On her drive home that night, Celia remembered she needed groceries, so she pulled into the grocery store lot and parked near the entrance, already making a quick list in her head. Milk. Coffee. Something easy for dinner; she was still good on wine, thanks to Garrett. She had one hand on the cart corral when a red truck rolled into the far edge of the lot.
Celia went still. The truck was too far away to make out the driver, but the shape of it—the battered hood, the dull red paint, the way it idled like it was waiting to pounce—was all too familiar.
For one second, she told herself to walk inside, find people, call someone. Panic beat logic to the surface. Instead, Celia ran back to her car, slammed the door, and tore out of the space, headed in the truck's direction. The red truck lurched forward the instant she moved. It shot across the lot and blew through a red light at the intersection. By the time Celia reached the exit, it was gone. She sat there with both hands locked on the wheel, staring at traffic as the thought settled cold and certain in her chest: whoever was driving had run because she had seen them.
Holy shit! What the hell?
Abandoning her shopping, she sped away from the store in a panic. Her hands were shaking, and her breathing came in short, labored bursts. Not knowing what to do or where to go, she found a secluded side street and parked, looking behind her every three seconds to be sure Rod wasn't following.
What if he followed me home and knows where I live? Has to be that damn LinkedIn profile. Should I go to the police?
She started to cry.
There was just no possible way for Rod to find her, not without knowing her new name or at least where she was working.
Nobody knows... Except... Holy shit, Josie!
Her face went white.
Celia said out loud, "She wouldn't do that, not on purpose."
Damn, but I don't remember telling her not to say anything.
Just to be sure, Celia pulled out her phone and called Josie right then and there.
She answered on the first ring. "Celia! How you doing, girl? I miss your face so much!" she shrieked, excited to hear from her friend.
The warm, familiar voice made her smile. "Ahh, it's so good to hear your voice. I miss you too. You are gonna have to come visit for a girls' weekend in Austin!"
Josie squealed, "It's a date!" Another chuckle escaped. "So, what's up, buttercup?"
Celia steadied herself, calming her voice as much as she could.
"Hey, I got something I need to ask. I just want you to know, though, it's okay, whatever the answer is. I just gotta know," she tried to set the scene so Josie would know she wasn't mad. "I was wondering if you'd seen Rod lately?"
Josie let out a groan of disgust. "Rod? No, I haven't seen him since that night you were in here. I don't know what went on in the parking lot, but he was a total asshole when he came back in. Yelling and screaming and shit. I had to throw them out."
Celia could imagine it too well.
"At any time, did you happen to mention that I moved to Austin and changed my name?" Celia asked.
Josie paused. Celia could hear her tongue clicking as she thought. Then she said, "He called me a few choice names and really pissed me off. And that girl, the chunky one, she knew your new name but couldn't remember it. Thought it was Chastity. Isn't that hysterical? I just had to correct her to let her know who your real bestie is."
Celia sucked in a deep breath and let it out with a whistle of doom. "Shit."
Josie started talking faster. "Oh fuck... Don't tell me. He didn't know?"
"No, he didn't. But that's okay. You didn't know that." Celia reassured her friend. "Did he ask about my friends?" Celia needed to know how much he discovered.
Josie thought for a second and said, "Not that I remember. There was this gal, though, about a month ago. Came in alone and said she used to work with you. I don't remember her name, dammit."
Celia bit her lower lip, anticipating the answer to her next question. "What did you tell her?"
Celia heard Josie let out a pain-filled sigh. "Ah shit, Celia, I told her your name. She didn't know you at first, but when I said you used to be Valerie, she jumped all over it. Said you used to work together at that license place."
Celia's stomach dropped. There it was. The loose thread that someone had pulled until her old life reached all the way into the new one.
Celia had all the answers she needed. "Shit, okay, Josie, look, I don't know who that was, but if she comes back, don't talk to her. If she asks, we haven't talked. Okay?"
"Shit, did I fuck up, Cel? Is Rod after you?"
"I don't know for sure, but this answers a ton of questions." Celia heard Josie start to choke up. "Hey, don't worry about it; you didn't know. Just promise me you'll be careful. And let me know when you can come visit! I have some cool new friends that I think you'll really like. I love you, girl. It's okay."
Celia had to hang up. She didn't want to get mad at Josie; she hadn't known, but that didn't change the damage.
So, he knows my name. That means he could find me online.
"Damn, what do I do now?"
Just then, Celia received a text.
"Siri, open text," she said to her phone, her voice wavering. The text message appeared on her dashboard as Siri read it aloud.
"Parker said, 'Hey, gang. HH on Saturday. I've got the kid on Sunday. Meet up at Cord's at 10.'"
It took her a second to focus on the text. She'd said that she'd go with them, but the experience seemed unclear in her current frame of mind. Then, Celia remembered that Flynn worked at the DA's office.
She'd be the perfect person to talk to. She'd know what to do.
Siri asked, "Do you want to reply?"
"Yes, reply to all. Looking forward to it. Skylar, can you ride with me to Cord's? Siri, send."
Carefully checking her surroundings, Celia pulled a U-turn and headed home in the most roundabout way that she could.