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If Kendall knew about any of this, she’d say I was a weirdo survivalist prepper who watched too many YouTube self-defense channels. She might be right. Or it might be only what was necessary—it might not even be enough. She would freak the hell out if I told her that this was what I did at three o’clock in the morning and that I was mentally walking myself through escape routes.
I pictured myself going down the fire escape and routing myself towards the back of the building, where I could loop around to my car in the side lot. I’d go out the through the emergency exit door, but grab the fire extinguisher off the wall on my way out, spraying it as a distraction if I needed to. Maybe I’d pull the fire alarm and then run upstairs instead of down and take the fire escape off the fifth floor, to get into the back of the Thai place across the street that was always unlocked. I would hide in the cleaning supply closet with my bag for a couple hours, and then sneak out and see if my car was being watched. If so, I’d take a bus, switch buses several times, rent a car, switch its plates and drive south. Eventually I’d drop off the car, get a different one from another rental agency, but at some point in my recitation of contingency plans, I fell asleep on the floor, my head pillowed on my go bag.
4
JEREMY
Another day at work, another victory for my client. It isn’t bragging if you really are the best. At least that’s what I told Darren and Rory so they’d stop giving me shit about needing to rent out more space to accommodate all three Beckett brothers, and my ego. Our townhouse was big enough that we each had our own floor, so they had no reason to complain. I sat in traffic, only vaguely annoyed at the delay that I should be used to by now. I could afford a driver but I liked the control, being in charge. In another year or two maybe I’d consider it. Time was money, after all. I could be logging billable hours in the back of a Town Car instead of staring at the bumper of a crappy Nissan in this gridlock.
When my phone rang, I was glad for the distraction of my baby sister. “Hey, Kendall. What’s up?” I asked. “Did your client trash the club they were opening? Need me to arrange bail?”
“That happened one time and I was just starting out. Also, I, personally, have never been arrested,”
“What about the time when you had open alcohol in the car and you were driving on a permit after nine pm?”
“As an adult!” she corrected. “Never arrested as an adult. And I didn’t even have to go to a holding cell.”
“Because who came and got your ass?”
“You did. Yes, I puked in your car nine years ago. But here we are years later and you’re still gloating about helping me. Well, maybe you deserved it.”
“God, that car stank until the day I got rid of it. I had it professionally cleaned, I left the windows down, I sprayed vinegar on the carpet. Whatever you were drinking that night really packed a punch. But I didn’t even rat you out to Dad.”
“Great job. Thanks for the solidarity. I didn’t call for a trip down memory lane. You remember Julie’s ex?’
“I never met him, but I know you said he was problematic.”
“I believe my exact words were, ‘nasty piece of shit’.”
“As I said, problematic. Real douche.”
“That would be Eric, soon to be former inmate of the state correctional system. She went through hell to prove he was guilty of domestic battery and attempted murder, and just like that, a handful of years later and his nasty ass is out on parole.”
“He must have gotten a reduction in his sentence for good behavior or else he’s benefited from overcrowding in detention centers and prisons throughout the state.”
“What can we do? Can you do anything, Jeremy? He was found guilty of domestic violence against my best friend, and they’re giving him early release.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Our hands are tied unless he violates the terms of his parole. If he contacts Julie or if he so much as lays eyes on her, let me know, or give her my office number. The second he puts a toe out of line, I’ll have his ass back in lockup.”
I was surprised at how vehement I sounded, as some kind of protective feeling flared in me. It was all because I’d do anything for my sister, and I had a soft spot for Julie. Most of all, I didn’t like the early release of violent criminals any better than anyone else with a grain of common sense. The recidivism rate for domestic abusers was absurdly high.
