by Terri Marie
"Ty," began Sean. "You have a great track record of making people run from you."
"Do you want to live to see tomorrow?" Tyler playfully threatened.
"It depends. Can I be your best man?" Sean teased.
"Get out, all of you." Tyler winked and held the door open. They patted Tyler's back with promises of finding both the witness and Renee, before heading back to their offices.
Tyler closed the door and walked to his desk. He picked up the phone and called security, and told them if the pickup truck belonging to Renee Preston arrived on the lot, they were to notify him immediately.
Tyler pushed the intercom to Emma's office.
"Did Renee call you back yet?" Tyler asked.
"No, I called her right when you asked me too. Why do you need to find her? If you want another event, I can take care of all that for you," explained Emma.
"Well, that's a mighty fine idea, Emma. Call Renee every hour until you reach her. Tell her we're throwing another cookout. Pick out any weekend want, but make it soon, and offer her the job." Tyler couldn't hide the desperation in his voice.
"Sure…but then you have to tell me what's really going on, okay?"
Tyler released the intercom button and grabbed his keys. He certainly wasn't ready to discuss everything with Emma yet. He had to look for Renee's truck before sunset. Once he found it, he could find the driver.
Chapter 10
Renee stopped at a red light and looked at her phone. She turned it on and saw that it was fully charged, with several voicemail alerts. There were five from an unknown number. Renee knew they were from Robert. She didn't even bother listening to them, because they'd be full of rants. The others were from Emma and Tyler. She quickly drove to a large parking structure and pulled into a spot on the middle floor. It was a risky move, but at least her pickup couldn't be seen from the streets, and it was close to the bank. Renee didn't dare go back to Montclair Pharmaceuticals to park after having such a close call with Tyler yesterday. The last thing she wanted was to have him entangled in her messed up life. Having only an eighth of a tank of gas left, after spending all night in her truck, Renee couldn't afford to keep driving anyway. It was cold last night, so she'd had to turn on the heat frequently.
Renee's phone kept breaking up, so she climbed out of her truck and began walking out of the structure. As she did, she saw signs posted for no overnight parking with a picture of a tow truck hooked up to a car. She'd just have to take her chances. She walked back to her pickup, gathered her few belongings, and put them in her duffle bag just in case.
Renee walked the two long blocks to the bank and wished she had a sweater or light spring jacket. She picked up her pace so she'd be there the second the doors opened. The door unlocked, and Renee walked inside and up to the teller. She signed the back of the check and gave them her license. Renee was frustrated at herself for forgetting to ask Emma not to write the check out to the catering company, but Tyler was on his way, and she had to get out of there as fast as possible.
She'd just cash the check and open up an account in her name. "I'd like to cash this please."
"Do you have an account with us?" asked the teller.
"Yes, our business account, Sugar and Spice Catering," Renee answered as she watched the teller bring up the account.
"I can't let you cash this check. Your name is on the account, but you don't have check cashing or withdraw privileges. I can deposit it for you into the Sugar and Spice account."
"What is the balance?"
"I'm sorry, I can't give you that information," said the teller, as she looked at Renee apologetically.
"No, that's okay. I'll take the check back to the company who wrote it. There was an error." Damn! Renee knew Robert wouldn't hand over one dime of the three hundred and forty dollars left in the business account.
Renee slipped the check back into her purse and stepped outside. She had to have this money if she was going to free herself from Robert. She walked to the edge of the bank parking lot and called Emma.
"You're a hard person to get a hold of! How are you, Renee?" asked Emma.
"I'm doing okay. I forgot to ask you to make the check out to me instead of Sugar and Spice Catering. Would it be a problem to change it?" She'd have to think of something so she wouldn't have to walk into Montclair Pharmaceuticals, nor did she have a home to have it mailed it too.
"Give me your new address and I can send it to you, or you could come here and I can give you a new one. Bring the old check with you if you could. It'll be easier."
Renee was thinking as fast as she could. "I could really use a friend right now. Could you come down this way and have coffee with me?" Renee hoped she'd say yes.
Emma sounded excited to meet with her again. Renee gave her directions, and then walked into a small diner on the corner. She made sure to sit away from the windows, as Robert was surely looking for her. While she waited for her friend, she listened to Tyler's voicemail. Whatever he wanted to talk to her about, she was sure Emma could relay the information.
Renee only had to wait about forty-five minutes for
Emma to walk through the door. She waved her over and stood up to give her a hug. After they sat down, it was Emma who spoke first.
"Sorry it took so long, but parking is atrocious," she said after laying her jacket over the back of the chair. "Renee, I have a feeling that things are a lot worse than you're leading on. I want you to come and stay at my place." Emma looked around to make sure there weren't any eavesdroppers. "I know you're going through a hard time, but I don't think you're taking care of yourself very well. You look like you've lost a few pounds." Emma got a concerned look on her face.
Renee tried to smooth her hair and push it's unruliness behind her ear. "I'm doing okay. I just came back from a run, so I'm pretty gross. I have to go home, shower and change. I hope I've lost a few pounds, I've been trying to shape up a bit." Renee smiled, but she was self-conscious about how she looked.
