by Laura Scott
He considered calling O’Dell again, but decided against it. Contacting Detective Krantz, though, might work. She was the one executing the search warrant on Olson’s office within Sci-Tech and his condo. Although Miles doubted that they’d find anything useful. He wasn’t sure when Travis had been murdered, but there had been plenty of time for Karl and his team to get rid of any incriminating evidence if there had been any.
The same held true for Olson’s condo.
Miles wondered if Travis had talked about his work with his girlfriends. Not that he’d been able to find any of the women whose names Paige had given him. Working the case from a motel room wasn’t impossible, but without last names it was like searching for a shell casing in a forest.
He rose to his feet and made sure he had his key before slipping outside. The snow flurries had stopped but the dark clouds overhead lingered, obliterating any potential light from the moon.
He called dispatch, requesting to be connected with Detective Krantz.
She answered in a curt, no-nonsense tone. “Krantz.”
“Detective, this is Miles Callahan. Captain O’Dell told me you’re working the Travis Olson case. Do you have any updates you’re able to share?”
“Oh, yeah, I heard from O’Dell that you’d be in touch. Let’s see.” He heard the sound of paper shuffling. “The ME put the time of Travis Olson’s death as two days ago, on Monday night.”
He frowned. Monday was the same night that Jason had been killed, but he’d thought for sure that Olson had been killed later than that, by twenty-four hours or so. How else would he have connected to Abby through the ChatTime link? Maybe the effects of the water on the body had influenced the ME’s time of death. “That’s interesting. Anything else?”
“A twenty-two caliber slug was dug out of his chest, same type that killed Whitfield.”
That much he’d already suspected, but it was nice to have the evidence confirm his theory. “What about the search warrants? Find anything interesting at Olson’s condo or his office?”
“No, we got squat. Hard to tell if he was keeping everything hidden someplace we haven’t found yet or if someone else cleaned up behind him.”
Probably both, which was exactly what he’d been afraid of. “Listen, I know that the owner of Sci-Tech used to work at ACE Intel, and according to the owner at ACE, Karl Rogers broke a noncompete clause. He managed to avoid any legal issues, though, because Rogers’s lawyer came up with a document proving that Rogers was fired, making the contract null and void. I think these two murders are linked to corporate espionage.”
There was a brief silence, before Lisa Krantz replied, “Wow, you’ve been busy. Great work on nailing the motive for murder, Callahan. Where are you? I think it might be better for both of us if we get together and compare notes.”
Miles hesitated, then decided it was too late for that since Abby was already asleep. “Maybe tomorrow. But keep me posted on whatever else you might find.”
“Sure. What number should I use to contact you?”
“Don’t bother calling me. I’ll get back in touch with you when I’m able. Good night.” Miles disconnected from the call, belatedly realizing that he’d forgotten to fill Krantz in on the information Jason had sent to his PO box. He briefly considered calling her back, then decided that there would be time to fill her in tomorrow.
He walked the length of the motel, taking note of the different vehicles parked back there. Standing beside the rental SUV, Miles decided to move it farther down from their room, and to back it into the parking space, just in case they needed a quick escape.
They should be safe here, but he couldn’t quite get rid of the nagging worry that plagued him. Being responsible for a witness was rough enough, but adding a woman and a five-year-old child to the mix added another level of pressure.
Before getting out of the SUV, he removed the bulb from the dome light. Paranoid? Yeah. But better that than dead.
He made one more sweep around the building before using his key card to unlock the door. The interior of the room was dark, with the exception of a sliver of light beneath the bathroom door.
After waiting a moment for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, he carefully made his way toward the door. A glance at the bed confirmed that Paige wasn’t there.
Listening at the bathroom door, he was able to hear her crying. Not loudly, but soft hiccupping sobs that ripped at his heart.
Normally, he avoided crying women, but he couldn’t make himself walk away. Instead, he braced his palms on the sides of the door. “Paige?” He whispered, to avoid waking Abby. “Are you all right?”
The crying grew quieter, as if she were trying to rein in her emotions. “Fine.” The word was hoarse, as if she’d been sobbing for a while. “Go to sleep.”
Yeah, right. Not hardly. “Open up,” he urged.
There was a long pause, then the sound of running water. He imagined she was trying to minimize the evidence of her tears. The seconds stretched into one minute, then two, before the door opened.
“I’m fine,” she repeated. Her gaze was downcast, and it hurt to realize she didn’t want to look at him.
“Oh, Paige,” he murmured, reaching out to draw her against his chest. “Don’t cry. Everything will turn out okay, you’ll see.”
She held herself stiff for a moment, then finally relaxed against him. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Usually I’m stronger than this.”
“You’re one of the strongest women I know,” he told her honestly, thinking again of how much she reminded him of Dawn. Yeah, there were some differences. His college sweetheart had been fighting for her life, while Paige was fighting for her daughter.
He admired Paige for that. For putting Abby first.
