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Owen shrugged, but the grim set of his mouth told her he wasn’t convinced of her innocence. “We’ve got bigger problems right now. I don’t see any vehicles. Do you or Bill drive?”
Marie glanced around Owen’s broad shoulders. No pickup sat in its usual spot on the gravel lane. “I don’t have a car, but Bill has a red Ford truck. He usually parks it on the side of the house.”
“I have to check the house. Since we don’t know where Bill is, or could be, you and the baby stay close.” Owen reached behind him and retrieved a gun tucked in a holster behind his back.
She tried to keep her gaze away from the shiny metal of the weapon and followed him to the same stoop she’d flown from the night before.
Owen pressed his index finger to his lips, then slowly opened the screen door.
The hinges squeaked, and she cringed, but didn’t stop moving until she stepped inside, and the door closed behind her. Cradling Nora close, she gently bounced up and down to keep her content.
“Lock the door and stay in here,” Owen said.
She nodded, although he didn’t wait to acknowledge her consent before heading into the kitchen. Her gaze stayed glued to his body as he rounded the two-person table then disappeared into the living room.
Holding her breath, she sank to the floor and leaned against the cool surface of the washer. Not even twelve hours had passed since Bill had stumbled home from the bar, and here she was again, scared to death in the stupid laundry room. “We’ll leave soon, baby girl. I promise. Then we’ll never have to come back here again.”
Unbothered, Nora’s little mouth widened into a yawn.
A few beats passed. The shifts and groans of the thin floors were the only sounds in the sweltering house. Air conditioning was a luxury they couldn’t afford, and the motionless air outside didn’t allow a breeze to filter through the rooms. Her heart pounded against her chest, the noises playing with her mind as she tried to make out Owen’s footsteps. Sweat collected where Nora’s head nestled against her.
A shadow danced across the linoleum floor in the kitchen. She stood and crept onto the balls of her feet. The shadow shifted, and Owen stepped into the muted light. He reholstered his weapon and rubbed the back of his neck, closing his eyes.
Marie rose and kissed Nora’s forehead. “Is he here?”
He faced her, eyes now open, and shook his head. “No. But there’s something you should see.”
Fear licked across her belly. Trepidation slowed her steps as she met Owen in the kitchen. He stood quite a few inches taller than her five-foot, seven-inch frame, but his shoulders drooped and a new weariness weighed him down.
He pressed his fingers to the small of her back, his touch again igniting bits of pleasure up her spine, and led her into the living room. She darted her gaze around the space, but nothing stood out. She raised her chin toward him.
Owen lifted his hand from her back and pointed toward the sofa. “On the floor.”
She peered over the cushions.
Blood pooled on the shag carpet, saturating the floor and coating the bottom of the oak coffee table. The metallic scent hung heavy in the hot air. She gripped the hard edge of the sofa to steady herself. “Is that Bill’s blood?”
Owen stepped closer and the side of his body brushed against hers. “I don’t think so. Anyone who lost that much blood probably died on the spot. It’s unlikely Bill would have lost the amount of blood he did back in the woods, found his way home, continued to bleed, then left the house. Doesn’t make sense.”
Marie pressed the back of her hand to her mouth and fought the nausea swimming in her gut. She leaned against Owen and the side of his body anchored her, keeping her from swaying as emotions assaulted her senses.
“You mentioned Bill bringing another woman home last night. You saw him assault her?”
She closed her eyes and the angry screams and smacks and silence from the night before barreled into her. A strong arm wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Her nausea intensified. “I heard the smack and a loud thud, like someone falling to the ground.”
Pressure built in her chest, making her breaths come out in sharp gasps. She opened her eyes and stared up into Owen’s narrowed gaze. Tension tightened his jaw, but the gentle pressure of his hand against her arm told her to trust him. “Do you think he killed her?”
“It’s an awfully big coincidence a woman was found dead not far from here, and now we’ve found a ton of blood in the same place you claim a woman was assaulted. Did you know who she was?”
She shook her head and rubbed a hand over her sternum. “I should have stayed. I might have saved her.”
“You would have put yourself and your baby in more danger if you’d stayed. But now you can help by telling us everything you can about Bill. We need to figure out where he’d hide.”
“I honestly don’t know where he’d go. I’d tell you right now if I did.”
He hooked a dark brow. “But you might know where he went last night, where he met this woman. That could help in identifying her, or even lead to friends you don’t know about.”
“I don’t know any of his friends.” Embarrassment stained her cheeks. She could only imagine what her relationship with Bill looked like from the outside. She swallowed a snort. As bad as it appeared to Owen, the truth was even worse than he could imagine.
