The officer handed back their IDs. “Okay, folks, sorry I delayed you.”
“No problem,” Brett said and rolled up his window. Then he pulled back onto the road and sped away.
“How did you know we’d be stopped?” he asked his daughter a few minutes later.
“I wasn’t sure, but I was stopped twice trying to get away. Once was in L.A. and then again in Wyoming.”
“Well, thanks for warning us, Jess,” her father said. “But it should be free sailing now.”
From beside her, Steve added in a somber voice, “Until we get to the airport.”
AS STEVE HAD PREDICTED, their IDs were checked at the airport just to enter the parking lot. Jake and Brett went into the airport with them, but Jessica warned her father not to hug her or kiss her goodbye. “Remember, I’m just an acquaintance from Rawhide.”
“Okay, Betty Jean. I’ll remember.”
“Good,” she said with a grin as she slipped her arms into the letter jacket. She arranged the coat so that her chest was prominently displayed. She reached over for Steve, who had donned his leather jacket with the sheepskin lining.
“Here we go, Howie,” she said and reached up to kiss him.
“People are staring,” Steve muttered under his breath.
“Good.” She nuzzled his neck. “Uncle Jake is carrying our suitcase. Can you take it from him?”
“Suitcase? What suitcase?”
“I put it in the truck last night. People would be suspicious if we didn’t take luggage on a vacation. Don’t worry. It doesn’t have anything that I need. We won’t bother with it when we get to the airport in D.C.”
“You’re just going to walk away and leave it?”
“Yes. Can you carry it? It will look strange if you don’t.”
“Sure.” Then in a louder voice he said, “Here, Mr. Randall, I can take that bag. Thanks for getting it out of the trunk for us.”
“Not a problem, Howie. You and Betty Jean have a good vacation.”
Steve shook Jake’s hand and then Brett’s.
“We’ll see you when you get back, Howie,” Brett said. “You and Betty Jean,” he added, his gaze intense.
“Yes, sir. I hope to see you soon.”
Jessica wrapped her hand around Steve’s arm. It kept her from hugging her father. “Come on, Howie. We’ve got to check in.”
Jessica and Steve got in line to check their one bag and pick up their tickets. Jessica had reserved the tickets yesterday with Betty Jean’s credit card, after giving her friend a check to cover the charge.
When they reached the counter, Jessica showed her license and Betty Jean’s credit card. Steve gave the agent Howie’s license.
When the agent looked at Steve, Jessica said, “I changed his hair for our vacation. Doesn’t he look cool?” she asked. “I did it in my salon. Everyone was jealous. I’ll probably have a jillion appointments when I get back.” She beamed at the woman, as if expecting her to praise Howie’s hair.
“It—it certainly looks different,” the woman said, shoving Howie’s license back to him.
After a couple of minutes, she handed over their tickets and tagged their bag, putting it on the luggage conveyer belt. “You may go straight to your gate now. You’ve got about forty-five minutes before boarding.”
“Thank you! We’re so excited about our vacation,” Jessica said as she pushed back her jacket, exposing more of her body to everyone they passed.
Steve moved closer. “Don’t you think you should tone it down a little?”
She snuggled up to him. “Didn’t you see those men in dark suits staring at everyone? I think they could be government agents.”
“They are. I even know a couple of them.”
She made sure to breathe through the tightness that gripped her chest. “So, it’s proof our disguises are good, then.”
“Well, yours certainly is.”
She stretched up to kiss him, as if he’d said something incredibly sweet. “Oh, we are going to have so much fun!”
She hung on his arm until they reached the security gate.
Jessica waltzed through with no problem, but behind her, Steve set off the buzzer.
The security agent stepped forward with the wand. “Sir, please remove your belt buckle.”
He did, set it on the conveyer that went through the X-ray machine, then walked through the sensors without further incident.
“Oh, Howie,” Jessica gushed when he came through, “I’m so glad you made it.” She kissed him again.
