Background
Anna is a young mother striving to find a way out of an abusive marriage. She meets a stranger, Troy. Troy fights his own demons. Can they help each other find love, or are their struggles too much?
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Previous Post:
Just as the couple placed their order, Everett walked up to the table. "I hope this helps." He set a photograph of Billy Joe Stuart in front of Anna.
She lifted it up, then placed her hand over her mouth. "That's Slim. I never knew his real name. He's a close friend of Bobby's cousin, but he's supposed to be in jail on an armed robbery charge!" As tears rolled down her cheeks, she released a deep breath. "He's dangerous." She clutched her stomach.
*****
Today's post:
Troy reached over and touched Anna's arm. "Are you all right?"
The waitress set two salads on the table. "Your cheeseburgers and fries will be out in a few minutes. Can I refill your drinks?" She glanced at Everett. "Would you like to order?"
Troy reached over, took a chair from a vacant table, and motioned to Everett. "Please join us."
The waitress took Everett's order and refilled their drinks before she left.
Everett turned toward Anna. "I know you're scared of Slim, but I won't let him hurt you. I need to know everything you know about him."
"I don't know much. He came to the house a few times with Bobby's cousin. Bobby worked on his car. It was a souped up 1968 Dodge Charger. Once he brought his dog, a pointer-mix. He was cruel to the dog. The dog would cower whenever Slim was near him." Anna hesitated and sipped her ice tea.
The waitress brought their cheeseburgers and Troy's fries. She glanced at Everett. "Your order will be out in about five minutes."
Everett thanked the waitress and then nodded for Anna to continue.
"When he looked at me, I felt like he undressed me with his eyes. He made me uncomfortable." She fingered her fork. "He always came on weekends, and I hid in the house as much as possible. He'd come inside and order me around. He never used my name. He used derogatory words for females. His language was filthy, every other word was a curse word. I'd hoped Bobby would come to my defense, but he only laughed."
Anna paused as the waitress set Everett's plate down. "Once Slim wanted Bobby to check his transmission and brought his girlfriend and her young son. He slapped them in front of us, then laughed about it."
Everett took a bite of a French fry, chewed slowly, then swallowed. "What about Bobby's cousin? What's his name?"
"Ted Edwards, his father is Bobby's uncle, his mom's brother. He introduced Bobby to Slim. I think he's the same. He didn't come over as often. I think the three of them went out drinking on weekends, but I'm not positive."
She picked at her salad. "These three men are very dangerous."
"You said Slim was in prison for armed robbery. What did he rob?" Everett took a bite of his cheeseburger.
"He broke into the gas station convenience store off Main and Avenue F. He hit the owner with the gun and smashed in the side of his head."
"Do you know what gun he used?"
"Bobby said he used a Taurus 9MM pistol. I don't know anything about guns."
"Did he do it by himself or were Bobby and Ted involved?"
"I honestly don't know. Bobby was out that night. I suspected he was involved."
Troy put his hand on Anna's arm. "Everett, I think Anna has answered enough questions for now. Can the rest wait until tonight?"
"Yes, I have enough to keep me busy this afternoon."
The waitress brought the bill and a sack. She handed them to Troy.
Anna glanced at her watch, then at the waitress. "I need to get back to work. May I have a take-home box?"
Everett chuckled and pointed at the sack. "Troy, are you afraid you'll get hungry this afternoon?"
"No, Anna was worried about the homeless vet down the street." He grinned and handed the sack to the PI. "It's a cheeseburger and fries. Would you give them to Sam on your way out?"
