Flee, page 8
“Are you sure?” the woman asked.
Dawn took a closer look at her. She was polished and perfect. Her hair was tied up in a complicated twist. She looked at the car in disgust, like she couldn’t imagine anyone saying that to her.
“I’m fine. Thank you. Enjoy your night.”
The woman pressed her lips into a tight smile and backed away. She went toward the restaurant without glancing backward.
Dawn felt bad for being short with the woman. She was trying to be nice, and Dawn snapped at her.
But Dawn didn’t feel like dealing with it. She didn’t want to have to think about anything. She wanted to revel in her good feeling, her full belly, and her good news.
Too bad someone didn’t want her to do any of those things.
The door handle was coated in paint, but there was no way Dawn could climb across the console separating the driver’s side and the passenger seat. She dug through her handbag, hoping she had something she could use to protect her hand.
Tissue? Too thin. Napkin? Ripped. Paper? Still too thin.
Dawn snickered when she saw her sanitary napkin at the bottom. She tossed it in there when she got her period weeks ago and never used it. But if there was anything that would absorb liquid and not bleed through…
She unwrapped it, laughing at the wings flapping in the light breeze. Dawn stuck the pad to her hand, shrugging before she grabbed the door handle and lifted it.
She pulled the car door open, doing her best to avoid brushing against the paint. Dawn fell into the seat, reaching to close the door.
She shook her head and peeled the pad from her hand, wrapping it back in the packaging, then stuffing it in the cupholder. Her hand was free of paint.
It felt like a victory. One point for Dawn, zero for Trevor. Unless you counted the word painted on the side of her car for all to see.
Maybe she could use some of that money she just inherited to buy a new car. One that didn’t tell everyone she was a bitch.
Dawn smiled to herself. Good idea.
8
Gage’s phone rang Thursday morning just as he took a sip of his coffee. “Good morning, Betsy. Are you here?” He was already up and out of his seat, ready to meet her in the parking lot.
“Mr. Stevens, this is Albert.”
Gage’s stomach sank. “Albert. Is Betsy okay?”
“No, sir, I’m afraid she’s not. There was a man waiting outside our home for her this morning.”
“Where are you? Where is she?”
“She’s home. She’s fine. He scared her more than anything, but she’s pretty shaken up. I heard her shout and came out. The man ran off.”
“Did you call the police?”
“No. Betsy doesn’t want to make a fuss.”
Gage almost chuckled at the word. He could hear the frustration in Albert’s voice and understood it more than he knew. “Albert, may I come to your home? I know that’s an invasion, but I would like to ask the police captain to join me and speak to you and Betsy.”
Albert was quiet for a moment, either weighing the choice or trying to convince Betsy. “I’m not sure how she’ll feel about that.”
“Albert, we believe we know who is behind all of this. Captain Patrick has been working on a case to bring him in. This will help.”
“She didn’t see his face.”
“That’s okay. I’d still like her to report it.”
“Okay, Mr. Stevens. I will watch for you. I’d also like to ask if Betsy can take some time off.”
“Yes, of course. I told her she could when all of this began. As much as she wants or needs, and I will cover her full salary until she feels safe returning to work.”
“Thank you, Mr. Stevens.”
“I’m sorry this is happening, Albert. I’ll see you soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gage hung up and immediately called Marcus. He relayed all the information he knew, and Marcus agreed to meet him at Betsy and Albert’s house in fifteen minutes.
Gage locked up the office and shook his head as he got in his SUV. He shouldn’t have been surprised, but it pissed him off Trevor went after Betsy. She was an innocent woman with no stake in anything happening. She didn’t do anything wrong. But Trevor didn’t see reason.
The city roads turned to more residential before Gage pulled over in front of Betsy and Albert’s house. It was a small cottage, one they moved into after their kids had outgrown their previous home and the two of them were left with more space than they wanted to maintain.