“Thanks.” Paige pulled out of his arms and swiped again at her face. “Goodnight, Miles.”
He forced himself to take a step back, when all he really wanted to do was to kiss her again. Bad move, he reminded himself. Not smart to get personally involved.
She scooted around him and crawled into bed beside her daughter. He used the bathroom and shut off the light when he was finished.
He didn’t bother going to bed, though, knowing sleep would elude him.
Not only because he was worried about the gunmen finding them once again, but because he knew, deep down, he was in trouble.
Despite his efforts to the contrary, he was already emotionally entangled with Paige and her daughter.
* * *
Paige closed her eyes, willing herself to fall asleep. She was mortified that Miles had witnessed her breakdown, even though he’d been so sweet about it. Being held in his arms had soothed her but she’d already leaned on him far more than she had a right to.
She wasn’t even sure why she’d started crying in the first place. Travis was gone, but her marriage had been over a long time ago. And it wasn’t as if Travis had been there for Abby over the past few years, either. At the time of their divorce, she’d been glad that he hadn’t fought for custody. Now she wished that her daughter would have better memories of her father, other than whatever she’d witnessed during the ChatTime link.
It was sad to think of the relationship Abby would never have with her father. A less-than-involved father was better than having no one at all, wasn’t it? Paige had been blessed to have both her parents until they passed away, each from a different kind of cancer.
She flipped onto her side, being careful not to jostle her sleeping daughter. The room was claustrophobic, maybe because she was hyperaware of Miles being nearby, but somehow she managed to fall asleep.
A muffled thump woke her, and she blinked groggily in the darkness, trying to figure out what she’d heard. It took a few minutes for her to realize that the lump in the other bed was Miles. Like her, he was
dressed and covered with a blanket, as if ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
She heard the thump again and figured the noise must be coming from people in the room next door. Slipping out of bed, she padded over to the window, peeking through the curtains to the parking lot outside.
A pair of headlights flashed as a dark car drove slowly past the row of cars parked in front of the building. The tiny hairs on her arms prickled with unease. The dark car looked similar to the one that had found them at the restaurant the previous morning.
She told herself there were many dark cars and there was no reason to think this was the same one. She’d read somewhere that black was one of the most popular colors for new cars.
If it wasn’t the same one, why was it moving so slowly?
Paige crossed over and gently shook Miles’s shoulder. He shot upright and she swallowed a squeak of alarm at how instantly he became awake. “What’s wrong?”
“Come look at this,” she whispered when she’d found her breath.
“What?” Miles didn’t hesitate, but swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood.
“There’s a dark sedan outside.”
He moved into position at the window, peering intently through the gap in the heavy curtains.
“All I see are taillights.” He turned toward her, a frown furrowing his brow. “But it’s moving slower than you’d expect from someone renting a room.”
She gripped his arm, partially because her knees felt weak. “Is it possible the gunmen have found us again?”
“Unfortunately, anything is possible.” Miles turned back toward the window and she wondered if she’d let her imagination get the better of her.
“It’s probably nothing,” she whispered. “Sorry I woke you.”
Miles stood there for several seconds before leaning toward her. “I’m going to check around outside. Stay here with Abby, okay?”
She nodded. “Don’t be gone too long.”
“I won’t. The car is probably gone by now, anyway, or maybe the driver was having trouble finding a spot to park near his room. I’m sure it’s nothing, but we’ll both sleep better if I double check.” He drew on his shoulder holster and covered the weapon with his black leather jacket. He eased the door open and disappeared soundlessly into the night.
Paige walked over to make sure Abby was still sleeping, then pulled a chair near the window to wait, hoping that Miles was right and that there was nothing to worry about.
Yet the way her stomach was churning, she suspected otherwise.
* * *
The moment Miles closed the door behind him, he pulled his weapon and dropped into a crouch, using the parked cars in front of the motel as cover.
The building had rooms along the front and along the back, and he couldn’t tell for sure if the vehicle Paige had noticed was still circling the building or if the driver had chosen a parking spot.
It didn’t make sense that the gunmen would find them here. The only people he’d spoken to were his boss and Detective Krantz. Using a throwaway phone made tracking him that much more difficult.
Difficult, but not impossible. If someone had the right connections...
No, he didn’t believe he’d been traced here through a phone call to the police station. In fact, the dispatcher had sent his call to Krantz’s phone and he knew that meant she didn’t have his number.
Only his boss, Captain O’Dell, had it. And O’Dell had been on the force for twenty years. Miles trusted the man with his life.
But with Paige and Abby’s? Not so much.
Then again, Paige had also called that security guard.
He moved stealthily from one car to the next, listening for sounds of a car engine. He turned and was almost back at their motel room door when he heard it.
The car had returned, once again moving suspiciously slowly. Maybe it was his imagination, but it looked as if the occupants were checking each and every license plate.
He made himself as small as possible, hoping that the driver of the sedan wouldn’t be able to see his hiding spot in front of a large four-wheel-drive truck, the sides caked with mud.
