Hollow Road
Page 30
His hoodie still appeared clean, so that stayed on. He pulled the hood out of the way and tied his hair back as neatly as possible. Emily’s car was another story. There was nothing he could do to help it fit in all that well in this neighbourhood, so all he could do was hope for the best.
He made it back without incident to the Riverview area, making one last stop at the apartment building. He’d have to drop off Emily’s keys and get Pax, but he needed to do something else first.
Dez had left his laptop behind, and Sully logged into it to upload his audio file. He reviewed it quickly within the corresponding laptop app, allowing himself a relieved sigh as he discovered the audio was not only there, it was of good quality. He made a quick edit, removing the initial portion in which he’d threatened the disgraced judge. No need to compound his existing problems. Then he downloaded the edited version onto his phone and logged out of Dez’s computer.
He’d start a fake email account, send Forbes the file that way. Sure, there was probably a way to trace it, but it would slow the police down long enough for him to get out of Dodge. Where he was going, no one would follow.
Leaving his phone to charge, he grabbed a quick shower, ridding himself of Montague’s gore. His outer jacket, he’d discovered upon removing it, was similarly splattered, and he thanked himself for having picked up a new coat at the goodwill store a couple of weeks ago. Freshly showered, he placed his bloody clothes into a plastic bag and stuffed those, the few clothes he owned and what was left of Pax’s dog food into his duffel bag.
He took another minute to pick up the pieces of the broken coffee table, leaning the splintered surface and two snapped-off legs against the wall. He wanted to leave a note for Dez but, hand poised over a notepad on the kitchen counter, he couldn’t think of anything better to write than, “I’m sorry.”
He took one last look at the small apartment, then shut off the lights and left, closing and locking the door behind him. He paused a moment, looking down at the keys in his hand before crouching and sliding them under the door.
Then he went to get Pax, hoping Emily hadn’t yet gone to bed. If she had, he’d have to wake her up. He couldn’t wait for morning.
Relief flooded him when Emily answered the door almost immediately, the sound of the TV in the background.
Her eyes grew large behind her glasses as she looked Sully up and down. “You aren’t leaving?”
“I have to. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone, but I need to find somewhere to lie low for a while.”
“Are you in trouble?”
“I don’t know. I haven’t done anything wrong, but I’m in the middle of something big. I don’t want anyone caught in the crosshairs, and I can’t afford for anyone to find me until I figure out how to handle things.”
“Why don’t you talk to me? Maybe I can help.”
“You’ve already helped more than you know. Right now, I need to handle things alone.”
“Maybe you don’t. That’s what friends and family are for.”
“Friends and family have already been killed because of this. I won’t risk anyone else. I need to handle this myself, Emily.”
“Where are you going?”
“I can’t say. The fewer people who know, the better. It will be safer for everyone that way.”
“You know you can trust me, don’t you?”
“I know. It’s not about trust. It’s about me not being able to live with myself if anyone else gets hurt.” He paused, worked a smile onto his face, instilled in it as much warmth as he could muster. “I want to thank you for everything you—”
“Don’t,” she said. “Don’t you say goodbye to me, Sullivan. You’ll be back. You can tell me then.”
She closed the distance to him, drawing him into a hug. He embraced her, making an effort to commit the moment to memory. Where he was going, this might well be the last kind human contact he’d have for a while.
“Take care of yourself,” Emily said. “Remember there are people here who care about you. We’re here to help you whenever you need it.”
“I know,” he said. “That means everything to me.”
He released her, looking down into her eyes, this tiny, warm, brave woman who’d saved him as a baby and had protected him ever since—even without his knowing it.
Now it was his turn to protect her. Her and everyone else he loved.
Pax waited patiently behind Emily, brown eyes solemn as if he sensed the gravity of his human’s mission. Sully patted his leg and Pax came toward him, pausing at the threshold to allow himself a final head rub from Emily.
Then he followed Sully into the hall.
Down the stairs.
Out the door.
Into the night.
Afterword
Thanks so much for reading! I am continuing to work on the next books in The Sullivan Gray Series, and would be pleased to keep you updated on future projects and release dates. I’m also working on a few snippets and short stories that provide added content to the series—currently available only to my subscribers.
One other huge bonus for subscribers: if you haven’t yet read Black Candle, it’s free to those who join my mailing list. Whether or not you already own Black Candle, a growing anthology of Sullivan Gray short stories, entitled Haunted Past, is also available as a gift to subscribers. Visit my website at hpbayne.com to sign up.
Both Black Candle and its sequels Harbinger, The Dule Tree and Crawl are also available to buy straight from Amazon in both e-book and print formats (check out my Amazon page here). I have also put together an e-book box set of Books 2-4, which includes a link to get Black Candle and/or Haunted Past for free. If you don’t yet own those books, the box set is excellent value.
The books in The Sullivan Gray Series are intended as standalones to some extent, each with a plot that wraps itself up by book’s end. But there is a deeper plot that threads throughout the series so, for that reason, the books are best read in order.
I wanted to take a moment to thank my family and friends for their incredible support. I continue to hear from people I grew up with who are reading the series, and I’m so grateful to have so many awesome people in my corner.
I also want to thank all the readers who have taken a chance on this relatively new series (and author!). You folks are the best, and it’s because of you and your support that I actually enjoy dragging my butt out of bed several hours before my day job to work on this series. I couldn’t have continued without you guys, so I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
A big thanks also, as always, to my sharp-eyed editor Hannah Sullivan, my cover designer Fiona Jayde (and her assistant Elizabeth) and to my team of advance readers. All of you help to ensure each of the books is all it can be and more, and I am so very grateful to you.
Last but not least, a huge thank you to my parents, who not only brought me into this world, but have fostered my creativity throughout my life. My mom has always been the first set of eyes on my books, and I can always count on her to point out what needs fixed as well as what works. My parents have been there with me throughout this journey, and I can’t think of two people I’d rather have at my side. I know many authors who are not nearly so lucky, so my deepest thanks and love to both of you.
About the Author
Fascinated by ghost stories and crime fiction, H.P. has been writing both for well over two decades, drawing on close to two decades as a crime reporter. Raised on a farm on the Canadian Prairies, H.P. enjoys reading, portrait drawing, travel and spending time with family and friends.
For more information, visit H.P.’s website at hpbayne.com.
Also by H.P. Bayne
Black Candle (Book 1)
Harbinger (Book 2)
The Dule Tree (Book 3)
Crawl (Book 4)
The Sullivan Gray Series Box Set (Books 2-4)
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