None that she could see, anyway.
She turned in the seat to look back at Eddie. “Would you mind walking me up?”
“Of course not,” he said, then opened his door and got out.
After he came around the front of the car, she climbed out and started along the sidewalk, the pancakes like a rock in her stomach despite the fact that they were the most delicious food she’d eaten in a long time. After the bland food and small portions at Willowbrook, she should have ordered something less heavy, like a turkey sandwich or a bowl of chicken noodle soup. Of course, being anxious didn’t help.
Walking fast, she kept her hand wrapped around the apartment key in her coat pocket. Eddie walked silently beside her, every now and then looking toward the trees or over his shoulder, which only made her more nervous.
When they finally reached the lobby of her apartment building, she relaxed, but only a little. At least they were inside. In the fourth-floor hallway, she put the key in her apartment door, then turned to face him.
“Thanks again,” she said.
“My offer still stands,” he said. “You can stay at my place tonight if it’ll make you feel safer. I’ll bring you back in the morning.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’m okay. You’ve already helped me enough.” She was about to say good night when a door slammed above them and heavy footsteps stomped rapidly down the staircase. In an instant, she had spun around, unlocked the door, and rushed inside, her heart in her throat. Eddie followed her in just as quickly, shutting the door behind him. With trembling hands, she locked the door, slid the deadbolt in place and fastened the chain, then took a step back and stared at the door, waiting for Wayne to break it down.
Out in the hall a man shouted something about leaving and never coming back, then clomped down the next set of stairs. He sounded angry and drunk. Sage glanced at Eddie, relieved and embarrassed.
“Sorry,” she said. “But that scared the shit out of me.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “It rattled me too. Are you sure you want to be here alone? I can stay if you want. On the couch, of course. I promise I’ll leave first thing in the morning. You won’t even know I was here.”
She studied his face. Sincerity filled his eyes, along with genuine concern. Maybe he was right. Maybe she’d feel safer if he stayed. If he slept on the couch, maybe she could get some sleep instead of jumping at every little sound. “Okay,” she said. “But excuse the mess and the smell.”
“I don’t care about that,” he said. “I just want to help if I can.”
In the living room, she cleared away the wrinkled magazines and newspapers from the couch, straightened the cushions, and picked the empty beer cans off the coffee table. “I’ll get you a pillow and blanket,” she said. “You can turn on the radio if you want, and there’s Budweiser in the fridge if you want a beer.”
“No thanks,” he said. “I’ve got to work in the morning.”
“Oh,” she said. “I didn’t realize . . .”
“I clock in at six, so I’ll only be here a few hours. Unless you want me to call in so I can stick around longer.”
She shook her head. “No, I’ll feel better in the morning. I just need a little more sleep.” She put a hand on her abdomen. “And I need to digest all that food.”
He laughed. “Me too. I can check back after work to see how you’re doing, if that’s cool with you.”
She shrugged. “You can try, but I’m not sure I’ll be here.”
“Okay. Do you want me to leave my number in case you need anything?”
“Sure.” She motioned toward an end table, where a notepad and pen sat next to the telephone.
He went over, picked up the notepad, and wrote down his number. “If you do end up leaving, just give me a call to let me know you’re all right, okay?”
She nodded, then started out of the room. “I’ll be right back.” She went down to the kitchen to throw away the empty beer cans, nearly gagging when she opened the garbage lid, then fetched an extra pillow and blanket. Back in the living room, she said, “If you need anything, my room is at the end of the hall on the right, past the kitchen and bathroom.”
He sat on the couch and started taking off his shoes. “Okay. Go get some sleep. I’ll be right here if you need me.”
“Thanks,” she said. “Good night.”
In her bedroom, she closed the door and crawled under the covers, admitting to herself that she was glad she’d allowed Eddie to stay. Even a few hours of sound sleep would be worth him possibly thinking they could be more than acquaintances. Besides, even if she left to stay with one of her friends or somehow found her father, this was far from over. She’d be seeing Eddie again if and when Detective Nolan found Wayne, to testify in court and whatever else they had to do to make him pay.
* * *
The sound of a closing door startled Sage awake. She sat up in bed, her jaw aching from grinding her teeth, and looked at the clock on her bedside table. 5:00 a.m. Outside, darkness pressed against the glass between her curtains. The noise she’d heard was probably Eddie leaving for work. She scrubbed her hands over her face and tried to shake off the remnants of nightmares. Even with Eddie in the living room, sleep hadn’t come easy. And what little rest she had found was assaulted by images of Rosemary’s decayed corpse and Wayne chasing her through the tunnels with a bloody knife. She pulled back the tangerine and lime-green bedcover and got out of bed. If those grisly dreams awaited her every time she closed her eyes, she’d rather stay awake.
After dressing in sweatpants and a bulky sweater, she padded down to the living room. She was right: Eddie was gone. The notepad with his number on it sat on top of the folded blanket, along with a twenty-dollar bill and another note that said:
I hope you’re feeling better. I’ll be back as soon as I get off work. If you don’t want to wait, please call and let me know where you are so I know you’re okay. Sorry I couldn’t leave more cash, it was all I had on me.
She picked up the twenty-dollar bill, guilt coiling beneath her ribs. Eddie had done so much for her. And she still needed his help to get justice for Rosemary. But he wanted something she couldn’t give—a true friendship; maybe more. She’d be forever grateful to him, but she had to leave Willowbrook—and everyone associated with it—behind her as soon as she could. There was no other choice. Not that she blamed him for Rosemary being killed or everything that had happened, and was continuing to happen, in Willowbrook, but he would always remind her of that place, no matter what. And somehow, even if she hurt his feelings, she had to move on, to heal and put this part of her life behind her. Willowbrook would not claim her as another victim.
After putting the money in her makeup bag, she went to Alan’s room to look for the spare apartment key so she’d have it when the super showed up. Then she’d pack and leave. She’d go either to Heather’s place or Dawn’s—she hadn’t decided which—tell them the truth about where she’d been and beg to stay with them for a day or two. If they turned her away, she wasn’t sure what she would do, but she had to be gone before Alan came home. She also needed the extra key to get back in while he was at work so she could pick up more of her things.