The neighborhood was nice and the people were friendly, according to what Betsy said. There was no doubt the person who was waiting for Betsy was Trevor. Not to Gage.
Marcus pulled up behind Gage, and both men got out. They shook hands before turning to the house without a word. Marcus’s face was set in the same grim lines Gage knew were on his own, and they both radiated frustration.
Albert opened the door as they approached. Gage made the introductions and let Marcus walk inside ahead of him.
“I’m so sorry about this,” Gage said to Albert. They were in the entryway of the house, without Betsy.
Albert shook his head. “Not your fault. Betsy explained the situation to me. I should have walked her out.”
“You shouldn’t have had to,” Marcus said. “But it’s good you were here.”
Albert nodded to Marcus. “I don’t want to think about what would have happened if I hadn’t heard her.”
“It’s best if we make a plan to avoid this happening again,” Marcus said.
“Where’s Betsy?” Gage asked.
“In the kitchen. She needed to busy herself. Nervous energy. She’s baking,” Albert said with a wry grin.
Gage groaned and rubbed his stomach. “If I’d known that, I would have been here sooner.”
Marcus raised his brows and fell into line behind the Albert and Gage.
The scent of dough and the sweetness of something else met Gage halfway down the hallway to the kitchen. Betsy was a sensational baker, and Gage had benefited from her talents many times over the years she’d worked for him. But fresh out of the oven was a whole different form of delicious.
“Mr. Stevens and Captain Patrick are here,” Albert announced as he made his way into the kitchen first.
Gage made his way straight to the woman he considered family and hugged her. “I’m so sorry,” he said.
Betsy hugged him back, her trembling frame telling Gage she had more than nervous energy inside her. Fear was still there, too. “You didn’t have to come.”
“Well, Albert didn’t mention you were baking. If he had, I would have pushed harder for an invitation,” Gage teased.
Betsy laughed and swatted Gage. She turned to Marcus and wiped her hands on her apron. “Captain Patrick. I apologize for the state of my home.”
“Nothing to apologize for, ma’am. I wish we were seeing each other under better circumstances.”
“Me, too.”
“Tell them what happened, Betsy,” Albert encouraged.
Betsy looked flustered with all the attention, and the memory of what she’d been through. “I wasn’t paying attention. I should have been. I got to my car, and he came up behind me.”
“Take your time,” Marcus said when Betsy paused.
Betsy drew a shaky breath and nodded. “He had a knife. He pushed me against the car and said if I didn’t tell him who was named on Mr. Davis’s will, he would kill me.”
Gage exchanged a glance with Marcus. It was what Gage thought. Definitely Trevor, or someone Trevor paid to intimidate Betsy.
“What did you tell him?” Marcus asked.
“I didn’t tell him anything. I screamed when he grabbed me, and Albert came running out.”
“The man was close to her, his body on top of her, pressing her into the side of the car. I shouted at him to get away, and he looked up and saw me, then took off,” Albert provided.
Marcus nodded. Gage inhaled sharply. It could have been so much worse.
“Were either of you able to see anything that could tell us something about the man? Color of his skin, eyes, if he had an accent? Any tattoos or scars on visible skin?”
“His eyes were brown. He was white, but his skin was darker than mine or Albert’s. He wore a black mask that was pulled all the way down to his neck, so I couldn’t see anything else,” Betsy said.
Marcus nodded and looked at Albert. “Did you see the man?”
Albert shook his head. “I was too far away to get a good look at him.”
“And you don’t have a doorbell camera or anything like that, do you?” Marcus asked.
Albert and Betsy both shook their heads.
“It’s a safe neighborhood. We never thought we’d need something like that,” Albert said.
“You shouldn’t. No one should. We should all be allowed to live a safe life and not worry about someone coming onto our property and threatening us. Unfortunately, Trevor Davis doesn’t play by the rules,” Marcus said with a regretful shake of his head.
“What should we do?” Betsy whispered.
