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“Any time.”
I water my plants and drag a fresh bag of clothes to the car. Then I take a huge step and drop off my thirty-day notice at the front office. Charlie isn’t here to ask, but I plan to stay at his house until he returns for me. Given what I know about him, I can’t see us staying in Springfield, and I don’t want my parents to have to sort out my mess. I sure as hell don’t want to damage their credit, since they cosigned for me. They’ve done enough worrying and clean-up already. Most of the furniture is rented, so I call the company and schedule a pickup time on Friday. The rest of my stuff can fit in my car, and I’ll be moved out.
It's a huge step to take without consulting him, but it feels right. I barely set foot in my apartment anyway since I started dating him.
Since I’m on a roll, I stop at Walmart on the way home and take Sheba inside for the first time. I put on her service halter recommended by Dr. Wentworth and make sure I have all her paperwork in my purse if anyone asks.
The greeter’s eyes widen as we approach. I pull the certificate out to show her in case she wants proof. “She’s my service dog.”
The woman waves off the papers. “Beautiful dog.”
“Thank you.”
We draw stares for sure, but they’re of admiration, not fear. Sheba’s too well behaved, and people recognize that she’s working. She keeps close to me, checking out all the people, but we don’t have any problems.
Relieved, I drive back to Charlie’s place. It’s almost dark, but as I near his driveway, I notice a white car pulled in front. I slow to a crawl, trying to see who it might be. No insignia on the side or siren, so it’s not a cop car. I don’t know anyone who drives a white car.
Heart pounding, I drive past without turning in and go a mile down the road before pulling over. If Charlie was here, I could explain the car as a visitor. But I can’t ask if he’s expecting anyone, or if he has any friends who might drop by. It’s getting darker by the second and while I have ultimate faith in Sheba, I don’t want an innocent visitor to get attacked accidentally.
Finally, I have a brilliant idea. I dig in my purse and find Deputy Daniels’s card. He answers on the second ring.
“This is Ranay Killian.”
“Good evening, Miss Killian. How can I help you?”
“I’m just getting home from work and there’s a strange car in the driveway. I don’t know who it is. Since it’s dark, I’m scared to approach the house alone.”
“Of course, after what you’ve been through, I totally understand. Where are you now?”
“I drove past the house and pulled off the road about a mile away.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes and escort you inside.”
“Thank you.” I watch my rearview mirror to see if anyone approaches. If the person leaves, they’ll go back toward town. It seems like forever, but finally Deputy Daniels drives up and rolls down his window. “Thank you for coming.”
“Not at all. It’s always better to be safe than sorry. Follow me and we’ll go see who it is.”
I do a U-turn and follow the deputy’s car to Charlie’s house. The white car is still here. I park in my normal spot off to the side and get out, Sheba on my heels. Deputy Daniels goes to the rear of the car and writes down the license plate number.
“It looks like a rental car. There’s an Enterprise sticker on the bumper. Are you expecting any company?”
“No.” It isn’t only the chilly air making me shiver. I zip my coat and wrap my arms around my waist. No lights are on in the house and no one waits on the porch. “Where would they have gone? It’s too cold to stand around outside.”
Daniels drops the notebook into his pocket and feels the hood of the car. “It’s still warm, so they haven’t been here long.” He raises his voice. “Hello? Anyone here?”
My fingers are cold, making it hard to shuffle through the keys to get to the house key.
Suddenly, Sheba darts off around the side of the house. “Sheba!”
She barks furiously. The deputy and I look at each other and tear after her.
“Sheba! Come!”
A gunshot roars through the night. I jerk to a halt, my hands covering my mouth with horror. Sheba’s barking stops. “No. No!”
“Stop, police!” Daniels yells, running past me. “This is Deputy Daniels of the Christian County Sheriff’s Office!”
I follow him, blinded by my tears. The lights blaze in the backyard. Sheba lies on the ground and a man stands over her. With a gun. Pointed at her. As if he’s going to shoot her again.
