detectives swarmed the café.
Dr. Carl Vandermullen? Liz’s ex-husband had answered the ad? God, could Captain Baxter have been wrong about Carl Vandermullen?
Jack took the stairs from his hiding place and came out of the building just as Karen emerged from the café.
She saw him and stopped at the curb on the side street. He started across the street, feeling her gaze, feeling a connection that he could no more explain than he could levitate. Just seeing her filled him with such a rush of emotions that he felt himself smiling like a fool at her.
She smiled back.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw the car.
“Look out!” he cried, but his words were drowned out by the roar of the engine and the squeal of tires as the car turned the corner and bored down on Karen.
CHAPTER NINE
Jack dove for her. The car roared past, so close he could feel the heat of the engine and the rush of displaced air.
He and Karen hit the sidewalk and rolled into one of the patio tables, coming to a dish-crashing stop.
He looked down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed, her face pale. “Karen?” he cried, fear making his voice crack.
She opened her eyes, then seemed to focus on his face, and smiled. “You really take this protection stuff seriously, don’t you.”
He laughed and shook his head, amazed she was all right, amazed how relieved he was. In those few seconds before she’d opened her eyes, his life stopped.
“You’re sure you’re all right?” he asked, relief making him downright giddy as he helped her to her feet.
“I’m fine.” Her smile seemed to attest to that fact. “Nothing appears to be broken.”
What’s a few scrapes and scratches to this woman, he thought, smiling back at her. He felt as though he’d been breathing laughing gas. He could hear voices of people around them, a faint distant roar of questions and exclamations. “Are they all right? What happened?”
“Did you see that?”
“A car tried to run them down. Did anyone get the license-plate number?”
Jack felt as if they were the only two people in the world. He watched her brush at the dirt on her shirt and jeans. “It’s a good thing you’re tough.”
“Is that what I am?” she asked, looking up at him. “What happened to stubborn, foolhardy and reckless?”
“You’re still all those and a whole lot more,” he said, realizing just how true that was.
“Jack, that car purposely tried to run me down,” she said, and he noticed that her hand trembled as she brushed hair back from her eyes. He saw that she finally knew just how much danger she was in.
He felt himself shaking, as well. From the close call. From relief. And anger. He would get the person who’d tried to kill Karen. If it was the last thing he did.
“Don’t worry,” Jack said, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him. She filled in the hollow at his side, fitting against him as if made for him. “I’ll find the person who did this.”
Denny rushed up and the rest of the world returned in a commotion of sounds and sights. A flurry of uniforms forced back the crowd that had gathered as Dennyhustled Jack and Karen out of the way and out of earshot from everyone else.
“Did you get a make on the car?” Denny asked quickly. “A plate?”
Jack shook his head. He’d only seen the car out of the corner of his eye. The rest of the time, his gaze had been locked on Karen.
Denny looked to Karen.
She drew away from Jack’s embrace, standing tall, standing on her own two feet. He watched her gain her composure again. “It was a large, brown American-made car with tinted windows.”
“What about the driver?” Denny asked. “Could it have been the same man you just saw at the El Topo?”
“I didn’t get a look at the driver,” Karen said.
“Me, either,” Jack admitted.
Denny looked discouraged but asked Karen, “You said you saw the man in the restaurant at the Carlton the night of the murder?”
She nodded.
Dr. Carl Vandermullen? Liz’s ex-husband had answered the ad? God, could Captain Baxter have been wrong about Carl Vandermullen?
Jack took the stairs from his hiding place and came out of the building just as Karen emerged from the café.
She saw him and stopped at the curb on the side street. He started across the street, feeling her gaze, feeling a connection that he could no more explain than he could levitate. Just seeing her filled him with such a rush of emotions that he felt himself smiling like a fool at her.
She smiled back.
Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw the car.
“Look out!” he cried, but his words were drowned out by the roar of the engine and the squeal of tires as the car turned the corner and bored down on Karen.
CHAPTER NINE
Jack dove for her. The car roared past, so close he could feel the heat of the engine and the rush of displaced air.
He and Karen hit the sidewalk and rolled into one of the patio tables, coming to a dish-crashing stop.
He looked down at the woman in his arms. Her eyes were closed, her face pale. “Karen?” he cried, fear making his voice crack.
She opened her eyes, then seemed to focus on his face, and smiled. “You really take this protection stuff seriously, don’t you.”
He laughed and shook his head, amazed she was all right, amazed how relieved he was. In those few seconds before she’d opened her eyes, his life stopped.
“You’re sure you’re all right?” he asked, relief making him downright giddy as he helped her to her feet.
“I’m fine.” Her smile seemed to attest to that fact. “Nothing appears to be broken.”
What’s a few scrapes and scratches to this woman, he thought, smiling back at her. He felt as though he’d been breathing laughing gas. He could hear voices of people around them, a faint distant roar of questions and exclamations. “Are they all right? What happened?”
“Did you see that?”
“A car tried to run them down. Did anyone get the license-plate number?”
Jack felt as if they were the only two people in the world. He watched her brush at the dirt on her shirt and jeans. “It’s a good thing you’re tough.”
“Is that what I am?” she asked, looking up at him. “What happened to stubborn, foolhardy and reckless?”
“You’re still all those and a whole lot more,” he said, realizing just how true that was.
“Jack, that car purposely tried to run me down,” she said, and he noticed that her hand trembled as she brushed hair back from her eyes. He saw that she finally knew just how much danger she was in.
He felt himself shaking, as well. From the close call. From relief. And anger. He would get the person who’d tried to kill Karen. If it was the last thing he did.
“Don’t worry,” Jack said, slipping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to him. She filled in the hollow at his side, fitting against him as if made for him. “I’ll find the person who did this.”
Denny rushed up and the rest of the world returned in a commotion of sounds and sights. A flurry of uniforms forced back the crowd that had gathered as Dennyhustled Jack and Karen out of the way and out of earshot from everyone else.
“Did you get a make on the car?” Denny asked quickly. “A plate?”
Jack shook his head. He’d only seen the car out of the corner of his eye. The rest of the time, his gaze had been locked on Karen.
Denny looked to Karen.
She drew away from Jack’s embrace, standing tall, standing on her own two feet. He watched her gain her composure again. “It was a large, brown American-made car with tinted windows.”
“What about the driver?” Denny asked. “Could it have been the same man you just saw at the El Topo?”
“I didn’t get a look at the driver,” Karen said.
“Me, either,” Jack admitted.
Denny looked discouraged but asked Karen, “You said you saw the man in the restaurant at the Carlton the night of the murder?”
She nodded.
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