Right now she had to work on her present objective and get out of there.
Cold rain practically froze her limbs to the bone, but she made it to the Cleo's street and knocked on the door. She knew Cleo would be home because she had heard that they'd switched Cleo to the afternoon shift and another girl worked the evening, but she had walked by the Laundromat to be sure looking for Cleo's car.
When no one opened the door, she went around to a bedroom window and knocked on there. A light came on and she rushed back to the front door. Cleo flung to door opened ready to cuss someone out, but then the cigarette fell out of her mouth as she realized who the person was knocking on her door at three in the morning.
Helping her in on the couch, she ordered her daughter to bring some covers and water. The oldest son was told to get warm some tea and the left over stew in the refrigerator in the microwave. All the while, she kept demanding Nicole to tell her what happened?
"Tired," was all Nicole could say. She hadn't eaten in a month. Her first attempt at eating the cat food had made her throw her and her second attempt had almost killed her. She hadn't tried to eat anything else except some old junk food and candy she had in the book bags around her room. With the leak in the walls, when the rain had come she had managed to drink, but not a lot because the salty water had made her stomach hurt bad.
"I'll call the police," Cleo said going to the phone.
"No. He'll kill me, Cleo. I can't let them know."
"He already has tried to kill you Nicole. Look at you, you're almost skin and bones."
Nicole tried to sit up, but her body protested so much dizziness struck her immediately. "I need to find Mr. Mills before they get him to sign over Nanna's business. I can't let it happen."
"I'll go get someone to help us," Cleo said.
"Who?" She gripped Cleo's shirt terrified Cleo would call Marvin. She didn't know who she could trust at this point because no one had come to help her, but Cleo had been the closest she knew had some dislike for Marvin, but she didn't know anymore.
"He's the neighbor. He's been looking for you."
"Who?"
"Just let me go get him." Cleo broke from her grip and ran out the front door.