Brendon. “Tell him about man Larissa shoot.”
“Oh, shit! I almost forgot about Sparrow.”
Brendon
related the entire story of Brian Sparrow to the officer, including the murder
of the doctor. “And for the past two years, Larissa’s been terrified that
he’d return to finish what he started. That’s why she carries the gun.”
The
officer nodded thoughtfully. “I remember that incident very well.”
He squared his shoulders, a new look of determination in his eyes. “This
sheds a different light on things. We’ll look into it.”
Brendon
provided him with Steve’s name and the address of his dojo. Until now
he’d feared that the karate instructor had orchestrated Larissa’s disappearance
but, with Sparrow added to the equation, he almost hoped it was Steve. Of
the two, the karate instructor was definitely the lesser evil.
After
the officer departed, Brendon turned to a pale Yumiko, who looked as frightened
as he felt. Suddenly concerned for her well-being, he placed a comforting
hand on her shoulder. “We’re probably over-reacting. Maybe Larissa
really did meet a new man.”
Yumiko
shook her head. “I don’t think so. Something wrong.”
Something
was very wrong.
CHAPTER
10
Chase drove through Alabama, and then
Mississippi. He kept a close eye on the speedometer so that his speed
never exceeded five miles over the limit, while worry for Larissa occupied his
mind. Damn Keswick for forgetting to mention his wife’s asthma. Or,
maybe he hadn’t forgotten. Maybe he’d deliberately neglected to mention
it, correctly suspecting that he would’ve refused the job, regardless of the
money.
Not
only did his brave little captive’s anger inexplicably disturb him, he felt a
sense of guilt over his actions, so much so that he was tempted to confess that
he was delivering her to her husband. But the fact that she must have figured out by now where he was taking her, combined with the
forty-thousand he’d forfeit, held him back.
Worse,
her account of shooting the intruder and the subsequent murder of the doctor
had caused insidious doubt to set in. Not only did the story have an
unmistakable ring of truth to it, it would certainly explain her guns.
Fuck.
Keswick had warned him that she was a skillful liar and an Oscar-worthy actress
and yet, here he was, prepared to believe her bullshit.
Last
night, she’d been quaking with terror, but today she’d overcome the majority of
her fear, which indicated that she’d figured out exactly where he was taking
her. If she truly believed he was delivering her to someone who intended
to kill her, she’d be still terrified. The incontrovertible fact was that
it had been her smiling from the portrait, surrounded by her husband and
children. She’d fabricated the story about shooting the intruder to make
him question theintegrity of his actions.
Ah,
well, not only could he not hold it against her, he admired her unrelenting
determination to outmaneuver him. He found himself wondering about the
kinky video in which she’d starred, about exactly what she’d done in
said video. He didn’t hold it against her for, from what her husband had
said, she’d had little choice at the time. He would have pain a great
deal to view the video.
Out
of simple curiosity, though, nothing more.
Directly
ahead, the huge orange-gold disc of the westering sun flamed just above the
horizon, making him squint despite the Ray Bans, and he decided to pull in at
the next suitable motel. Stopping earlier than he’d originally intended
had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he missed that sexy southern
drawl. Nor did it indicate that he was anxious to spend some quality time
with her.
They’d
just crossed the line into Arkansas when he spotted the motel. Avoiding
the parking lot’s numerous potholes, he parked, turned the radio up loud, and
climbed into the back. Still refusing to speak to him,
“Oh, shit! I almost forgot about Sparrow.”
Brendon
related the entire story of Brian Sparrow to the officer, including the murder
of the doctor. “And for the past two years, Larissa’s been terrified that
he’d return to finish what he started. That’s why she carries the gun.”
The
officer nodded thoughtfully. “I remember that incident very well.”
He squared his shoulders, a new look of determination in his eyes. “This
sheds a different light on things. We’ll look into it.”
Brendon
provided him with Steve’s name and the address of his dojo. Until now
he’d feared that the karate instructor had orchestrated Larissa’s disappearance
but, with Sparrow added to the equation, he almost hoped it was Steve. Of
the two, the karate instructor was definitely the lesser evil.
After
the officer departed, Brendon turned to a pale Yumiko, who looked as frightened
as he felt. Suddenly concerned for her well-being, he placed a comforting
hand on her shoulder. “We’re probably over-reacting. Maybe Larissa
really did meet a new man.”
Yumiko
shook her head. “I don’t think so. Something wrong.”
Something
was very wrong.
CHAPTER
10
Chase drove through Alabama, and then
Mississippi. He kept a close eye on the speedometer so that his speed
never exceeded five miles over the limit, while worry for Larissa occupied his
mind. Damn Keswick for forgetting to mention his wife’s asthma. Or,
maybe he hadn’t forgotten. Maybe he’d deliberately neglected to mention
it, correctly suspecting that he would’ve refused the job, regardless of the
money.
Not
only did his brave little captive’s anger inexplicably disturb him, he felt a
sense of guilt over his actions, so much so that he was tempted to confess that
he was delivering her to her husband. But the fact that she must have figured out by now where he was taking her, combined with the
forty-thousand he’d forfeit, held him back.
Worse,
her account of shooting the intruder and the subsequent murder of the doctor
had caused insidious doubt to set in. Not only did the story have an
unmistakable ring of truth to it, it would certainly explain her guns.
Fuck.
Keswick had warned him that she was a skillful liar and an Oscar-worthy actress
and yet, here he was, prepared to believe her bullshit.
Last
night, she’d been quaking with terror, but today she’d overcome the majority of
her fear, which indicated that she’d figured out exactly where he was taking
her. If she truly believed he was delivering her to someone who intended
to kill her, she’d be still terrified. The incontrovertible fact was that
it had been her smiling from the portrait, surrounded by her husband and
children. She’d fabricated the story about shooting the intruder to make
him question theintegrity of his actions.
Ah,
well, not only could he not hold it against her, he admired her unrelenting
determination to outmaneuver him. He found himself wondering about the
kinky video in which she’d starred, about exactly what she’d done in
said video. He didn’t hold it against her for, from what her husband had
said, she’d had little choice at the time. He would have pain a great
deal to view the video.
Out
of simple curiosity, though, nothing more.
Directly
ahead, the huge orange-gold disc of the westering sun flamed just above the
horizon, making him squint despite the Ray Bans, and he decided to pull in at
the next suitable motel. Stopping earlier than he’d originally intended
had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he missed that sexy southern
drawl. Nor did it indicate that he was anxious to spend some quality time
with her.
They’d
just crossed the line into Arkansas when he spotted the motel. Avoiding
the parking lot’s numerous potholes, he parked, turned the radio up loud, and
climbed into the back. Still refusing to speak to him,
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