Shadow Of Suspicion (Margot Harris 3)

“This is my best friend, Lori.”

“Are you saying she has her own Randy problem?”

“Yes, but it’s worse. She lives with him. It’s more like she’s his prisoner and, while it’s always been bad, this is a big step in the wrong direction. He was careful to be discreet before and keep his punching to her body where she could cover it up. I need someone who can help me get her out of there. When Melanie told me what you did to Randy, you seemed perfect for the job.”

“I can’t force her to leave this guy.”

“You won’t need to. She’ll go willingly, gladly even.”

“So, what do you need me for?”

“She’s a prisoner. He doesn’t let her have a car or a phone. They live out east in a trailer in the middle of nowhere. She could walk away while he’s at work, but there’s nowhere for her to go.”

“So, she needs a ride?”

“More or less.”

“You don’t have a car?”

Gale smiled. “This is where it gets complicated. Back in the day when I met my husband, I introduced my best friend to his brother.”

“The abusive boyfriend is your brother-in-law?”

“Yeah, and while my husband would never do the things to me his brother does to Lori, he has a huge blind spot when it comes to his older brother’s behavior. If I went and got her, he’d be mad at me. He’d probably drive her back himself. Trust me, I’ve talked to him until I’m blue in the face about this. He refuses to see what an abusive asshole his brother is. Which is funny because he thinks he’s an asshole when it comes to just about everything else. Eventually, he’s going to kill Lori and even then my husband will defend him.”

Margot cringed at Gale’s mention of murder because she knew she was probably right. Margot had seen that first hand growing up. It’s the reason she and her sister were essentially orphans. Her dad would never get to breathe free air again and her mom would never get to breathe at all.

“So, you just need somebody to pick her up? And then what?”

“I don’t know, take her to a shelter or something?”

Margot nodded. Gale might have picked her for the wrong reasons, but Margot was good at this. “I know a good place.”

“I had a feeling you would.”

“Okay, this is something I can do.”

“How do I pay you? I think your website said by the day…”

“If you live next to my sister, you’re aren’t exactly rich.”

“No, I’m not, but I think this is only a day’s work, or even a half a day…”

“If this checks out, I’ll do it for free. What I’m going to need is everything you can tell me about Lori and where she lives.”

Margot took notes and asked questions while Gale filled her in on Lori and her brother in law. When she was done, they shook hands.

Before Gale left she said, “It’d be better if you pretended you didn’t know me. As far as my husband or anyone else is concerned, this meeting never happened. Even if it wouldn’t complicate my marriage, Dan isn’t the kind of guy to forgive something like that.”

“Confidentiality is part of the job. I won’t tell if you don’t.”

“Thank you. I would like to know how it all turns out though. Is there a way you can tell me about it? I don’t want details. You don’t even have to tell me where you took her. In fact, it might be better if I didn’t know. I just want to know Lori’s safe.”

“I’ll call you.”

“It might be better if you didn’t. Dan checks my phone.”

Hearing this, Margot wondered if Dan Thompkins might not be that much better than his brother Dave. Maybe Dan wasn’t physically abusive like his brother but checking her phone certainly sounded like controlling behavior.