The woman closed the door to the ladies’ room, and searched the police station corridor.  Mary might be able to slip outside without anyone seeing her. A female officer on her left was busily typing, a younger man on her right crouched over a file cabinet drawer, pulling out stacks of paper… who would notice her? The exit facing the reception desk was in sight, and she walked steadily toward it.

 “Did you get lost, Mary?” The detective who’d been talking to her gripped her arm, and led her back to the desk.

 “No.”

 Kim Harrison, the detective, wrapped a tousle of blonde hair around her fingers,  then loosened them. “We need your help if we’re going to catch this guy. It’s hard enough, since you’ve don’t know his real name or address.”

 “I…I’ve changed my mind. I don’t want to be involved with this anymore.”

 “He’s threatened to kill you.”

 “People don’t mean half of the things they say in a chat. Besides, I have to go to work.” Mary looked at Kim with curiousity. “What’s that?”

 The detective placed a brown paper bundle in her hands. It had been opened. “The delivery man was at your front door when the cruiser drove by this morning. He said you practically live on your porch whenever you win something off eBay.”

 “It came?”

 Mary unwrapped the book. A Tale of Two Cities. Her mother’s favorite. She made her and her brothers promise to read it when they grew up. Mary hadn’t yet. 

 “We’ll need to look at your computer. Tell your work you won’t be in today." Mary shook her head.

"Go on home, Mary. I’ll bring by some sandwiches around 3 o’clock, how's that?”

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