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Ashley thought for a moment and then shook her head. “He just ignored us.”
That could feel bad too, Annie knew. Being ignored left a different of bruise, the kind that people didn’t see. At least the kids had a mother like Helen. Someone who loved them and worked hard to protect them.
“Okay,” Annie said. “Ashley, come sit here with the baby.” She got up and dug around in a few drawers until she found whatshe was looking for: a pair of high-powered binoculars. Ashley watched her from the edge of the bed.
“What are you going to do?” she asked.
Annie rummaged around in another drawer and shook out a black sweatshirt, pulling it on over her T-shirt. Then she put the strap of the binoculars around her neck and tucked them inside her sweatshirt. “I’m going to check on your mom.” She leaned over to pull on her sneakers.
Annie hadn’t needed to climb up to the roof of the garage, but she had thought about how she would do it. It was second nature to think about entrances, exits, how to get higher, how to go underground, how to make the quickest escape. It was part of her old life that she couldn’t shake.
She went around to the alley gate and swung it open to bring it closer to the structure. She pried a paving brick out of the narrow pathway that led to the empty vegetable garden and lodged it firmly against the open gate. She stepped in the vee of the diagonal braces and, climbing to the top of the gate, stepped onto the window ledge. She pulled her upper body onto the flat roof, then shimmied the rest of the way on, breathing heavily for a moment. She had to get back to working out; that climb should have been easier.
Still, she made it up. She crawled across the roof and then got down on her belly. All the lights were on in the house. She brought the binoculars up for a closer look. At first, she saw no one in the kitchen or in the dining room. But then, movement. A shadow. They were in the living room. She adjusted her angle until she could see into a different window.
She recognized Helen but could barely make out a man’s arm.
She watched Helen walk into the kitchen, saw the blur of movement, then refocused in time to see Bruce follow her in. He leaned against the doorway, his long curly hair falling into hishandsome face. But something wasn’t right. He was red-faced and swaying.
He was drunk.
Helen looked tired and angry.
Annie had seen enough.
She rolled back to the edge of the roof, set her foot on the window ledge, and dropped the rest of the way, rolling when she hit the ground. It wasn’t the best landing, but it was the fastest way down. She’d be sore in the morning, but no worse than from sleeping on an army cot for two weeks. She stood up with a groan and brushed herself off, then kicked the brick aside and closed the gate.
Ashley and Kevin were still sitting on her bed. Zach was asleep.
Kevin looked up when he heard her come in. “We could hear you up there.”
“Did you see anything?” Ashley asked.
“I saw a lot,” she said. “You three stay here and lock the door behind me. I’m going to go into the house and make sure everything is okay.” She picked up her backpack.
“Why are you bringing all of that?” Ashley asked.
“I’m going to go around to the front door so your father doesn’t know I was back here,” Annie said, slinging the backpack over her shoulder.
“How do you know how to do all of this?” Kevin asked.
“I used to be a spy. Don’t forget to lock the door.”
She made a lot of noise coming into the house, dropping her key ring on the porch, scraping the house key against the lock, and jiggling it before opening the door.
She dropped her backpack loudly on the hardwood floor and looked down the hallway. Helen stood in the doorway to the kitchen, her brow creased.
“I’m home!” Annie said loudly.
Helen stepped to the side and crossed her arms the same way Ashley had.
“Who the fuck are you?” Bruce demanded, pushing past Helen.
“I’m Annie Weaver. Who are you?”
“I’m Helen’s husband.” He looked at Helen. “This the coed?”
“Bruce, please go home.”
