Page 84 of The Agent
Van Houten disconnected first.
Tully called Regina. “You did great. You had me convinced you were alone in a hotel room.”
“Do I have to take a taxi to his house?” she asked, fear vibrating through the phone.
“I’m really sorry to put you through this, but yes, you will. Don’t worry. I’ll be following the whole time. You just won’t see me.”
He heard Dawn’s voice in the background. “Regina, are you okay?”
“Excuse me,” Regina said to Tully before her voice became muffled. “Yes, I’m fine. This is Tully on the phone.”
“Is Leland there?” Tully asked. “Could I speak with him?”
“Sure.”
“What are we going to do to get Natalie back?” Leland asked.
“You’re going to take Regina to the hotel nearest you, which is the Lennox. Go inside the lobby with Regina and stay low-key in a corner until I get there. Then get her a cab. I’ll follow until the cab gets close to Van Houten’s estate.”
“I’m coming with you,” Leland said. “I’ll stay in the car and act as communications coordinator and backup.”
Tully considered the pros and cons of Leland’s presence. Number one, it would be hard to convince his partner not to come. Number two, he could be useful with his computer magic.
“Okay. Bring your souped-up laptop so you can monitor through my vest camera.” Tully was already heading for the garage. “I’m leaving now. We’ll talk further on the way to New Jersey.”
The Manhattan streets were never empty, but traffic was light, so Tully made it to the Lennox in ten minutes, partly because he focused all his pent-up energy on dodging slow-moving vehicles and blasting through yellow lights.
When he pulled up in front of the canopied entrance, a standard yellow New York City taxi idled by the curb. That meant they wouldn’t have to wait. Tully parked by a fire hydrant and strode into the lobby, where Regina, Dawn, and Leland stood in a tense group. Tully noticed that the only person dressed in normal clothing was Regina, who wore jeans and a blue-and-white-striped blouse with running shoes. She clutched the same damn Gucci bag that had almost gotten her caught by her husband’s goon, and her dyed-brown hair tumbled over her shoulders.
Dawn and Leland both wore head-to-toe black.
Thank God it was New York City so no one looked twice at a group of black-clad people. They were just making a fashion statement.
“I’m coming too,” Dawn said, holding up her hand to forestall Tully’s objections. “Natalie’s one of my best friends. I’ll stay in the car with Leland.”
“I don’t have time to argue,” Tully said. “But you and Leland better stay put. You know how I feel about civilians in the cross fire.” The truth was Dawn could handle herself when it came to a crisis. She’d proved that a few months before.
Tully turned to Regina. The young woman’s face was as white as a sheet but she gave him a shaky nod. “I hoped I’d never have to set foot in that house of horrors again,” she said. “But Natalie helped me when I needed it most.”
“You are a brave woman,” Tully said with real admiration before he nodded toward Dawn and Leland. “And you’re not alone.”
“Knowing that is the only thing that’s keeping me together,” Regina admitted. “At least me being scared half to death is exactly what Dobs is expecting.” She tried for a wry smile that went crooked.
“When I came in, there was a cab already at the curb. Do you have cash?” Tully asked, his hand going toward his wallet. “You may have to pay him up front to go to New Jersey.”
“Leland gave me plenty,” Regina said. She straightened her spine and took a deep breath. “Okay, I’m going now.”
Looking like she was headed for a firing squad, she marched out the front door of the hotel. Tully trailed her, keeping out of sight of the taxi driver, just in case the man was more observant than most cabbies.
Regina had a long conversation with the driver, undoubtedly discussing how much she would tip for the lengthy ride. For a moment, Tully was afraid the driver would refuse, but then Regina climbed in.
“Let’s go.” Tully waved Dawn and Leland through the door. “I’ve got the cab’s medallion and license numbers.”
“I put the tracking software on Regina’s phone so we can follow out of sight.” Leland hefted his computer case. “Don’t worry. It would take someone as good as me to find the software.” He smiled.
They climbed into Tully’s big SUV, Leland riding shotgun.
“Before you open up your computer, I want you to get my backup gun out of the safe,” Tully said. He pressed his thumb to the biometric lock and the top clicked open. “Keep it in the car with you. I don’t expect you to need it but better to be prepared.”
