Silent Run

the look in Amanda’s eye that bothered her. “Don’t call the police, okay?"
    â€œSamantha, you need professional help.” Amanda dropped her voice a notch as she added, “And you don’t know who this guy is. He could be anyone."
    â€œThe police up in Santa Barbara know I’m with him, and they checked him out,” Sarah answered.
    â€œIf anything happens to me, they know I’m with him. I don’t want to slow things down by having to explain the situation over again to someone new."
    â€œAll right. I won’t call the cops -- yet -- but I reserve the right to change my mind. Wait here and I’ll get you the key."
    Amanda disappeared into her apartment, shutting the door in their faces, leaving Sarah and Jake alone in the hall.
    Sarah wrapped her arms around her waist as a chill ran through her. It was a warm day outside, but in this dark hallway, the corridor to her past, it was cold and a little scary. Was she ready for the truth? Or had her brain shut down because she couldn’t handle it?
    â€œI can’t believe you traded what we had for this place,” Jake muttered, digging his hands into his pockets as he gazed down the narrow hallway. “Whatever trouble you were in, you should have come to me. I would have done anything for you. I would have protected you. You didn’t have to run to the other end of the state, take a job cleaning toilets at night, and drag my daughter around deserted office buildings so you could make a buck. If you didn’t want to stay with me, you should have left Caitlyn behind."
    She didn’t know what to say to him. His words made perfect sense. Her actions didn’t. But she obviously hadn’t believed that he could protect her, or she wouldn’t have run. If she was afraid for him, and was trying to save him from the danger that followed her, why would she have kept Caitlyn with her, exposed to potential harm? She couldn’t answer that question either. She couldn’t explain her actions to Jake, because she didn’t understand them. Until she did it was pointless to try to justify her behavior.
    â€œI have to believe that I made the right choice for my daughter,” she said. “You want me to trust you, Jake, but I also have to trust myself. I don’t think I’m a bad person. I have to go with my instincts. That’s all I have."
    Before Jake could reply, Amanda opened the door and handed Sarah a key. “I’d love to go with you, but I have to go to work. I teach a lunchtime aerobics class. I’ll come back right after class, but before I leave, tell me what else I can do to help you, Samantha."
    Sarah couldn’t get used to hearing herself being called Samantha. Sarah felt more real to her, more true. She wondered if either of them was her real name. “What can you tell me about Mrs. Bradley?"
    â€œYou used to get her groceries, and she loved Katie. You visited her a few times in the rest home, and then she died. She gave you her car because she hated to see you taking the bus."
    â€œWho lives in Mrs. Bradley’s apartment?” Sarah asked.
    â€œA single guy. I don’t know his name. He’s never around. He’s in his forties. I don’t believe you knew him, although I can’t say for sure."
    â€œHas there been anyone else around here looking for Sarah or Samantha?” Jake asked. “In fact, let’s go back to the guy in the elevator. What did he look like?"
    â€œSamantha saw him; I didn’t,” Amanda replied. “She told me he had one of those beanies on his head and a sweatshirt with a hood, like the teenagers wear. He was white, I think... .” Amanda paused. “I don’t recall anyone else coming by in the past few days. At least, no one knocked on my door. And while we were friends, you were really private. You didn’t confide in me much."
    Amanda sounded a bit resentful about her lack of sharing. Sarah wondered just how close they’d been. “Did I have any hobbies? Anyplace I went on a regular basis besides my job? Like a gym? You said you teach aerobics. Did I take your class?"
    â€œNo, you didn’t want to leave Katie in child care. And you said you didn’t have the cash to join the gym.” She shrugged. “You did the usual stuff, went to the supermarket, the park, that kind of thing. I guess that’s not very helpful."
    â€œWhere’s the park?” Jake