Chapter 22

 

Ava

 

 

I WOKE UP around six the next morning to the sound of a couple arguing in the next room. Groaning, I tried falling back asleep, which proved to be a joke. Especially since the couple decided to make up by having loud, headboard-banging sex a short time later. As I listened to their moans and grunts, which was actually kind of comical, I thought about my own nonexistent sex life. Of course, the idea of having it for enjoyment was almost foreign to me. Admittedly, I was attracted to men, and at times, imagined being held, which was about as intimate as I was comfortable with. But, letting my mind go beyond the cuddling to having flat-out intercourse, was hard. Oddly enough, being naked didn’t freak me out. It was the act of sex itself that I had a problem with. I’d tried it a couple of times, but once I found myself underneath a man, it would get to be too much. Memories would come flooding back of the abuse and the moment would get ruined.

Tired of listening to the couple, I dragged myself out of bed and made a pot of coffee. Afterward, I took a shower and then put on a pair of black running shorts along with a lime-colored T-shirt. I pulled my hair into a ponytail, put on a baseball cap, and went out for a jog. Fortunately, the neighborhood was quiet.

Pushing my earbuds into my ears, I turned my music on low, and headed toward Devon’s Tattoo Parlor as I was curious as to what was happening on that side of town. When I reached the shop, the CLOSED sign was up and the parking lot was bare.

I jogged around the building and noticed, to my chagrin, that there weren’t many escape-routes, especially in the back where the clubhouse was. Not that I’d allow myself to get trapped in the building, but I still hadn’t narrowed down a plan of attack yet.

When I returned from the jog, I was completely covered in sweat, so I took another shower. Afterward, I slipped into a black thong and matching push-up bra. Over that, I pulled on a pair of light-colored Daisy Duke shorts and a black tight-fitting AC/DC T-shirt. Satisfied that it was sexy enough, I worked on my hair and makeup, turning myself once again into a biker groupie. I finished it off with a little more perfume, and then left the motel to eat and run the errands I needed to before meeting up with Jayce.

A couple hours later, I walked out of Walmart with a cheap, prepaid cell phone and a small, voice-activated digital recorder. After activating the phone, I called and left Millie a message, so as not to worry her anymore.

“Hi, Mom. I am going to be super busy today, so I’m leaving you the address for the house I’m staying at.” I rattled off one for a townhome I’d found on the Internet that was for sale. I hated having to lie to her, but I certainly couldn’t tell her that I was staying at some seedy motel in St. Paul. She’d start asking too many questions.

“Anyway,” I continued. “I love you and I’ll call you again when I get a chance.”

After hanging up, I took out Peyton’s card and stared at it. The woman had seemed nice enough, but I couldn’t let that influence me. She had been directly involved with Andrew’s death and I needed to get her alone, so we could talk. Someplace without interruptions.

I called the number, and when she didn’t answer, left her a message.

“Hi, it’s Candi. From last night. I’m actually really considering a move to Minnesota and was wondering if you’d have time to show me a few homes in the area? Please call me when you get the chance.”

I left her my new cell phone number, hung up, and then headed back toward the motel. As I was pulling into the parking lot, my phone rang.

“Hey, it’s Peyton. Yeah, I’d love to show you some houses,” she said with a smile in her voice. “Have you talked to a mortgage lender yet?”

“Not yet, but I know my credit is great, so there shouldn’t be a problem getting a loan.”

“I have a broker who can probably get you pre-approved right away. That way if we find something, you can make an offer. I can give you his number if you’d like?”

I paused. Obviously, I wasn’t going to go through with that. An idea came to me. “Thanks, but I do have a friend in the mortgage industry. She’d kill me if I didn’t go to her for my home loan.”

“That’s fine. I understand.”

“Can we still look at some homes before I get my approval letter?”

“Sure. What price range are you thinking?”

Because I’d been going through the home sales earlier, I gave her a price-point that I thought sounded reasonable.

“Okay,” she replied. “Which area are you thinking?”

We discussed location and what I was looking for. Afterward, she asked when I’d want to start looking.

“Tomorrow maybe? I’m getting a tattoo this afternoon and will probably be unavailable all evening.”

“That’s right. With Jayce?”

“Yeah.”

“Tomorrow is fine. When’s a good time for you? I can pick you up.”

Crap.

“Why don’t I meet you? I have some errands I’m going to be doing tomorrow,” I lied. “I should be done around two, though.”

“I have to be home when Ruby gets off the bus. How about five o’clock? Dom should be home by then.”

“Sounds good.”

“If he’s not, I could always bring her with, I suppose,” she said.

I groaned inwardly. Not that I was planning on torturing her for answers, I didn’t need a kid around to distract me. “Yeah, of course.”

“Let me give you our address,” she said.

“Can you text it to me? I don’t have a pen around.”

“Of course.”

We confirmed our plans again and then hung up. A few seconds later, she texted me her address. As I put my phone away, I began to wonder how hard it would be to break into their home.  

My stomach felt queasy at the thought of what I was actually considering.

Murdering a couple in their sleep?

Not to mention they had a child in the next room.

The very idea sounded horrific. Especially if I left the little girl without parents. As bad as they were, they couldn’t be as terrible as the foster system.

Sighing, I decided that if someone would die, it would be Tarot. Hopefully, it wouldn’t come down to it, but I was there for justice. I couldn’t get soft now.