The girls had their cup of coffee over small talk, but then Emma knew she had to bring up Tyler.
"There's been someone else concerned about you, Renee."
"Are you talking about Tyler? I got a voicemail from him. Did he just want to know something about the future events you mentioned?" Renee hoped that was all he wanted. Letting Tyler see her looking this way was out of the question. If Emma could guess that something was wrong, so could he.
"He's worried about you. Could you call him?"
"No, there's no reason to worry. Let him know I'm doing fine, and that I'll see him at the next event." Renee smiled and tried to look as confident as possible. She was everything except confident, not to mention unclean. Her anxiety rose, as she began to pick at her nails.
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to come to my place for a few days?" Emma asked again as she lifted up Renee's chin to look her in the eyes.
"No thank you. To be honest, I have to go cash this check and then get an attorney to start the divorce proceedings for me. Robert has pretty much locked me out of the business account." She hated disclosing such information, but needed to make sure Emma continued to write the checks out to her for the events.
"Could I have your new address for our files before you take off?" Emma held her arm for a minute.
"I don't know it by heart yet. I'll call you with my information when I get home." Renee smiled as brightly as she could muster, then hugged Emma and walked out the door.
Renee walked back into the bank, opened an account, and deposited her money. The teller said the funds would be available the next day, but she gave her some temporary checks. Renee would keep her eyes open for a cheap attorney.
Her next stop was the post office. She paid the few dollars for a post office box, not just for Emma, but she'd need to have a place to receive papers for her divorce.
In the lobby, on the way out of the post office, she saw him. Robert must have spotted her first, because he was already staring at her with a very angry expressi
on on her face when she met his eyes.
"We have a few things to discuss, you stupid bitch!" he growled under his breath. "I heard you were trying to remove the rest of the money from my business account?" Robert gave an evil laugh.
"I have nothing to say to you, Robert. You'll be receiving divorce papers, and if you don't want a restraining order filed against you, I suggest you close your mouth and let me pass by." Renee stood her ground and spoke with her voice raised to attract the attention of the people around her for her safety. There were men in line, but no one bothered to come to her defense. Regardless of how Robert chose to conduct himself at this moment, she had every intention of filing for a restraining order. Hopefully, thoughts of being arrested were enough to deter him from coming after her.
"I've destroyed all of your shit. When I find that truck of yours, I'll do the same. If I catch you alone, you'll be sorry!" Robert kept his voice low and moved past her. He shoved her shoulder as he went by.
Renee knew that Robert wasn't lying. Hopefully it wouldn't take all of her money to get the divorce process going; she'd have to find a job to cover the full cost. Renee wasn't naïve enough to believe that a piece of paper was going to stop her husband, but it was a start. She'd still have to find a way to travel out of the state, but until then, she'd do whatever it took to stay hidden.
Renee continued to worry about her financial situation. Not only would she have to hire a lawyer, but she'd have to have money to buy clothes, meals, and hopefully find a cheap place to live. Regardless, what was in her account wasn't going to last her very long.
While walking down the street, frequently looking over her shoulder, she found a thrift shop a few blocks over. Renee picked out a pair of jeans, dress pants, and two nice tops so she could go to interviews. They sold miniature bottles of shampoo, conditioner, and soap, which she also bought, and luckily, there was a comb for a quarter. Her hair was felt matted. Renee's sneakers were in good shape, but she'd have to buy a couple of pairs of underwear, which made her cringe.
Next, she had to get to the courthouse, but they were closed. She'd come back first thing in the morning and fill out the necessary information for a restraining order. Looking around to a find place that was hiring and putting a roof over her head was next on the list. She'd have to figure out some place where she could sleep. With bags under her eyes, dirty hair and soiled clothing, she doubted anyone would want to hire her, let alone let her rent a room. The list seemed to be getting longer.
She took the bus to the college in hopes of finding a student looking for a roommate. Renee carefully read the boards in the student center, and wrote down some numbers. She sat on a nearby chair to make the calls. Out of the four people she briefly spoke with, they all wanted between three and four hundred on up per month, and half of utilities. There was no way. She grabbed a phone book and looked up the local shelters. They didn't expect openings until June. Renee wanted to cry, but breaking down wasn't going to solve anything. She made her way through the busy campus, over to the cafeteria, and paid fifty cents for an empty cup. She walked to a local gas station.
Luckily no one was in the bathroom. Renee got the key from the man at the counter and went inside. It wasn't very clean, but she'd definitely seen worse. After locking the door, she took off her clothes and scrubbed her body and scalp at the sink, using the cup to rinse out her hair. She thoroughly dried herself and the cup off with paper towels, and then carefully placed the cup in the duffle bag where she thought it wouldn't get too crushed. Her mouth felt disgusting, but running her finger over her teeth was the best she could do. Putting on her new clothes felt refreshing, even though they smelled pretty musty.
