As I was on the edge of consciousness, I looked into the deep brown eyes that stared into mine. They were full of hate and disgust as the man attached to them drained the life from my body. He said he loved me, but continually beat and ridiculed me. He said he wanted to marry me, but what he really wanted was to possess me. He said he wanted to be together forever, but my life, my essence, my soul, was slipping away by the hands of the man who loved me.
Just before the world went black, he pulled his hand away, and I fell to the floor. I lay sprawled on the carpet gasping for air. I reached up to touch my locket, needing comfort only my father could give, but all I felt was tender skin. Struggling to sit up, I frantically searched the floor.
“Are you looking for this?” Nick called from the kitchen. I glanced up and to my horror, saw the locket dangling from his fingers, hanging over the garbage disposal. He flicked the switch with an evil smile. The motor made a low growl, like a monster wanting to be fed.
“No, don’t!” I yelled frantically, gasping for breath. The idea of losing the necklace again was like losing my father all over again.
“Don’t worry I won’t. Just promise me you’ll stop the book and plan the wedding.”
“I promise, just give me my necklace.”
He held the necklace out to me. It dangled from his long fingers. I stood up and rushed forward. Just as I reached the kitchen doorway, he pulled his hand back and dropped my locket into the disposal. My heart dropped to my feet and tears sprung to my eyes. The loud grinding sound told me the locket was destroyed, but I ran over to the sink anyway hoping for a miracle. But I couldn’t see anything—it was gone.
I glared at him with every ounce of hate inside me. “You said if I agreed that you wouldn’t drop it.”
He laughed as he sauntered out of the kitchen and into living room. “I lied.” He dropped onto the sofa and turned the TV on. I watched him flicking through the channels with the remote, not a care in the world.
I had never had the urge to kill another human being, but at that moment I pictured myself walking over and stabbing him with the knife that I used to chop vegetables. He had just ruined one of the things in my life that gave me pleasure. As long as I had that, I could think of the times with my dad and forget about my problems. I had lost it for years, and felt that I had also lost my father again, but now Nick had taken my memories of the one man who treated me with love and respect. I had made excuses for not leaving yet; I didn’t want to leave my family, I was scared to be caught. But that was the last straw. Nick took away all I had left of my father, and now I was done. I hoped he rotted in hell.
“Are you just going to stand there all night or are you going to start the plans? I meant what I said; no more writing your childish books, it’s about time you grew up.” He was watching TV and scratching his leg. I used to be attracted to him, but now he disgusted me.
His words brought me out of my thoughts, and I realized I had been standing in the middle of the room staring at him. “I thought you liked that I wrote kids’ books. You seemed interested when we met.”
He glared at me like I was the stupidest person on the planet. “I was trying to get you into bed, I would have said anything. Now get your ass in gear.”
I really wanted to yell at him, and I would have when we first met. But now that I had felt the sting of his hand, I pushed my anger back, knowing I wouldn’t have to take it much longer, and slunk away. I dug out a notebook, sat at the table, and started making fake lists for the wedding. When he fell asleep on the couch, I went to bed. I had a big day tomorrow and I needed to plan.
Chapter Twenty
Goodbye
I was up at five in the morning going over the plan. Since my options were slim on places to hide, I was in the bathroom, poised on the closed toilet seat with a flashlight. The door was locked so if Nick woke up and needed to go, I could stash my notebook under my shirt and slip out without him knowing a thing. But thankfully, he stayed asleep. I made my final plans without interruptions.
At six, I went out to the kitchen and put the coffee on. Then I took out my fake list of things to do for the wedding. He got out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen wearing only boxers. “What are you doing up so early?” he asked sleepily. Although his chest was toned, it no longer appealed to me. How could I like anything about a man who uses his hand to hurt a woman?
“Getting an early start on the wedding plans. I think I’ll go this afternoon and scout some venues.”
