AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“It’s the cops,” Mason said, worry etched on his face.
“I know.” Tessa clutched her stomach and tried not to throw up. “Go to the back patio. If anything happens, take Emily and run. Don’t stop until you get to Sally’s house.”
“What’s going to happen, Mommy?” Emily’s voice cracked as her eyes opened wide in fear.
“Nothing.” She kissed the top of her head and put the girl’s hand in her brother’s hand. “Just go.”
They found the body. Tessa’s heart slammed in her chest and her feet dragged as she made her way to the door. I’m going to jail and there is no one to take care of my kids. I shouldn’t have listened to Arthur. I should have reported it. The fist beat on the door again. Oh God, what do I do?
“Good morning, ma’am.” Officer O’Brien stood on her porch steps with his hand on his belt. His sun glasses were gone and his face was more haggard than it was a few days ago.
“Morning.” Her throat was dry.
“Sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if we could talk for a minute.”
Tessa leaned her head out far enough to check the road. His police cruiser sat parked in her driveway but his partner wasn’t in it. Would he come to arrest me alone? She pulled her head back inside. “What’s this about?”
Officer O’Brien gave her a disarming smile. She’d seen that face on the deputies who worked with her dad when she was growing up. He was either playing the good cop angle, or he wanted something from her. Neither scenario made her comfortable.
“I heard something yesterday from one of your neighbors and I figured it was best to verify it with you.”
“My neighbors?” Would Arthur have said something to him? It must have been someone from down the hill. Someone who heard the gunshots the other night.
“Well, I guess they aren’t your neighbors anymore.” He scratched the stubble on his chin. “A young couple with a newborn baby came to the shelter Tuesday afternoon when they ran out of formula. We asked them about working vehicles and they mentioned seeing you drive a truck the day prior.”
“That’s what this is about?” Tessa’s jaw dropped. It couldn’t have been Olivia or Charlie, they weren’t what she’d call young, but all the other closed curtains in the subdivision. Spying through windows because there wasn’t anything else to do. Did her neighbors tell the cops about her?
“Would it be about something else?” His smile briefly faltered.
“I figured it was more bad news.” She regained her composure, forcing a disinterested sigh. “Did I break the law somehow by driving my truck?”
“No.” He studied her face a moment longer before deciding to let it go. “But when I came here earlier this week, you told me you didn’t have a working vehicle.”
“My husband fixed it.” She hoped he couldn’t hear the nervousness behind the lie.
His eyes widened with a frantic urgency. “Can I speak with him?”
“I’m sorry.” Every muscle in her body tensed. “He’s not home right now.”
“When will he be back?”
“I don’t know.” The harsh truth of the statement caught her off guard and she choked back a sob. Officer O’Brien took a step back.
“So, is he here or not?”
Tessa bit her lip, trying not to cry. “He’ll be home soon. I just don’t know when.”
“Listen.” He sighed. “I’ve got almost three thousand people already spread out in four different shelters. Elderly people, kids, most of them with some kind of disability. The hospital is working limited hours with the generators, but trying to get these people medical care is a logistical nightmare. We’ve got maybe thirty volunteers with working vehicles. There were more in the beginning, but the longer this thing goes on, less of them show up. I’m kind of at my wits end here. Every day locals and refugees are coming in from the freeway needing some kind of assistance. With the fires down south, this is only going to get worse. If you could help us out, I’d really appreciate it.”
In another life, she wouldn’t have hesitated. But she didn’t have the option now. “I’ve got kids. I can’t put us in a situation where they wouldn’t be safe.”
Officer O’Brien folded his arms over his chest. The words he wanted to say were stuck in his throat, but she could hear them anyway. Civic duty. Taking care of your neighbors. But the dangers were too great. The truck was her only means of escape. She couldn’t just hand it over and she couldn’t risk taking the kids with her to run errands for this cop.
“Maybe you could discuss this with your husband when he gets home,” Officer O’Brien broke the tense silence.
“I’ll do that,” she said.
The officer shook his head as he turned to leave. “Thank you for your time.” The statement seemed so common place that it felt wrong in this situation. A cold thought sliced its way through her core. How much time do I have?
