Gus just helped me to my feet and asked if I was hungry. I haven't eaten anything since breakfast. I told him that I was starving.

Gus smiles. "Let me see what I have here."

He walks over to a small refrigerator and opens it.

"Anything would be fine," I tell him.

A chime sound reveals that someone has entered the building.

Gus pulls his head out of the refrigerator. "Sounds like I have a customer."

He must see the panic on my face. "Don't worry, Cheryl. I will not let anyone back here. When I leave this room, you need to lock it behind me. Don't let anyone in but me."

I nod my understanding, and he slips out of the door. I ran over and quickly locked the door as he instructed me.

I can hear their conversation. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes, sir. Have you seen this woman?" I hear Todd's voice and freeze.

There's a pause. "No, sir. Is she in trouble?"

"I'm just worried about her. She's my, um, sister. She has emotional issues. We fought, and she ran off."

What a load of bullshit, Todd.

"There might have been someone that looked a little like her walking down the road. If I see her again, would you like me to call you?" Gus tries to lead Todd in a different direction.

Way to go, Gus.

"That's okay; I'm sure she'll show up. Which direction did you see the woman go?" Todd asks.

Gus misdirects Todd. "I didn't see the direction she came from, but I did see her heading towards 5th Street. I don't mind calling you. If you want to give me your information, I can let you know if she comes by again."

"No. My sister might already be back home. Thank you," Todd lies.

Gus replies, "You're very welcome. Good luck finding her. I hope you're right about her returning home. Not a lot of good goes on around here at night."

Todd quips, "I hope so too. Have a good night, and thank you for your time."

I hear the door chime again. Gus waits several moments before returning to the backroom; he knocks on the door. "Cheryl, it's me, Gus."

I'm shaking as I unlock the door and look to ensure it's just Gus.

"I'll return to the front and wait for the police. If that guy returns, I want to make sure he sees me working alone," he informs me.

"Okay," I say shakily.

Gus gently touches my shoulder. "Help yourself to anything you find here."

I manage a small smile. "Thank you; I will."

He gives me a sweet smile before leaving me again. "Lock up."

"Yes, sir."

After I lock the door, I rummage through the cabinets and refrigerator. I found a jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread. The fridge had what looked to be homemade strawberry jam, so I made myself a PB&J. On the counter was a container of hard pretzels, so I grabbed a few and placed my sandwich and pretzels on a paper plate I came across while checking the cabinets. I found bottled water and soda in the fridge, opted for water, and sat at the square table to feast on my food. It was the best PB&J that I've ever eaten. It must be the homemade jam.

As I finish my last bite, I freeze as I hear the front door chime again. I listen intently, expecting it to be Todd again, but I only recognize Gus's voice. "Good evening. Can I help you?"

"Good evening. Someone told me that you have a special package here for me to pick up," said a voice I didn't recognize.

"I need to see some identification." Thank God for Gus.

There's a long pause. "It's very nice to meet you, Detective Lynch."

I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding.

Gus instructs the detective, "Please follow me. Your package is right back here."

Gus knocks on the door once again. "Cheryl, Detective Lynch is here for you."

I slowly unlock the door and peek out. The detective is already showing me his shield. I open the door the rest of the way.

His brows furl as he inspects the bruised bump on my head. "Are you okay, Mrs. Westerly? Do you need me to take you to the hospital?"

"I'm fine. I just want my husband," I assured the detective.

Lynch notifies me, "He's on the way. Are you up to going to the station with me to answer some questions while we wait for him to arrive?"

Nodding my head, I say, "I can do that."

I look behind the detective at Gus. "Thank you again for saving us, Gus."

He grins at me. "I'm just happy I was here when you needed me."

I smile back. "Me too! I do have one question for you."

Gus Raises his brow. "Shoot."

"Where did you get that amazing strawberry jam?" I ask.

He chuckles. "My beautiful bride makes it. Do you want to take the rest of the jar with you?"

"Really?" I clap my hands together excitedly. I must look like a five-year-old child, but I don't care.

Gus laughs, "Of course, Sweetheart. I have a basement full of strawberry jam."

I run over to the refrigerator and retrieve my strawberry treasure, then hug Gus and kiss his gray whisker-filled cheek.

Detective Lynch asks, "Are you ready to go, Mrs. Westerly?"

I give Gus one last hug before following the detective out to his vehicle.

The drive to the station was not very long. The detective leads me and my jam into the station. I follow him to the hallway into a bright, stark white room.

"I'm sorry that it's not a very welcoming room. Can I get you anything to drink?" Detective Lynch inquires.

"I'm fine, thank you." I realize that I never told Reed that the detective picked me up. "Does my husband know that I'm here?"

He nods. Yes, I called him to let him know to meet us here. Last I checked, he was just forty-five minutes out."

I nod in understanding.

He looks at me. "Do you mind if we get started? We should finish by the time your husband gets here."

"I don't mind at all," I respond, and the detective pulls a chair out for me to sit on.

He sits across from me and grabs the notepad and pen on the table. "Great. Did you know your abductor?"

I nod. "Yes. Todd Matthews was a friend of my husband's."

The detective writes down Todd's name on the pad. "Do you know the reason that he took you?"

I think momentarily before responding, "He's never liked me since my husband and I got together and wanted me out of the way. He admitted to killing Patty Conrad and said that there were others."

The detective raised his brows in surprise. "He admitted that to you?"

"I believe that he was going to kill me. He didn't think I would be around to tell anyone about his confession," I convey.

"Where did he take you? How did you get away from him?" He inquires.

"He took me to an abandoned home several blocks from Gus' station and locked me in the basement. When I thought that I heard him leave, I escaped through a basement window. He was getting stuff out of his car. I watched him walk back into the house and ran like hell. I hid behind a dumpster. Todd came by and looked in the dumpster for me. He left, but I stayed there till it started getting dark, and then I ran into Gus' station." My words spill out of my mouth rapidly.

"You're a lucky lady. Others have not been so fortunate," he says with sadness.

I continue to answer all of Detective Lynch's questions. He has me write out my statement. As I finish it, the phone on the wall of the room rings.

Detective Lynch answers the phone. "Lynch... Really?"

He looks down at his watch. "Okay... We've finished. I'll bring her out."

He hangs up and looks down at me. "Your husband is just as anxious to see you. He made it here in record time."

Relief flows through my tense muscles. "Are we finished here?"

"Yes, I just need you to sign your witness statement," he instructs me.

"Of course." I sign my statement and hand it to the detective.

I'm eager to get to my man and grab my yummy jam before quickly following the detective out of the room. As soon as I see Reed standing at the front desk, I run to him. Tears stream down my face as I jump into his arms. He wraps his arms tightly around my waist and buries his head into my neck. I can feel his tears wet my skin, which makes me cry all the more. I never want to let this man go again, ever!

*****