BooksBarbecue
Back The Runaway
Chapters (80)
  1. Cover
  2. TITLES BY NICK PETRIE
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. 67
  72. 68
  73. 69
  74. 70
  75. 71
  76. 72
  77. 73
  78. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  79. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  80. What’s next onyour reading list?

She laughed. “Roy, you could have locked her in the closet. My aunt, too.” She let the silence thicken, then softly said, “You wanted to kill her. That’s how it is with you, isn’t it? That’s what you like best.”

He looked at her then, his face suddenly naked as a newborn’s. She knew she had seen something inside him, something deeply private, that he’d never allowed anyone else to see. There was power in that intimacy, she thought.

She put her hand on his upper thigh, ran her fingernails lightly across his groin. The damp spot had not yet dried. “I’m not offended, Roy. It’s not like you’re cheating on me. You’re my husband. If that’s what you like best, well, maybe I can help.”

She was still a prisoner, she thought. But she wasn’t going to run. She was going to thrive.

After all, she’d told Roy the truth about at least one thing.

She’d had a revelation.

There really was no reason why she shouldn’t have everything she desired.

It was up to her. It had always only ever been up to her.

63

PETER

Peter and June went through the house, wiping fingerprints from the few things they had touched, then left by the back door and walked up the driveway toward the car.

Peter’s knee ached badly. He tried not to limp, but June knew him too well. “The hospital is our next stop,” she said.

“No problem. You can lie to Campbell on the way.”

“You think he’d really arrest you for obstruction of justice?”

“Let’s not make it too easy,” Peter said. “I want to make him work for it.”

He got behind the wheel and June put her phone on speaker. “Agent Campbell,” she said. “June Cassidy. Any progress?”

“We’re putting their lives under a microscope, but we’re not finding much. Roy Wiley and Frank Seavers appear to be very smart and very careful. I’m hoping we get some help from the public.”

“That’s why I’m calling,” June said. “I got a last name for Helene. It’s Johansen, and she’s from Valley County, Montana. I’ll send you an email with the details.”

“Thank you,” Campbell said. “Do I want to know how you figured that out?”

“I’m good at my job,” June said. “There’s more. Helene’s great-aunt lives in Brandon, Minnesota, east of Sioux Falls. She didn’t show up at work today and she’s not answering her phone. Her assistant, Beth, went looking for her a couple of hours ago. Now the assistant’s not answering her phone, either.”

“I guess you are good at your job,” Campbell said. “I’m grateful. I know the Brandon chief of police. I’ll get him to send a few units.”

They hung up and June made another call, also on speaker.