Red Rum: A Rosie Casket Mystery R.M. Wild (inspirational books .txt) 📖

the cops arrive, they’re going to arrest you.”

He pushed open the doors and guided me through. The night had cooled and the stars were twinkling faintly between the links in the fence. The cool night was a balm to my stinging face, but I didn’t deserve it. Right now, my burning cheeks were the only connection I still had with Matt Mettle. He had suffered way worse than anything I could ever imagine and I had no right to seek relief.

I slapped my face to make it sting more.

“What are you doing? Stop it,” Kendall said. He opened his car door for me and guided me into the bucket of the passenger seat the same way the cops had helped Mettle climb into the backseat of their cruiser.

“Where are we going?”

“Someplace safe,” Kendall said. He ran around the hood of the Mercedes and climbed into the driver’s seat and reversed from the parking spot. He zipped past God, giving a blast of air that ruffled the tiny shrubs on the side of the guard booth.

“Where?”

“I promise you this very minute the warden is on the phone with the state police. The cops are going to get a quick warrant and they’re going to come after you. Despite his recent missteps, Mettle was one of their own. They’re not going to take this lightly. If you’ve never seen the wrath of an angry police force, brace yourself. They’re like fire ants on a picnic blanket. We need to get as far away from Dark Haven as possible.”

In the other lane, an ambulance roared past us.

“But what if Matt is still alive?”

“He’s not. I saw him fall to the floor. Phyllis and Dimitri didn’t last two minutes.”

I brushed the hair out of my face.

“I’m sorry for being so blunt. I saw the footage online. Nobody could have survived a blast like that.”

I sniffled, all the stress catching up with me. “Take me back to my inn. I want to be alone.”

“Can’t do it,” Kendall said. “They’ll arrest you.”

“I don’t care. Let them! I don’t care about anything anymore.”

“You can’t go to prison. If you’re right about Roman Caesar, then he’ll come after you. He’ll have easy access to you when you’re behind bars,” Kendall said. “But I have a place. A cabin. You’ll be safe.”

I closed my eyes. My face stung something fierce. The ride was so smooth, it felt as if I were floating, right through the groping tentacles of a fire.

I grabbed my handbag from the floor and pulled out my phone.

“Who are you calling?”

“Stanley Eldritch.”

“Don’t call anyone.”

“I need him to look after my inn while I’m gone.”

Kendall squeezed the wheel. “Okay, fine, but don’t tell him anything. Don’t tell him what happened and don’t tell him where you’re going. Can you trust him?”

“Yes,” I said.

I dialed the number at Eldritch’s apartment and he picked up on the third ring.

“Ayuh? Who’s this?”

“It’s me, Rosie. I need to ask you a favor.”

“Anything.”

I glanced at Kendall. “Can you look after the inn for a few days?”

“Why? Is something wrong?”

Kendall made a slicing motion across his throat as if to say, Cut off the conversation.

“No, nothing’s wrong,” I said. “Nothing at all.”

“Your voice is shaking, Red.”

“I’m fine. It’s just the wind. I’m in the car.”

“Whose car? Where are you going?”

Kendall squeezed the wheel, his eyes bulging like someone was squeezing the back of his head.

“I’m just—I need to get away for a little bit. I need to recharge my batteries. I need to go someplace to get away from all those nasty comments.”

“That’s probably a good idea. Be safe, Red. Get some rest. I’ll take care of your place.”

“I will. I’ll see you in a few days,” I said and hung up.

Kendall exhaled. “I swear. You’ve got me on pins and needles here. It is never a dull moment with you.”

We drove on, the white-blue headlights boring through the darkness of the highway, the ride as smooth and pothole free as a cruise on calm seas.

I was in good hands, I told myself. I could trust him.

I could.

31

Without the moon, the road and the surrounding forests were too dark to provide any clues about our destination. Every time we approached a road sign, we whipped by it so fast, the letters were a blur before I could wipe the tears from my eyes long enough to read it.

Grief sat heavy in my face, on my head, in my shoulders, and I felt like I was sinking deep into the rich upholstery. With every passing headlight, I caught glimpses of myself in the dark reflection in the windows. My face was as red as my hair, my eyes sunken as deep as if all the skin had burned off my cheeks.

“We need to stop so I can get a change of clothes,” I said.

“No time,” Kendall said.

I’d be stuck in the same jeans and sweater indefinitely. “Can we at least stop at a Walmart or something? I need a toothbrush.”

“Can’t do it.”

“I also need some lady things.”

Kendall sighed. “I’ve got some clothes at the cabin. Once we’re there, I can make a run for whatever else you need. But right now, we need to get you off the road. At any time, one of these passing cars could be a state trooper. If he runs my tags, we’re done for, me included for hiding you away.”

“You’re a good friend,” I mumbled, my eyes heavy. “Thank you.”

I wanted to sleep away the grief, to not wake up for weeks and weeks, not until the black ball of lead in my stomach had dissipated. I expected once we were at this cabin or wherever we were going, I’d have a good cry, but at the moment, I was numb and heavy.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Kendall said. “This mess has just begun.”

We had been on the road for over an hour. I thought maybe we were traveling north, but thanks to living under the smog in New York, my skills with celestial navigation were a