Clay rubbed his chin. “I’m going to tape off the perimeter of the house until we can take a look in the morning. If someone was snooping around outside earlier, there could be prints. We’ll rule out Paul and George’s shoe prints and see what’s left. If anything.”
The others went to work leaving Toby, Robin and Oliver in the den. Robin drew in a deep breath and pressed a hand to her suddenly pounding head. “I think Oliver might be right,” she said.
“How so?” Toby rubbed her cold hands between his warm ones, and she closed her eyes at the comfort the gesture brought.
“That I should stay here,” she said. “If I leave, he’s just going to follow. And besides, where would I go?”
“A safe house,” Tby said.
“Sounds like an oxymoron in my case,” she muttered.
A sigh slipped from Toby. “Aw, Robin, we’re going to get to the bottom of this.”
She bit her lip and looked away. His sweet kindness would have her blubbering once again if she wasn’t careful. She stood. “Thank you. And now, I’m going to go back to bed and try to sleep.” The sun would be coming up in a couple of hours, and even if she found she couldn’t sleep, she could think.
Once she was settled back in her bed, she lay still, listening. And realized she’d left before finding out how the intruder had entered the house. Did it matter? As long as the people guarding her knew, she didn’t need to, did she?
Of course she did. With a sigh, she swung her legs over the side of the bed, dressed and headed to the kitchen since that seemed to be the place everyone congregated.
As she drew close, voices reached her. Toby and Oliver. “...think about her every day, Toby.”
“I know.”
“She shouldn’t have been there.”
“I know that, too. I can’t apologize enough.” A pause. “I’m sorry I pulled away, Oliver. I shouldn’t have. I just...every time I saw you, I relived it. But...that was selfish and I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. It wasn’t your fault, it was mine. Don’t you get it? I should have had someone with her. I should have noticed how far she’d deteriorated. But it was so fast—”
The men fell silent, and part of Robin wanted to stay and listen. The other part of her said she needed to leave, that the conversation wasn’t any of her business. She started to return to her room when she heard Toby finally say, “If I could go back and change that day, I would, but I can’t. And I can’t keep living in the past either.”
A heavy sigh escaped one of them. She thought it was Oliver. “Some days I can’t find the strength to live anywhere else,” the special agent said in a low voice. Then cleared his throat and sniffed.
Robin ached for the two of them. They’d suffered so much. And she didn’t need to keep standing there, but she really wanted to know how the person got in. She tiptoed backward and then approached the kitchen at a slow pace, clearing her throat to give them a heads-up.
When she entered, Toby frowned. “Can’t sleep?”
“Haven’t really tried yet. I kept thinking about the intruder. Did you figure out how he got in?”
“Through a second-story balcony window,” Oliver said. “He cut the glass and simply reached in and unlocked the door.”
“How did he get up there without anyone seeing him?”
“The trellis on the side of the carport,” Toby said. “He climbed up and walked across the roof, then lowered himself to the second-floor balcony. Cut the glass, opened the door and made himself at home.” He shook his head. “I noticed the trellis but didn’t want to request that it be removed since it would be such an invasion. I should have. Instead, I just requested Robin have a first-floor room closest to the kitchen.”
“Were the guys doing predictable perimeter checks?” Oliver asked.
“No, they were supposed to be intermittent.”
Oliver shrugged. “Well, doesn’t really matter. All he had to do was wait him out and as soon as the officer was out of sight, haul himself up the trellis and onto the roof. Easy peasy.”
Toby grimaced, and Robin felt sorry for him. He was blaming himself for a lot of things that he shouldn’t. “I think the fact that my room was on the bottom floor is what saved me, Toby, so don’t beat yourself up. The intruder might have thought I was on the second floor and that’s why he entered that way.”
“No,” Toby said, “that was just the only way he could have gotten in without being detected.” He rubbed his chin. “And now that we know about it, we’ll take precautions.” He nodded. “I think staying here is going to work out. Now that our intruder knows we know how he got in, he also knows we’ll be a lot more vigilant. I’ll be surprised if he makes another attempt here at the house. At least any time soon.”
“So, he’ll wait for me to leave the house to strike.”
“Probably.”
She nodded and bit her lip. “All right. Then let’s set something up so he’ll come after me. But it has to be something that won’t endanger others.”
“No way,” Toby said. “That has disaster written all over it.”
Anger with him flared. She did her best to bite it back. “Not if you’re there to make sure nothing goes wrong.”
He shook his head. “Something always goes wrong.”
I can’t believe you would do this! You used me!
A flash of rage took her by surprise and she swallowed, wondering at the anger—where it had come from and unsure what to do with it. “Are you letting one incident from your past influence this decision?” She slapped a hand over her mouth, appalled the words had spilled out.
Toby went still. So very still. Oliver drew in a quick breath and Robin blinked. Just as quickly, the anger, the hurt were gone—and remorse took over.
