she'd run.
When supper was eaten, she helped Dora clear away the leftovers and the dishes, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the older woman while they quickly cleaned up the mess. Flint and Curley headed out to the porch to figure out some way to make sure Jacob Proctor never set eyes on the woman again. But short of finding and stomping him through the ground, all they could do was sit tight and see what Max Daly had to say about things.
Chapter Five
It took until morning before he got the call from his attorney. He spent an hour on the phone with Max Daly, listening to everything the attorney had managed to find out about his guest and her predicament. "She's wanted for what? " His anger ratcheted up a few more notches.
"Attempted murder and grand theft auto. As well as burglary and malicious mischief." Max's voice sounded taut. "You really need to call the cops and get her the hell off your hands."
"That son-of-a-bitch beat the shit out of her, Max. She is covered in bruises. And she worked all one summer to buy that truck herself before Proctor had all the titles on the house and vehicle transferred over to his name after he married her mom. She was only seventeen at the time. The only reason she didn't call the cops herself was because he's fed them a line of bullshit a mile deep and twice as long, and has the local boys convinced she's mentally deranged."
"How do you know she's not feeding you a line of bullshit?"
"Have I ever been wrong about anything, for as long as you've known me, Max?"
"There's always a first time. And if she's as attractive as I think she must be for you to have taken her side in this, you could be heading for a whole shitload of trouble with this."
"Well, thanks for the insights, Max...now earn the money I pay you, and find out every damn thing you can about her step-dad. He may have murdered her mother and made it look like an accidental overdose. He took over everything the family owned. Sounds like one of those assholes that pick up recently widowed women and get them to put everything in their name. It may have happened before. Start digging."
"It's your dime. I'll see what I can find out. Keep her out of the public eye, Flint. Her photo is on the newswires, and on TV. There's an APB out on her. Get photos of her bruises. Get an affidavit regarding the truck and the lock box she took off with."
Swearing foully under his breath, Flint glanced at his watch and headed outdoors to find out about that lock box she hadn't mentioned. She hadn't told him nearly enough...
He had assigned her a few jobs out in the barns, and had asked Dora to find a few things for her to do in the house or yard. Currently, she was on her hands and knees in the flower beds in front of the house, weeding.
Lily swiped her forehead with the back of her arm as she sank back onto her heels, her face flushed from the exertion of cleaning out weeds and clipping dead growth away. The look on Flint's face made her swallow hard. Now what?
"I need to know what is in that lock box you took when you ran off. Your step dad reported you for grand theft auto, malicious mischief, and theft of personal property, on top of attempted murder."
She fell onto her butt on the grass, and stared up at his stern face. "Oh my god!" Her throat closed on a sob. "I don't have the key, so I don't know what's in it." Her head spun. "Is he really charging me with attempted murder? After he nearly strangled me ? I've got to get out of Texas!" He was on her feet and rushing for the front porch, but he managed to wrap an arm around her thin waist and keep her from fleeing.
"The lock box? Let's see what's in it. And if you still have his wallet, you need to get rid of it fast." Flint set her back on her feet and marched her into the house and up the stairs. She winced at the firm grip he had on her wrist.
She pulled the lock box from her back pack and put it on the bed, and in less that a minute, he had it open with a
When supper was eaten, she helped Dora clear away the leftovers and the dishes, and stood shoulder to shoulder with the older woman while they quickly cleaned up the mess. Flint and Curley headed out to the porch to figure out some way to make sure Jacob Proctor never set eyes on the woman again. But short of finding and stomping him through the ground, all they could do was sit tight and see what Max Daly had to say about things.
Chapter Five
It took until morning before he got the call from his attorney. He spent an hour on the phone with Max Daly, listening to everything the attorney had managed to find out about his guest and her predicament. "She's wanted for what? " His anger ratcheted up a few more notches.
"Attempted murder and grand theft auto. As well as burglary and malicious mischief." Max's voice sounded taut. "You really need to call the cops and get her the hell off your hands."
"That son-of-a-bitch beat the shit out of her, Max. She is covered in bruises. And she worked all one summer to buy that truck herself before Proctor had all the titles on the house and vehicle transferred over to his name after he married her mom. She was only seventeen at the time. The only reason she didn't call the cops herself was because he's fed them a line of bullshit a mile deep and twice as long, and has the local boys convinced she's mentally deranged."
"How do you know she's not feeding you a line of bullshit?"
"Have I ever been wrong about anything, for as long as you've known me, Max?"
"There's always a first time. And if she's as attractive as I think she must be for you to have taken her side in this, you could be heading for a whole shitload of trouble with this."
"Well, thanks for the insights, Max...now earn the money I pay you, and find out every damn thing you can about her step-dad. He may have murdered her mother and made it look like an accidental overdose. He took over everything the family owned. Sounds like one of those assholes that pick up recently widowed women and get them to put everything in their name. It may have happened before. Start digging."
"It's your dime. I'll see what I can find out. Keep her out of the public eye, Flint. Her photo is on the newswires, and on TV. There's an APB out on her. Get photos of her bruises. Get an affidavit regarding the truck and the lock box she took off with."
Swearing foully under his breath, Flint glanced at his watch and headed outdoors to find out about that lock box she hadn't mentioned. She hadn't told him nearly enough...
He had assigned her a few jobs out in the barns, and had asked Dora to find a few things for her to do in the house or yard. Currently, she was on her hands and knees in the flower beds in front of the house, weeding.
Lily swiped her forehead with the back of her arm as she sank back onto her heels, her face flushed from the exertion of cleaning out weeds and clipping dead growth away. The look on Flint's face made her swallow hard. Now what?
"I need to know what is in that lock box you took when you ran off. Your step dad reported you for grand theft auto, malicious mischief, and theft of personal property, on top of attempted murder."
She fell onto her butt on the grass, and stared up at his stern face. "Oh my god!" Her throat closed on a sob. "I don't have the key, so I don't know what's in it." Her head spun. "Is he really charging me with attempted murder? After he nearly strangled me ? I've got to get out of Texas!" He was on her feet and rushing for the front porch, but he managed to wrap an arm around her thin waist and keep her from fleeing.
"The lock box? Let's see what's in it. And if you still have his wallet, you need to get rid of it fast." Flint set her back on her feet and marched her into the house and up the stairs. She winced at the firm grip he had on her wrist.
She pulled the lock box from her back pack and put it on the bed, and in less that a minute, he had it open with a
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