“This is not a game, Mel. Just go south. Do some shopping.”
Melanie nodded. She bit her lower lip to stop any further baiting. Drew was not budging and she hated to watch him squirm. He closed the bathroom door with a firm push and shut her out.
She grabbed the remote and flicked on the TV. The news was on. So far, her little escape in the woods had not surfaced. Obviously, the car and bodies had yet to be discovered.
The car!
Should she have gone looking in the area for the car?
That would be tampering with evidence if this whole thing hit the fan at a later date.
She should call her partner, Parker, and get him to set up a meet with the captain at the precinct. That would be the smart thing to do. She needed to ask for more leave, anyway.
Melanie plumped up the pillows and settled comfortably on the bed; while searching for a music channel. Once peaceful tunes filled the air, she curled up on her left side and let the silent tears flow.
The young man in the bathroom remained lost, not only to her, but to himself, as well.
Later, when they had both settled in for the night, she told a boldfaced lie: “I booked a flight for tomorrow morning. I’ll soon be out of your hair for good.”
“Have fun,” he murmured.
She turned out the light to cloak her sin in darkness. Within minutes a loud, quick snort sounded. It always amazed and annoyed her how men could fall asleep as if it were a simple period finalizing the last coherent sentence of the day.
Watch and beware, lest the enemy lead us in the wrong direction. My eyes are on you, Lord!
Chapter 9
Melanie was up by six a.m. and moving around the room quietly as Drew continued to snore a melancholy song of troubled sleep.
She pulled on the clothes she’d laid out the night before and grabbed her bags from under the bed. Melanie glanced at the bed where her brother lay, wishing things could be better between them. She opened the motel door and stepped outside, closing it behind her with a gentle click. A heaviness shrouded her; as if the action had signified the closing of a season in her life.
Melanie punched in the number of a taxi – one she knew by heart after the day before – then sat on the bench by the office to wait for her ride. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a light flick on and off. When she looked closer, she saw a cloud of cigarette smoke puff from the open window of a car. Someone was watching from inside a parked vehicle. Was it a stake out? If so, was it for her or Drew? Maybe it was for neither of them, and she was fast becoming paranoid. If she were the subject of interest, her cover had already been shot by her early morning appearance.
When the taxi arrived, she made a slow pass by the automobile in question. Having nothing to lose, Melanie lowered the phone with her arm, and she touched the dot on her cell’s camera, hoping to catch a view of the license plate number. Evidence. Her training had taught her that convictions were lost or gained with evidence; or the lack thereof.
Her bags loaded in the trunk, she settled into the taxi’s rear seat. She glanced sideways, but the man in the other car had lowered his eyes. Melanie hoped he was snoozing and not calling for backup on his cell. She observed the man closely as they pulled out of the parking lot. Perceiving no aggression on his part, she breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe she was growing paranoid.
The whole experience had come as close to death as she’d encountered since starting at the police force in South Carolina in the hills of Langley. She continued to survey the road behind them, but there was no one following the cab. Relief ironed out the stress she hadn’t known existed, until it had left. Captain Strecker, her boss and mentor, had said that fear was good – it kept you on your toes.
Yes, she decided to visit the precinct later. In the meantime, she’d lay low.
Melanie laughed at herself. Anyone with half a brain could have tracked her so far, had they had a mind to. She’d used her cell, taken a taxi, talked to the clerk at the store, strolled around in broad daylight, dined at a hotel in her own hometown – even a rookie cop should know this was not the way to stay off the radar. The only thing she could hope for was that the enemy wasn’t looking for a walking dead woman.
The jitters continued until the cab driver dropped her off at the Inglis Hotel. Company at the break of dawn was something Trevor Knight would not be expecting. Maybe she’d waste some time at the diner.
She walked through the reception area that was empty but for a few early birds. The smell of bacon teased her nostrils when she entered the dining area. Her eyes immediately went to the spot she’d shared with Trevor at dinner. To her surprise, he was already sitting there, sipping on his morning coffee and looking rather serious. He jumped when she slid into the seat across from him.
“Melanie?” His features lit up, and his obvious delight made her flush. He noticed her bags and grinned. “Going somewhere?”
“I believe you invited me to the Manor.”
“I did. Expected a call later, when the sun comes up.” He grinned. “You’re an early riser.”
“And so are you. Didn’t you sleep well?” Melanie glanced behind her, as was becoming a habit of late.
Trevor noticed. “Is someone following
