Page 29

"Or…" He paused as a car pulled up in front of the gate. "We just follow that car inside."

As the vehicle entered the garage, they slipped in before the gate could close. There were spots for eight cars, and apartment numbers were painted on the ground. When the car parked, Tyler grabbed her hand and pulled her behind a Jeep. "Let's wait until they go up," he said quietly.

A moment later, they heard the ding of the elevator. And then they stepped out from behind the car.

"It looks like the spot for Jack's apartment is empty," she murmured as they moved through the garage, which was dimly lit and a little eerie.

"It's possible he didn't bring a car to the city. But there appears to be a storage area over there. Let's see what that's about."

She stayed close to him, feeling nervous for no reason at all, except that she didn't love underground parking garages. As Tyler opened the door to the storage area and stepped inside, he suddenly let out a cry as someone hit him over the head. As he fell to the ground, a man barreled through the opening, shoving her backward.

She fell hard, landing on her butt, her left wrist hitting the wall. It took her a minute to catch her breath and get to her feet. By then, the man was gone. When she stepped into the storage area, she saw Tyler struggling to get up, his hand to the back of his head.

"What the hell happened?" he asked in confusion as she helped him to his feet.

"A guy hit you over the head when you entered the room, and then he shoved me out of the way and took off. I need to call 911."

"Hang on," he said. "I'm okay. I just got a bump. Let's get out of here."

"Hang on," she said, echoing his words. She turned on the light on her phone and moved around him, so she could see the back of his head. She gently touched the area that was swelling. He had a decent bump, but he wasn't bleeding, which was a good sign. It was also a good sign that he hadn't been knocked unconscious.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" Tyler asked, turning to face her.

"You have some swelling. I should take you to the hospital. Make sure you don't have a concussion."

"I don't need to go to the hospital. I just need to think for a minute."

As he looked around the room, she followed his gaze, taking in the large lockers, especially the one assigned to Jack's apartment. The door was open, the lock lying on the floor, and there was stuff spilling out next to it: hand weights, what appeared to be a toolbox, and a black backpack.

"Someone got into Jack's locker," he murmured. "What's in there?"

She moved closer, looking beyond the visible items for some clue as to what the man had been after. "There's nothing weird, just a skateboard, a fishing rod, a baseball bat and a mitt." She turned back to him. "What do you think he was searching for?"

"No idea. But since that's the only locker that's open, it's safe to assume that was the one he was interested in. Did you get a look at him?"

"He was dressed in black, and he had a ski mask on. That's all I saw before he threw me to the ground. I didn't even see where he went; he was just gone."

"Are you all right, Rachel?"

"I hit my wrist on the wall, but I'm okay. Better than you. I'm not sure what he hit you with."

"It doesn't matter. I should have been more careful."

"How could you know someone was in here and ready to attack?"

His only answer was a grimace. Despite the fact that he'd said he was fine, she suspected he was in some pain.

"Let's get out of here," he said.

"Should we call the police, report the assault?" she asked as they walked through the garage, heading to the door by the gated entrance.

"I'll talk to Androtti about it, but we have nothing to go on. There's no one else around." He opened the door and peered out before they left the garage area.

"Where did you park?" she asked.

"A couple blocks away."

"I got lucky. My car is just around the corner. You probably shouldn't drive. I can take you home."