His smile was crooked and his eyes were shining as he stepped over. “There you go, that’s more like it.” He almost took my life last night and he woke up in a good mood. He kissed me quickly on the lips, and then went to pour himself some coffee. “I have to hurry. I have an early day.” He disappeared with his coffee into the bedroom, and ten minutes later, he rushed out, not knowing he’d never see me again.
Not long after he left, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see Sylvia standing in the hallway. Her hair was up in a bun, purse tucked under her arm, and she was wearing a silver-blue dress. “Good morning, Sylvia, what brings you by this early?” I asked, holding the collar of my robe closed to hide the red marks that were just starting around my neck. I peeked out in the direction of the elevator to make sure Nick was gone. Satisfied with the empty hallway, I closed the door and gestured for her to come in.
She didn’t move, just stood by the door. “I wanted to come by and tell you that I’m going to stay with my daughter for a few weeks.”
This was strange for a few reasons, for one, she’d never told me before when she was leaving, unless she left the city, and then she would ask if I could pick up her mail. The second, she had told me she hated staying at her daughter’s, because of her yappy shih tzu that never stopped barking. But I wasn’t in the mood to question her. I needed to get moving and didn’t have time to stand around chatting. “Oh, well, have fun.”
Instead of turning toward the door as I had hoped, she stepped forward and yanked down my robe. I was wearing a tank top and boxer shorts, but my state of undress wasn’t the issue. She was staring at the marks on my neck, and a bruise that was fading on my shoulder.
Shocked by her sudden move, I gaped at her. “Sylvia, what are you doing?”
She reached into her purse, pulled out an envelope, and handed it to me. “Open it.”
Despite my confusion, I did as she said and read the few lines that were written neatly on the paper:
Abby, I know what is happening and I feel you have to leave. In the envelope is a key to my cottage in Shimmer Lake. Please go there as soon as you can. You can’t let him do this to you. You can stay as long as you like. You can live there forever if you need to, just go.
I will miss you,
Sylvia.
Be safe.
I raised a brow in question.
“Thin walls,” she whispered.
The key lay at the bottom, the address written on the key chain. When I looked up at her, her face was set. She was determined for me to do this. I didn’t know what to say. Besides my locket, it was the best gift I had ever been given. All I could do was smile.
She nodded and then pointed to the envelope. “Well, I better be on my way, I have to finish packing.”
I knew then what she was doing. Because Nick was a cop, she was worried that Nick might have the place bugged or something. Although I didn’t think it was, I wouldn’t be surprised. Nothing he did could shock me now.
I hugged her tightly. “Thank you,” I whispered in her ear, as I breathed in her scent of spearmint. It was the last time I would see her.
She pulled away with a wink. “I have to go,” she said, opening the door. She smiled as she let herself into her apartment.
As soon as the door was closed, I got to work. My plans had been to go to Canada and find a place once I arrived, but this was better. I had an actual destination, and now it was time. I packed the few items of clothing that I hadn’t put in my car. Put my paper files in a s
uitcase and saved the electronic ones from my laptop onto a USB stick. Then I deleted everything. Once that was done I shoved the disk into the computer that held a virus and pushed download. I had found a hacker named Ziggy and paid an enormous amount to ruin my own laptop, but I couldn’t take it with me for fear that Nick had a way to track it. He knew how important it was to me. All my books and future manuscripts were on it. I was more upset to leave it behind than I was to leave the man I was supposed to marry.
After I dressed and put my hair up, I took off my engagement ring and set it on the dining room table. Then with two suitcases and my purse, I left my apartment for my new life.
My first stop was the library, where I had been working on their public computers. I brought up my bank account and transferred the remaining money into an account I had set up for my niece and nephew. The rest of it was in cash and traveler’s checks I plan to place in a new bank when I reached my destination. The next step was to toss the cell phone—I threw it into the garbage on the side of the street. Once inside my car I called my mom with my new disposable cell that was hidden in the glove compartment. “Hello,” she answered.