“You’re overdoing it,” he whispered. Then he wrapped an arm around her and moved forward. “Where’s our gate?”
“It’s number ten, right down here,” Jessica said quietly.
“They’ll be watching all the flights to D.C.,” Steve pointed out.
“Of course. Ooh, Howie, when we get to D.C., can we go to George Washington’s home? It’s called Mount…Mount something. Mount Washington?”
“I think that would be Mount Vernon,” Steve muttered, rolling his eyes.
“That’s right, Mount Vernon. I’ve heard it’s great and we can take a ride on the river, too.”
“The Potomac.”
“Silly, I knew the name of the river,” Jessica announced with a delighted giggle that had heads turning. She tucked her arm into his and snuggled closer as they walked. Her coat, as if by accident, slid a little more open.
They reached their gate and looked for a couple of seats.
“Over here, Howie,” Jessica said, having found two seats about five chairs apart. “Could you please move down so my sweetie and I can sit together?”
“No, Betty Jean,” Steve protested.
“It’s all right, honey, they don’t mind. Just scoot down two more,” she pleaded, bending down to ask one reluctant man. “Aren’t you a dear!” she exclaimed when he did as she asked.
After settling in and crossing her legs in her short skirt, she turned to those around her. “We’re going on vacation! I’m so excited!”
Several of the men leaned forward so they could have a better view of Jessica in all her glory. Steve kept an eye on her, but he didn’t contribute to the conversation.
Jessica knew he’d noticed the dark-suited man who moved through the waiting area. His eyes, she saw, flitted around the gate from one agent to another. She turned to him, giving him another kiss, trying to draw him into the character.
She continued her conversation with the men around her, not looking at the suited gentleman until he pushed his way past her.
“Oh, sorry I got in your way,” she said sarcastically.
The man looked down at her. “Excuse me,” he muttered and kept on going.
“Well! Some people!” Then she returned to her audience. “Do we get a meal on the plane? I’m starv ing.” Turning to Steve, after the men said they wouldn’t be serving them much, she said, “Howie, honey, do you think you could go buy me a snack for the trip? And maybe a Diet Coke?” When he agreed, she leaned in and gave him another kiss. “Thank you, sweetie.”
She watched Steve walk over to one of the airport restaurants before she turned back to the other men. “Isn’t he the sweetest thing? He takes good care of me.”
Then she began asking about what to see in D.C. and struggled not to stare after Steve, which would give away her concern. When he settled down in his seat again, she turned around. “What did you bring me?”
He gave her a can of Diet Coke and a wrapped sandwich.
“Oh, you got my favorite, Howie.” She beamed at him. “Did you get something for yourself? You need to keep your strength up, you know.” She chuckled. “For later,” she added, and watched Steve flush.
“Uh, yeah, I got a snack.” He held up a bag of chips.
When the gate agent announced the beginning of boarding, Jessica pouted.
“Oh! I haven’t finished, Howie. Will you hold my Diet Coke while I wrap up my sandwich?”
“Yeah, but you’d better hurry. We’re in the first
seating because we’re in the back of the plane.”
“I wish we could’ve afforded first class. That would be a lot of fun,” she said longingly.
“Maybe another time,” Steve muttered.
“Excuse me,” a stern, masculine voice asked, interrupting their private moment. “Are you going to D.C.?”
Jessica looked up, straight into the dark eyes of a government agent.
Chapter Thirteen
Her heart was pounding, her mouth suddenly dry. Here it was—the biggest challenge of her disguises. She resisted the urge to reach out for Steve and instead she let herself fall once again into character. She was Betty Jean Hunt, a hairdresser from Rawhide, Wyoming.
Jessica beamed at the man. “Oh, yes. We’re on vacation. I’ve never seen the capitol before.”
“Well, I don’t think you should take your leftover food on the plane. They’ve been having trouble with that.”
What? That was why he’d come to them—to warn her about bringing food on the plane?
