Donnie’s cell phone picked that moment to ring.
Evan listened to the one-sided conversation. “Did you knock on the door? Be careful, Charlie. I don’t trust that man. Stay put. I’ll be right there.”
Returning his phone to his belt, Donnie surged to his feet. “Speak of the devil and he appears.”
Evan stood as well. “Which devil are we speaking of?”
“Elijah Griffin. His truck is parked out front of his house. Let’s go.”
Evan followed the sheriff outside and made his way to his patrol car. “I’ll meet you there.”
Donnie didn’t bother responding. He jogged off in the opposite direction toward his own vehicle.
Once Evan slid behind the wheel of his patrol car, he started the engine and pulled out of the hospital parking lot.
He snatched up the radio with the knowledge that Donnie would be listening. “201?”
Charlie answered immediately. “Go ahead.”
“I’m en route to your location. Be there in ten.”
“Copy that,” Charlie returned.
Evan arrived at the Griffin farm approximately eight minutes later. He parked behind Charlie’s patrol car and got out. “Any sign of Griffin?”
Charlie shook his head. “Nothing. I didn’t hear any movement inside when I knocked, either.”
Treading carefully, Evan remarked, “He must have just returned, since you didn’t see his truck yesterday.”
“I never made it out here yesterday, Detective. I had some problems with my patrol car. Ended up having to be towed back to town.”
Evan exhaled a relieved breath. At least he would be on scene when the sheriff arrived. The last thing he wanted was for Donnie to find something Evan had missed. “Wait here, Charlie.”
Making a show of easing his weapon from its holster, Evan carefully made his way toward the front porch, his gaze scanning the ground for evidence that Elenore had recently been there.
A partial footprint in a small, sandy part of the grass caught Evan’s attention.
He turned and made a hand gesture for Charlie to head around back.
Once the deputy disappeared from view, Evan stepped on Elenore’s smaller shoe print. He jumped up onto the porch and knocked on the front door, loud enough that Charlie would hear. “Haverty County Sheriff’s Department!”
He knocked again, louder this time. “Elijah Griffin?”
Of course, Evan didn’t expect an answer. Elijah Griffin was now gator food.
The sheriff’s vehicle came easing up the dirt road, stopping directly in front of Charlie’s car. He got out and sauntered up to the front porch. “Any sign of Elijah?”
Evan blanked his expression and shook his head. “He may have heard Charlie’s approach and hit the woods.”
“I’ll put in a request for another search warrant,” the sheriff stated, his gaze sweeping the area surrounding the house. “In the meantime, we’ll split up and search the woods. I’ll take the east side. You take the west, and Charlie can take the south side.”
Evan ground his teeth. He didn’t want to search the woods for a man he knew to be dead. But he had no choice. “Yes, sir.”
Hopping down from the porch, he kept his weapon in hand and disappeared into the trees.
Chapter Nine
Elenore sat on the side of her hospital bed, wondering what to do and where she would go.
The doctor had released her about ten minutes earlier, and she now awaited her release papers in order to leave. Only, she had nowhere to go. In fact, she didn’t have clothes to wear, either.
She thought about walking back to the farm, but the trip home would be excruciating, having just had surgery. Not to mention, Evan had made it clear that she stay as far from home as possible until the investigation was over.
A nurse stepped into the room, holding a stack of papers in one hand and a plastic hospital bag in the other. “Everything should be in order, Miss Griffin. I’ll leave these here for you to read over and sign. I’ll be back in a few minutes to get them.”
Laying the papers and a pen on the bedside table, the nurse set the bag on the foot of the bed. “There are some pads and a pair of underwear in the bag. The pads should get you by until you can pick up some more.”
Reaching into the pocket on the front of her scrubs, she pulled out two small brown bottles along with a pale blue prescription paper and placed them inside the bag. “There’s enough pain pills and antibiotics here to get you by for a couple of days. But you’ll need to get that prescription filled as soon as possible.”
The nurse turned to leave. “Someone will be by shortly with a wheelchair. Do you have a ride?”
Elenore shook her head.
“Then how will you get home?” the nurse pressed, her hand resting on the doorknob.
“I’ll figure something out.” Elenore was far too uncomfortable under the nurse’s curious gaze.
And of course, the woman continued to stand there, assessing Elenore like a bug under a microscope.
Elenore stared down at the blue skid-proof socks she wore, her heart and mind in a turmoil she could find no reprieve from.
“Are you sure you can get home, okay? Because I can talk to social services and—”
“I’m sure,” Elenore interrupted, not wanting to involve social services. She’d dealt with them for more years than she cared to remember. And they’d brought her nothing but heartache; prying into her life and sending Elijah into a murderous rage—a rage he always took out on her.
“Okay then.” The nurse left the room.
Pulling the bedside table in closer, Elenore picked up the pen and signed in the appropriate places. She didn’t bother reading over it first. None of it mattered anyway.
Once the last page had been signed, she gingerly got to her feet, plucked up the plastic bag, and pulled the pair of underwear free. She needed to leave before someone arrived with the wheelchair.
