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Hailey stood up suddenly. “You can see me home if you like. I was going to call an online car before I got the bright idea that I needed something to eat down here.”
“And you never even ate.” He pointed to the chowder, cold and soaking into its bowl.
“Like I said, lost my appetite.”
As she strolled toward the curb, bent over her phone, Joe grabbed their trash and dumped it in the nearest can.
She held up her cell as he approached her. “I told him to meet us up the street a little to avoid the traffic around here.”
“Is Pacific Heights close?”
Sliding a glance to the side, she said, “You really did your research, didn’t you? You even know where I live.”
“C’mon, Hailey. It’s not exactly hard to find out where you live. You’re kinda all over San Francisco society news.”
“Sometimes this can really seem like a small town.” She bumped his elbow with her own. “Let’s cross.”
He didn’t presume to take her arm as they crossed the street, but he wanted to. Everyone she came in contact with must feel that way about her—drawn to her vitality and warmth. He was simply one of many who swarmed around her, wanting to be close.
The phone in her hand rang, and she brought it to her face. “Yeah, right in front of the T-shirt shop. I see you—black Nissan.”
As the black car pulled up to the curb, Joe shot forward and opened the door for Hailey.
She slid into the back seat, and he followed.
Hunching forward, she asked, “Do you need directions?”
“I have it on my GPS. Pacific Avenue in Pacific Heights, right?”
“That’s it.” She settled back and closed her eyes. “When do you think we’ll find out about Marten?”
“If he didn’t buy the ticket under his own name and they don’t—” Joe glanced at the rearview mirror “—find the body, it could take a while. If he washes up somewhere and they can get fingerprints, they’ll eventually ID him.”
“He’s Dutch, you know, a Dutch citizen, and they’ll ID him a lot faster when I step forward and report him missing.”
Joe put a finger to his lips. He was beginning to understand that once Hailey got her teeth into something, she became a pit bull.
A totally gorgeous pit bull with really nice teeth.
Several minutes later, Hailey tapped the back of the driver’s seat. “It’s the one on the left. You can pull over here.”
The driver whistled as he stopped his car. “That must be a great view during the day. Not bad at night, either.”
“It is. Thanks.” Hailey turned to Joe. “Do you want to keep the car for wherever you’re going next?”
“You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I’ll see you to the front door.”
The driver adjusted the rearview mirror. “I can wait here, but you’ll have to call me up again on the app.”
“I’ll do it when we get up to the house. If you get another fare, take it.”
Hailey slid from the car and Joe followed her out and trailed after her as she strode across the street.
His jaw dropped slightly when he got a load of the house looming in front of him. The huge white house, gleaming in the night, had a fountain and a garden in front and what looked like a four-car garage on the lower level. Being in San Francisco, and Pacific Heights in particular, they had to walk up some steps to get to the front door.
“I’m sure it’s okay. I even have security cameras.” She pointed to the eaves of the house as she charged ahead of him. Then she tripped to a stop and gasped.
His hand shot out to grab her arm, and she spun in his grasp, almost falling into his arms from the step above.
“Are you all right?”
She shook her head and stepped to the side—revealing a black hat with a checkered band resting on her welcome mat.
Some welcome.
Chapter Three
Hailey’s knees wobbled and she took an unsteady step down—away from Marten’s hat—even though it put her chest to chest with Joe.
His arm curled around her back, and she didn’t even jerk away. She needed support right now—and this solid hunk of man fit the bill.
“It’s Marten’s, isn’t it? That’s the hat I was following all day until I trailed him to the ferry to Alcatraz. Any doubts now?”