Still, the man’s gaze seemed fixed on Steve.
She played up her naiveté. “Really? I didn’t know that. Howie thought it would be all right.”
“This is Howie?” the man asked.
“Yes, of course.” She handed Steve her sandwich and soda can. “Will you throw these away for me, please?”
The man stopped him. “You know, I could be wrong. Why don’t you ask the flight attendant before you throw it out?”
“Okay, I will,” Jess assured him. As the suited man turned to leave, she exchanged a look of relief with Steve.
JESSICA HAD HOPED they would be safe once they got on the plane. She’d snagged a little pillow for Steve and encouraged him to take the window seat. Then she told him to take off his jacket. Once he settled against the pillow, she covered him with his coat.
After slipping off the letter jacket she was wearing, she buckled her seat belt and turned to the man on the other side of her. “Isn’t this exciting?”
Prepared to bury his nose in a newspaper, the man looked up in surprise. His gaze focused on Jessica’s chest and it took several seconds before he answered her question. “Isn’t what exciting?”
“Flying! I’ve only flown once before.” She went into great detail about her supposed first flight, which lasted until after the plane had taken off.
Once the seat belt sign had been turned off, Jessica noted that several of the dark suits were on board and prowled up and down the aisles, reexamining all of the faces. She was glad Steve was get ting some sleep and glad he was presenting an unconcerned front.
She also noticed that she drew the gaze of the men as they went past, which was exactly what she’d intended. But the most severe test was ahead of them. Getting into the proper building would be difficult, even with an appointment.
There would be people there who knew Steve well.
It was unfortunate that he hadn’t been able to bring a gun. But they would be looking for anyone who notified the airlines that he had a permit to carry a weapon.
No, they were dependent on their wits…and their disguises.
Jessica kept up the chatter the entire flight, even though she wanted to sleep. The lack of sleep was catching up with her. She would occasionally look at Steve, glad he was getting the rest but wishing she could join him.
When the plane began its descent, she turned her back on her companion, much to his disappointment, to awaken Steve. “Howie, it’s time to wake up.”
He had been deeply asleep, but he was used to danger. Steve knew immediately where he was…and who he was supposed to be. “Oh, hi, Betty Jean. Did I fall asleep?”
“Yes, Howie, you slept the entire trip, but the plane’s starting to land and I need you to hold my hand. You know how scared I am when the plane is landing.”
“I know, honey,” he agreed, sitting up.
“Oh, you flattened your hair.” She reached up and spiked his hair again. “I want everyone to see your hair. It’s so cool.”
“Here, give me your hand because we’re going to land,” Steve said, reaching out to hold her hand.
She snuggled up to him, thinking how easy this acting job was. There had been times in Hollywood where she had to pretend warmth toward men she detested. Pretending interest in Steve was hardly acting.
“Oh, Howie, you take such good care of me.” She lay her head on his shoulder.
He whispered in her ear. “Did the suits come by while I slept?”
“Of course. I entertained them.”
“I bet you did,” he growled.
“Oh, Howie, you’re so sweet,” she said, kissing him again.
“You know, I could get used to that,” he whispered.
“What?”
He said nothing at first, just turned and kissed her lips. “That.”
“You’ve done such a good job, Howie, I didn’t even notice when we landed,” she told him.
“Good. You’d better make sure you have everything you brought on board.”
“Right.” It was time for the big test.
The man on the other side of Jessica wanted to tell her goodbye, and she thanked him for entertaining her so she wasn’t so nervous on her flight.
“Good thing we’re here,” Steve whispered, “or he’d be drooling soon.”
She elbowed him in the stomach as he stood, throwing a challenging smile over her shoulder. They filed out when it was their turn, but as they progressed toward the exit door, Jessica saw two dark suits standing with the flight attendants, watching the passengers file out.
Jessica breathed deeply and painted a bright smile on her face while she made sure her jacket was open enough to draw attention. When they reached the door, she smiled at the cabin crew. “Thank you so much for making our flight so nice. It’s a perfect start for our vacation.”
