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Chapter 10
The sound roared past their room, then began to recede. Taking a chance, Gideon separated the curtains just enough to see outside. The engines had been heading toward the barn, so he leaned until he could see the red building.
Nothing. Just that noise, revving then slowing. Over and over.
He waited, unable to see anything but the still-falling snow and glimpses of the barn. After a tense two minutes, the roar increased again.
He pulled the curtains closed until he peered through a tiny slit. The roaring got louder, and suddenly a snowmobile appeared, a helmeted and visored figure in black riding it through the snow-filled parking area. As the figure raced toward their room, two more snowmobiles appeared. Their riders wore identical outfits.
Gideon tracked them as the vehicles flew past their room. None of them even glanced at the motel. As they cut through the deep snow, white tails sprayed through the air. Even if the riders had been looking for someone in the motel, the jets of snow would have obscured their view.
Gideon watched until the trio turned toward the road. He listened as the sound faded away and finally disappeared. Tucking the curtains close together again, he turned to Alex. Replaced his Glock in the night table drawer.
“Three snowmobilers,” he said. “Didn’t seem like they were looking for anything. Just out for a ride in the snow.”
“Men? Women? How old?” Alex asked, still gripping her Sig.
“Impossible to tell. They all wore black suits and helmets with visors.” He eyed her Sig, which was pointing at him. “Would you mind putting that gun down? You’re making me nervous.”
She lowered the gun immediately, but didn’t set it down. “You sure they weren’t looking for us?” she asked.
He tilted his head, studying her. She was shaken. Her face was sheet-white, and her eyes were haunted. “Is something going on that you haven’t told me? Something you’re worried about besides Jerry? And me?” he added after a moment.
She drew in a shuddering breath. “Jerry has his flaws, but when he wants something, he’s dogged. Persistent.” She sighed. “That’s how he wore me down when he first asked me out. Wouldn’t take no for an answer. Just kept asking, until I finally thought, ‘what the hell. I’ll give him a chance’.”
“So you think Jerry sent those guys?”
She shrugged. “I’m not going to rule it out.” She cleared her throat. Walked over to her purse and replaced her gun. “I went back to the house the morning after you were there, when I knew he’d be at his gym. I got some clothes, some money from my safe.” She took a deep breath. “And I took some things from Jerry’s safe. If he’s discovered they’re missing, he’ll be enraged. Terrified. I wouldn’t put it past him to send someone after me. Or even to try and chase me down himself.”
“How would he even know where you were?” Gideon asked.
She rolled one shoulder. “I have no idea. But I need to search my luggage to make sure he didn’t plant a tracker on me.”
Gideon nodded. “Good idea. You want some help?”
She shot him an assessing glance, and shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ll do it myself.”
“Up to you,” Gideon said. “My guess? Those were just three people who wanted to check out the snow and see what was going on in town. They didn’t look like searchers. Just fun-seekers. But by all means, look through your stuff and see if you find anything.”
What had she taken from Trotter’s safe? He really wanted to know. But he wasn’t going to disrupt their tentative détente by probing. Asking questions. Sooner or later, she’d trust him enough to tell him what she had in that suitcase.
* * *
Gideon pulled out his computer and began typing, so Alex retrieved her tote from her suitcase and set it on her bed. Thank God she’d kept the money and Jerry’s files in her purse. She didn’t want Gideon to see those things and get any ideas.
She removed everything from her tote, one thing at a time. Her make-up bag. Files from her most recent case, the win they’d been celebrating at the Mexican restaurant. That victory dinner felt like a million years ago.
She took the files out one by one, paging through each of them to make sure nothing was there except what she’d put there. Then she removed the files from her pending cases and leafed through them, as well.
The tote also held her tablet. A bottle of ibuprofen. A tiny note pad and attached pen. In one pocket were credit cards and membership cards she rarely used. In another were three of her favorite brand of pens. A charger for her destroyed iPhone.
She examined each item carefully, including the pills in the ibuprofen bottle. There were no signs any of them had been tampered with.
Finally the tote was empty, and she turned it upside down. Shook it. Nothing fell out.
But she thought she heard something rattling inside the bag. So she looked through all the empty pockets one more time. Found nothing. She studied the inside of the bag, finally decided she must have heard the little tabs on the pocket zippers rattling. There was nothing else in the bag.
Sighing, she began replacing everything. She felt Gideon’s gaze on her, but didn’t look over at him. Finally he said, “Find anything?”
