This Family Lies by J.M. Cannon

Author:J.M. Cannon [Cannon, J.M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-05-03T00:00:00+00:00

Dawn

Iris has never been happier to see the sun. The storm blew off only twenty minutes before sunrise. The sky is all scattered clouds now. The sun shines on the wet pavement and puddles, casting everything in a lovely gold.

To Iris, it feels like victory. It’s still not enough to get her to come out of hiding. She’s waiting for people. The first commuters to head out to their cars. She’s heard a few engines start around her, but none close enough to lure her out.

Finally, she sees a man in coveralls walk out of his front door with a lunch pail. Iris practically jumps out of the window well. She starts to run to him. “Hey!”

The man stops on the sidewalk and stares at her. His expression is skeptical. He leans back a little like she might be a threat.

Iris crosses the street, and it’s only when she sees how angry the man appears that she realizes how much she must look like a junkie. Soaked in her sweatpants, crazed at dawn. This neighborhood probably doesn’t have a shortage of the type.

She has to choose her words carefully to be believed. Assassin is a word she should probably avoid.

“I’m sorry,” Iris says. “But my mom got drunk and locked me out in the storm. There’s a man…” Iris pauses. “Her boyfriend’s dangerous. I think he hurt her. Can you call the police for me?”

The man looks left and right like this might be a setup. Then he looks back to Iris before speaking. “You can’t use my phone. Sorry.” He starts to walk to his car.

“You call them! I don’t need to touch your phone. Please.”

He stops again. Sighs. “Fine. But I ain’t stickin’ around for them to get here. Could be a whole hour around here.”

“Okay,” Iris says like it’s no big deal, but her stomach sinks. There’s no one else out. If this killer is still waiting for her—watching her now—he’ll have another opportunity.

The man in coveralls takes a few steps towards his stoop and puts his phone to his ear. She tries to follow, but from his hunched posture, she realizes he doesn’t want her to hear.

A few things he says louder. “No, I gotta go to work.” And then he turns to her. “Where’s your momma’s house?”

“A block over—228…” Iris trails off. Fuck. She can’t remember the rest of the numbers. “It’s a block over. Cole Street, but just have them come here.”

He turns back around. His tone is hushed. Even if the police think she’s an addict, they’ll send a cruiser. It just might be a while.

“Okay,” he says louder as he gets ready to hang up. “Okay,” he says again and brings his phone down. He looks at Iris only briefly as he starts towards the street. “They’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

“Melvin?” A woman in her pajamas opens the front door. “What’s going on?”

“Family problems next door. Police are on it. Don’t worry.”

“Girl, you are soaked.” The woman steps outside quickly in her bare feet and goes to Iris.

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