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Ed continued down the hall, and I walked silently beside him. He opened the boss’s door and turned on the light. “There’s a shower in the bathroom. Lock the door after I leave so no one accidentally walks in on you.”
“Thank you.” I slipped my backpack off my shoulders and watched as Ed disappeared down the hallway. I twisted the lock on the doorknob, then clutched my bag to my chest. It was weird being in Bob’s office without him. I took a long breath, then made my way toward the bathroom and flipped on the light switch. I gasped when my deep blue eyes stared back at me in the mirror. “Jesus,” I whispered. Dan had really fucked me up. Not only did I have a black eye, but I had a gash across my cheek. Ed was right. My nose looked broken. If I knew how, I would try to reset it, but having a slightly crooked sniffer was the least of my worries.
For the next half hour, I stood beneath the hot spray and scrubbed Dan off my skin. A muffled cry escaped me, and I finally allowed the grief and horror to flow out of me and down the drain.
After I rinsed the suds away and dried off, I dressed in clean clothes. My stomach growled loudly, and I wondered what Ed might have to eat in the kitchen. I had a little cash in my backpack to buy some food while I figured out what my next step was.
I unlocked the door and entered the employee break room.
“Oh, my Gawd. River?” Apparently, Shirley’s East Coast accent was even thicker when she was upset. “Who did this to you, hon?” She waved me over to her, and I sat down across the white foldable table we took our breaks at if we weren’t a smoker. The smokers stood outside where they shivered their asses off for as long as it took to get a hit of nicotine.
“Dan.”
Tension hung thick in the air. “No one has a right to hurt another person like that.” She pursed her lips. “Have you eaten?” she asked, changing the subject. Her dishwater blonde hair was piled on the top of her head in a tight bun. I was guessing that Shirley was in her late forties but possibly younger. She’d spent a lot of time in the sun, so it was difficult to tell.
“No. I was going to see if I could buy dinner. I have a few dollars.” Weariness washed over me. The adrenaline rush that had kept me alive was fading, fast. I was exhausted, not to mention emotionally depleted.
“You’re not paying for shit. I’ll get you something to eat. Wanna hamburger and fries?” Shirley stood and smoothed her gold and white uniform with the palm of her hand.
“That would be awesome, thanks.” I propped my elbows on the table.
Her large brown eyes narrowed as she assessed me. She chewed on a piece of gum loudly as she pinned me with her intense gaze. She held a slender finger in the air. “Stay put, doll.” Shirley pointed at me for emphasis. “I’ll get your dinner first, then you’re going to explain to me what in the hell happened to you tonight.”
I folded my arms on top of the table, then laid my head down. Maybe it was safe enough to doze while my food was being cooked. My eyes fluttered closed and popped open seconds later as images of Dan’s bloody corpse flashed through my brain. I sat up quickly and winced as pain shot down my back. Dan might have only hit my face, but my entire body ached from fighting him.
“Here. We’ll get your belly full.” Shirley set down a bowl of vegetable soup and crackers in front of me. “Ed is making your meal, and Ginger is watching the front so I can stay with you.”
I picked up the spoon and dunked it into the steaming tomato-based liquid. “Thank you. I didn’t know where else to go. Hell, I don’t even know you guys very well. We’ve only worked the same shift a few times. I’m not sure why you and Ed are helping me.”
Shirley stared at me for a few heartbeats before she spoke again. “River, you seem like a good kid that’s caught a bad break. Tell me what happened, and I’ll see what I can do to help. I know every cop in this shitty town, so I promise you’ll be safe.”
My spoon clattered to the floor, and I could almost feel the color drain from my cheeks. “No cops.”
Shirley crossed the tiny room and grabbed clean silverware for me. “Are you in trouble? Did you break the law?” She put her hands on her narrow hips while she looked straight into my soul.
“No, but I can’t stay. If word gets out… the police will have everyone looking into the information, and I’ll be forced to remain in town until the investigation is over. I can’t. I’m not safe here.”
I shoved a spoonful of soup in my mouth, the heat of the food traveling through me and warming me from the inside out.
“Here ya go, kid,” Ed said as he strolled into the room with a giant hamburger and plate full of fries.
For the first time that night, I cracked a smile. “I really appreciate it.” I snatched up a crunchy golden fry and popped it into my mouth.
I stuffed my face and relayed the events that had led me here to Shirley. She sat across from me, slack-jawed and furious while she listened. Finishing off the last bite of my dinner, I leaned back in my chair and sighed as I rubbed my flat stomach.
“You’re right. You can’t stay if those sons of bitches are looking for you. I know Logan and his friends, and they’re up to no good. There are rumors that those good-for-nothing boys are involved in some other shady dealings besides selling meth.” Shirley pursed her lips.
My mind spun with possibilities of what could be worse than dealing drugs, but I’d heard Logan’s threats firsthand, so I had a pretty good idea. My heart skipped a beat, panic rose, and I thought I might be sick.
“It would be best if you headed on out of town first thing in the morning. There’s a bus that will take you to Coeur d’Alene. I know a lady that works at the homeless shelter. Dottie is a doll. She’ll help you get a job and back on your feet.”
“Isn’t Coeur d’Alene on the other side of the state? I’ll probably stand out like a sore thumb.” I smoothed my frayed sweatshirt, feeling sleep beckoning to me.
“It’s actually in Idaho. It’s a great place for people to get off the streets and start a new life. You tell Dottie I sent you.”
I chewed on my bottom lip. “How much is a bus ticket?”
“Don’t you worry about it, hon. I’ll have that and a bit of cash for you. For now, curl up on Bob’s sofa over there and get some sleep. I work until four in the morning. I’ll wake you up, and we’ll pack your bag with food. It’s an all-day bus ride, so you’ll need to have sandwiches to eat.”
