Page 46 of Clumsy in Love

Cruz quickly took stock and doubled back toward the crowd of people. Cole followed, but Cruz pushed through the bystanders like a bull, not caring who he hurt or inconvenienced. He ran with purpose, like he knew exactly where he was going, and turned onto the next street. Cole pushed through the crowd and rounded the corner, only to watch helplessly as Cruz jumped into the passenger seat of a blue Toyota Camry. Cole memorized the plate and slowed to a walk as the car sped off.

“Damn it,” he muttered before jogging back to Holly. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she said. “Holy crap. Was that him?”

Cole nodded. “’Fraid so. He’s got someone else with him. And a new ride.”

“Great. So now what?”

“He’s gone for now but not for good. I gotta make some calls. Can you guys stay in one place for a bit?”

“We’ll go hunker down at the park,” Holly said. “That was our plan anyway.”

He would have preferred something more enclosed but didn’t think Cruz would return right away. Plus, there was some safety in numbers. They all walked back to the plaza together. Once Holly and her friends were settled, Cole found a vantage point where he could watch them but also have some privacy. He called the on-call detectives in New York and had them run the plate. It was a rental car, checked out at the Portsmouth airport yesterday. Cruz must have been waiting for reinforcements to strike again.

Next, he called Detective Flanigan directly.

“He’s been in the state since Wednesday,” Cole said. “Looks like someone joined him yesterday. Can we find out where he’s staying? And check the airlines to see if he’s purchased return tickets?”

Flanigan wasn’t on duty but said he would have someone do the legwork on their end and get back to him. “Are you working with the local PD? Can they assist if needed?”

“Yes.” Cole sighed. “But it’s sort of an Andy Griffith situation up here—real small-town, Mayberry vibe. The sheriff’s about ninety years old. Information flow is good though. We knew the second he was in town and asking about Holly.”

Speak of the devil. Sheriff Hayes caught his eye, and Cole waved him over.

“All right. We’ll do what we can. It would be helpful if you guys came back to New York. I mean, we’ll extradite if the locals arrest him, but we don’t have much recourse across state lines.”

“I know. I’ll run it by Holly but don’t hold your breath. Gotta go.”

“Heard what happened at the parade,” Hayes said. “Pretty ballsy of him to show with so many people around.”

“Yeah,” Cole agreed. “He has a blue Toyota now. And an accomplice. Can you spread the word on that?”

Hayes nodded. “The holiday’s messin’ with our mojo. Normally, a stranger would stand out like a whore in church, but we get overrun by tourists for the Fourth.”

“I understand,” Cole said. “Just help me watch over them today?” He tipped his head toward Holly’s group.

“You bet,” Hayes said.

Throughout both conversations, Cole kept an alert eye on Holly and the crowd. She sat at a picnic table, sipping beer and chatting with her friends like she hadn’t just had a gun pointed at her ten minutes earlier.

This gal was either in denial or tough as nails. She’d shed the jersey and wore a red, white, and blue tank top and short blue shorts. On the ground, next to the table, Lady used the bulletproof vest as a pillow. Cole shook his head. Fat lot of good it would do in an emergency.

Holly’s long, lean legs stretched out to the side, and he had to force himself to look away. Before he could chastise himself about remaining vigilant, his phone rang. Flanigan. “That was quick.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Dude, you’re never going to find anyone hunkier than that guy,” Tess said, popping the top of a beer and handing it to Holly.

Cole had stepped away to make some calls, giving Holly a brief window to talk to her friends without him glued to her side.

“Yeah. What’s it been like havinghimfor a shadow?” Faith waggled her eyebrows.

“Pretty hilarious, actually,” Holly said. “Imagine plucking the biggest city slicker, born and raised in a concrete jungle, and dropping him into the woods. He doesn’t know the first thing about nature or wild animals—well, any animals really. You should have seen his face when I introduced him to Lucifer.”

“In Cole’s defense, Jen’s donkeyispretty scary,” Alex said.

“You should take him snipe hunting,” Faith said with a wicked grin. “But if you do, I want to be there.”

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