Part of Renee wanted to go curl up in her truck to get some rest and maybe turn on the heater, but she knew she couldn't be caught inside of it when Robert showed up. He gambled with some of the local cops, and she was sure they'd help him help find her. Robert's brother Clarence is a private investigator, but he was just as lazy as her husband, and Renee doubted he was a threat. Personally, she thought his business was a gambling front. How Clarence managed to make an income, other than illegally, baffled her. She thought about calling Emma, and taking her up on her offer, but she was terrified that Robert would show up and cause problems at her apartment, or go after the Montclairs. She'd also have to hide from the cops who showed up at her apartment to play poker. Renee refused to make anyone else one of his victims. She still hadn't even called her best friend yet to let her know she'd moved out. She would jump to Renee's defense, which would do nothing but place her in the line of fire. Carol would start blowing up her phone out of concern, soon. Renee turned her phone on only when she needed it, and she didn't listen to messages; her cell phone battery was nearly drained.
Job. I need to find a job. Renee began walking by every business she could, and when she'd see a help wanted sign, she would go inside and fill out an application. Listing references would be a problem, though. She left those blank.
The sun had set and Renee was becoming even more miserable. She was cold, hungry, and exhausted. The only safe place she could think of to go was Montclair Park. She could easily sit away from the lights and step into the small patch of trees if someone arrived. It wasn't safe for her to be roaming around alone in downtown Southfield. Renee stopped at a street vendor and bought a hotdog and a steaming cup of coffee before heading across the street. The park was deserted and, for that, she was grateful.
Just before she finished her meal, she heard a loud engine and looked up. Renee saw her truck being towed right past her. Quickly getting to her feet, she began to sprint. By the time she reached the sidewalk, the tow truck had turned the corner and was no longer in sight. There was no way she could afford to get her pickup out of impound. Slowly, Renee made her way back to the picnic table. That was all I had left! The gas tank was almost empty, but she could have put a few dollars' worth of gas in it if she had to get warm. Now, it was gone. Renee fished her phone out of her pocket to turn it on and check the time. She didn't think it was late enough for the parking structure to have had it towed. Suddenly, the phone began to ring. She answered the unknown number just in case it was a potential employer calling, or someone notifying her of an opening at the shelter.
"Is this Renee Preston?" asked an older man.
"Yes it is, can I help you?"
"I was calling to see if you were still interested in working here and if you could start in the morning?"
"What's your name?" asked Renee. She'd filled out so many applications; she didn't know which one could be calling her.
"My name is —"
Her cellphone went dead. Damn! She had no place to charge it. She only had her car charger, but now she didn't even have her truck. The tears started to fall all over again. She reached inside her duffle bag and began to layer on her clothes as the cold winds picked up. Even though it wasn't a good idea for her to walk around after dark, she'd have to find a restaurant or something that was open for twenty-four hours. They'd probably throw her out anyway for not ordering anything, and then she'd be outside, only in a crappy side of town.
When the full moon started to illuminate the park too much, she walked into the trees in hopes of finding a soft patch of grass to sit on and a tree to lean up against. It was super dark in the small wooded area, but at least she couldn't be spotted. Due to pure exhaustion and stress, Renee dozed off against the side of a tall Ash tree.
At three in the morning, Renee was startled awake by the sound of footsteps crushing leaves around her. She quickly jumped to her feet and grabbed her duffle bag. The footsteps stopped, but she felt like she was being watched.
"Who's there?!" asked Renee with panic in her voice.
The sounds of leaves crushing and sticks breaking resumed and were getting closer to her.
"If you come closer, I'll take off screaming! I have a phone and I'm calling 9-1-1!!" Renee braced herself, then turned her body to run out of the wooded area and away from the park.
/> She felt a firm hand around her arm as another hand covered her mouth.
"You don't have a phone in your hand, and I'm not going to hurt you. Don't scream okay?"
Renee nodded out of fear to get the stranger to let her go. Finally, she felt the hands come off of her arm and mouth. The voice was male and he spoke calmly.
"Who are you?" Renee asked as she backed into another tree. Her body was shaking.
"Here, I'll show you," said the man.
Soon a small flashlight was placed in her hand. Renee quickly found the button and turned it on. She pointed the light directly in his face. She saw part of the arm of the guitar over the man's right shoulder, but his face was darkened by his hoodie.
"Oh my God…" whispered Renee.
The young man smiled. "I don't know your name, but I've seen you coming and going from the building over there, and you yelled something to me from a truck once."
"We've been looking for you! What's your name?"
"My name's Brian. Did my parents send you to find me? Some man tried to chase me down too."
All of a sudden the trees were lit up by a bright light. A loud voice and heavy footsteps came toward them. Brian quickly grabbed the flashlight from Renee's hand and shut it off.
"Stop right there!!" yelled a man sounding winded.
"Shit! It's the cops. Come with me!" Brian grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as he ran through a bunch of branches. They were camouflaging the entrance of an old drainage pipe. "In here, hurry!"
Renee went through the limbs and watched as Brian came inside behind her.
"Okay let's go. Stay close!" Brian kept his voice low and held her hand tighter. He quickly led her through tall weeds and around trees. After a few minutes, they arrived at a small pond.
Renee's chest was heaving. She didn't know how this guy could make it in total darkness, while running through this mess.