“It’s time.” It was all I said, but I knew she’d understand.
“Oh, sweetie, I love you so much.”
My eyes burned with the threat of tears. “I love you too. Tell everyone I’ll miss them.” My voice shook with all the emotion in me.
“I will, dear, goodbye, and be careful.”
“Bye, Mom.” As I hung up, I could feel a tear threatening to fall. I fought it back. This is a good thing, I’m finally free.
I drove for about two hours and then pulled into a deserted parking lot just outside of Wollesville. I parked alongside a blue Volkswagen. There was a guy leaning against it. He was tall, about thirty-five, with brown hair and wearing worn work boots, jeans, and a white T-shirt. He pushed away from the car as I turned off my ignition. “Are you Anna?” he asked, leaning in my window. His breath smelled of garlic.
I nodded, feeling nervous. “Yep. You Clarence?” Clarence and I met on the Internet, on an auto trading site. I had exchanged a few emails with him using the library’s computer and a fake email account.
“That’s me. Are you sure you want to do this?” He stepped away to admire his new vehicle. “Your Camaro is worth a lot more than my car.”
I got out and started moving the suitcases from the trunk. All of my possessions were now reduced to five suitcases and two boxes full of stuff. “I don’t want the car, you do; it’s an even trade as far as I’m concerned.” I piled everything on the ground next to his car and stood up. “You got your papers?”
“Yep, right here.”
He opened the trunk of the Volkswagen as I looked at his papers. Everything looked good, so I handed over the ownership of my car.
He grinned as he stuffed the papers into his pocket. He glanced down at my belongings. “Need some help?”
“Sure, if you don’t mind.”
As he bent to pick up the biggest of the boxes, he glanced at my arm—there was a bruise on it from where Nick grabbed me—and then his gaze moved to my neck. I thought the marks were covered, but apparently I was wrong. His eyes narrowed in concern. “You running from someone?”
I ignored his question and lifted the suitcases into his car. “You might want to get a paint job and new plates.” I paused, looking down at his. “Are these the plates you were talking about?”
He nodded. “Yep, they won’t lead back to you or me,” he answered. “Your car isn’t stolen, is it?”
I turned around as I was shoving cases into the backseat of his car. “Would I have the ownership if it was?”
He chuckled, digging his boot into the gravel. “I guess not.”
After everything was transferred we exchanged keys, and he took off down the deserted road with the first thing I bought with the money I made from Wendy’s Wish.
My fingers hovered over the keys that fit perfectly into the ignition. When the magnitude of what I had done suddenly overwhelmed me, I sunk back in the leather seat, thinking of my mother’s slightly wrinkled face. At fifty-six, she only had a few lines around her eyes. Would I ever see her age, ever see each new wrinkle or age spot and worry about her health? Would I see Justin graduate college, or sit in a wooden pew wearing uncomfortable shoes while Haley walked down the aisle to her waiting groom?
Tears poured down my heated skin as I sobbed over the loss of each memory that would never be mine. I sat in the car and mourned for my former life as the hot sun baked in through the windows, creating droplets of sweat dripping down my face, mixing with the tears. I sat in the empty parking lot until the sun dipped lower in the sky.
Sometime later, with my throat burning and tears drying, I thought of a time in the fifth grade when I decided to stop my piano lessons. My parents were disappointed, but instead of yelling at me for wasting their money, they calmly told me that it was my decision, my life, and all they wanted was for me to be happy. So with that in mind, I sat up in the cushioned hot seat and turned the forgotten key. The engine purred to life. With one last swipe at my tears, I pulled onto the road, toward my new home and a life I hoped would bring me the happiness my parents wanted for me.
Chapter Twenty-One
Shimmer Lake
The nice lady with the smooth voice on the GPS told me that it would take five hours to get to my destination. I drove fast with the windows down and the stereo blaring—I felt free.
I stopped to eat at a diner that was located in a very small town called Star Creek. I pulled into the almost empty parking lot and went in. A bell jingled signaling my entrance as I stepped inside.