Marcus looked at all of them in the room, meeting everyone’s gaze before he spoke. “If you’re able, I’d get out of town for a little while. He’s only interested in the woman who was given what he believes is his. He’s not interested in you, but he’s willing to hurt you to find out.”
“That poor woman,” Betsy said. “What is he going to do to her when he finds out who she is?”
Gage shook his head. He’d been wondering the same thing.
“There is a team looking into this whole situation. If you’re willing, I’d like to provide the two of you with protection, at least until you’re out of town,” Marcus said.
Albert and Betsy exchanged a look. Albert’s was one of worry for the woman he’d loved his entire life. Betsy’s was one of fear with a hint of determination.
“That would be nice. Thank you, Captain,” Albert said.
“The last thing we want is for Trevor Davis and the other people we believe he’s involved with to harm anyone else. Too many lives have been lost because of them,” Marcus said.
“Mr. Stevens…” Betsy began.
Gage stepped forward and shook his head. “Do not say anything about work. I told you before that I was willing to pay you to be gone as long as you felt necessary.”
Betsy nodded, ducking her head in thanks. “Thank you, Gage.”
“You’re welcome, Betsy. I want you safe. Both of you.”
“Are you going to be okay?” Betsy asked.
“I have the security systems at my house and the office. I’ll probably change my routines. But just like you, Trevor only wants to know who his target needs to be. He’s not interested in me.”
“Dawn is such a nice lady. I hate to think he’s going to go after her.”
“He will,” Marcus said. “If she’s standing between him and what he believes belongs to him, he will. But we’re working on stopping him for good. Putting an end to what he’s done in our city.”
“That would be the best thing possible,” Albert said.
Marcus nodded. “I agree.”
Dawn parked in the parking lot outside the headquarters for Davis Developments and looked up at the impressive building. Known for their innovative and environmentally friendly designs, the building in front of her showed that same creativity while also being beautiful.
Dawn did some research into the company over the last week, hoping she would learn more about it before she had to act like she had any idea what was going on, but she was wholly unprepared. She didn’t know much of anything about construction and even less about business.
But Mr. Davis believed in her, so she was going to try.
Dawn opened the front door and was greeted by a friendly man with a warm smile. He was young, maybe mid-twenties, and well-dressed. His dark skin was a shade darker than Gage’s. His eyes held the same kindness.
“May I help you?” he asked. He was positioned behind a desk with a secured gate next to him and no way inside without going through him.
“Yes, hi. I am supposed to meet with Tabitha today.”
The man nodded. “Dawn Patterson? I just need to see some ID.”
Dawn retrieved her wallet and handed over her license. She was impressed and a little surprised at the security, but she suspected the projects they worked on had to be kept quiet. Or at least not wide open to whoever wanted to walk in and see what they were doing.
“Thank you, Ms. Patterson. I’ll let Tabitha know you’re here. You can have a seat for a moment. There’s coffee, water, and snacks if you’d like to grab something.”
“Thank you.” Dawn turned to the reception area the man indicated and helped herself to a small bottle of water. She carried it while she looked at the photographs on display. Buildings around the area that Davis Developments had built. Community centers, large homes, hotels, and campuses used for anything from colleges and universities to large corporations.
“Ms. Patterson,” a husky voice said from behind Dawn.
Dawn turned and smiled. “Please, call me Dawn.”
“Dawn. Nice to meet you. I’m Tabitha.” Tabitha extended her hand and shook Dawn’s with a firm grip. Her smile was kind but guarded. She was tall, well over Dawn’s five-five, with brown hair pulled back from her face in a low knot. She wore pressed pants and a bright blue button-down shirt that shimmered with her movements.
“Nice to meet you. Thank you for allowing me to come by today.”
Tabitha’s smile tightened. “I have to say I’m not sure I had an option.”
Dawn was a little taken aback by the other woman’s words. Her shock must have shown on her face, and Tabitha hurried to continue.
