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9
A week later, Camille was ready to leave. She packed her bags while Joseph was at work. She had Lily sit on the couch with Emily, not wanting them to go to sleep. She was planning to have them out of the house before their father got home. She’d even arranged for a police escort. She looked out the window, wondering if they would be there soon. She’d gotten a restraining order that day. Everything was going according to plan.
But her plan didn’t account for Joseph getting off early. She heard a car pull up and looked out the window to see if it was the cops. As she recognized the car, her heart stopped.
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Strays 1
“You have the right to remain silent,” Detective Caleb Greene recited his cliché speech with his gun drawn, as the perp was holding a knife. Greene slowly approached, preparing to cuff him. “Anything you say can-” Without warning, the suspect turned and ran, causing Caleb to sigh. Why did they always run? The man made it around the house as Greene took off after him, hesitant to shoot due to the amount of paperwork that would follow if he did. He turned the corner and was caught off guard as a knife lunged at his throat. He swore under his breath, narrowly avoiding the blade and mentally adding “assaulting an officer” t
Strays 2
Caleb dropped a new file on Emma’s desk and she gave it a skeptical look. He grinned. “Don’t worry. This one is for real. We got a tip of a possible drug ring running out of Brooklyn. I got permission for our first stake-out, tonight.”As he was talking, she flipped through the file, looking it over, quickly. “It’s thin. I’m surprised you got approval.”
Strays 3
“I’m just saying, there’s no shame in being nervous,” Caleb told his partner.“And I’m just saying I’m not nervous,” she replied, peering through the camera lens.“First stakeout and all, it’s only natural.” He went on as if he hadn’t heard her. Although they were arguing, their tone was friendly. It was just a way to pass the time.
Strays 4
Caleb found some girls to talk to fairly quickly. He’d dealt with situations like this before and knew just where to look. He smiled, cordially, as he approached the group. Emma elected to stay in the car. Caleb resisted the urge to frown as he realized none of their cake-make-up faces were familiar. It was always harder to get information from girls who didn’t know him. One was wearing a red wig with matching lipstick and gold eye shadow. One had bleach-blonde hair, pink lips and blue eyelids. The third had decided to be a bit bolder with a black wig, lips and eye shadow.“Good afternoon.” He didn’t flash his badge, yet, not wanting
Strays 5
Camille stood, nervously staring at the bus. She was beginning to have doubts, but she knew she couldn’t turn back. It wasn’t heading anywhere exciting. She had chosen a small town in the middle of nowhere. It seemed like a good place for a fresh start.“You’re sure you didn’t forget anything?” Julia looked, doubtfully, at her duffle bag.Camille nodded. “I don’t have much. I got all the clothes I need.” She looked at her. “I’ll be
Strays 6
“You like him for it?” Greene asked his partner as they left the don’s place.Emma shrugged. “Not especially. I don’t see a motive. Of course, we can’t be sure of anything until we get more information.He nodded his agreement. “Shall we move on to Donati, then?”“Might as wel
Strays 7
Camille looked at herself in her borrowed dress. It was red and cinched at the middle, showing off her curves. The skirt flared out a bit and stopped a few inches above the knees. She had carefully lined her eyes in black and added mascara. Her long hair hung loosely, framing her face and falling over her shoulders. She was applying lipstick when she heard a knock.“Wow,” Joseph said when she opened the door to her motel room. “You look beautiful.”She smiled. “You&r
Strays 8
The house was a mess and Camille knew it. Once she got the girls to bed, she started cleaning up, but then remembered she needed to make dinner for Joseph. His meal consisted of some boiled chicken. It wasn’t fancy, but she had worked overtime and couldn’t do much. It had been a few weeks since their fight and she didn’t want another one.She was picking toys off the floor when he came in and she smiled at him. “How was your night?”He rubbed his head. “It was
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