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Leah shrugged “Dog, if you got to knowI write down all the crazy details of ”
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sp; The dog cocked her head
She knelt down and rubbed the dog between the ears The dog licked her face and she laughed Mo to cut Philip froo back in tih so that their firstnever took place She wished
Leah rose and guided the dog back in the front door, welco the heat She took Charlie back to her crate, filled her food and water bowls, and patted her on the head before she closed the crate
She spent the next half hour exa nicely
It was after six by the end of her shift Gail had closed the front office, shut off the lights, and locked the front door Alone in the clinic, Leah shoved aside a feeling of unease Her skin prickled and her belly tightened, as if so from the shadows, like Philip used to do
She went into her office, checked her cell phone, and immediately noticed she’d received a voice led as she checked theher teeth “I’ve been traveling and just got your voice ation was an open-and-shut case We have no reason to reopen it I received an inquiry froain, we ruled this an open-and-shut case”
Leah waited, expecting a “Call me if you need more information” or “I’m here to answer your questions” Neither cas to do than answer her questions
Leah sat down in her darkened office and replayed the h her as she tried to iine, if Philip were alive, where he would be If he’d been alive these last four years, she’d had no sign of hi her The creepy, tingling kind of feeling she used to get when he stalked her had returned a couple of weeks ago, but she’d chalked it up to nerves, a new home, even the New Year’s resolutions that forced her out of her comfort zone There’d been plenty of reasons for it not to be Philip
Unable to sit, she rose and grabbed her coat and purse Keys in hand, she left by the back door, which locked behind her She crossed the parking lot, glancing into the deep, dark shadows and the backseat of her car before she slid inside, and inition and started driving The idea of going hoered ht lights and people
She parked in a well-lit spot and hurried through the cold She entered through the food court and was i over a pizza and Cokes Near theets, while several tables over, an elderly couple ate Chinese food
The noroing on with their lives, unaware that monsters like Philip Latimer lived in their world A part of her wanted to screa with her sanity and ht But to behave like a crazy person noould do her no good She held her silence
She moved to a vendor and ordered a hot tea and a cookie After paying for both, she chose a seat backed up against a wall in the center of the food court She sipped her tea, watching a young couple saunter past Their hands were linked, and the girl leaned into the boy as if she drew energy froirl’s bare arms, neck, and face for bruises When she saw none, her utter cynicis and thinking, and in the blink of one conversation, she’d regressed four years
She reached in her purse and pulled out her journal Carefully, she began to detail the day She recorded the incident with Tyler Radcliff and Alex, and of course the latter’s theory about Philip The craving for a cigarette rose up in her, so sharp and strong she wondered if there was a drugstore nearby She caught herself before she went hunting for one
Philip, you’re not going to keep ruining my life You’re not
Curling and flexing her fingers, she reached for her phone and dialed the South Carolina detective’s nu when it caured she’d earned the right Though the one-hour time difference between Nashville and Greenville ensured she wouldn’t reach a live person, sheat a voiceand she waited for the away e and the beep, she said, “This is Leah Carson I dropped the Lati regarding Philip Latimer’s case I would like to discuss the details of his accident So giveor I’ll be contacting your supervisor” She hung up, her face flushed with frustration and a bit of worry over her tone
Leah rose, slung her purse over her shoulder, and grabbed her tea and cookie But instead of heading hoht away, she headed toward the crowds
“Leah Carson”
Leah stiffened just for a an standing just feet from her “Alex”
“What brings you here?”
“Just grabbing a bite to eat” She found herself s home You don’t strike me as a mall rat”
“God, no I co fro shoes”
“Plausible, but I don’t buy it”
“Why not?”
“I’ve been stalked before I’ person”
His gaze held steady “Shoes really don’t last long when you’re training A few ns of Tyler Radcliff?”
“No No signs I’rief”
“Anything else catch your attention?”
“Youback to stalk me?”
“Exactly”
If she weren’t so scared, she’d laugh “No And he wouldn’t be that careless He was clever and kne to turn up the heat without it blowing back on him”