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“This isn’t the fucking rainforest.”
“How about you let us do our job,” Jeremy said, “and stick to what you do best, okay? No more fights, Andy, I’m serious. For now, we’re sending a cruiser to Bobby’s place to keep an eye out for Dennis. If he shows up anywhere near the place, we’ll take care of him.”
“Whatever,” I sighed. “Can I go?”
Jeremy nodded. I snatched my coat off his desk and stormed out of the station.
The sun had already begun to set, and I had to walk all the way back to the coffee shop where my car was parked. I slid my coat on, zipped it up and braced myself against the wind that had started to pick up. Autumn was coming in, and the weather would start to get colder at night. Which meant if Dennis really was hiding in the woods, he wouldn’t be able to keep it up for long.
The walk cleared my mind, and I began to calm down. My hand began to throb even more, and the pain set in quickly. I contemplated going to the hospital, but quickly dismissed the idea once I had reached my car and was sitting behind the wheel. I took out my phone and dialed Andrea. When she didn’t answer, I tried Bobby.
“Dammit, Andy, I’ve been trying to reach you,” Bobby said when he picked up.
“Yeah, I saw the missed calls,” I replied, turning the key in the ignition and leaning back in the seat, closing my eyes.
“Where are you?”
“At the coffee shop,” I said. “Had a nice chat with the good men in blue.”
“Jeremy?”
“Yeah.”
“He didn’t hit you with a fine, did he?”
“Of course not,” I scoffed. “But they sure as hell are treating this whole thing like it’s nothing.”
“They didn’t get Dennis?”
“No, the bastard skipped before they came,” I said. “Listen, Andrea’s not answering her phone.”
Bobby hesitated before saying, “She’s locked herself in her room. Won’t even talk to me.”
I shifted the car into reverse and pulled out of the parking space. “I’m on my way.”
“No, go home,” Bobby said. “She just needs some time. She’s in shock. By morning she’ll be fine again. I’m thinking of getting her out of Mansfield, maybe driving up to Maine, spend some time with my aunt until we get the divorce process underway.”
I clenched my teeth. The last thing I wanted was for Andrea to leave, but I had little say in the matter. Especially if she agreed with Bobby, which I felt she would after what had happened.
“Andy?”
“I’ll pass by you in the morning,” I said, fighting back the urge to argue with him. If I really did care about Andrea, getting her out of Mansfield was probably the best thing to do. I knew I could convince her to stay, but I couldn’t be selfish and risk her getting hurt. I needed her to be safe.
I hung up, shifted into drive, and made my way home, feeling shittier by the second.
***
I was into my fourth drink when the doorbell rang.
I rushed to the door, fully expecting it to be Andrea and wondering how she had convinced Bobby to drive her here. I opened the door, ready to swoop her into my arms, when I saw Hannah standing there instead.
“What the –”
Hannah quickly raised both hands up, a bottle of Jack Daniels in one and a white handkerchief in the other. She waved the handkerchief lazily. “Truce,” she said. “I’m not here to fight.”
“Then why are you here?”
She dropped her hands and shot me an annoyed glare. “Are you going to leave me out here?”
