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The police led him to a patrol car, still cursing.
Jenna sucked in a breath. “I’ve seen him before. He’s not the man who attacked me at the office, but I’ve seen him outside our building before.”
Brody and Dawson exchanged glances. Had he been stalking her?
“I’ll check into it,” Dawson promised, handing over the keys to a four-door gray sedan. It was a car meant to blend in.
Brody and Jenna got silently into the new vehicle.
“Now what?” she asked, bringing her gaze from the passenger side window to his face.
“Now, we get a little distance between here and us. Then we will get you a phone and drive to meet with your grandmother. But not at her house.”
She chewed her lower lip. “Quick question. If my phone was an issue, how do we know that her phone hasn’t also been bugged or tracked, whatever you call it?”
Brody grinned. She was quick, he’d give her that. “Because on her phone, I’m not listed as Brody. She has me listed as Esther. And you are my cousin Georgia.”
A laugh escaped her. “Esther?”
He flashed a smile at her. “Because Esther had to hide her identity and plot to escape those who would harm her and her family. She thought it sounded appropriate.”
She chuckled, shaking her head. “I kind of like that, Esther.”
He gave her a mock growl. “Only for Claudia, thank you.”
Brody drove for an hour and a half until they crossed over the Ohio state line. When he pulled into a Walmart, he handed her a baseball cap. “Your hair is gorgeous, but its color is pretty unique. Let’s hide it, okay?”
She flushed at the compliment and deftly wound the long silvery blonde strands into a bun and pulled the cap snuggly over her head. Then she reached into her bag and pulled a pair of reading glasses out.
They went in and bought the phone and a few snacks for the journey, then returned to the car within thirty minutes. Brody drove while Jenna set up the phone. She called his number. He didn’t answer it.
She glanced at his phone and nodded. “It’s listed as spam.”
“I have it if I need it, but I won’t use it. For now, let anyone who sees my phone assume it’s a telemarketer.”
It was almost five in the evening Central Time before they pulled into a hotel near Naperville, Illinois. Claudia had reserved two rooms and had called Brody with the room numbers.
“So we won’t have to interact with anyone at the desk who might remember us.”
Jenna nodded at this information. Her hands twisted in her lap. For the last hour, she hadn’t spoken in more than one or two-word utterances, and then only to answer a direct question. Her shoulders were so tight, she looked like a hard push would make her shatter.
He didn’t bother voicing platitudes like don’t be nervous, or it will be fine. She wouldn’t believe him until she met Claudia for herself.
They got into the elevator and took it to the third floor. Brody silently took her hand, letting her know he was with her. She gripped his hand, hard. He held back a wince. Jenna was stronger than she looked.
Finally, they arrived at the rooms Claudia had reserved. Brody knocked twice, paused, then rapped three more times, rapidly. It was his knock.
In less than ten seconds, the door swung open, revealing a tall, slim woman with a cloud of white curls and blue eyes. Her face was lined, but the vestiges of beauty remained.
She didn’t even acknowledge Brody. All her attention focused on the woman at his side. She reached out and drew Jenna into the room. Since Jenna wouldn’t release his hand, Brody followed and closed the door behind them.
Tears streamed down Claudia’s face. “Jordyn. Oh, Jordyn. My darling granddaughter.”
Jenna finally let his hand go when the older woman swept her into a fierce embrace. For a moment, she stood awkwardly. Then her arms carefully returned the embrace, patting the older woman’s back softly.
Her eyes swam with tears as she looked at Brody, before her forehead dropped to Claudia’s shoulder.
For the first time, he let himself believe everything would work out for the best.
