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The obedient puppy does as she’s told.
“Good girl.”
She might be staying, but something still holds her attention in the gloom of the shadows. Adrenaline courses through me, hijacking my heart rate. Goose bumps painfully prick my skin.
I reverse a slow step, my gaze locked on the shadows of the tree. The same place Bailey is still watching. It’s probably just a squirrel.
Something moves in the shadow and it’s not a squirrel. It’s a person. I gulp in mouthfuls of air and gage the distance to my back door. Bailey whimpers.
My eyes adjust to the shadows. I can make out the person’s oversized black hoodie. The hood covers their head, and their shoulders are slouched, as if the person is in pain. They’ve got a large bundle blanketed in their arms, and a beige bag is slung across their shoulder.
Not just a bag…a diaper bag. A diaper bag I’ve seen before.
“Violet?” My voice sounds loud to my ears but I’m sure I didn’t say her name much above a whisper.
She steps closer and the light from the back door lands on her, revealing her bruised and swollen face.
My stomach lurches, and a horrified gasp erupts from my lungs, echoing through the cool night. It’s too familiar. Painfully familiar.
If Violet’s husband’s anything like mine was, the fresh bruises on her face aren’t the only injuries she’s dealing with.
She can’t go back to him. I won’t let her. I’ll do whatever I can to keep her safe. Chief Wilson has hit her for the last time.
I slowly approach her and quickly realize the blanketed bundle is Sophie asleep in Violet’s arms.
I gently touch Violet’s shoulder, letting her know she’s doesn’t have to do this alone. “Let’s get you inside. You’ll be safe in my house.”
She doesn’t say anything. Her body is trembling, telling me everything I need to know.
“Does he know you came here?”
She shakes her head. “He was called in at work for an emergency, and his replacement hadn’t arrived yet at the house.” A tremor grips her voice, the sound small and hollow, and it tightens around my heart.
“Replacement? Do you mean the cop who approached us the other day at the park?” Or does her husband have more than one person keeping an eye on her?
She nods, the movement small. “I didn’t know where else to go,” she says, keeping her voice low.
My gaze darts to the house on the right. The windows overlooking my backyard are dark, and no one seems to be looking out of them. “You did the right thing coming here. Don’t worry. You won’t have to go back to him. Your days of being his punching bag are over.” I’ll make sure of that.
“I probably shouldn’t stay.” Her head jerks, turning to the side as if she heard a sound I missed. “He’ll find me. It’s not safe for me to be here.”
“Did anyone see you?” I ask, the pitch of my voice low.
“It doesn’t matter. He’ll know. He knows everything.”
I don’t tell her that I doubt it’s true. It always felt like my husband knew where to find me. Knew what I was doing. She has her reasons for feeling that way, just like I did.
“You’ll be safe here. I have somewhere you can hide if he comes to my house. He won’t know you’re here.” As long as Sophie doesn’t begin crying. I haven’t tested to see if Iris made the secret room soundproof.
I put my arm around Violet, sheltering her from the world, and I take her and Sophie into the house.
I activate the alarm. The tension in Violet’s body deflates a tiny bit at seeing the security system. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Troy, for being so insistent at having it installed. Violet’s husband won’t be able to enter the house without me knowing.
I close the curtains in the kitchen and living room. “The first thing we’re going to do is take photos.” I point to Kim’s camera on the kitchen table. “Then you’ll have proof. Although I’m not sure how permissible they are when it comes to the courts. Maybe a doctor or police officer needs to take them for them to count.”
“I can’t talk to the cops,” Violet whispers as if worried my house is bugged. “They can’t be trusted. And if I go to the hospital, they will have to file a report with the police. I can’t risk that.”
She’s right. If she were anyone else, taking her to the hospital would hopefully be enough to get things rolling to keep her safe. But I don’t know if it’s enough when her husband is the chief of police.
