“Hold on, Becca. Can I call you right back?” Riley’s voice was breathless.
He shrugged. “You seem like a decent sort, and I didn’t like the way he looked at me, like I was total scum.” His gaze went to Riley. “What’s she, his trophy wife?”
“No.” Noah opened his wallet. “I’ll give you forty more if you tell me what this guy looked like and give me his phone number.”
The vagrant held out his hand.
Noah laid two twenties across the palm of his stained knit glove.
“Probably in his fifties. Medium height. Normal looking. Well-off, I’d imagine. He had on a black overcoat and a hat.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a square of notebook paper. “Here’s the phone number.”
Noah took it and tapped the number into his phone before handing the paper back along with another twenty. “Do me a favor and wait a half-hour before you call him.”
“I can do that. Then I’m going to get Ranger and me a hotel room for the night. Or maybe a bus ticket to someplace warmer.”
“I wish you the best.” Noah hesitated for a moment. “If you’re a Vet, there’s help available to get you back on your feet.”
The man looked away. “We’re doing all right.”
“Thank you for your service,” Riley said softly.
With a nod, he bent down and picked up the blanket and a backpack, whistled for his dog, and walked away.
She glanced up at Noah. “That’s sad. He served our country, and now he lives on the streets.”
“Yes, it is, but he sure helped us out. Someone is obviously keeping track of our movements but doesn’t want to be seen.”
“Well, it isn’t Emerson, not if that description is accurate.”
Gripping her arm, Noah hurried toward the garage. “Let’s get the hell out of here. We have to go back to my place for Stormy, but a half hour should give us enough time to disappear before whoever paid that man comes looking for us.”
“I could use some clean clothes.”
“You’ll have to make do with the ones you have. No time for extra stops. I also need to call Luna to see if she can figure out who that number belongs to.”
Riley’s cell chimed just as they reached the top of the stairwell. She pulled both her phone and her car keys out of her coat pocket. “It’s Becca again. She’s probably wondering why I cut her off.”
“I’ll drive, just in case we pick up a tail.”
Riley handed over the keys and answered her phone. “Sorry about that, Becca. I can’t talk right now. Something happened.” After Noah unlocked the car, she opened the door and slid onto the passenger seat. “I’m fine, but I don’t know when we can get together. Noah and I have to leave town again.”
He started the engine and backed out of the parking space. Taking the exit ramp, he reached the toll booth, handed over the ticket and his last twenty to the attendant, took his change and waited for the bar to rise.
“I’m not sure where we’re going. No, I’m in Cambridge. We’re picking up my dog and then taking off.” Riley listened while the other woman talked. “I’ll let you know when I’m safe. I’m freaking out a little, too, but hopefully this will all be over soon. Okay. Bye, Becca.”
Noah turned onto the street and headed toward the bridge. Keeping an intermittent eye on the rearview mirror, he changed lanes and drove around the block. A minute later, he merged into traffic crossing the river and nodded in satisfaction. “No one is tailing us.”
“That’s good news.” Riley leaned back in her seat. “While I was talking to Becca, I could picture us together, working at a place called Mo’s.” She turned to smile at him. “This time, I felt the long-standing friendship between us.”
“That’s great, Riley.”
“At least something positive is happening. I’m pretty damn sick of this cloak and dagger crap.”
“You and me both. After we get Stormy and stop at an ATM for cash, we’ll find someplace random and off the grid to stay tonight.”
“I have about fifty bucks in my purse.”
“We’ll need more than that. I don’t want to use credit cards to pay for anything. The people hunting for you are a lot better informed than I expected, and I don’t want to take any chances.”
He focused on their surroundings for the remainder of the drive and arrived at his house without mishap. After parking in the driveway, he reached over and tucked a lock of hair behind Riley’s ear. “Pack some food while I take Stormy for a quick walk. I don’t want to stop again once we leave.”
“Okay.” She pressed her cheek against his hand. “Thanks, Noah.”
He met her gaze and smiled. “You don’t have to thank me. We’re in this together.”
