Shelley
debated answering. It was most likely one of Blue’s relative, who could leave a
message on the machine.
On the third ring she pushed the
door shut and ran into the phone. She caught it just before the machine was
activated, her voice breathless when she answered.
“Hello?” She spoke more briskly.
“Ms. Mathews?” the familiar voice
wasw soft and frightened.
“Brithany?” A chill swept down
Shelley’s back.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
“Where are you?”
“My mom’s. I need help.”
Shelley’s heart thudded. “Are you
hurt?”
She hesitated and Shelley knew she
was. “I’m scared. Ms. Mathews. She’s really mad at me. She locked me in, and I think she went
to get a gun. I think she’s going to kill me.”
“Can you call a police?”
“No! I’m not supposed to be here.”
Her voice rose hysterically. “They put me into a group home or something!”
There was no sense arguing with her
now, “All right, clam down. Where’s your mother’s house?”
Bethany
give her the name of a road in Wetherford, “It’s green and white house, third
one on the right. Please hurry.”
“I am
coming, Bethany.”
“Please.”
She hung up with soft click.
Dear God. Shelley thought, this is why
I have to leave this place. I can’t deal with this. What am I going to do if
Betany’s mother really does try to kill her?
Rage surfaced suddenly through her fear, and she know she
want to stop Vivian Garreaux from hurting Bethany again as much as she’d ever
wanted anything in her life. How dare a woman treat her daughter this way? How
dare she?
