Page 46 of The Agent
“From Dobs?” He’d been at Natalie’s salon in the afternoon, so how had he found Regina so fast?
“N-no. A guy was at the motel, asking the clerk if she’d seen me.”
Tully set mugs on the counter beside the coffee maker. “Can you describe him?”
Regina flinched, clearly still unnerved by Tully. “I hid behind a door, so I only heard him. He had an accent, like he was Spanish or something. I ran,” she repeated.
“What did he ask the clerk?” Natalie asked.
“He must have had a picture because he asked her if she’d seen this woman. And he offered her money to tell him.” A shudder ran through Regina, making the couch vibrate. “He said I had escaped from a mental hospital. I know I shouldn’t have come here but I couldn’t think of anywhere else.”
“No, it’s good that you came here. We were looking for you anyway,” Natalie said. “Did the clerk tell him you were there?”
“I don’t know. I ran.” Her voice quivered as she said it a third time.
“That was smart. You did the right thing,” Tully assured her from the kitchen.
Regina grabbed Natalie’s forearm in a grip that nearly cut off her circulation. “Don’t let him catch me. I didn’t tell you something important ... so you wouldn’t have to lie.” She inhaled on a sob. “I’m six weeks pregnant. If he finds out, I’ll never get away from him.”
“Wait! You didn’t tell him that yourself?” Natalie asked.
“No, I packed my bag and left as soon as I got home from the doctor. If Dobs knew, he’d lock me in my room until I had the baby. After that, I don’t know what he’d do to me.”
Natalie hesitated. She hated to upset the already-distraught Regina but the woman needed to know the truth. “Don’t worry, we won’t let him get to you. But I have some bad news. Your husband already knows that you’re pregnant.”
“No! No, no, no!” Regina wailed and shook her head back and forth, her hair flopping wildly.
“Shh!” Natalie said, stroking Regina’s back. “You see my friend Tully over there? He used to work for the FBI. He knows how to keep you safe.”
Regina quieted and clearly started to think. “How did Dobs find out?” She turned to Natalie with her eyes wide and frightened. “How doyouknow that he knows?”
“He came to the salon yesterday, hoping I would tell him where you were. I wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth when he mentioned the baby or whether he was trying to gain my sympathy to get more information out of me.” Natalie smoothed Regina’s disheveled hair. “Are you feeling all right?”
“My stomach is kind of messed up. Morning sickness, I guess, except it hits me at all different times of day.” Regina curved her hands over her abdomen protectively. “I don’t want Dobs anywhere near my baby.”
Tully carried over a tray loaded with three steaming mugs of coffee, sugar, cream, and some crackers. “We won’t let that happen,” he assured her.
“Can the FBI help stop him?” Regina asked, grasping her mug in both hands.
“I don’t work for the FBI anymore, but I know the right people to handle this.” Tully sat in the armchair across from them. Natalie noted that the gun was now on the occasional table beside him. He must be worried that Dobs or the guy with the Spanish accent might show up.
Tully leaned forward. “Ma’am, can I ask you a few questions, things I need to know to keep you from harm?”
Regina nodded.
“I didn’t see a car outside. How did you get here?”
“I was afraid to use my car. The clerk at the motel knew it was mine. I took the bus.”
“Where were you?” Tully asked.
“Wheeling. West Virginia.” Regina looked at Natalie. “Is it okay to tell you where I was going?”
“You need to tell useverythingso we know the best way to proceed from here,” Natalie reassured her.
“I was going to Kentucky. My second cousin lives there. I haven’t seen him in years, but he’s a nice guy. I figured he could help me go somewhere else.”
“Did he know you were on your way?” Tully asked.
