The Only Witness

by Laura Scott

  And if Abby still wasn’t talking in the morning, she’d insist that Miles take her to see a child psychologist to get the help she needed. The detective seemed like a good guy, someone she could count on to do the right thing.

  At least, she hoped so.

  * * *

  “Paige?” Miles kept his voice in a low whisper so he wouldn’t wake Abby. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

  She looked up at him, then rose to her feet, edging around the bed to come over to his side of the room. There wasn’t a lot space, so he backed his chair against the door so she could sit in the chair beside him. She was so close, their knees touched.

  “What?” Her eyes were wide behind her glasses. “You think Travis knows something that got that man killed and you’re worried about him?”

  Yeah, he was, but not exactly the way she thought. Miles cleared his throat. “I hate to ask you this, but could you give me a list of all his girlfriends? At least, the ones you know about?”

  She dropped her gaze to the floor, her mouth pressed into a tight line. “It’s a long list. I doubt I’d get a tenth of them right.”

  He hated seeing the self-doubt in her eyes, and wanted to deck Travis Olson for making this gorgeous woman feel as if she hadn’t been good enough to keep him. “Anything you can remember would be great. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

  “Fine.” She picked up a pen and began writing on the motel stationery. After a few minutes she dropped the pen and pushed the note containing five women’s names toward him. “These are the only ones I remember.”

  “Thanks.” He folded the note in half and placed it in his shirt pocket.

  “Do you think Travis is all right?”

  “I’m not sure.” He couldn’t bring himself to lie to her. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep looking for him.”

  “All right, but you’re not—leaving us alone to do that, are you?”

  One corner of his mouth quirked up. “No, you’re stuck with me. Unless you have friends or relatives you’d like to stay with for a few days?”

  “Not really. My parents are dead and I’m an only child. I have an elderly great-aunt who lives in Arizona, but she’s in one of those senior living apartments and they don’t allow kids to stay there.” She sighed. “Besides, what if whoever tried to shoot us comes back? I wouldn’t want to put anyone else in danger.”

  He couldn’t argue with that logic. “Don’t stress, Paige. I’m here for you. We’ll figure out our next steps in the morning, okay?”

  “Okay.” She twisted her hands together in her lap for a moment. “Miles?”

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you for saving our lives tonight.”

  The urge to pull her into his arms was strong and he didn’t like it. Why was this single mom getting to him like this? He wasn’t like Marc, looking to settle down with a wife and family.

  Yet there was something about Paige’s strength and courage that reminded him a bit of Dawn’s battle with cancer. He couldn’t help but admire the way Paige cared for her daughter.

  He reached out to put his hand over hers, giving a gentle squeeze. “You’re welcome. Now try to get some sleep.”

  She held his hand for a long moment, then stood and made her way back to her daughter’s bedside. He switched off the lamp, staring blindly through the darkness.

  Miles didn’t have a good feeling about Paige’s ex-husband and tried to think of where he might be. Hiding out somewhere? Or was it possible Abby had actually seen something bad happening to her father? It had seemed as if he was getting through to the little girl, and hoped to try again in the morning.

  A few hours later, he woke up to a faint light peeking around the heavy curtains. After rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he swung his feet to the floor.

  He quickly washed up in the bathroom, and when he came out, he noticed Paige was awake, as well.

  “Do you think we could get something for breakfast?” she whispered. “Abby will be hungry when she wakes up.”

  “Of course.” He walked over to where he’d charged up his phone, then moved the curtain aside to check out the parking lot. Everything looked quiet, just the way he liked it. “Let me know when you’re ready to go. I’m going to make a few calls.”

  “All right.”

  He took the laptop computer outside and stored it in the trunk of his car. Then he stood with his back against the wall so he could keep an eye on the road. There wasn’t much traffic on the road yet, probably because it was barely six.

  Miles called his captain first, but his boss didn’t answer. He left a quick message, then tried Detective Krantz’s number. Her phone went straight to voice mail, too.

  Obviously it was too early for anyone to be up working. Which only frustrated him more.

  He slipped his phone into his pocket and stared at the motel. Staying another night here wouldn’t be smart. Even though he knew they hadn’t been followed, the break-in at his house bothered him. Why was he suddenly a target, too? For now, it would be best for them to keep moving.

  A restaurant serving breakfast that appeared to be family-friendly was located up the road a bit. They’d grab something to eat there, and then decide where to go next. Miles wanted to keep working the case, so he thought about calling his brothers for help in watching over Paige and Abby.

  Satisfied to have a plan in place, he went back inside the motel room. Abby was coming out of the bathroom with her pink elephant tucked under her arm.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked.

  The little girl’s eyes brightened and she nodded with enthusiasm.

  He glanced at Paige, who shrugged and shook her head. “Abby still doesn’t feel like talking.”

  “That’s okay. I’m sure she’ll talk when she’s ready.” At least, he hoped so. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Sure,” Paige replied, and took Abby’s hand. He held the door open, doing another sweep of the parking lot to be sure nothing had changed, before letting the door close behind him.

