AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I guess.” Rachel stared into her mug for a few seconds before facing Elisa again. “May I offer a suggestion?” She waited for Elisa to nod before continuing. “Fight back.”
“Meaning?”
“You’re spending a lot of time thinking about Abby.” Rachel held up a hand when Elisa started to talk. “Which I understand, and I think you should do. She was your friend.”
Elisa thought about what Josh had said to her about Abby’s relationship with her as being convenient and nothing more. “Isand yes.”
“Hell, I’ll help you track her down or look for clues, or whatever, but your timing might be off. Maybe doing all of that right now is a way of avoiding the shooting, which doesn’t sound healthy.”
That was not the first time Elisa had heard that explanation. “Now you sound like Josh.”
“I’m not sure you mean that as a good thing, but I’m serious.” Rachel looked like she was struggling to find the right words. “Talk to the PIs. Get your life back. Feel more solid and then tackle the Abby issue.”
But the waiting... “What if she’s in danger and waiting makes things worse? What if I wait too long and miss the opportunity to help?”
“You can’t help her if no one will listen to you.”
“You don’t think they’re listening?” Elisa didn’t bother definingtheybecause Rachel had to know she meant Harris, Josh, and possibly the police, all people who saw her as damaged.
“Right now? No. I think you’re making it too easy for them to discredit you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Elisa felt better by the time Rachel left an hour later. More in control. More stable. Less likely to shatter into a million pieces.
She dumped the mugs with the cold tea in the sink and reclipped her hair in a ponytail. She craved normalcy but wasn’t sure what that even was anymore. But Rachel’s comments stuck. She needed to be okay if she wanted people to listen to her about Abby. It was too easy for Josh—or anyone—to write off her concerns as being part of past trauma.
Reliving those moments today... her breathing still hadn’t returned to normal. Putting Josh and their fight out of her head, and what Harris would say when he found out, and he would, proved to be a challenge. She’d take a step and a stray sentence would wiggle its way into her head. She’d remember the look on Josh’s face. The way he insistedshewas the one who could be a danger.
She’d never let that happen. Nathan and Harris meant everything to her. She’d protect them, no matter what it took.In her mind, that meant shielding them from Josh and whatever he had planned for Rachel. But first, Abby. Elisa decided to go to the storage locker tomorrow. Today, she needed to finish reading the messages on the laptop. Getting a few minutes here and there to sneak away and read through some wasn’t efficient. She needed a full, uninterrupted read.
She walked upstairs and headed for her bedroom and the laptop. The idea of changing into lounge clothes tempted her, but she still had to pick up Nathan. Play the role so that people at his school would be less likely to believe whatever nonsense Josh told them. She’d defeat rumors by being visible and fine. Put together and smiling. The perfect vet’s wife and mom.
A few seconds later, the cursor blinked at her as she reread the first message again. The next few consisted of this Concerned person trying to get Abby’s attention and Abby saying “fuck off” in different ways. But Abby didn’t block or ignore the unknown sender. She repeatedly told Concerned to stop hiding behind an anonymous name and she clearly kept reading. So did Elisa.
CONCERNED:it’s easy to ignore what I’m saying because he’s taking you out for nice dinners and being attentive but what happens when he stops acting like this?
ABBY:That’s what men do. They court you then get tired. Lazy bastards.
Abby’s tone started out almost amused, but only at first. A few days into the ongoing conversation Concerned’s tacticschanged. The points became more targeted and the information much more specific.
CONCERNED:he’s going to kill you too
ABBY:Tell me who you are. Maybe we can meet.
CONCERNED:you aren’t taking this seriously
ABBY:What are you talking about now?
CONCERNED:his first wife
After that, it looked like Abby didn’t answer a few attempts by Concerned to get her attention. Then Abby came back and, for the first time, initiated contact. Elisa assumed that meant Abby had been thinking. Something compelled her to circle back and ask for more.
ABBY:Candace died in a fall on the stairs. It was an accident.
CONCERNED:there was a bathroom downstairs on the other side of the kitchen so why would she go up the narrow back staircase she hated?
Good question. Elisa had known Candace. She was driven and business focused, much more so than Josh. She made him more accountable. More of a grown-up.