Paige hadn’t imagined it. Somehow, the gunmen had pinpointed their location. The fact that Mike had obtained a rental car under a fake name was likely the main reason they hadn’t been discovered already.
Should they stay? Or go? The headlights grew brighter as the sedan rolled behind their SUV.
The booster seat!
Miles held his breath and prayed the occupants in the car wouldn’t see it.
Guide me, Lord. Help me keep Paige and Abby safe from harm.
The car rolled past their rented SUV to the next car, yet Miles didn’t move, willing the driver to keep going. When the vehicle went around the building, he leaped to his feet and quickly entered the motel room.
“We need to get out of here, right now. Before they come back around,” he said urgently.
Thankfully, Paige didn’t argue. She crossed over to where Abby was sleeping. “Do I have time to pack our things?”
“No.” He quickly stashed Jason’s papers back in the padded envelope and tucked them in the inside pocket of his jacket.
“Abby? We’re going for a ride,” Paige said, lifting her daughter into her arms. The little girl didn’t answer and Miles found he was glad about that. He didn’t want her to be frightened again.
And he was getting sick and tired of these gunmen tracking him down.
Miles pulled his phone out of his pocket and crushed it beneath the heel of his boot. “Give me your phone, too. I don’t want to take any chances.”
Paige nodded and watched as he stomped on her phone as well. She grabbed both her winter coat and Abby’s. “That’s fine, but we can’t take anything else. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. She has her elephant. That’s what really matters.”
He crossed to the door and opened it a crack. “We’re the third stall down. See the way I’m backed into the spot? Let’s go.”
Paige nodded and darted outside, heading toward the car. He was right behind her, keeping a sharp eye out for any sign of the sedan.
He stowed the computer on the floor of the passenger seat as Paige wrestled Abby into the booster.
“Get inside,” he bit out. “Worry about buckling her in later.”
Paige did as he asked, moving all the way inside the backseat so he could shut the door behind her. He swiftly slid behind the wheel then started the car, wincing as the sound of the engine seemed ridiculously loud.
Without turning on the headlights, he drove around the building, taking the same path that the sedan had traversed, his logic being that if they were going to circle around again, he could get out onto the highway without being seen.
At least, that was the plan.
When he reached the farthest side of the building, he slowed to a crawl, easing the nose of his car around the corner, hoping that the sedan wasn’t still sitting there, waiting.
The coast was clear.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he headed straight for the highway.
Just when he was ready to flip on the headlights, he saw the sedan coming around the corner of the building. They must have realized one of the parked cars was gone.
He hit the gas, anxious to get as far away as possible, but when he looked in his rearview mirror, the sedan was coming up behind him.
“Stay down, both of you,” he ordered, as he hammered the gas pedal to the floor.
He could hear Paige scrambling to pull Abby out of the booster seat and down onto the floor between the seats. He could hear Paige praying out loud in an attempt to reassure her daughter.
The highway stretched before him, no other vehicles in sight, which was good since he was driving way over the speed limi
t. But it was bad, too, because it made losing the sedan that much more difficult.
A loud blast of gunfire made him flinch. The sedan was still behind him, not gaining ground, but not dropping back, either.
He gritted his teeth and focused on keeping the SUV on the road, wondering how much time they had before one of the bullets hit its mark.
NINE
On the floor of the backseat, Paige huddled over Abby, praying as the sound of gunfire echoed through the darkness. Just when they’d thought they were safe, the gunmen had found them again.
“Hang on. It’s going to get bumpy,” Miles said in a grim tone.
She didn’t like not being able to see what was going on. She felt a burst of speed, and the vehicle jerked, as if he’d abruptly changed lanes. Paige did her best to use the winter coats she’d brought as a cushion around Abby, protecting her daughter at all costs.
Another gunshot echoed through the night, and Paige found herself holding her breath, hoping and praying they hadn’t been hit.
The SUV bounced wildly, sending her flying sideways against the back of the driver’s seat. The constant jostling movements continued, making it difficult for her to stay in one place. The coats helped keep Abby secure, which she was thankful for. Paige planted her hand against the driver’s seat and the backseat cushion in an attempt to stay over Abby, wondering what in the world Miles was doing. It felt as if they were driving over rocks.
Then it occurred to her that he might be going off the road on purpose, knowing the sedan might not be able to follow.
Sure enough, glancing up through the windows she could see tree branches, bare of any leaves, looming overhead, as if they were driving into the woods. Logically, that didn’t seem possible, but she couldn’t see anything else to tell her where they were.
The gunfire seemed to have stopped, the interior of the car silent except for Abby’s whimpering. She reached out to stroke her daughter, wishing she knew for sure if the sedan was still behind them.
Nevertheless, she trusted the handsome detective enough to know he would tell her once the danger was over. The SUV continued to bounce crazily from side to side, convincing her they weren’t safe yet.
