“What’s your take on him?” Ty asked.
“I don’t know too much. I’ve kept tabs on him and the locals keep me up to date occasionally. Professional courtesy. Guy’s in his sixties and not the strapping, healthy, TV-commercial sixties. More like the ‘my liver’s failing and I smoke two packs a day’ sixties. But there’s something dark about this guy. My gut tells me he’s trouble, only I don’t got the proof. I need something on him that’ll get the key thrown away. I’m concerned we won’t have that something until he’s out and pulls some shit on Harper.”
“That’s not an option,” Luke growled.
“In this case, I agree with the dumbass. But I got nothing on the creep right now.”
Something shimmered at the edge of Luke’s consciousness and slowly started to take shape. “He’s in Sussex, right?” Luke asked.
“Yeah, been there his whole sentence.”
“Ty, where was Glenn serving time?”
“Son of a bitch.” Ty’s fingers flew over his keyboard. “Overcrowding in county and a repeat offender? Yeah.”
“You got something?”
“A few months back, a local guy awaiting trial in Sussex — assault and battery, domestic — gets out on bail and shows up at Harper’s house with a very large sharp knife and tries to tear the place apart. Harper and the girls took him down. We thought he was there for the girlfriend and the rest of them were just collateral.”
“God damn that girl. She never mentioned a B and E. You thinking he knew Perry?”
“I’m thinking we should have a talk with Glenn.”
“Mind if I tag along?” Rameson asked.
“Counting on it, detective,”
***
Harper pulled the car over next to the curb and dropped her head against her seat. She closed her eyes and willed her heart rate to slow. The phone call from Melissa had rattled her when she was already feeling vulnerable.
When they met, Melissa was a rookie beat cop and Harper was a scared twelve-year-old. Academy-fresh Officer Rameson, with her immaculate uniform and scary perfect bun, had sealed their friendship with a hot chocolate and her straight out of Jersey accent.
Things were a little different now. Melissa had made detective in Baltimore a few years back and Harper was anything but a scared kid. But their dynamic hadn’t changed much. Melissa still looked out for her no matter how much the adult Harper protested. Together, they attended every parole hearing and testified, facing the monster. Clive Perry had never made parole.
In twelve years, he had laid nothing but his gaze on Harper. He witnessed her growing stronger while she watched his slow descent into frailty. He wasn’t a physical threat to her anymore, she felt sure of that. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t still do harm.
Would he target her, or someone she loved? Or was it all a game? Maybe he would decide to make the best of his freedom and ...
What? He was a bitter, warped old man. There was no remorse, no hope for the future. He would die having lived his entire life in hate and pain.
A life wasted.
Well, she wouldn’t waste hers. And she wouldn’t bring danger to the people she cared about. She would pick up and move on. Fremont wasn’t an option at this point. He could find her there and with her, Hannah.
Maybe she would head east. Find a cozy beach town and stay for a few months. It wasn’t much, but it was a plan. She wasn’t ready to go back to Joni’s yet. Harper eyed her gym bag on the passenger seat. She could hop on a treadmill at the gym until she was ready to laugh at everything.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
A run on the treadmill led to half an hour of circuit work and then a quick shower. By the time she got back to Joni’s, it was already dark and she was exhausted. Lights glowed through the frosted windows, beckoning her tired body.
Harper let herself in the front door and sniffed the air and followed her nose back to the kitchen. “What is that amazing smell?”
Joni looked up from the pot she was tending on the stove and grinned. “Oh, just my Grandma’s chicken corn soup with fresh biscuits. Grab a bowl,” she said pointing at the kitchen island where two soup bowls waited to be filled.
“If it tastes half as good as it smells, I might just cry.”
“That’s all right and then you can tell me how it was Luke delivering your groceries here and then moping around when he found out you weren’t here.”
“Oh my God, the groceries!” Harper clapped a hand to her forehead. “I walked right out without them!”
“Not to worry. They were delivered personally by Luke, who also dropped off your coat and some sweaters. He kept muttering about it being winter and you running around with no clothes.”