She let her smile drift to the two men in dark suits as she reached for Steve’s hand. “Come on, Howie, I can’t wait!”
Steve came after her, saying nothing.
When the long hall fed into the waiting room and the rest of the airport, they discovered another few men in dark suits. Jessica slipped off her coat. “It’s warm in here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah,” Steve agreed, but he kept his coat on.
Forcing herself to continue to act like an excited young woman on vacation, she wrapped herself around Steve’s arm as they followed the crowd toward the baggage claim area.
“Are we waiting for our bag?” Steve asked softly.
“No, but if we rush out now, we’ll call attention to ourselves.” Then she raised her voice and said, “Oh, look, Howie. Isn’t this exciting?”
“So much so I don’t think I can stand it,” Steve whispered wryly.
They passed another agent as they moved toward the exit. “Let’s look at the luggage for a minute,” Jessica said with a whisper. When the man next to her pulled a couple of bags off the carousel, Jessica spoke to him, as if they were old friends. Then, when the man turned to leave, she grabbed Steve’s arm and followed the man out to the taxi stand, where there was a line of people waiting for a cab.
“I hate standing in line,” she whispered to Steve.
“Yeah. It’s a dangerous thing with all these agents wandering around.”
When someone got in the line behind them, Jessica switched to her Betty Jean persona, bubbling over about their vacation.
Steve gave her a strange look until he looked over his shoulder and saw the agent standing behind them. He gave the man a smile and rolled his blue eyes as Jessica continued to talk nonstop.
She pulled him back around to get his attention, telling him what she wanted them to do on their vacation, including spending a few lazy mornings in bed.
“Betty Jean,” Steve muttered, “people can hear you.”
The agent behind him said, “Don’t worry, son. They’ll all be jealous.”
“Maybe so, but I get embarrassed,” Steve said.
“I think the man is right. Everyone
will be jealous,” Jessica said with pouty lips, leaning toward Steve.
As the line edged slowly to the waiting taxis, the man behind them asked where they were going.
Fortunately, Jessica had prepared for that question and she named a hotel near the building that housed the DEA.
“That’s close to where I’m going. Mind if I share your cab?”
Jessica swallowed a protest and said, “Of course not. That would be fine. We’re in no hurry,” she assured him. “Where are you going?”
He named their ultimate destination, and Jessica did the best acting she’d ever done. “And you say that’s near our hotel?”
“Sure is. I work near there.”
“Oh, so you were on vacation?”
“No, little lady, My trip was business. My car is parked at my office, so this will work out just fine. I’ll be glad to contribute to your vacation money,” he added with a grin.
“Well, isn’t that neighborly of you,” she answered with a big smile.
Another cab pulled up and the three of them got in, Jessica in the middle.
“Where to?” the cabbie asked over his shoulder.
The agent gave him his destination, then added their hotel.
Along the way Jessica played tourist, asking their companion about everything she saw. He answered her questions, but he kept bringing Steve into the conversation. Jessica worried the man would recognize Steve’s voice.
When the taxi stopped by the building where his car was parked, the agent took out a twenty. “Here. This should cover the fare to your hotel. Thanks for sharing.”
They both thanked him as he got out of the cab. Then, as the cabbie pulled away, she drew a deep breath of relief.
Jessica leaned forward to the cabbie. “Sir, we don’t want to go to that hotel. Can you just drive us around town for the next hour and a half and then end up right back here about a quarter to two?”
The cabbie frowned. “You want to see all the famous buildings or something?”
“Yes,” Jessica agreed, “but if we fall asleep, don’t wake us until you get back here at 1:45.”
“That’s going to run up a big bill. You sure you can pay it?”
She opened her purse and pulled out a hundred-dollar bill. “Take this as down payment. If it’s more than that, we’re good for it.”
Randall on the Run Page 13
