Page 99 of Proof

“What do you think?” Gaines asked Buck.

“Everything lines up. We can cross her off the list for now,” Buck said. “You all agree?”

“I got no problem,” Desmond responded.

“Neither do I.” Chris was more relieved than he’d thought possible. Perhaps this nightmare was over.

Luna was shaking as she put her car in drive. It appeared she’d satisfied their queries. At least she wasn’t in handcuffs. She went to reach for her phone and realized she no longer had one.

Gail was pacing the floor when Luna returned. “How did it go? What did they ask you?”

“It went okay, I think. Well, I’m not in jail, so I suppose that’s a good sign.” Luna flopped down on the sofa.

“What can I get you?”

“How about a Bloody Mary?” Luna chuckled. “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

Chapter Twenty

The Days That Followed

The three agents returned to their conference room in the hotel to wrap up the investigation. Mystery woman: Identified. Interaction: Minimal. Threat assessment: None. Witness: Relocated. Status: Situation Resolved.

The men packed their bags and checked out of the hotel. Buck shook hands and said his farewells, and Desmond drove Chris to the airfield, where a helicopter was waiting to take him to Flagstaff. A military plane would bring him back to Glynco, Georgia, where he’d left his vehicle. If there were no delays, he’d be landing in Georgia around 8:30 p.m. Once he arrived, he’d decide whether he wanted to make the four-hour drive to Charlotte. At the moment, he couldn’t decide if he was jazzed or exhausted.

The chopper ride would take just over thirty minutes, but the jet wasn’t going to be there for an hour and a half. Desmond instructed the pilot to “give him the tourist version.”

Gaines was awestruck at the panorama below. The contrast between forest and desert and rock formations was stunning. One could only imagine the changing landscape over the centuries. Millenniums. Such a mysterious and evocative place. There was no doubt it had an inexplicable energy of its own. It came as no surprise that Luna was drawn to it.

As he gazed at the scenery, he let out a sigh of relief. At least his girlfriend wasn’t a hitman. And, in his personal experience, she wasn’t a liar. She wasn’t one in his professional experience, either. He had to play this through. No contact until they were both back in North Carolina, unless it was about her involvement in the case, which seemed to be little. He had to admit, it was a bizarre coincidence, even for someone like Luna. What were the odds? he thought again. It was uncanny.

* * *

Luna and Gail sat on the patio before it became unbearably hot.

Gail let out a bit of a whine. “I wish you’d stay another day.”

“Haven’t I caused you enough excitement?” Luna chuckled. “It’s better I get back sooner than later. I miss my pooch, and I have to give Ellie all the info, and then wait patiently to see if I still have a boyfriend.” Luna sighed. “And you know how good I am at being patient.” She smiled.

“Not very.” Gail laughed. “First thing, we gotta get you a new phone. This way, you’ll be able to answer it when your boyfriend calls you.”

“You’re right. I am going to remain positive. But boy, was this a huge test.”

“For real. I’m sure you both passed with flying colors.” Gail gathered their glasses and brought them inside. Luna and Max followed behind. “The stores should be open soon.”

“I’m going to call the airline and change my ticket and start to pull my stuff together.” Luna walked toward her room, opened her laptop, and checked the booking link to her flight. There was an eleven a.m. flight that would get her into Asheville at midnight with the time zone change. At least she’d be able to sleep in her own bed. If she could finally sleep.

She was about to send Chi-Chi and Cullen a text to let them know her travel plans when she realized she had no phone. Again. Twice in one day. Boy, how we’ve come to depend on a phone being by our side all the time. It occurred to her that she’d hardly used her phone during her stay in Sedona. She’d checked in with Chris every other day and taken the fateful photo of Brendan. But whenever they’d gone for a hike, she’d instinctively turned it off. Maybe she should try doing that more often. She thought there was an app that allowed only certain calls to come through. She would definitely look into it when she shopped for a new device.

A half hour later, Gail and Luna were on their way to a big box electronic store. “I don’t remember this being here the last time,” Luna remarked, as they turned into the massive parking lot.

“Yep. The rest of the world has found us,” Gail said wryly. “But Sedona still hasn’t lost its magic.”

“You’re not kidding. I wonder if I was anywhere else when all this Brendan stuff happened, whether it would have turned out the way it did.”

Gail wagged her eyebrows. “Like I said—it’s the magic.”

* * *

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