Toby blew out a slow breath. “No, I’m not. What’s influencing that decision is the fact that it’s dangerous and, just like the trellis thing, there’s no surefire way to make sure you won’t be hurt in the process.”
“I see. But what if I want to do it?” she asked, placing her hands on her hips and jutting her chin.
He bit his lip. Probably remembering her order not to treat her like a child. She appreciated his attempt to filter his words. He finally nodded. “All right. What if we see if we can come up with an alternate plan to draw the killer out? And if we can’t, then we’ll consider your idea.”
Grateful neither man addressed her stubbornness, she harrumphed—this time without any anger or messy emotions—and crossed her arms. “You expect to come up with a better plan and are just humoring me, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
A giggle escaped, surprising her as well as the two men. She covered her mouth. “Sorry. That just slipped out. I’m so tired I’m giddy, I think.” And the wide swing of emotions scared her. She’d remembered part of their argument and needed to process it. Tears surfaced, and she turned to go.
Toby caught her hand and pulled her against him. She drew in his scent and simply let herself feel safe for a brief moment. Then she pulled away. She wasn’t safe, and the people trying to help her weren’t either. The only way to ensure their safety was for her to remember.
THIRTEEN
At breakfast the next morning, Toby sat at the table waiting for Oliver, who said he had some information he needed to give Toby. While he waited, he thought about the conclusion he’d come to last night and the fact that he was going to have to help Robin remember. Somehow. He wasn’t trained in that kind of thing, but he could give her access to people who were.
Caught between a rock and a hard place didn’t come close to how he was feeling. Once she remembered, they’d be able to catch the person responsible. And Robin would be safe. And she would remember the email, as well as why she didn’t want anything more to do with him. And he would be out of her life once more.
Assuming they were even able to help her.
It was a moot point if they couldn’t. He dropped his head in his hands. All he wanted was what was best for Robin and to catch whoever was responsible for all of the chaos. Maybe it was time to man up and tell her exactly what they’d been fighting about and see if that jogged her memory. If she sent him away, then he would just have to find a way to protect her from a distance. And he knew Clay wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
So, to tell or not to tell?
Robin entered the kitchen, grabbed a cup of coffee and a bagel and settled into the chair next to him at the table. “Good morning. Were you up all night? Or did you get some sleep?” she asked.
“I managed to snag a few hours. How about you?”
She shrugged and reached for a knife and a tub of cream cheese. “It was restless, but I think I slept. Any more news about the intruder from last night?”
“Clay went out at first light and checked the footprints. He took two casts of prints that looked like they might be different from Greg’s and Paul’s shoes, so we’ll see what he comes up with. Said the person was probably about five-ten with a size eleven shoe.”
“Well, we can hope that will help whenever we have a suspect to match it to.”
“It’s helped crack cases before. Maybe this time will be the same.”
“While I don’t mind small talk,” she said. “I have a feeling that you want to say something more.” She took a bite of the bagel and chewed while her eyes never left his.
He smiled. “Nothing gets past you, does it?”
“Talk to me, Toby.”
He blew out a sigh. “All right. I haven’t been entirely forthcoming about everything.”
She took another bite of the bagel and studied him. “I know.”
“While I would rather you remember everything on your own, I think maybe it’s time to talk about some things.”
“Like what?”
He glanced at the clock. Did he have time for this? “Like the fact that we spent a lot of time together and I was...developing feelings for you.”
“What kind of feelings?” she asked softly.
“Feelings I couldn’t act on because—”
A knock on the door shut off his words, and Toby let out a groan, barely resisting the urge to bang his head on the table.
Robin blinked. “Who’s that?”
“Oliver. He said he was going to come by. He said he had some information he needed to share with us.” He paused. “Can we continue this after he leaves?”
“Of course.”
Toby let Oliver in, and he took a seat at the kitchen table after helping himself to a blueberry bagel.
“What’s the information?” Toby asked.
“Agent Young shared some security footage from the night of the explosion. He wanted to come over and ask Robin to take a look, but I told him it might be better if I handled it. Honestly, I’m not sure what he thinks Robin will be able to tell him, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
Robin leaned forward. “Let me see.”
The agent pulled his phone from the clip on his belt and tapped the screen. “The lab is right across from the student building. One of the security cameras picked up someone running from the blaze, but I don’t see how you’ll be able to identify him because there’s tons of smoke and he has a hood over his head.” He turned the phone so that she and Toby could see it. Toby tapped play, and the video began to play.
The picture was surprisingly good and opened with the explosion. Unfortunately, the camera from the student center was aimed at the front of the building, and the initial explosion took place toward the back. Therefore, the only thing one could see was the smoke billowing from the back.
“The person who chased me,” Robin said, “would have left the building through the front door, most likely.”
