“All I need is a Western Union.”
Her eyes grew wide. “You’re going to hold up a Western Union?”
He frowned. That’s what he was to her. A criminal. “No.”
The woman rubbed her forehead. “I can’t believe I’m asking this, but what’s your big plan?”
Cade didn’t want to tell her his plan. It was stupid anyway. He’d probably get caught and tossed back into prison. “Look, despite what the cops think, I didn’t kill anyone. I sell real estate.”
She eyed him skeptically. “So, you’re not a cowboy?”
Another chuckle erupted. “No. I...borrowed these clothes. I’ve never lived on a farm. I buy and sell corporate offices.”
“Oh, my gosh. You’re that rich dude that offed his girlfriend three years ago.”
“I didn’t—”
“Yeah, right. I know. You didn’t kill her. Then why was the bloody knife found in your house?”
And that was the part he couldn’t explain. He sighed. “I don’t know.”
She squinted at him. “You look different.”
“Yeah. Prison will do that to you.”
“No, it’s your hair. It’s shorter. And you don’t have that goatee thing going on.”
Cade pulled back and checked his wound. The bleeding had slowed quite a bit. He really needed stitches, but going to a hospital was out of the question.
“You don’t look so good,” she said, concern on her face.
“Hmm, I wonder why. Oh, yeah. Maybe it’s the knife that sliced across my chest as I saved you.”
She frowned at him. She was a bit roughed-up herself. Cade motioned to her. “What about you? Your elbow looks pretty bad, and you have a nasty bruise forming on your cheek.”
Her hand quickly rose to her face. “I’m fine.”
“Do you have some ointment for your scrape?”
She squinted at him. “Ointment? Are you crazy? I’m living out of my car.”
Great. How was he supposed to know that? He felt even more terrible for involving this woman. He laid his head back and closed his eyes. “Sorry.”
They were silent for a while before the woman spoke. “Here’s Bend.”
She slowed the car, and Cade held in a groan. The woman was right. The town was tiny. A few side streets and one bar. The bar had a bright Bud Light sign in the window. She pulled into the empty parking lot of the bar. “Okay. What’s your big plan now?”
“I don’t know. I’ll go in and call my brother, I guess.”
The woman scrutinized him. “You really didn’t stab that girl?”
He looked over at her. Would she believe him? She seemed like she wanted the truth. He shook his head. “No. I swear I didn’t harm her. I loved her.” His voice cracked with emotion, and he swallowed down the lump in his throat.
She motioned to his chest. “You want me to put some duct tape on that cut? It might hold it together to help it heal.”
“You have some?”
She nodded. “In the back seat.”