“If she comes anywhere near you, snap a photo,” Quinn said.
“Already got two, but profile only. If I can get something better, I will.”
“Position?”
“She’s stopped at the bottom of the steps.… Interesting. Our friend with the paper is also keeping tabs on her.”
Wills’s man had probably spotted her before Quinn and Nate had arrived. He would no doubt be curious why the woman was interested in the guy his boss was supposed to meet.
“What’s he doing?” Quinn asked.
“Just watching … Okay, the woman’s coming your way … up the steps … and … there … she … goes. I can’t see her anymore.”
“All right. Find a room we can use, then text me the number.”
“What’s the plan?”
“Stow and go,” Quinn said.
QUINN DONNED A PAIR OF THIN, TRANSPARENT gloves, then silently counted down from twenty. When he hit zero, he stepped out of the restroom.
The woman was ten feet away, heading toward the shops, her back to him. He walked up behind her, not hiding the sound of his steps. When she turned, her eyes went wide.
There was no question now. She’d definitely been looking for him.
“Hi,” he said.
She turned her head and started walking away.
Quinn reached out and grabbed her shoulder. “Hold on.”
“Please, leave me alone,” she said, not even looking back. Her accent was British.
“Sorry. Not an option.”
“I’ll scream.”
“And I’ll kill you where you’re standing.”
He could feel her tense under his palm. “What do you want?” she asked.
He turned her around to face him. “I believe
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I need to—”
She tried to push past him, but he stopped her.
“I wouldn’t do that.” He let his hand hover near the opening of his jacket. Sometimes the threat of a gun was all it took.
For several seconds she didn’t move, then a barely perceptible nod.
“Great. We shouldn’t have any problems.”
Quinn’s phone vibrated in his pocket. With his other hand he retrieved it from his pocket, and glanced at the screen.
2467
Putting a hand on her arm, he said, “Let’s go.”
“Where?”
“Some place we can have a chat.”
“We can have a chat right here.”
“If we do, it’ll be over very quickly, and you won’t like the results.”
Her eyes moved side to side. “Okay,” she whispered.
Quinn led the woman back to the elevators. While they waited for one to open, he said, “If you cooperate, you’ll be fine.”
“I won’t give you any problems.”
Quinn smiled. “Perfect.”
Over her shoulder, he could see Wills’s man, still sitting in his chair, but now openly looking at him. Quinn gave him a quick nod, and the man returned the gesture.
One of the elevator doors opened, and Quinn ushered the woman inside, then pushed the button for 24.
As soon as the doors closed, he said, “Give me your phone.”
She hesitated, then pulled a phone out of her suit pocket and handed it to him. It was a cheap pay-as-you-go model.