  “I’m parked over here.” He led them around the corner to the spot where he’d left his car.

  Driving to the restaurant didn’t take long, and since the place was totally empty they were seated immediately at a booth overlooking the parking lot.

  He and Paige both ordered coffee. Their waitress filled their mugs, then brought a large glass of milk for Abby. Their breakfasts were served just five minutes later.

  Paige took Abby’s hand and bowed her head. “Thank You, Lord, for this food we are about to eat. And thank You for keeping us safe in Your care, Amen.”

  “Amen,” he echoed, thinking about how long it had been since he’d prayed. Oh, he always attended church with his family, followed by Sunday brunch at his mother’s house, but generally he went through the motions without thinking about it.

  Yet here was Paige, praying as if she truly meant every word. The way he once had, before Dawn had died. Before he’d lost the woman he’d once loved.

  An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, made worse by Abby’s muteness. He was glad to see that she was at least eating her French toast drowned in maple syrup and the side of bacon. Thankfully, whatever was keeping her silent wasn’t bad enough to interfere with her appetite.

  “Where do we go from here?” Paige asked when she’d finished her meal.

  “Another motel would be best.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Couldn’t we stop back at my house to pick up some things? Clothes, toiletries?”

  He didn’t want to take her back there, but he understood she needed something more than just the clothes on their backs. He’d stashed a spare pair of sweats for her in his duffel, but he didn’t have anything for a child. “I’ll get you both settled in a motel closer to town and I’ll get one of my brothers to pick up so
me things for you, okay? You can give me a list.”

  Their waitress set their bill on the table, and he took out enough cash to pay the tab and leave a tip. When he glanced up, a movement outside caught his attention.

  A black sedan with tinted windows was rolling way too slowly past the restaurant.

  The hairs on the back of his neck lifted in alarm. His navy blue car was parked next to a bright yellow Chevy truck, but it wasn’t as if his vehicle was hidden from view.

  The black car stopped, then backed up about a foot as if to get a better angle to see the license plate.

  Miles didn’t like it. “Come on, we need to go. Now.”

  Paige followed his gaze outside, then paled. “What’s wrong? Do you recognize that car?”

  “No.” Even as he spoke, two men slid out of the vehicle, wearing black from head to toe, their eyes covered by dark glasses. And he could tell by the bulk beneath their clothes, they both were carrying guns.

  “This way, hurry!” He scooped Abby into his arms and tugged Paige’s hand. The waitress gaped at them, as he headed toward the kitchen.

  “Hey, you can’t go back there!”

  “Call the police,” he said tersely, brushing past the swinging doors to the kitchen. He knew there would be a back door leading outside, and he wanted to get as far away from the armed men as possible.

  “Stop! You can’t be back here!” The cook, a large man with a receding hairline protested when Miles wove through the shiny metal tables and shelves.

  Miles ignored him but the yelling obviously bothered Abby because she hid her face against his neck. He gave the little girl a brief, reassuring hug, then handed her over to Paige.

  “I’m going outside first, you stay back until I tell you it’s clear.”

  Paige nodded, her eyes frightened, but calm, as if she were just as determined as he was to get away.

  There was a large Dumpster out back, and a few yards ahead were three evergreen trees. Using the Dumpster for cover, he peeked around the edge so he could see.

  One of the two men was standing near his car, pointing toward the bullet hole. The other wasn’t in view, and Miles suspected they’d head inside the restaurant any moment.

  “We have to move, now! Toward the trees.” Miles urged Paige to go first, so that he could provide cover. “Hurry.”

  They made it to the cluster of trees but from there, wide-open fields stretched for what looked like a half mile. A white farmhouse in the distance provided the only possible source of cover.

  “See that farmhouse?” he asked. Paige nodded. “We’ll have to make a run for it.”

  “But it’s so open,” she protested.

  She was right, but there was a small pile of rocks not far from the cluster of trees. Miles thought he could stretch out on the ground behind the rocks and provide cover, shooting at the men to keep them at bay, while Paige and Abby ran to safety.

  But he didn’t have a chance to outline his plan because the back door of the restaurant burst open and shots rang out.

  FOUR

  With her heart pounding frantically, Paige clutched Abby to her chest, shielding her daughter as best she could as she hid behind the evergreen trees. Miles pushed her behind him, then squatted in front of her and returned fire.

  The gunshots were excruciatingly loud, making her ears ring, and she knew they frightened Abby, too, by the way her daughter’s tears dampened her shirt. Paige had no idea why these guys were shooting at them and prayed the waitress had, indeed, called the police.

  The sharp scent of cordite hung in the air. Miles fired twice more, and she caught a glimpse of two men lying on the ground in front of the door. She couldn’t tell if they were alive or dead. Then Miles was hauling her up to her feet. “Come on, we have to get out of here.”

  She wasn’t about to argue. She wanted to get as far away from this place as possible.

  “Head for my car.” Miles urged her forward, indicating she should go first. She darted around the Dumpster, then sprinted as fast as she could across the parking lot to his car. Just like the night before, she yanked open the passenger door and quickly crawled into the back, unwilling to let Abby go.