As soon as Riley was safely in the house, he leashed the dog and headed down the sidewalk. While Stormy squatted to pee beside one of his neighbor’s shrubs, he called Luna.
She answered on the first ring. “Hey, Patch. What’s up?”
“Do you mind checking out a phone number for me?”
“Let’s have it.”
He read the number he’d entered into his phone. “How long will it take to trace?”
“Not more than a few minutes. Hold on.”
He kept walking, stopping once again when Stormy found a patch of dead leaves and turned her back on him. “Shit.”
“What’s wrong.”
“Literally. I’m walking Riley’s dog, and I forgot to bring a poop bag. My bad.”
Luna laughed. “I hate when people don’t pick up after their dogs. Okay, got it. The number belongs to a burner phone. No way of telling who bought it.”
“Well, hell.” When Stormy moved away from the pile, he turned back toward his house.
“On the up-side, I was able to breach Murdock’s bank account. No large withdrawals of cash in the past month, nothing greater than a couple hundred bucks.”
“So, he didn’t pay someone to hunt us down in Maine. Dammit! I feel like we’re back to square one. What about Emerson Prescot?”
“I just started looking into him. You’ll have to give me a little more time.”
“Sorry. I don’t mean to push. Especially when you’re doing me a huge favor.”
“You know I don’t mind. I’ll call you as soon as I have anything definitive.”
Noah turned up the walkway behind the dog and pulled out his keys to unlock the door. “Thanks, Luna. Riley and I are going to hole up for a while. I’m not sure where yet.”
“Stay safe.”
“Let’s hope.” After disconnecting, he returned his phone to his pocket and followed Stormy into the kitchen. “The number the homeless Vet gave us belonged to a burner phone. Untraceable.”
“That sucks.” Riley added the apples and bananas from his fruit bowl to the contents of a canvas tote bag before bending to pet her dog. “I’m ready to go whenever you are.”
“Let me pack a few clothes. It’ll only take a couple of minutes.” He glanced at the digital display on the stove. “Damn, it’s nearly four. Traffic will be getting heavy.”
After leaving the house a few minutes later, Noah stopped to get cash at an ATM then headed west. Finally escaping the congestion of the Boston suburbs, he exited the turnpike, taking a series of two-lane country roads deeper into rural Massachusetts. Riley sat quietly in the passenger seat while Stormy stuck her head over the center console and panted. Journey played on a classic rock station as the sun set over distant hills. Soon after, the countryside was left in darkness.
“Do you have a destination in mind?” Riley’s question broke into his thoughts.
“Not really. We’ll drive for a while longer and then stop at a motel or lodge for the night.” He glanced over at her shadowy profile illuminated by the dashboard lights. “Are you okay? You haven’t had a lot to say.”
“I’m tired.” She hesitated for a moment. “And I feel like a burden.”
“Don’t. This is my choice. I want to be with you.”
“I want to
be with you, too, but not hiding out in some random motel in the middle of nowhere. We both have work we could be doing right now.”
“Wolf will contact me if something critical comes up. Until then, my time is my own.”
“Mine isn’t. You know the expression about living on borrowed time? That’s how I feel right now. Like my grandpa’s life depends on how fast I can treat him effectively, and I’m wasting precious hours.”
Noah tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he processed her fears. When headlights came toward them on high beam, he narrowed his eyes against the glare before opening them wide. “Damn. Is that what we’ve been missing this whole time?”
“What are you talking about? Missing what?”
“We’ve assumed Vortex is after your dementia research because they’re a bunch of greedy assholes who want to profit from the mass production of a drug to treat Alzheimer’s.”
“Seems like a reasonable hypothesis.”
“Yes, but maybe someone involved has a personal stake in getting his hands on your formula. For you, finding a cure is about more than just the greater good. It’s about quality of life for your grandfather. If the bastard responsible for your kidnapping feels that same sense of desperation, it might explain the risks he’s been willing to take.”
