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“Andrea?” She suddenly sounds much more awake. “I’m fine. What’s going on? Did something happen?”
“He found me. He set my apartment on fire,” I whisper, having trouble saying those words out loud.
“What the fuck do you mean he set your apartment on fire!” she yells.
“Shhh!Don’t wake anyone!”
She takes a deep breath on the other end, and when she speaks again, it’s at a normal volume. “I just saw Christopher this evening. He came to dinner to update Mom and Dad on the investigation. He told them the police still don’t know where you are.”
“It might not have been him directly, but I know he’s responsible. I dismissed it yesterday, but someone was following me. Someone also came into my workplace and asked for Andrea Shaw, presumably the same person. And tonight, I woke up to smoke filling my apartment. The fire was set in one place. Right by theonlyexit, which would have prevented me from escaping if I hadn’t had help.”
Charlie audibly gasps next to me. I look over at her before risking a look at Jack, whose eyes blaze with fury. Irene looks like she’s ready to fight someone.
“Are you okay?” Addy whispers, her voice sounding as broken as I feel.
“I’m alright. Jack got me out in time.” Tears run down my face and drip off my chin.
“You need to come home. You aren’t safe there anymore,” my sister says fiercely.
I scoff. “What will coming home do at this point? I’d just becloserto the danger. We still don’t have enough evidence against Christopher, but I’m getting close! If we can find proof he had something to do with the fire, he can be charged with attempted murder!”
She must know I’m right. If I come home now, Christopher would spin a poetic story of why I was gone for so long. Everything would be brushed under the rug. Then I’d be stuck beside him for the rest of my life. That’s only if he doesn’t decide to kill me anyway, like he clearly has no problem doing, and spinningthatinto a tragic tale of howhe’sthe victim.
I’d rather die at this point than go back to him.
“Please. I just want you to come home.” Addy cries and pleads.
“I can’t, not yet.”
“Ugh, fine. Butpleasewatch your back. I can’t lose you. I have to tell Andrew. I think he’ll help us. It’s what we need to make sure we get enough to put this bastard behind bars for the rest of his miserable life,” she says with so much conviction in her voice.
I chew on my lip for a moment, weighing out the pros and cons. She’s right. Personally, I don’t have anything to lose at this point. Christopher already knows where I am, so even if Andrew isn’t the good guy in a dark spot like we think, it’s not like he’d put me inmoredanger than I’m already in right now. In this case, we have a potential gain. Maybe Andrew can help us.
“Alright. Call me after you talk to him and please be safe!” I implore.
“Always. Love you, sister,” she says.
“Love you too, Addy.”
We hang up, and I break down as I sink into the couch, folding in on myself once again. Charlie and Irene surround me, holding me together when all I want to do is fall apart.
I make eye contact with Jack. His expression is dark, and he looks torn. He looks like a man ready to burn down the world.
Chapter 31
Wespenttherestof the morning pouring over all the evidence I have so far. I answered all the questions to the best of my ability. I’m beyond exhausted, and I think Jack realizes I’m at the limit of wakefulness.
“I think Andi needs to rest. Hell, I think we all do. I called into work today already. The only distractions I anticipate will be reports and questions from the insurance company, but we’ll deal with that as it comes. I think I can rearrange my schedule to make sure I’m home when Andi is.”
My face falls as I look at him. “Jack, I can’t ask you to do that.”
He cuts a glance over at me that suggests he doesn’t particularly care. “Youdidn’task. I’m telling you what’s going to happen. You’ll stay here with me, where I can keep you safe. Now that all of us know what’s going on, we can work together. Hopefully, it’ll move a lot faster. Especially with my resources. We need time to tie him to the fire, which means someone needs to be with you at all times. You can’t go anywhere by yourself. Promise me?”
The broken look on his face almost guts me. He paces the living room, running his hands through his hair so often it now sticks up on end.
“I promise.” It comes out as a whisper, but I know he hears it.
He nods. “Good.”
