The End of the Line

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Caroline Lacroix had no idea how long she'd been out on the streets of Fox Chapel since leaving home

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Caroline Lacroix had no idea how long she'd been out on the streets of Fox Chapel since leaving home. She'd wandered through the neighborhood, past the groomed lawns and prim, white-washed houses, trying to get her mind around what she'd just heard, and what to do about it. She'd lost track of where she was quickly, the streets she'd grown up in felt foreign and strange. She hadn't been out of the house for years now. Albert had convinced her it was for her own protection, but Caroline wasn't so sure, not anymore. Caroline knew things, even if her brain had scrambled them up into jigsaw pieces that she couldn't quite put together. Maybe the only person Albert was protecting was himself.

The streets were deserted at this time, but well lit. Despite its wealth, or rather because of it, the neighborhood was very safe. Caroline turned a corner, onto a street she was pretty sure she recognized, not feeling safe whatsoever. Albert would know she was gone. He'd know she had heard his conversation with Lewis. He'd be coming for her. She needed to find somewhere, anywhere, to hide away while she considered what to do next.

Her first thought had been to go to the police, of course, but Lewis' words kept ringing in her ear. Why not buy him off like everyone else? Who else did Albert have in his pocket? What if she went to the wrong person, and they led her straight back to Albert? She'd end up locked up in the house again. Or worse. Would Albert kill her? Caroline felt her chest tighten, her vision blur, as fear began to take over. Don't think about that now, she told herself, trying to control her breathing like she'd practiced. Find somewhere safe.

But where was safe now? Albert had systematically cut her off from everyone. There was no one she could turn to, no one she could trust.

Except, perhaps, Sarah Baker.

Caroline stopped, leaning against a wrought iron fence to catch her breath. This used to be Amanda Van Camp's house. She recognised the long driveway, with its lit up feature fountain, and the Greek-like pillars framing the dark wooden double doors. Caroline and Amanda had spent a lot of time together in this house. They had sworn to be best friends forever. But then Caroline had met Albert. And then she got sick. Last that Caroline had heard, Amanda had moved away, but she had no idea where, or how to reach her. They had lost contact long before then, anyway.

Caroline pushed off the fence, took one last glance at Amanda's old house, and began walking again. She knew how to get to the Merrow's house from here.

The Merrow's place was on the outskirts of Fox Chapel, and by neighborhood standards, it was quite modest. The Merrows had wealth, yes, but nothing that compared to the wealth of most of the families in Fox Chapel. To families like the Lacroix, the Merrows were insignificant.

Caroline ran up the long driveway - no expensive, flashy fountains here - and slammed against the front door, unable to slow her pace quickly enough.

"Sarah!" Caroline yelled, slamming her fist repeatedly against the red door. "Sarah, open the door!"

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