“Yet all he’s done is slow the entire process by endangering me. Why would he do that?”
“For the same reason you didn’t want to wade through a ton of bureaucratic regulations before treating your grandpa. Time is critical once the disease has progressed. Originally, those thugs expected to recover your files at the lab. Instead, you destroyed them and created a situation no one had anticipated. Since then, everything has been a total cluster.”
Riley turned in her seat to face him. When Stormy whined, she scratched her dog’s ears. “You think maybe Andrew Murdock has early onset dementia? Or possibly someone he’s close to does?”
“I don’t know. I’d like to find out.”
“Luna was able to hack into my medical records after you found me in Georgia.”
“Yep. There aren’t too many computer systems our skilled friend can’t infiltrate.”
“How about I give her a call?”
Noah pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and unlocked it. “Go for it.”
“Thanks.”
While Riley talked to Luna, he noted the billboard ahead with an advertisement for Wachusett Mountain and made a quick decision. He turned onto the rural road leading to the town of Princeton, which was located near the small ski area. Since it was too early in the season for winter sports and too late for fall color enthusiasts, he didn’t expect finding a room for the night would be difficult.
Riley laid his phone on the center console and turned to look out the window. “Luna said she’ll get back to us. Where are we?”
“Almost to Princeton. When I was still in med school, I stayed in this area once to go skiing with a couple of buddies.”
“I guess it’s as good a place as any.”
They drove in silence until they reached the outskirts of the town. Noah pointed. “What do you think of that bed and breakfast up ahead on the right? Since there’s a dog carved on the wooden welcome sign, maybe they won’t be averse to Stormy.”
“The building looks historic and quaint. Doesn’t hurt to ask.”
He turned into the driveway and followed the narrow lane to a parking area behind the old house. Only one other vehicle was in the lot. He backed into a spot near a small garage and turned off the engine.
“Ready for a quick getaway?” Her tone held a touch of humor.
“It pays to be prepared.” He released his seatbelt. “Why don’t you and Stormy stay here while I go see if they’ll give us a room.”
“I’ll walk her around the lot while you’re gone.”
“Good idea.” He patted his jacket pocket to make sure he had his wallet. “Be right back.”
His shoes crunched gravel in the quiet evening as he hurried up the driveway. Low lights illuminated a brick path leading across the lawn to the wide front porch. Climbing the steps, he depressed the doorlatch and stepped into an entry decorated in Victorian splendor. From window treatments dripping with tassels and lace, to an uncomfortable looking settee upholstered in gold brocade, he felt like he’d stepped into a previous century. As he approached an ornate desk tucked under a winding staircase with a brass bell prominently displayed, a golden retriever puppy shot through the doorway leading to what looked like a library, barking in excitement. When he planted his paws on Noah’s legs, he bent to scratch the dog’s ears.
“Get down, Oscar.” A woman who was probably in her late sixties, wearing a Patriots jersey and a pair of faded jeans, rushed out of the room behind the puppy. “I’m so sorry he jumped on you. Unfortunately, his training is still in the preliminary stages.”
“I don’t mind.” Noah straightened as Oscar sniffed his shoes. “I was wondering if you have a room available for the night. We have a dog.”
Hazel eyes brightened beneath an upsweep of improbable red hair. “Dogs are always welcome at The Gingerbread House, and we don’t even charge extra. Let’s get you signed in.” She led the way to the desk and pulled out a registration form. “Will you need a room with one or two beds?”
“One is fine. It’s just me and my—” He broke off to glance over his shoulder when the door opened behind them.
Riley stepped into the entry and gave him an enquiring look. “Can I let Stormy inside?”
“Of course. Come in, dear. No need to stand out in the cold.” Their hostess waved her forward. “Your husband was just signing the register.”
Riley’s brows shot up, but she didn’t comment, shutting the door behind Stormy. Oscar dropped the stuffed bear he’d been shaking and raced across the polished wood floor to sniff the newcomer. Tail wagging, he emitted a couple of happy yelps.