  Miles shut the passenger door behind her, then ran around to the driver’s seat. Before getting into the car, though, he went down to where the black sedan was parked to peer at the license plate. It only took a few seconds, but she found herself holding her breath until he joined them.

  He slid behind the wheel, then floored the gas pedal, tires squealing as he drove away from the restaurant. The sound of sirens sounded faintly, as if the police were still far away.

  “Who were those men?” She forced the words past the lump in the back of her throat. “Are they the same ones who shot at my house? And if so, how did they find us?”

  “I don’t know.” His expression was grim as he met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “They had handguns, not a twenty-two rifle, so I can’t say for certain they’re the same ones who shot at your house. But one thing is for sure, the guy I watched obviously recognized my car. We need to get a new set of wheels, ASAP.”

  Paige tried to rein in her scattered thoughts. “How would they recognize your car?”

  Miles shook his head, keeping his gaze focused on the road. “Maybe from last night, when I drove away from your house. It’s possible they caught my license plate number. One of the gunmen pointed to the bullet hole in the rear fender.”

  She couldn’t wrap her mind around it. “So now they’ll kill you, too? Just to get to me and Abby?”

  Miles didn’t say anything and she couldn’t blame him.

  He was in grave danger now, too, because of her.

  * * *

  Miles mentally repeated the license plate number until it was embedded in his memory. The wailing sirens grew louder so he made a sharp left, hoping he was heading in the opposite direction. He didn’t want to stop long enough to talk to cops in a different jurisdiction, not when he knew that whoever was behind the attempts to kill Paige and Abby knew what car he was driving.

  Did Sci-Tech have access to the DMV database? Maybe. He quickly called his brother, Mitch. “Yeah?” his brother sounded groggy, as if Miles had woken him up. Granted it was only seven thirty in the morning, but still.

  “We were ambushed not far from the motel. I need your help getting a spare set of wheels.”

  “Are you okay?” After Miles quickly filled him in, he went into typical Callahan problem-solving mode. “You want to borrow my buddy, Garrett’s, truck?” Mitch asked. “He’s still in Afghanistan.”

  Miles hesitated, wondering if the connection was too close. A few months ago, his older brother, Marc, had borrowed Garrett’s truck, and the bad guys had still found him.

  Then again, in Marc’s case the bad guy had been in law enforcement with easy access to information about Marc and the Callahan family, not part of some high-tech corporation.

  “Yeah, that would work, at least for now,” he agreed. “But I also want new phones and another safe place to stay.”

  “Where are you now?” Mitch asked. “I’ll come and meet you wherever you want.”

  Miles squinted at the road sign. “Looks like I’m about fifteen minutes outside of Brookland. Why don’t we meet at the park-and-ride right off the interstate?”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be there.” Mitch disconnected from the call.

  “Who is Mitch?” Paige asked.

  “One of my brothers.” He met her questioning gaze in the rearview mirror. “Mitch is an arson investigator, so he understands what it’s like to be in danger and why we need a different set of wheels.”

  “How many brothers do you have?”

  He sensed she was making small talk in an effort to calm her daughter. “Four brothers and a sister, there’s six of us
altogether. Don’t worry, we can trust them.”

  She nodded, her lips curving in a slight smile as she pressed a kiss against Abby’s head. “Having a large family sounds nice.”

  He thought about the fighting and bickering they’d done as they were growing up, wondering how their parents had put up with them. Yet Paige was right. Looking back, he realized he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “We’re safe now, Abby,” she said in a low, husky tone. “We’re going to get a different car and find a new place to stay.”

  As usual, Abby didn’t respond, at least not verbally. Miles wished he could get the little girl to open up so he could find out what she had seen over the ChatTime link. Something about her father, but what? Had he called to talk to Paige, but been interrupted? Miles couldn’t imagine her father had attempted to give important information to a child.

  He saw the glossy red truck waiting for them in the commuter parking lot and headed in that direction. Mitch eased out from behind the wheel when Miles approached.

  “Hey,” his brother greeted him. “The disposable phones are in the passenger seat.”

  “Thanks.” Miles pushed open the driver’s side door, then opened the passenger door for Paige and Abby. “Paige, this is my brother, Mitch Callahan. Mitch, this is Paige Olson and her daughter, Abby.”

  “Nice to meet you.” Paige shifted Abby in her arms so that she could offer her hand.

  “Same goes,” Mitch replied. He smiled at Abby. “Hi, Abby. How old are you?”

  Abby hid her face against Paige’s neck and Miles scrubbed his hands over his face, knowing that exchanging gunfire with the two thugs behind the restaurant had no doubt shaken the little girl’s faith in his ability to keep them safe.

  “It’s been a rough twenty-four hours for her,” Paige said softly.

  “For you, too,” Miles added. “We barely managed to get away from the last pair of gunmen. I’m hoping that using the truck will cover our trail.”

  Mitch nodded. “Yeah, no kidding. I went to your place last night. The damage wasn’t as bad as I originally thought. Whoever searched the place didn’t break stuff, but they sure looked in every nook and cranny. What do you think they were after?”