The air was stale, smelling of burnt coffee. There were only a few booths taken, a family consisting of a mom, dad, and two boys who were fighting over ketchup. An older couple occupied two stools at the counter feeding each other pie. The woman giggled as the man placed the fork into her mouth.
In the back booth I saw a guy sitting alone. He was wearing a faded denim jacket, his black hair spilling out under a red baseball cap. He saw me staring at him and nodded. I made my way over feeling uneasy. At the booth, I sat down and faced him. My hands lay flat on the Formica table, shaking slightly, but the guy didn’t seem to notice. He only watched my face curiously, his lips turned up at the corners. Up this close I noticed his skin was tanned and leathery, with lines creasing his face. He looked like he was used to working out in the sun. “You got my email,” I began, pointing out the obvious.
He nodded his head. “I did. Kind of short notice, don’t you think?” His forehead wrinkled even more.
“Last-minute decision, but you told me they were done.”
He slumped into the booth, relaxing. “Yeah, I’ve had them ready for a week,” he explained, taking out an envelope from inside his jacket and handing it to me. I looked inside and saw each of the papers I would need—driver’s license, birth certificate, passport, and social security card—all with the name Anna Smith.
“Perfect.” I reached into my purse and tossed him my envelope.
He opened it, sifting through the contents, his lips moving as he counted. “It was a pleasure doing business with you,” he said with a small smile and a firm nod. With that he got up and walked out of the restaurant. Heads lifted as the door jingled his exit.
The waitress came over and took my order. After she left, I breathed a sigh of relief. The most important and unfortunately illegal parts of the plan were finished. I had been so nervous when I had contacted that guy. I didn’t even know his name. I was afraid he was a cop and this was a setup. I had found him through another writer who had done research on fake IDs. The writer’s name was Eric and I told him that I just wanted the contact info for an upcoming book. I had been worrying constantly about that part of the plan; it was giving me an upset stomach. I had started popping antacids like they were candy. I learned one thing through all of this though—I would not make a good criminal. I’d have an ulcer in no time.
When my sandwich arrived, I ate quickly, worried that Nick was on the road looking for me. Even though I had a different car I just wanted to get to the cottage and settle in so I could stop thinking that every cop car that passed me was going to pull me over.
Back on the road, the GPS lady informed me that it would take two more hours to get to Shimmer Lake. I had never even heard of the town before so I guessed it must be small. But that was a good thing. If I hadn’t heard of it, then Nick probably wouldn’t think to look there.
As I drove, civilization seemed to slip away as farmlands and rural towns started to take over. It was odd; I had always been a city girl, but as the scenery changed to trees and open fields, I felt more at peace. Like nothing could hurt me in a place this beautiful and tranquil.
My first glimpse of Shimmer Lake was a swamp, cattails, weeds, and I’m guessing frogs. Not pretty, but once you got past the swamp, the town was cute and very small. It was basically a road. There were two restaurants, a diner, a pizza place, hardware, and grocery store on one side of the street. The other held a bank, a dollar store, a gas station, a church, and an elementary school. The buildings were not cramped all together, they were stretched along the highway, but that was all I could see. There were side streets branching off the main road; however, I was not about to explore. I wanted to get to my destination and I was afraid that if I went sightseeing, I’d get lost, prolonging my journey even further.
It wasn’t until I drove past the businesses and was heading out of Shimmer Lake that I saw the sign for Bayview Road. I turned onto it, excited about nearly reaching my destination. The closer I got, the more I felt a peace. It had been awhile since I felt that way; never worrying if I would be hit in the face because I didn’t wash Nick’s uniform or kicked in the gut when I forgot to give him a message from work. I had only known him a year and was abused for four of those months, but it was hard to remember a time when I wasn’t miserable. The thrill of being alone and safe was overwhelming. I stepped on the gas, eager to get to my paradise.
Finding Abigail Page 14