Page 10 of Safeguarding the Witness

“Yes.”

“Listen to me.” Youngblood’s voice grated. “I advise you to turn that plane around and come back to the hangar. I’ll be there in half an hour.”

“Not necessary.”

“I’ll decide what’s necessary and what’s not. I don’t take orders from a lawyer based in Podunk, Oregon.”

“We’re done here. I’ve reported the gunfire and informed you that Mollie and her father are no longer at the WITSEC location where you placed them. If you have other concerns, you can contact me through the Cameron Law Firm in Cloverdell.”

“Let me talk to Mollie.”

“Goodbye, Marshal Youngblood.”

Spence ended the call, made eye contact with her and flashed a smile complete with dimples. “I don’t think we’ve heard the last of him.”

“How much trouble am I in?” She sipped her coffee.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.”

Her gaze never left his face. For once, she was glad to be the twin who appreciated the finer things in life. She could be dispassionate, admiring the symmetry of his features and appreciating the unusual color of his eyes. Her hot-blooded sister would have wasted no time in seducing Spence and joining the Mile High Club.

Chapter Four

Their flight from Denver to Salem should take between two and a half to three hours. They’d been in the air for over ninety minutes when Spence got a call on his private phone from Reba at Centennial Airport. Since his caller ID showed her name as Richter, he took a moment to put two and two together and figured out that she was using her personal cell instead of the business phone at the airport.

“What’s up, Reba?”

“A federal marshal showed up at my desk a few minutes ago.” She spoke in a whisper. “His name is Youngblood, and he’s a big guy wearing a cowboy hat and boots to make him a couple of inches taller. He’s got kind of an underbite and a lantern jaw. Anyway, he had questions about you and your business in Denver. Asked about your agenda. Wanted to know who you came here to see. And if you left with anybody.”

“Before you say anything else, I want you to know I’m not doing anything illegal.”

“Nor am I,” she said. “I told him the truth, whole truth and nothing but.”

“Always a good policy.” Spence had, on occasion, danced around the concept of complete and total honesty, but only when he had a good reason. “What did you tell him?”

“I didn’t know about your business in Denver. That’s true. You were only here for a short visit, which he could see from the flight plans we filed and the logbooks. I said you were returning to the airport in Salem. Also true.”

“Did you mention my passenger?”

“I told him that I didn’t see you board the plane with anybody else. True, true, true. I wasn’t out on the runway, wasn’t watching.”

“Perfect.” He imagined the sly smile she’d give him the next time he was in Denver.

“Marshal Big Jaw dashed out of here like his ass was on fire. Didn’t say where he was headed, but I thought you might need a heads-up.”

“Thanks, Reba,” he said. “Over and out.”

He ended the call and looked over at Mollie, who had seated herself for a good view out the porthole. Absorbed in the panorama of clouds and sunset, her features relaxed into a dreamy mask showing almost no expression as she drank in the view. However—when she turned toward him—he saw turbulence in her stormy-blue eyes.

“Trouble?” she asked.

“Youngblood came looking for us at Centennial.” The marshal had responded to their phone call more quickly than Spence anticipated. “Nothing to worry about. He can’t arrest you. You haven’t broken any laws.”

“But he can detain me,” she said. “I need to file the proper paperwork and sign off on statements about liability. And I’m not sure how my dad fits into the picture.”

“This is nothing more than an inconvenience.” He crossed the small cabin and bent down so his gaze was level with hers. “Don’t worry, Mollie. I’ll take care of Youngblood.”

“Yeah, you’d better.” She grinned. “I paid you one whole dollar for a retainer.”