Chapter 10
The morning sun was just beginning to burn off the morning mist as Evelyn pulled the unmarked sedan up to the entrance of the women’s shelter. Chloe was waiting by the front doors, wearing a simple denim jacket and comfortable travel pants, holding a single canvas duffel bag in one hand and the baby carrier containing a sleeping Lily in the other.
Evelyn stepped out of the car, walking quickly over to take the heavy duffel bag and place it in the trunk.
“You didn’t have to come pick us up yourself, Officer Vance,” Chloe said, smiling warmly as she secured the baby carrier in the back seat.
“Call me Evelyn, please,” the officer replied, opening the rear door to ensure Lily was buckled in securely. “And yes, I did. I wanted to see this chapter through to the end. Besides, airport traffic on a Tuesday morning is brutal; you need an escort with lights and sirens if you want to make your boarding time.”
Chloe laughed, a light, carefree sound that seemed entirely at odds with the terrified young woman Evelyn had met on the scorching asphalt just days earlier. “I think we can skip the sirens. I’ve had quite enough excitement on the highways to last a lifetime.”
The drive to the regional airport was quiet and peaceful. The desert landscape slowly gave way to suburban sprawl, and then to the gleaming glass terminals of the departures drop-off zone. Evelyn parked in the short-term loading lane, hazard lights blinking softly against the curb.
They walked together toward the sliding glass doors of the terminal. The air-conditioned interior smelled of coffee, jet fuel, and the faint, chaotic energy of travelers heading off to distant destinations.
“Your flight boards at Gate 14,” Evelyn said, checking the ticket stub Chloe held in her hand. “ TSA is just past those pillars.”
Chloe stopped walking and turned to face Evelyn. Her blue eyes welled up with tears, but this time, they were tears of profound gratitude. She reached out and placed a hand on Evelyn’s arm.
May you like
“I don’t know where Lily and I would be if you hadn’t stopped your cruiser on that highway,” Chloe said, her voice trembling slightly. “You didn’t just investigate a call; you saved our lives. I’ll never forget that.”
Evelyn smiled gently, placing her hand over Chloe’s. “You saved yourselves, Chloe. You had the strength to walk away, and you had the courage to tell the truth. Now go home to your parents, raise that beautiful little girl, and leave the desert behind you.”
