it completely anonymous, which is I assume why you bought it.” She relaxed. He said, “That’s why drug dealers and insider traders use these things. How’d you find out about them?”
“My ex-boyfriend, James. Before I left this morning he told me to make sure I bought a few of them.”
“Your ex is helping you out? Doesn’t sound like it’s resolved yet.”
“I had no place to go, and I trust James more than anyone, except Mom.”
Richard nodded. “Here,” he said, extending his hand, “give me that, I’ll take care of it for you.” Dani handed him the cell phone, then reached into the bag and pulled out the other three. He laughed. “You aren’t taking any chances, are you?”
“I can’t afford to.” His laughter faded; he must’ve seen her narrowed eyes and noted the gravity in her voice. Dani looked into the aisle and saw a man pass her walking forward. She got a jolt of adrenaline. It couldn’t be. The man’s head was shaved, but she thought she recognized that acne-scarred face. He took his time, moving his head from left to right as he walked, appearing to be looking for someone. Oh my God, looking for me? She wasn’t sure, but it looked like the killer. He had the same body type, the same exaggerated way of holding his shoulders and head. He’d stood in front of her, checked his gun and said, “Where is it?”
She clutched Richard’s forearm. “I think I just saw the man.”
“What man?”
Dani mouthed the words, “The killer.”
“Are you sure?”
“No. He had curly blonde hair before. Now his head is shaved. I didn’t get a good look at his face, but he was walking deliberately, looking from side to side as if he was checking the seats for someone.”
“Where is he?”
“He just left our car.”
“What does he look like?”
“Big. Powerful. Muscular. If it’s him, his face is covered with acne scars.”
She saw Richard’s jaw clench. “If it’s him, he’ll be back. And this time he’ll get a good look at you. If I recognized you from your photograph in the Times, he’ll recognize you, too.”
Dani knew she was panicking. She looked down at her hands, saw they were shaking. She bent forward as far as she could and took a few deep breaths, trying to get her brain to start working again. She sat up and exhaled, then felt a blast like her mind was on fire. The man had just entered their car and was working his way down the aisle. She turned to Richard. “It’s him.” She kissed him, pressing her lips to his as hard as she could, throwing her arms around him. She felt her breath coming in gasps, but still didn’t release him. She wasn’t counting, didn’t know how long she held him there, until finally he pulled away and sat up, holding her head in his lap.
“I saw him,” he whispered. “I didn’t get a good look. But that face was hard to miss. Blue eyes, right?”
Dani felt a chill run up her back.
“It’s at least fifteen minutes to Wilmington before we can get off the train,” Richard said.
Oh my God!
Stark was pissed. The girl was getting to be a real pain in the ass. He’d been through the train in both directions and still hadn’t found her. It was unlikely she’d gotten off in Philadelphia; he made sure he was the last person to get on the train and hadn’t seen her on the platform. Either she’d changed her appearance more than his professional eyes could pick up, which was unlikely, or she was jumping from restroom to restroom. He stopped between two cars, the racket of the wheels on the rails in his ears, the heat and dust assaulting him, and pulled the cell phone out of his pocket. He felt like an asshole. “Yes?” the client said.
“I’ll take you up on your offer after all. Where’s your man on the train?”
A pause. Stark was waiting for an “I told you so” tone in the client’s voice, but when he spoke it was all business. “Second car from the rear, blue suit, six feet, about two hundred-twenty pounds. Ask him
“My ex-boyfriend, James. Before I left this morning he told me to make sure I bought a few of them.”
“Your ex is helping you out? Doesn’t sound like it’s resolved yet.”
“I had no place to go, and I trust James more than anyone, except Mom.”
Richard nodded. “Here,” he said, extending his hand, “give me that, I’ll take care of it for you.” Dani handed him the cell phone, then reached into the bag and pulled out the other three. He laughed. “You aren’t taking any chances, are you?”
“I can’t afford to.” His laughter faded; he must’ve seen her narrowed eyes and noted the gravity in her voice. Dani looked into the aisle and saw a man pass her walking forward. She got a jolt of adrenaline. It couldn’t be. The man’s head was shaved, but she thought she recognized that acne-scarred face. He took his time, moving his head from left to right as he walked, appearing to be looking for someone. Oh my God, looking for me? She wasn’t sure, but it looked like the killer. He had the same body type, the same exaggerated way of holding his shoulders and head. He’d stood in front of her, checked his gun and said, “Where is it?”
She clutched Richard’s forearm. “I think I just saw the man.”
“What man?”
Dani mouthed the words, “The killer.”
“Are you sure?”
“No. He had curly blonde hair before. Now his head is shaved. I didn’t get a good look at his face, but he was walking deliberately, looking from side to side as if he was checking the seats for someone.”
“Where is he?”
“He just left our car.”
“What does he look like?”
“Big. Powerful. Muscular. If it’s him, his face is covered with acne scars.”
She saw Richard’s jaw clench. “If it’s him, he’ll be back. And this time he’ll get a good look at you. If I recognized you from your photograph in the Times, he’ll recognize you, too.”
Dani knew she was panicking. She looked down at her hands, saw they were shaking. She bent forward as far as she could and took a few deep breaths, trying to get her brain to start working again. She sat up and exhaled, then felt a blast like her mind was on fire. The man had just entered their car and was working his way down the aisle. She turned to Richard. “It’s him.” She kissed him, pressing her lips to his as hard as she could, throwing her arms around him. She felt her breath coming in gasps, but still didn’t release him. She wasn’t counting, didn’t know how long she held him there, until finally he pulled away and sat up, holding her head in his lap.
“I saw him,” he whispered. “I didn’t get a good look. But that face was hard to miss. Blue eyes, right?”
Dani felt a chill run up her back.
“It’s at least fifteen minutes to Wilmington before we can get off the train,” Richard said.
Oh my God!
Stark was pissed. The girl was getting to be a real pain in the ass. He’d been through the train in both directions and still hadn’t found her. It was unlikely she’d gotten off in Philadelphia; he made sure he was the last person to get on the train and hadn’t seen her on the platform. Either she’d changed her appearance more than his professional eyes could pick up, which was unlikely, or she was jumping from restroom to restroom. He stopped between two cars, the racket of the wheels on the rails in his ears, the heat and dust assaulting him, and pulled the cell phone out of his pocket. He felt like an asshole. “Yes?” the client said.
“I’ll take you up on your offer after all. Where’s your man on the train?”
A pause. Stark was waiting for an “I told you so” tone in the client’s voice, but when he spoke it was all business. “Second car from the rear, blue suit, six feet, about two hundred-twenty pounds. Ask him
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