Toby paused the video. “How do you know that?”
Robin gaped. “I don’t know. I... That just came out. I had a brief picture of me running through the lab toward the bathrooms. They’re at the front, right?”
“Yes. You broke a window in the men’s bathroom at the front of the building. That’s how you escaped, remember?”
“No, not really.” She frowned. “Actually, maybe I do, a little.” Her eyes widened. “I remember. I ran into the bathroom, and then there was another explosion. The door flew in...”
“And?”
“Pain,” she whispered, touching her forehead. “It hurt.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “It’s so weird. They’re memories, but they’re not. It’s like I’m watching snippets of a movie with a bad reel. Some parts are skipped, others are perfectly clear.”
“It’s okay, Robin,” Toby said. “Try not to get frustrated.”
She scowled but nodded.
“So, the person who killed the other two scientists would have chased you toward the front,” Oliver said. “If you locked yourself in the bathroom, the guy probably figured you were trapped with no way out. The fire would have been spreading quickly and he would’ve had to get out before he was trapped, too.”
“But someone saw me break the window and escape,” Robin said, “and that’s why they want to get rid of me.”
“Yes.”
“There’s someone at the top calling the shots,” she said. “All of these attempts on my life are made by different people. How many goons does the guy have on his payroll?”
“Apparently plenty,” Toby muttered. He pressed the play button, and the video continued. The front door of the lab swung open and a figure darted out and soon disappeared from view out of range of the camera. Then another explosion sent flames shooting out the front.
Toby rewound the footage and pressed Pause at the point where the person bolted out of the door. “He has something in his hands. Can we zoom in on that?”
“Something in his hands?” Oliver frowned.
“Yeah.” Toby zoomed the video.
“Files,” Robin said. “He took the files from the desk.”
Oliver stiffened. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I can’t see his face, just a brief picture of his hands sweeping the files from the desk. And then nothing.” She sighed.
Oliver stood. “I’ll get this sent to Quantico and see if someone can enlarge it.”
“What for?” Robin asked.
The agent shrugged. “You never know what they’ll be able to pull off of it.” He stood. “I’ll see myself out. Take care of yourself, Robin. And watch your back.”
Toby slid an arm around her shoulders. “That’s what I’m here for.”
* * *
Once Oliver was gone, Toby led her into the den. He sat next to her on the sofa and she struggled not to notice how much his presence affected her, how safe he made her feel—and how his words continued to echo through her thoughts.
His admission that his feelings for her had been developing made her want to smile in spite of her circumstances because each day, she found herself drawn more and more to the mysterious man. And yet...
Her smile faded. He was still hiding something from her.
“You’re remembering more every day,” he said.
“I am. But the bits and pieces and little snatches of memory here and there...” She shook her head. “It’s driving me crazy.”
“I’m sure.”
She fell silent. “Those folders that the killer grabbed. What do you think they contain that was worth killing for?”
“I think you know as well as I do.”
She sighed. “The instructions on how to make the virus?”
“I’d say it’s highly likely.”
“He can’t do anything with the information unless he has someone who can interpret it for him—and I’m not even sure he has i
t all. That piece of paper only had part of the information. A lot of it, yes, but not all of it.”
“You figured it out easy enough.”
“But it was just one possibility. It might not even be what Alan came up with.”
Toby shrugged. “Regardless, I don’t think it will be hard to find someone willing to recreate it for the right price. And as soon as he knows the coast is clear, he’ll start putting out feelers for that person. That is, if he doesn’t already have someone.”
“Coast is clear,” she said. “Meaning when I’m dead?”
“Yeah. But that’s not going to happen.”
“I hope not. I mean, who could have been in the lab that night besides those of us who worked there?” she asked. “That’s what I keep coming back to. I knew everyone who worked there, right?”
“Of course.”
“So, who knew what Alan was working on and would be meeting that night?”
“I know the investigators are looking at all of the employees, questioning their whereabouts and whether they saw anything. They’re also viewing all of the security video they can get their hands on, trying to see who was on campus that night, who was going in and out of the lab, and so on, but so far, I’ve heard nothing.” He paused. “Of course, Ben was the one keeping me in the loop.”
“Well, now you have Oliver.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think they’ll find anything, though?”
He shrugged. “You never know. Sure can’t hurt to try.” His phone buzzed, and he glanced at the screen and frowned.
“What is it?” she asked.
“One of the FBI agents. Either Young or McBride.” He answered. “Hello?” A pause. “Yes.” He sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Fine. No, I’ll come to you. What room? Give me a few minutes to make sure everything’s okay here and I’ll be over.”
She lifted a brow. “Be over where?”
“Agent McBride said they had a few more questions for me. I’ll go over there. I don’t want them bothering you. Lance and Trent will be on guard.”
“Toby, it’s okay if they come over here.”
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