There was a long, drawn-out pause before Cassie spoke again. When she did, it was clear the other woman wasn’t pleased with Ellie’s refusal to accept the offer of a personal bodyguard.
“Fine.” Cassie sounded less than fine. “But you keep your head on a swivel, and if anything seems off, you get the hell out of there. You hear me?”
A smile formed on her face as she slid her purse over her shoulder and picked up her keys. “I think you’ve been spending a little too much time with that fiancé of yours. You sound just like him.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment. Now promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I promise I’ll be careful.”
“And?”
“If I see anything wonky, I’ll haul ass out of there.”
“And you’ll call as soon as you’re back in your car and on your way home?”
“I’ll talk to you the entire drive back to Seattle, if it makes you feel better.”
“It would.”
Ellie’s smile grew even more. “I’ll call you the first chance I get, Cass. And…thanks.”
“For what?”
“For caring enough to worry.”
Another pause ensued, and then, “Be careful, El.”
“I will.” Her heart warmed with affection. “Talk soon.”
She returned the receiver to its rightful place, pulled in several more slow, deep, calming breaths, and then turned and walked out of her office.
****
He watched and waited as the crowd began to grow. Reporters. Cameras. Busy bodies with nothing better to do than keep up on the latest town gossip.
Then there were the others. The ones he really had to keep a close eye on.
Like cockroaches lying in wait for the next crumb to drop, FBI agents and uniformed officers representing the Tacoma police department stood dutifully as they waited for the press conference to begin.
He knew coming here was a risk. Especially so soon after the news of the escape had been made public. But life was full of risks, wasn’t it? Although his life carried with it far more risks than the average person.
A byproduct of the name he carried, he supposed.
The courtroom doors opened. The heads of the gathered crowd turned in that direction in a simultaneous wave. And then the shouting started.
Questions from eager reporters, each one of the greedy bastards vying for the chance to be the first one called upon. Only no one was taking questions. Not yet, anyway.
Fine with him. He wasn’t here to listen to the FBI’s public appeal, but rather something else. Someone else.
Ah, there she is.
Eloise Fisher was an attractive woman. That was an inarguable fact. But beauty was only skin-deep, and the woman who lay beneath the surface of the pretty package standing before the crowd now…
She was a calculating, cold-hearted bitch.
He glanced around to make sure he was still alone in his makeshift safe haven. He wasn’t worried, though. If someone did see him—if they managed to somehowrecognizehim—he’d easily be able to explain away his presence.
But he didn’t think that was going to happen.