From dozens of hospital stays in her life, Elenore knew exactly how things worked. A staff member would wait outside with her until her ride home arrived.
Securing the hospital gown around her as best she could, Elenore pulled on the underwear along with one of the pads from the bag and then quickly took a pain pill.
She then grabbed up the bag and slowly made her way into the hallway.
With no place to go, she would head to the shack where Elijah used to make moonshine. She could stay there for a time or at least until the police located the bodies.
Elenore stepped into the nearest elevator, the emptiness inside her threatening to overpower the pain in her abdomen. The baby she’d carried for such a short time was now gone.
The smell of food from the cafeteria bombarded her the instant she stepped off the elevator and trailed toward the sliding doors of the exit.
Her stomach growled in protest at the hunger gnawing at her insides. But she couldn’t go into the cafeteria for food… She had no money.
Unable to recall the last time she’d eaten, Elenore stepped out into the sunlight and leaned heavily against the wall. It would take her an hour to walk to the moonshine shack, and she wasn’t sure if she could make it.
She opened the bag and reached for the bottle of pain pills. Maybe if she took another, she could walk without too much pain.
“Hey, lady, are you okay?”
Elenore let go of the bottle of pills and shrank back from the man now standing next to her elbow. “Don’t touch me.”
“You look sick,” he persisted, his fingers wrapping around her upper arm. “Let me help you inside.”
“P-please, just leave me alone.”
“I got her,” Evan abruptly snapped, appearing out of nowhere.
He suddenly swept her up into his arms. “What are you doing out here?”
Elenore was weak to the point where she could barely answer. “They released me.”
“You should have called me.” His hold tightened around her. “I would have been here to pick you up.”
When she didn’t answer, he strode to his car and opened the passenger side door. “Where were you going?”
“I-I don’t know. I…had nowhere to go.”
He paused with her still in his arms. “Jesus, Elenore. Of course you have somewhere to go. Did you really think I would just leave you to the wolves?”
“I’ve burdened you enough,” she whispered, uncomfortable being flush against his body.
He gently placed her on the seat, his voice softening. “You’re not a burden.”
After the door closed, Evan rounded the car and climbed inside. “I was coming to pick you up anyway. I grabbed some clothes for you from a local department store. I hope they fit.”
Elenore fought tears once again. No one had bought her clothes in a long time. In fact, she’d never owned anything new, not since her foster mom had provided her with clothes when Elenore had been eight years old.
Of course, Elijah hadn’t allowed her to keep them.
Not trusting her voice, she laid her head against the back of the seat and turned to look out the window.
Thankfully, Evan remained quiet during the short trip to his apartment. He pulled into the drive and hurried around to open Elenore’s door.
“I can walk,” she whispered when he moved to carry her inside.
He took her by the hand and then backed up a step. “Okay, but I’m holding onto you, just in case.”
Elenore allowed him to lead her to the small porch. He kept her hand in his while awkwardly unlocking the door and throwing it open. “Come on, I got you.”
Helping her inside, he guided her toward his bedroom. “You’ll sleep in my room for the time being. I’ll take the couch.”
She swayed on her feet. “I can’t take your room, Detective.”
“Sure you can. Besides, I have a very comfortable couch that I sleep on most nights anyway. Now, on you go.”
Attempting to hold the hospital gown closed, Elenore moved slowly into his room, stopping next to the bed.
Evan quickly pulled the covers back and then fluffed the pillows. “Turn around until your knees touch the mattress and then slowly sit.”
She did as he requested. Watching warily as he lifted her feet onto the bed and covered her up.
“Now, just relax while I whip us up something to eat.”
Her stomach rumbled in response.
Evan awkwardly smiled. “See? I’m not the only one who’s hungry.”
He had no idea how hungry she truly was. She was weak to her bones from it.
Evan flipped on the TV and handed her the remote. “Find something to watch. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”
Elenore waited until the detective left the room before exhaling a shaky breath. She wasn’t sure what to make of his kindness. Men didn’t do things out of the goodness of their hearts. They always wanted something in return. And Elenore wondered how long it would be before Evan did as well. And he eventually would… wouldn’t he?
Chapter Ten
Evan left the room, his heart heavy, and his emotions strung tight.
The sight of Elenore standing out in front of that hospital, preparing to walk to God knew where, had been his undoing.
She had to be the strongest person he’d ever known. And the most damaged. Yet, she continued to adapt to every situation, no matter how bad it might be.
Most people would have folded years ago. Not Elenore. No, she was a survivor.
Perhaps Elle was the real survivor, Evan thought, stopping at the refrigerator and taking out some hamburger meat.
He laid the meat next to the stove, remembering his encounter with Elle beneath that barn.
She had intended to kill him; he’d seen it in her eyes. Yet she hadn’t. She’d raised the gun at the last second and shot above his shoulder.
He recalled the look in her eyes when she’d confessed to him that she was Elle. She definitely hadn’t been Elenore in that moment. Of that, Evan was one hundred percent positive.
