Page 168 of Home Game

“Did you call the police?”

I cut in again. “Security chased him on foot and we have footage of the attack on the security cameras, but they never caught him. A police officer at the stadium created a report.”

Voices sounded outside the apartment and then two ambulance dudes came in with their bags. They disappeared into the bedroom.

The three of us watched in silence.

The cop turned back to Zoey. “How did you subdue Mr. Howells?”

“Krav Maga. I took a course.”

He blinked. “Can you be more specific?”

“I got close enough so I could take the knife away from him. I kicked him in the groin and then when he bent over, I put my knee to his face. Twice. We fell on the floor and we struggled. He got his hand back on the knife and I was sure he would kill me. I got the knife away from him and stuck it in his gut and then I tied him up.”

The cop nodded in complete disbelief. “I see.”

He glanced at me. “And you’re sure you weren’t here?”

“You saw me pull up in my vehicle.”

He stood up. “I will be right back. You two hang tight.”

I couldn’t even reconcile what had taken place. Zoey had taken on Terrance and done some serious damage.

“Are you okay?”

She blinked vacantly at me. “I think so.”

“Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head.

The next fourhours passed in a surreal blur. When the last shred of evidence had been collected, and the last cop left the apartment, it was after 4 AM.

“Do you want to come back to my place?”

Zoey looked around. “No.”

I couldn’t imagine how anyone would want to stay here after being attacked. “Are you sure?”

She looked at me with clear eyes. “Terrance has taken enough from me. He will not take away my home. If I leave tonight, he won.”

I was so proud of her, my heart hurt. “What can I do?”

Her smile was sad. “Will you stay with me while I clean up the bedroom?”

“I will help you clean the bedroom.”

Together, in silence, we knelt on that floor and scrubbed the blood from the hardwood.

She stripped the bed, and I walked around her apartment and wiped off all the fingerprint dust ink.

In silence, I helped her put fresh sheets on her bed.

By the time we were done, the dawn light was coming up, pink and orange.

“Will you sleep?” I asked.

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