“Forgive me, but as my boss, I don’t have the option to tell you no.”
Dawn understood the thought, but she wasn’t there to exact her superiority. She was there to learn about the company and see if she could help, then decide what path she intended to take. “I hope you’ll learn that I’d rather have someone who is willing to tell me no than someone who will say yes because it’s what they believe I want to hear.”
Tabitha regarded Dawn carefully, then nodded. “I can respect that. Shall we go to my office?”
Dawn nodded and let Tabitha lead the way.
Tabitha didn’t speak on the walk past the reception desk and down the hallway to the right. Dawn took the time to look at the additional pictures and to study the woman she was following.
Tabitha appeared to be a little older than Dawn. She was clearly put together, but her nails were worn like she knew her way around a tool bag. If Dawn had to guess, Tabitha earned her position by working her way up and Mr. Davis trusted her to run the company because of her wealth of knowledge.
Tabitha stopped at a door and retrieved a key from her pocket. She unlocked it, then pushed the door open for Dawn to go in ahead of her.
It was a large corner office with glass on two walls. The view outside the window overlooked the Niagara Gorge and beyond to Canada. It was definitely a position of power.
“Feel free to have a seat, Dawn,” Tabitha said, gesturing to the small table near the windows.
Dawn sat, studying Tabitha as she joined Dawn. Dawn wasn’t sure what the other woman thought of her being there, or of her taking over. Dawn wanted to learn but not push anyone out.
“I’m sorry for your loss,” Tabitha said after a moment. “Mr. Davis was a good man.”
Dawn nodded, smiling. “He was. And thank you, although he wasn’t my family.”
Tabitha’s face showcased her surprise. “I assumed you were a relative.”
Dawn shook her head. “I worked in the care facility where he lived for the last year. We became friends, I guess you could say. He was very kind to me, and he was my favorite patient.”
“Friends?”
Dawn chuckled at the expression on Tabitha’s face. “Just friends, I assure you. He never told me about any of this, so I question things.”
“What do you mean?”
Dawn shrugged. “I told him a lot about my personal life. He asked, and I trusted him. I talked to him about my family and my past. But I had no idea he owned this company or his properties or… much of anything about his family. He told me his wife died years ago, and he lost his oldest son, and his younger son wasn’t someone he was close to, not that I blame him, but there’s just… Sorry. I didn’t mean to unload all of this on you.”
Tabitha smiled. “It makes me feel better, actually. His son is…”
“A creep?” Dawn provided.
Tabitha chuckled. “That’ll work.” She sobered. “He’s also cruel and possibly dangerous.”
Dawn nodded. “I’ve learned that, too.”
“Trevor threatened me when I took over for Robert. When Robert fell and went to Angel’s Grove, I was already running most things, but Robert pulled back even more. Trevor showed up at one of our job sites one day and told me if I tried to stand in his way, he’d make sure I was no longer standing.”
Dawn gasped. “What did you do?”
Tabitha shrugged. “I told Robert I would leave the company if he didn’t keep Trevor away from me and everything this company was involved with.”
Dawn’s brows shot up. “Did it work?”
Tabitha nodded. “I think so. I never saw Trevor at another job site, and he doesn’t ever come here. But without Robert around, I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’ll be the one he’s after.” Dawn shivered at the thought. She couldn’t avoid it when she got in her car that morning and made sure she parked where the moniker he gave her wouldn’t be seen by anyone unless they intentionally went to that side of her car.
“It doesn’t make me feel better. Trevor worries me. I’m a single mom. I have a teenage son and my ex isn’t around, so it’s just us.”
“I have a teenager daughter,” Dawn said. “But she lives with her dad because I made some mistakes.”
“We’ve all made mistakes. What matters is how we choose to live after our mistakes.”
“Mr. Davis used to tell me something similar.”
Tabitha smiled. “Who do you think I got it from? He was a good man. I considered him a friend, too.”