Odd that Elle didn’t scare him, though he knew she should. Evan realized exactly what Elenore’s alternate personality was capable of. He had seen it firsthand.
He’d also seen how Elle protected Elenore. In fact, had it not been for Elle, Elenore would likely have died years ago from the abuse.
Of course, a jury might not see it that way. Which happened to be the very reason he’d helped her cover up the murders to begin with.
But Evan didn’t consider Elenore a murderer. The system would have done exactly zilch to those men who’d hurt her all those years. Especially with the judge involved. And they would have continued to hurt her as long as they lived.
No, it wasn’t murder in Evan’s eyes. It was self-defense.
A feeling of acceptance settled over him as he went about making their burgers. He had broken the law to the point of no return, but he would do it again if he had to.
He thought about the rotting corpses in that dirt hole beneath that barn. Every last one of them deserved what they got, and he hoped they were now rotting in Hell.
What kind of a person did that make Evan? An officer of the law, covering up a murder. Several murders.
Evan had wanted to be in law enforcement since he’d been old enough to walk. He had believed in the justice system, that it worked for the good of all mankind. But not for Elenore. The system had failed her in the worst kind of way. And at this point in her life, it could do nothing but hurt her more.
Glancing toward the bedroom door, Evan cursed under his breath. He was in a heck of a predicament. But if he had to do it over, he’d do the exact same thing. If not for Elenore…then for Elle.
But why? he wondered for the thousandth time. How had he gotten so emotionally attached to the young woman lying in his bed? He wasn’t sure. He only knew that he felt something for her…something deeper than pity. And that, alone scared the life out of him.
Elenore was more than a murderer. She possessed two separate personalities. Yet Evan knew without a doubt that in her situation, he would have done and become the same thing.
Blowing out a breath, he opened the hamburger meat, took out a skillet, and turned on the stove. He patted up some burgers, seasoned them to his liking and laid them in the skillet. Hopefully, he could entice Elenore to eat.
A knock sounded on his front door.
Evan glanced toward his bedroom and then strode across the living room to open the door.
Sheriff Donnie King stood there, a serious look on his face. “Detective. Mind if I come in?”
Evan wanted to say yes, he did mind. He really didn’t want the sheriff coming inside…not with Elenore there.
But he couldn’t very well tell the guy no. Donnie was, after all, his boss.
Taking a step back, Evan waved the sheriff into the living room. “Sure.”
Donnie stepped inside and closed the door behind him. He removed his hat, holding it in front of him with both hands. “I came to talk to you about the Griffin girl.”
“Her name’s Elenore,” Evan returned before he could stop himself.
The sheriff cocked his head to the side. “You’ve become far too personally involved with her, Evan. I’m telling you, you need to put some distance between you and her before it comes back to bite you in the butt.”
“You’re telling me?” Evan repeated in a soft tone. “No offense, sir. But my relationship with Elenore is no one’s business but mine. And I’d appreciate it if it stayed that way.”
Donnie’s expression hardened. “That’s where you’re wrong, Detective. Everything that goes on in this town is my business. Especially when the reputation of my department is at stake.”
Evan couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. “That girl has been tortured, raped, and mentally abused all her life, and you’re worried about your reputation? Where is your sense of honor, sir?” That last word came out with a bit more sarcasm than was probably necessary. But Evan really didn’t care in that moment.
“I have plenty of honor, De
tective. But I also have common sense. And my common sense is telling me that Elenore Griffin will be the downfall of you, if you don’t put some space between y’all.”
Elenore’s pale, sad face appeared in Evan’s peripheral. He turned to face her, noticing that she held onto the wall for support as she stood there staring at them.
“I-I didn’t mean to cause a problem for anyone. I…will go.” She moved to push away from the wall.
Evan was at her side before she could take a step forward. “You will do no such thing. Now, back to bed with you. The sheriff was just leaving.”
Helping Elenore back to his room, Evan assisted her into bed once more and covered her with a light blanket. “I don’t want you to worry about him. Everything is under control. It will be all right.”
“But—”
“No buts,” Evan gently interrupted. “Just rest. I’ll be right back with some food.”
He hurried from the room before she could argue further.
An angry sheriff was standing in the same spot when Evan returned. “She’s staying here with you?”
“Where else is she going to go?” Evan bit out. “She can’t return home with Elijah on the loose. His truck parked in front of his house is a dead giveaway that he’s back in the area. She has no other family.”
The sheriff shook his head and spun toward the door. “I can see there’s no reasoning with you in this. When you crash and burn—and you will—the department will not be there to back you. You’re on your own.”
“Fair enough,” Evan retorted, following Donnie to the door. “I’ll see you on Monday.”
The sheriff only nodded, stepping outside and returning his hat to his head.
Evan watched Donnie walk to his patrol car before he closed the door to his apartment and hurried to the kitchen to flip the burgers.
At least it was Friday, which meant he had three days before he had to return to work. Three days to nurse Elenore back to health.
Once she had her strength back, leaving her alone would be an option.
Chapter Eleven
Elenore lay in the detective’s bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Elle Returns: The Sequel: A Psychological Thriller Page 4