him direction and then he’d be on his way. Or if the police had her, at least he’d know.
The area quieted down as evening approached. The baseball fans had already left, except for the few stragglers who stayed behind to drink. Even the police presence had grown lighter.
“Shit, I was so close,” he mumbled to himself as he passed Adelaide Street.
He looked up at the Tim Horton’s and decided to go in. Out of options, he walked up to the till in the near empty coffee shop and ordered a large black coffee.
The young girl behind the counter smiled at him and turned to pour it for him. As a last resort, he pulled Sarah’s picture out and set it on the counter.
The clerk turned back and set the coffee down beside the picture.
“Have you seen this girl today?” Elmore asked in his official cop voice.
The girl smiled at him. “Have I seen her? I’m the one who saw everything.”
“Everything?” Elmore asked, instantly realizing he was just given another chance. “What does that mean?”
The girl looked around, her gaze stopping on the two customers in the store. Neither one paid them any attention. She turned back to Elmore.
“I work the three to eleven shift. Just before my shift I was in the back office getting my cigarettes for a quick puff before my shift started. Two people came into the back and asked for some guy named Mike. Something about complaints from corporate.” She waved her hand in the air. “There’s no Mike here, so we brushed it off.”
The girl leaned in closer to Elmore and whispered. “This girl in the picture and the guy she was with ran out the back and disappeared. I went to leave out the front door to have my cigarette and walked past a man with, like, four guys in tow. He looked seriously pissed. He also had a photo and Louise told them the girl they were looking for just ran out the back.”
“Wow,” Elmore said to egg her on. “That’s quite a story.”
“But that’s not the best part.”
“It isn’t?”
The girl shook her head hard, hair tossing about. “Nope. I ran up to the corner on Adelaide and at the last second saw the girl and the guy getting into a Beck cab. The taxi raced across Spadina and was lost to traffic as the angry guy stood at the end of the alley still looking for her. I thought when I saw him turn around and disappear back into the alley that he was heading to Timmy’s again so I walked back to tell him what I saw.”
“Did you end up telling this angry man what you saw?” Elmore asked, barely able to contain himself.
“No. When I walked back into the shop here, that angry man and his four goons weren’t here. You’re the first person I’ve told. No one else asked me shit.”
Elmore could tell she was pleased with herself. The girl looked young and naive. He wondered how much excitement she got out of life. He almost made the mistake of handing her his photo studio card to invite her to do a few pics. He would have blown his cop cover if he did.
Who was the guy Sarah was with?
“Thank you for your help. Someone will be in touch if we need more.”
Elmore turned away and headed for the door.
“Hey, Mister, what about your coffee?”
Elmore didn’t look back.
Chapter 14
Drake couldn’t believe he was on the run again. Just two weeks ago killers had hunted him. Now it was cops. Or worse than cops. Rod Howley.
How could any government allow one man to possess so much power?
The other thing he couldn’t wrap his head around was that he was on the run with Sarah Roberts.
How the hell did that happen?
Whatever divine fate brought them together, he planned to do whatever he could to keep them together. He was astounded at how beautiful she was. Her confidence, strength, and quick thinking grabbed him from the start. He’d been single too long. Sarah was exactly the kind of woman he could see himself spending a lot of time with.
If only they could get rid of all the people trying to kill them.
After they left the cab, they entered the CN Tower and lined up to purchase tickets to the top. Not being on the street would allow the heat to die down.
No way would that guy Rod find us up in the tower.
After getting their tickets, they entered another line for the elevator. It wasn’t as long and moved well. Once inside the lift, he watched Toronto fall below their feet as the elevator rode the side of the building. A glass wall offered a stunning view as they climbed.
Drake cracked his jaw to pop his ears as they ascended.
“Sarah?” he whispered, leaning close to her. “How did you get that bruise on your wrist?”
She turned toward him. “Rod was keeping me prisoner. He used handcuffs when he kidnapped me off the plane and then placed a tracking device on my wrist for today’s outing. I snapped it off five minutes before meeting you.”
The elevator slowed to a stop. When the door opened and everyone exited, Drake led Sarah out to the circular windows and the two of them looked at Toronto far below. The height was incredible.
After a walk around the tower, Drake led her to the glass floor. He stepped onto it and waited for Sarah to join him.
“I’m not going out there,” she said.
“What? Are you serious? It’s only about three hundred and fifty meters off the ground. The laminated glass is almost three inches thick. You’ll be completely safe.”
“No, I don’t think so.”
He could tell she wanted to, but he also knew some people hated that kind of thing.
“Come on Sarah, I got you. I’ll hold you.”
Drake reached out to her. People came and went around them, minding their own business. One woman a few feet from Sarah also refused her husband’s plea.
Drake lowered his head and stared at Sarah with yearning. It would give him a chance to touch her, to hold her. He knew it was too quick. They had just met. But Sarah exuded a power which drew him in like nothing he’d ever felt.
He moved his fingers to gesture one more time, and Sarah surprised him by stepping onto the glass. He wrapped her in his arms and held tight. He felt her respond and let him hold her even as she shuddered when she looked down.
“Why the hell would anyone step out onto a piece of flimsy glass this high up?” Sarah asked. “Whoever thought of this had to be insane. What would the epitaph read? Lived a full life, stepped on glass and fell to her death. Fucking idiot. You know, Drake, I’m not afraid of heights… it’s the fall that sucks.”
Drake’s cell phone rang.
Sarah stepped out of his arms and off the glass. “I’m good for now,” she said and stayed off to the side as Drake pulled his phone out to see who it was.
Spencer.
“Hello?”
“Where are you?” Spencer asked.
“Looks like we may have a problem.”
“Of course we do.” Spencer sounded pissed. “It’s not over. We couldn’t locate the shooter. Tell me where you are so I can come and pick you up and get you under police protection.”
“Right. So you can lead the shooter to me? Not a chance.”
“What are you talking about? Lead the shooter to you?”
“Spencer, I know you were there at the end two weeks ago. I know you stopped Monika, but what happened
