Page 24 of Witness To Murder
Owen had been so smart and definitely one step ahead to suggest they come here and have a look. If not, Lambert would have found that phone and assumed it was hers. How had itgotten into her room? Given all that had happened, she could just imagine what kind of incriminating “evidence” was on it.
Owen slid the phone into his back pocket. “If you need to get anything else while we’re here, you should pack it up—and have a look around just in case. Then we’ll get going.”
She nodded and went into her room. Leah tried to center on what she might need and not think about what he’d found, but it wasn’t easy. She grabbed a dressier shirt in case she needed something more than the T-shirts she had taken to the safe house. Then she remembered she had forgotten lotion, so she picked that up too. And a nightshirt; she’d completely forgotten to take anything for sleeping. With a final quick look around to ensure nothing was missing or there that shouldn’t be, she decided she was done. Her overnight bag was already at the safe house, so she opted to just carry the three items.
She went to the living room, where Owen waited.
“Got everything you need?”
“I think so.”
He grinned. “Now to ghost our nosy friend.”
That made her smile. The guy in the black car wouldn’t be happy, she imagined.
But when Owen opened the door for her, her smile died.
Detective Lambert and his forensic team were standing in the corridor.
“What a surprise,” the detective said. “Did you find whatever you were looking for?”
Leah held her breath…didn’t dare speak.
“Just dropped by for a few items she needed,” Owen said with a gesture toward the items she clutched.
Good grief. She’d completely forgotten she was holding anything. The craziness was getting to her, making her paranoid.
“I needed a few more things,” she said, her voice a little high, a little shaky.
Lambert nodded. “Well, if you’re quite finished, we’ll get started on our search.”
“Of course.” Leah slipped past him, her heart pounding way too fast.
What if he spotted the bulge of that cell phone in Owen’s pocket? What if he decided it was necessary to pat them down like the police often did to suspects in the movies? The phone would only make her look guiltier.
Worry twisted like razors inside her.
Owen joined her in the corridor, and they walked casually toward the stairwell. He set the pace. Slow and steady. She forced her respiration to slow and followed his example. No one hurried after them, demanding to check their pockets. But she didn’t relax until they were out of the building and in his car.
Once they were driving away, he said, “I have to make a quick stop before I lose this guy.”
She frowned. “Where?”
“Anywhere.” He shot her a grin. “Just long enough to make sure our shadow didn’t put a tracking device on the car.”
She hadn’t even considered the person watching her—following them—might do something so obviously smart in a situation like this. Good thing she had this man on her side.
Her gaze lingered on Owen’s profile.A really good thing.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Colby Agency Safe House
East Elm Street, 7:20 p.m.
There had been no tracking device on the car.
Losing their tail had been fairly easy, or maybe he just hadn’t tried so hard to keep up with them. Either way, Leah had watched Owen expertly outmaneuver him. They made it back to the safe house without the trouble following them.
