“You be careful, too. He’ll recognize you.”
Printed pages in hand, she ended the call, hurried to the lobby near the fireplace, and sat where she had a clear view of the elevators, pretending to read the documents in her hands. One of the elevator cars was on its way down. Had it started at their floor? She hadn’t noticed.
Elizabeth’s breath caught and held as the elevator doors opened.
An older couple stepped out.
The bastard must have taken the stairs.
Damn it!
14
Quinn pushed his way through the hotel’s front entrance, found Elizabeth waiting for him, relief washing through him to see that she was safe. They walked together through the lobby toward the elevators, speaking in hushed tones.
“He must have taken the stairs. No one has stepped out of the elevator who could have been him—male or female. They’re all too short, too old, or too overweight. I should have called the police.”
“He’d have been gone afore they got here.” Quinn didn’t want her blaming herself. “I’m just glad you were down here and not in your room.”
The idea of this murdering bastard getting anywhere close to Elizabeth turned Quinn’s stomach.
“Shouldn’t we report the break-in to hotel security and the police anyway?”
“I’m no’ callin’ them until I know what he put in my bag.”
“Good point.”
They rode the elevator to their floor, Quinn’s hand resting near his hip in case he needed to draw.
Elizabeth’s eyes went wide. “Don’t tell me you’re carrying a…”
Her words trailed off and she glanced up at the surveillance cameras.
“I willnae tell you, and you know nothin’ about it.”
It took what seemed like an eternity to reach the fifth floor, the elevator doors opening onto an empty, silent hallway.
Keeping his hand near his weapon, he walked with Elizabeth to his room, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, Elizabeth behind him. He didn’t have to clear the place because she’d watched the bastard leave.
“He seemed to be searching for something.”
“Aye, I saw that.” Quinn walked to his duffel, nudged it open. “Fuck!”
Sitting inside was a plastic package holding something white.
Elizabeth looked. “Drugs.”
“He’s tryin’ to frame me, so he is.”
“If he’s trying to frame you, it must mean the police are on their way.” Elizabeth walked to the coffee table, set down the papers and the bag of food.
“What?”
“He knows you’d find that quickly, so he’ll have tipped off the police right away. Thank God we have the video to prove your innocence.”
“I’m no’ sure it’s legal to have surveillance cameras in our suites because this isnae our property.” He wasn’t sure about Scottish law but knew it was likely more restrictive than laws in the US. “We might face charges for vandalism or violation of privacy laws.”
“Then let’s get rid of the stuff. Do you have a knife?”