The Porn Identity

Chapter 25

       Well, this was a mess.

       And it was a mess of my own creation. I could have been at the movies right now. I could have been literally anywhere else. But noooo, I just had to get a closer look. Shame on my ass for being nosy.

      Kelli paced back and forth in front of the big screen television, her hand gripping the handle of a pistol tightly. She muttered to herself; her brows knit together in intense concentration. Somewhere in the ramblings I made out the words 'getting out of hand', and 'clean this up'.

       That didn't bode well.

       Ashley sat balled up on the floor in the corner with her knees hugged to her chest. Her eyes were red and distant. I tried a couple of times to make eye contact with her from my seat on the couch, but she just kept staring off into the void.

       When Kelli first forced me in here at gunpoint Ashley had stood with her eyes wide, watching. After Kelli pointed the gun at her she'd shrunk down to the ground and stayed there.

       I glimpsed about the room as Kelli moved, careful not to draw attention. There were a few knickknacks on the end tables, a few medium sized photo frames hung on the wall, a coatrack with a dried raincoat on it, and a table lamp. The coatrack and lamp were the most promising, but I didn't know if I could lift the rack and the lamp might not be heavy enough if push came to shove.

       My pepper spray and taser were in my purse as usual but Kelli had snatched it from my hands soon after she'd dragged me inside. She'd only peeked inside to make sure my cell wasn't on my person then tossed it on the kitchen table.

       That meant the only weapon on me was the pocketknife tucked deeply into my right pants pocket. The thought was...distressing because frankly, I don't want to have to stab someone. That had always seemed extra grody to me. I mean, pepper spray is one thing—even shooting someone is one thing—but forcing a sharp object into a fellow human being's flesh made my stomach turn. Could I do it if it came to that? I didn't even like touching or cutting into raw chicken. Shit feels weird!

       I peered at Kelli, then looked at the gun then back at Ashley. The gun was curled comfortably between Kelli's fingers as daintily as a high-born lady might hold fine china. But no—fabulous manicure aside, those fingers had pulled the trigger once before to snuff out Noah Walker's life. I doubt she'd balk at busting a cap in my ass if it meant she got away clean.

       It was decided then. If I could cut into that raw chicken when I got hungry enough, then I could cut into a raw Kelli if she absolutely makes me. For now, however, de escalation was the surest course.

       But I wasn't a hundred percent sure what I was deescalating. Clearly, she's here to tie up loose ends but the police already had my file, so they knew she was involved. But did she know that yet? If she knew, would she run or kill us faster? Shooting us here would only draw attention. But if she got desperate enough it probably wouldn't matter.

       She's not stupid, so all of this is surely occurring to her at the same time it's occurring to me. If I could just lead her a certain way...

       "The police already know it's you." I said, my voice as steady as I could keep it considering the circumstances. "Killing us won't get you anything but a couple of extra charges."

       She didn't bother to look down at me. "Shut up."

       "Sorry." I made a show of shrugging like it didn't matter to me one way or the other. "I'm just saying, if I were you, I'd get my money and hop a plane to a country that doesn't extradite."