Anderson used a handkerchief to open the bag and pull out the passport. Then she opened the door of the Peugeot and walked over to the body. Elise Courville’s lifeless eyes stared into the darkness, and the bullets had made a mess of her chest. Gingerly, Anderson lifted the lapel of her coat and slid the passport into an interior pocket, making it a simple matter for the DC cops to determine the identity of the deceased.
Careful to avoid any blood, Anderson swept her foot side to side so as to erase her footprints. They might get one, and they might even identify her as its owner. But by then she would be living under non-extradition status in Morocco.
Rowan checked her watch. A particular sequence of events now needed to happen in order for her to make her escape. First, someone must find Elise Courville’s corpse. Second, they’d have to find Nat’s body and the gun, too.
She practiced her breathing during the hour-long drive north on the Capital Beltway and eventually I-95.It was just work,she told herself.
The bad music on the radio bothered her more than what she had just done to Elise Courville, a woman with whom she had laughed and cried on several occasions. Yet she had killed her without blinking an eye.
But Nat Phillips? Totally different. The connection Rowan Anderson felt to him was primal … instinctive … unfamiliar yet hypnotic. And now she was about to destroy perhaps the only bit of goodness she had ever experienced in her life.
CHAPTER 104
Hospital parking garage
Baltimore, Maryland
Just as Ming Yu’s message had specified, Rowan Anderson found the black Camry on the third level of the hospital parking garage in an unlit parking spot that even the best infrared camera could not easily watch.
It was part of her strategy for Elise Courville’s Peugeot to be recorded entering the garage. Her own identity was easily concealed beneath the same black hat, scarf, and coat she’d worn at her job in Anacostia earlier.
The conditions were perfect. All she had to do was wait until midnight.
Anderson called Nat and put on her best needy voice. “Hey, Nat, it’s me. I’m here. Can you come over and walk with me? It’s really fucking sketchy and there are some weirdos in this garage.”
“On my way,” Nat replied. “Sit tight in the car ’til I get there.”
CHAPTER 105
ICU
Baltimore, Maryland
Iwas in a good mood.
The surgeon had emerged from the OR with a glowing report of complete success. Not only had the shoulder reconstruction been virtually flawless, but Meg’s vitals were the strongest the surgeon had ever seen post-op. Between her physical conditioning and positive attitude, he was extremely optimistic that Meg would be back in action in six to ten weeks. She could call these next two months a vacation and never miss a beat.
They let me watch her sleeping peacefully for a few minutes. She was heavily sedated, of course, and they would keep her under for another day of rest. I couldn’t wait until tomorrow, when they brought her out of it.
As beaten up as she was, Meg always had my back and supported me even when she may have disagreed. She made melaugh. She knew how to push my buttons when I needed them pushed.
Rowan’s call brought me back to the present. I was looking forward to seeing her. Rowan was awesome. I could totally see a long game with her. Maybe after the trip to Paris, we could go away together and see what happened. For now, it would be great just to spend a few hours together. It was a good day—and about to get better.
I waited ’til I was outside the hospital to check my Sig P225. I had two magazines on my belt plus the one in the well. I unbuttoned my jacket for an easier draw if I needed it. So far, I hadn’t seen a single person on the ground floor as I waited for the elevator.
I hit the button and headed to the third floor. There wasn’t a soul around—not that I minded. When Rowan said she needed a chaperone, it had put me in a good mood. She could easily have walked over by herself. I knew she knew how to handle a gun. Rocket’s Red Glare didn’t quite give me carte blanche to go around town whacking bad guys, but it also didn’t tell me not to.
It was pretty dark, but I could see Rowan looking for something in the trunk of her car—leaning over in a very seductive way, though that might’ve just been my own wishful thinking. She must have heard me, as she turned away from the car without closing the trunk. Not quite like the reunited-love scenes in movies, but we did walk a little faster toward each other as we went in for a hug.
Her ball cap fell off as I wrapped my arms around her and lifted her off the ground. I felt her hair against my face. Shelaughed and our lips connected. We got lost in each other for a few seconds. I was exactly where I needed to be.
“Man, I needed that,” I laughed. “Thanks for coming, Ro. You look amazing.” She held on for an extra beat.
“Well, it takes two to tango, mister.” She laughed back at me, composing herself. “Let me grab my purse and we can get out of this dump.”
She walked back to the trunk of her car and grabbed her bag. She slung it over her shoulder. She was so beautiful. It reminded me of the first time I had seen her at my house.
“Nice wheels,” I said.
