb bitch just like her daughter-in-law, and he’d be damned before he’d just let her cut him off like that—toss him to the side, as though he were nothing.
He wasn’t nothing. He was brilliant. And because he was brilliant and he had the angels directing him to do God’s will, he had a plan in place just as quickly as he’d cleaned up the place a little. He sat down as his computer and got to work, first pulling up Penny Greyer’s personal property tax records until he had the exact location where his target was staying. He worked well into the night, mapping, plotting, and planning. It was all coming together perfectly now. The visions in the woods at the bottom of the hill with Addison wrapped in the blanket all bloodied up from his handiwork made much more sense now that he’d had a chance to thoroughly study the property on Google Maps.
Better yet, for all his brilliance, he realized he now had the perfect little situation right there at his fingertips, practically served up on a gold platter. Garnish included. No one in his or her right mind would suspect him, after this. How easy it would be now to frame the husband, the angels whispered quietly. Think about it, they’d said. The wife has an affair and files for divorce; the husband plans a getaway to the middle of nowhere, only to have the wifey turn up missing and then later found brutally murdered. Of course! That was it. It was time to get to work, time to dig in and get his hands dirty. This was going to be sweet as pie. His decisiveness must have pleased God because He sent the angels to sing him to sleep that night, which was good because it felt nice not to be so all alone.
Thirteen
Addie awoke to sounds of laughter coming from the kitchen. When she noticed the bright light pouring in beneath the blinds, she grabbed her phone from the bedside table and checked the time: 9:12 a.m. Addie couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept past 7 a.m., much less this late. Opening her email, she scanned her phone. She still hadn’t responded to William’s email and wasn’t sure whether she was going to or not. There was something about not saying anything back that appealed to her, as though if she weren’t a part of the conversation then maybe it wasn’t really happening. She clicked on and was responding to an email from Sondra when her phone buzzed. It was Carl.
Mrs. Greyer we’d like to request permission to resume providing security. I know that you asked us to stand down during your time away, but we at Hartman Enterprises strongly disagree with that decision. Our team promises to stay out of your way and as inconspicuous as possible. Please, consider it, Addison.
Carl.
Addie thought for a moment and responded.
Thank you, Carl. But we are fine here.
With that she clicked off her phone, got up, and headed in the direction of the sound of laughter and the smell of bacon. Following breakfast, she, Patrick, and the boys took a trip into the nearest town for supplies and then stopped for ice cream.
“They’re going to be so messy.” Patrick exclaimed, watching the boys run around in a grassy field next to the mostly empty parking lot.
Addie leaned back against the car, folding her arms across her chest, trying to keep the chill out. “They always are.”
“So how long are you thinking we need to stay here before the cops can nab this guy? Because, I’m a little worried. I’ve got work and Michele’s pretty sick. I called and spoke with the detective this morning, and it sounded to me as though they don’t have much on him.”
Addie sighed. “You’re free to go if you need to, Patrick. The boys and I can stay on a few more days, just to give them a little more time.”
“Nah, I’m good for a couple more days at least. And, anyway, I think this is good for the five of us.”
Addie smiled. “Me too.”
They spent much of the rest of the day fishing and playing outside. It wasn’t until close to dinnertime that Addie realized she hadn’t checked her phone since this morning. There were several missed calls, three from Penny including a voicemail she’d left and two from William. Why was he calling? She checked her email and noticed how her heart raced
when she saw his name.
From: William Hartman
Date: 01/25/13
To: Addison Greyer
Subject: Call me. It’s urgent.
Addison,
I’ve been trying to get ahold of you all day. Call me. Please.
William
Addie dialed his number then hesitated and hung up. Just as she was about to gather up the courage, her phone rang.
“Hello.” Addie whispered, trying to find her voice.
“Addison. We need to talk.”
His voice made her dizzy. God, that voice.
“Addison? Hello?” William demanded.