Noah turned back to the proprietress. “Do you mind if I pay with cash? I lost my credit card yesterday and had to cancel it.”
“Of course not, but without a credit card guarantee, I’ll need to take payment now. My, what an inconvenience.” She rang up the charge on an old-fashioned cash register. “The price is eighty dollars per night with breakfast included. That’s our off-season rate. With all those pesky taxes, the total comes to eighty-nine fifty-six.”
Noah handed her several bills and took his change. “I’ll go get our bags. Thank you very much.”
“Call me Yvonne.” She smiled broadly. “Welcome to The Gingerbread House, Mr. Bond. I’ll show your wife upstairs while you fetch your luggage. You’ll be staying on the second floor in the rose room.”
“Sounds good. Thanks, Yvonne.”
Riley rolled her eyes when he brushed past her, and he couldn’t help grinning in response. Faced with signing the registration form, he’d used the first name to pop into his head.
Outside floodlights illuminated the walkway but not the back lot. Noah hurried through the dark to their car and grabbed both suitcases, Riley’s laptop, plus the tote bag filled with food. It was still early evening, but the street was nearly deserted. A pickup cruised by the bed and breakfast. The roar of its engine faded a few seconds later, leaving complete silence in its wake. Apparently, there wasn’t much action in Princeton during the off season.
Which suited him just fine.
Carrying his load, he passed their hostess on the stairs, gave her a friendly nod, and continued up to the second floor. A single door on the backside of the house had been left partway open. Stormy wandered out into the hall and wagged her tail in greeting.
“Hey, girl. Did you escape from that little puppy?” Pushing the door wide, he dropped the suitcases at the foot of the fourposter bed, set the bag of food on the small table in the corner, and pulled off his jacket. “Where’s Riley?”
“Here.” She stepped into the room from the adjoining bath. “There’s a claw-foot tub in there. I love this place.”
He glanced ar
ound the room decorated in shades of pink complete with ruffles and frills. “Kind of girly for my taste, but the bed looks comfortable.”
Riley walked over and looped her arms around his neck. “What’s wrong with girly?”
Heat warmed him from the inside out as he stroked his hands down her back to cup her extremely fine ass and press her tight against him. “Not a single thing I can think of at the moment.”
“No?” Standing on her toes, she kissed him, teasing his mouth open.
All the problems confronting them dissolved until nothing mattered but the woman he held. Slowly, without breaking contact, he maneuvered her backward toward the bed. The taste and the feel of her made thinking impossible. All he wanted to do was lose himself in Riley.
When his cell rang, she pulled back, putting an inch or two of space between them. He pressed his lips against the racing pulse at the side of her throat. “We can let it go to voice mail.”
“What if it’s Luna with news?”
“I don’t care.” Bringing his hands up beneath her shirt, he rubbed them over soft, bare skin.
“It could be important, and I’m not going anywhere.” Her voice was soft with humor.
“Fine.” He opened his eyes and yanked his phone from his pocket. “Not Luna. My brother. Anything he has to say can wait.”
“I don’t know. Maybe you should answer it.”
Letting out a deep sigh, he swiped to connect. “What’s up, Garth?”
“Is Riley with you?”
Noah frowned and tightened his grip on her. “Yes. Why?”
“Because some asshole has a gun pointed at me. He said if I can’t convince you to bring Riley’s laptop to a specified drop, this won’t end well. You might not care, and maybe I should have died years ago, but I sure as hell don’t want to go out this way. With a bullet in my brain.”
Chapter Nineteen
Charles faced his benefactor across the booth in the dimly lit trattoria, wondering why he’d been summoned this time. His appetite completely gone, he pushed away the half-eaten plate of raviolis. He’d been a fool to believe a paid education was worth being indebted to this man, but in the beginning, his requests had been minor. Harmless. While Charles hadn’t been comfortable betraying Riley’s trust, he’d convinced himself he wasn’t causing any real damage. Until the demands increased and the threats started.
Lethal Memory (A Counterstrike Novel Book 2) Page 21