Copper by Iris Abbott Read Free Book Online Page B

delicate, but I won’t break.  Trust me.  I’ve lived through worse than a bullet graze to the side of my body.”
    Copper stared at her hard but didn’t question the comment.  Instead, he focused on the shooting.  “As soon as you realized someone was shooting at you, who was the first person that popped into your mind?”
      “I um…”  Marla’s face went blank and then turned a pasty white.  She couldn’t look at Copper or anyone else.  She fixed her eyes on a spot over and beyond Copper’s shoulder and blindly reached for Natalie’s hand. 
    Copper paced up and down by the foot of the bed.  After about the sixth time back and forth, he suddenly changed directions and came to a stop right in front of Marla.  The silence stretched out for several seconds before he finally broke it.  “I wouldn’t press the issue if it wasn’t important,” he said in a gruff voice. 
    “Your intuition is the only thing we have to go on right now.  It can be spot on in situations like this.  We need a starting point, and it’s up to you to provide us with one.”
    Marla looked at him with clouded eyes that begged for his understanding.  She didn’t want to talk about the sordid part of her past that haunted her, but what if Rob was the one responsible for her attack?  Shooting at an unarmed woman in a darkened parking lot was probably right up her ex’s alley.
    She took a deep breath, let out a ragged sigh, and started talking.  “I used to be in an abusive relationship,” she whispered.  Her voice was so low that Copper and the other men leaned forward to catch what she was saying.
    Marla glanced around the room.  All of the men had locked jaws and fierce frowns on their faces.  In addition to the scowl, Copper was also clenching and unclenching his large hands to make very dangerous looking fists.  She forced herself not to flinch and move away from him.  She was tired of giving Rob that kind of power over her.
    Her sister respected and liked Copper.  After what happened to Marla, Natalie would never give the time of day to a man who might be capable of hurting a woman or child.  Her sister possessed good instincts when it came to people.  She tried to warn her that something about Rob was off.  It was too bad she hadn’t listened until it was way too late.
    “What did you say?”  Copper asked for clarification. His voice was quiet but carried a sharp bite.
    Marla pinched her lips together and stared at the man for several seconds. She was not repeating that confession again.  “You heard exactly what you think you did,” she finally said.  “Don’t make me say it again.”
    Copper took his time and looked Marla up and down.  He looked like he was trying to gauge her state of mind.  He abruptly turned toward Natalie, taking in the tight grip she had on her sister’s hand.  “Explain,” he demanded.  “You didn’t mention this when I questioned you before,” he accused.
    “I don’t think…” Natalie started to say before Copper cut her off.
    “We don’t need every single detail, but I need the man’s name to start,” he insisted.  “An overall picture might help us know what to expect,” he went on to explain.
    Marla took a deep breath, pulled her hand free of her sister’s, and started talking. “His name is Robert Storey,” she said in a voice that was shaking from suppressed emotions.
    Natalie sighed. “Robert is a real SOB for sure, but pointing the finger at him for this might be a big waste of time.  He left the area about eight years ago. He hasn’t been seen or heard from since.”
    “That’s not exactly true,” Marla said in a tiny whisper.
    Natalie jumped up from the bed.  “What? Have you seen him?  Has he tried to talk to you?”  She balled her delicate hand into a fist and slammed it into the palm of her other hand.  “I’m going to be so mad if any of that is true and you didn’t bother sharing with me,” she said in an accusing