Page 14 of Refuge for Cherilyn

“No. Me and a deputy sheriff.”

“Why? I haven’t done anything wrong.”

“No. You haven’t. But we’re concerned about you and the girls. When Marlon told me you had kids with you, I knew I had to find you.”

She stopped and glared at him. “You just sealed my death warrant. You know that, right?”

“I don’t understand. Marlon’s brother isthatabusive?”

“No. He’s not abusive. Why would you say that?”

“Because the girls at the lodge said?”

“Yeah, I told them that because I didn’t want to explain. I knew they could probably understand that.”

“So why are you out here then? What are you so afraid of?”

“Because.” She sat back down on the rock and looked at her hands in her lap. “Because I… I saw him.”

“Your ex?”

“No. The guy.”

“Guy? What guy?” Shaw was lost but, suddenly, it came to him. “The guy. The guy who killed your neighbor?”

She nodded, still refusing to look at him. “Yeah. I saw him.”

“How? When?”

She drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly before she lifted her eyes and gazed up at him from under her brows. “There was always noise in her apartment, so I didn’t think anything about it. I heard some sounds, but I just ignored them. About nine thirty, I had the girls in bed and I decided to go down to the car and get some laundry I’d brought home, and when I walked past the apartment, I heard a few loud bangs, but I still didn’t think anything about it. I didn’t know her very well. She was kinda… odd.”

“How?”

“I dunno. Quiet, but if you ever spoke to her, she started babbling about all kinds of stuff and it was hard to get away from her. She had a couple of little kids too, but I don’t think they lived with her. She had visits with them, but I think the state had them. Anyway, I went down to the car, got the laundry basket, and started back up the stairs. And he met me halfway down.”

“The guy from the apartment?”

“I didn’t know that at the time. I only knew he didn’t belong in our building. Asshole.”

“How did you know that?”

“Because I know him.”

Shaw felt some of the air leave his lungs, and the rest threatened to follow. “Youknow him?”

“Oh, yeah. I absolutely do. And he looked right into my eyes, so he knew who I was.”

“Was it your ex?”

“No. Frankie’s an asshole too, but he’s not like that.” She shook her head. “It was his best friend, RodneyFrymire. He knows me. Son of a bitch is crazy. Totally crazy. When we were still together, I told Frankie not to let him come over anymore. I didn’t like the way he looked at me, and I damn sure didn’t like the way he looked at Maya. And one day, he told Frankie to shut Lara up or he would.”

“What did he mean by that?”

Cherilyn scowled. “He told Frankie, ‘If that was my kid, I’d punch it in the face.’ He’s an asshole.”

“Sounds like one.”

“Yeah, and if you told Marlon anything about where I am, he’s probably going to find me. Marlon won’t go out of his way to tell Frankie anything, but if he sees Frankie, he’ll say something.”

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