Page 32 of Refuge for Flora

“You’re right! I thought it was hopeless,” Barrett said as he headed toward Flora with his hands full of bags.

“Lord, girl, what did you do?” Mrs.Murphy asked as they made their way to the house.

“Just got a few things I needed. Got you some of those chips you like so much too. And I got myself some shaving cream and razors so I don’t look like a wooly bear,” Flora said. He assumed she’d forgotten he was behind her because when he caught sight of her face, she was blushing a deep crimson.

“Well, I know that’s right. And I’m guessin’ you were her partner in crime?” Mrs.Murphy asked Barrett as he climbed the porch steps.

“Yep. Got wrangled into that one, I sure did.”

Flora appeared in the doorway again and took the bags from Barrett’s hands. “Did you eat while I was gone?”

Mrs.Murphy sounded a bit put out. “Nope. I did not.”

“Okay. I’ll fix you something real quick.”

“You don’t have to?”

“Oh, yes I do. It’ll only take me a few minutes.”

“I’ll keep her company,” Barrett offered, mentally crossing his fingers.

“Yeah. That’s good. I’ll fix something and bring it right out.” Then she disappeared into the house again.

“You don’t have to?” Mrs.Murphy started again.

Barrett sat down in the lawn chair beside hers and placed a hand on her forearm. “How much do you know about her?” he asked Mrs.Murphy quietly.

“Not a lot. Just what I need to know.”

“She’s trying to stay away from an abusive husband.”

“Yep. I knew that.”

“Did you know he killed a woman right in front of her?”

“What? No, she never?”

“And cut her up with a chainsaw and fed her to his alligators?”

“What? Lawd!” Barrett pressed his finger to his lips and she quieted. “Naw. She ain’t told me none-a that shit.”

“Yeah. And I have reason to believe that he may be coming this direction.”

“Lookin’ for her?”

“Possibly. Or another place to raise alligators.”

Mrs.Murphy stared into his eyes. “What makes you think that?”

“Just a phone call I got from another state telling me that somebody’s claiming there are alligators being raised down here somewhere. It could be coincidence. It could be somebody else entirely. Or it could be that he’s figured out she’s down here somewhere and he’s looking for her.”

“He comes on my propitty looking for her, I’m-a cut that sumbitch’s legs out from under his ass with my thirty aught six,” the old woman huffed.

“I believe you and, by god, I’ll back you one hundred percent. But I felt like you needed to know that she might be in danger, and that could mean you’re in danger too.”

Mrs.Murphy snorted. “You looky here, young’un, I’ve had a long, interesting life. I ain’t worried ‘bout me. But that sumbitch tries to hurt that girl, well, he might kill me, but I’ll give him somethin’ to remember me by, I can promise you that.”

“Thank you. I just don’t want anything to happen to her.”

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