Page 38 of Twin Threats In Austin
Technically, she had no authority to take a note out of Kage’s door. However, if the note fell on the ground and onto public property, then she wasn’t in any violation. It would be in public domain and, therefore, fair game.
Or she could just stand there until Kage returned and then ask him to show her the note.
Rochelle almost laughed out loud at that one. After everything that had happened today, Kage wasn’t going to be inclined to share information with the law. In fact, he would run in the opposite direction if he saw her standing at his front door.
Wind whipped her hair around as she made the walk toward his apartment. Part of her wanted to retreat to the truck and watch to see if Kage returned. However, the contents of the note could be lost forever, and he could deny it was ever there in the first place.
Rochelle’s curiosity about the note was getting the better of her. By the time she made it to the door, it took all her willpower not to accidentally elbow the piece of paper to dislodge it from the door.
She’d been around detectives who started cutting corners. It never led to anywhere positive in their career or personal life. So even if it meant taking longer and unfortunately risking lives that were somewhere out there hanging in the balance, she had to play this by the book or risk losing the case in court. As muchas letting the perp get away ate at her, she couldn’t let herself become sloppy.
The note was flapping in the wind and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to free it from the door. There was at least a small chance it would break free and she could then catch it legally. In the meantime, she pulled out her cell phone and started snapping pictures.
Where are you, Kage?
Cell phone in hand, Rochelle had to resist the urge to call or text Camden to see if he was making better progress than she was.
She didn’t realize she was tapping her toe on the concrete sidewalk in front of Kage’s apartment until she glanced down.
Shifting her focus to the screen in her hand, she didn’t catch the barrel pointed at her from a tree across the street until a shot had been fired.
Too late, she saw the flash and then a second later heard the bullet whiz past her head by inches, lodging into the door and nailing the piece of paper.
What the hell?
Chapter Fourteen
Camden slowed his pace as he neared the alleyway behind the apartment complex. Splitting up from Rochelle sent his pulse through the roof. The effect it had on him had caught him off guard. However, it couldn’t be helped. She was a professional who was very good at her job. She knew how to handle herself.
So why the hell was he stressed about leaving her to do it?
The woman with black hair turned around to check behind her twice, but he was relatively certain she hadn’t seen him. Her quick glances and his ability to blend into his environment seemed enough to keep him out of her line of sight at critical moments.
There was no car parked in the alleyway. The black-haired lady picked up her pace to a jog the farther she got away from Kage’s apartment. Camden noticed that she had on a tight blouse and a short-short miniskirt that could only be called a micro mini. He hoped she didn’t overpay for it because she only had on about four dollars’ worth of material, his Grandma Lacey would say. He missed her more than words.
Right now, though, he had to maintain focus.
The high-heel boots the black-haired lady was running in had him scratching his head. He would never understand how someone could run with their heels on what looked like the points of needles, let alone do it in an alley filled with potholes.
She half wobbled, half ran toward the strip shopping center that Rochelle had told him was at the end of the alley.
The woman rolled her ankle. She landed on her left thigh before her bottom nailed the gravel. She let out a yelp and a groan as she hit the ground.
The lady couldn’t get up and out of there fast enough. Rather than hobbling, she was limping at this point, hopping on her right foot. How she maintained balance was a question he would never be able to answer, but she made it to the strip center before disappearing left. Camden moved down the alley quietly. Dogs barked, still riled up from her.
She made her way to a white, two-door hatchback as he peeked around the corner into the lot.
Camden retrieved his cell phone and took a picture of the license plate. It should be easy enough to find her address from here, so he doubled back toward Rochelle. An uneasy feeling had settled over him and he couldn’t get back to her fast enough.
From a place down deep, Camden needed to know Rochelle was okay.
Running as fast as he could toward Kage’s apartment, Camden’s heart pounded his ribs so hard he feared it might crack one.
As he rounded the corner, he almost ran smack into her. She was frantic, causing his heart to free-fall.
“There’s a shooter,” she said. “He’s here. He followed me here and barely missed.”
Camden hauled her against his chest, wrapping her in his arm protectively as he scanned the area.
