No way out. That phrase had bounced around her brain for … how long? Years, probably. No way out. She knew the natural question anyone would ask was why didn’t she just leave him? She had tried that. Once-upon-a-time. No, twice. The first time didn’t count because she had just gone over to the house of someone she knew and Pete had turned up not an hour later to drag her home. But the second time was for real.
It was after he had broken her rib. She had not been able to breathe properly. Impossible to sleep, the thing hurt so much. She’d sat upright in the recliner downstairs while her thoughts whirled. She’d glanced at the clock. Almost three in the morning and time for another codeine-laced pain killer. With care she raised herself from the chair and headed for the bathroom. She swallowed the meds and stood there looking in the mirror, seeing her bruised shoulders. She pulled the nightie strap down and touched her left breast gingerly. Red and swollen. She went back to the recliner and eased herself down. That’s when she had the thought. Why not? Just go. Walk out of there. Doubts battered her, so she made a deal. The laundry basket was in the bathroom. If there were enough clothes, she would go. If not, she would stay. She made herself climb back up the stairs to the bathroom. The basket was there. She opened the lid.
Ten minutes later she let herself out of the door, clad in a skirt and top, yesterday’s underwear and clutching her handbag. She had less than $100, but she could get more in the morning. She backed the Jag down the drive and inched her way along the street without headlights. Soon she was speeding towards Sydney, singing in spite of her rib.
She didn’t get there. She had been lost in thoughts of a new future when the police car motioned her over. He asked for her cell phone and grinned. Something about tracking and GPS. She was to follow him to the nearest station. It was all over. She had only been away from home for seven hours.
Pete had connections.
He broke a rib on the other side when she arrived home after he had waved off her police escort. Doubly hard to breathe, much less sing.