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Zoe saw only the doorman and two other people in the large, well-lit lobby. Both were heading toward the elevators. After a few moments, Spence turned around. “It’s clear,” he said in a low voice.
The doorman was the man who had overnight duty. “Hey, Sam,” Zoe said. “Quiet night?”
Sam smiled. “Just the way I like them,” he said.
“Was someone working in the back staircase this morning?” she asked Sam. “I heard a loud noise, as if something had fallen.”
Sam shook his head. “Nothing on the schedule. You know they keep us posted on any repairs or maintenance work being done here.”
“Yeah, that’s why I asked.” Zoe forced a smile. “Thanks, Sam. One more thing. May I have one of the guest transponders for the garage? My guest will be here for a while.”
“Of course.” Sam pulled out a key and unlocked the drawer. Handed her a transponder that would slide onto the sun visor in the car.
“Thanks, Sam.” She handed the small plastic piece to Spence, who tucked it into his briefcase.
As they exited her building, Zoe moved closer to Spence. There weren’t many people on the street yet, but there were lots of places someone could hide. Zoe pulled her coat more tightly around her.
“So whatever that sound was, it wasn’t anyone doing work in the building,” she said in a low voice.
“No,” Spence said, glancing over at her. “It’s possible someone knocked over one of their bins when they tried to open it.” He pressed his lips together. “But that doesn’t account for the mud I saw.”
Zoe shivered. “That new lock can’t come too soon,” she said.
“We’ll get one today, and I’ll install it,” Spence said. “I could ask maintenance to do that, but we don’t want to broadcast the fact that there’s a new lock. Someone might try to break in. We could catch him.”
Spence’s head was on a swivel as they walked, and he stopped regularly to inspect a recessed doorway or a ramp to an underground parking garage. The buildings were close together downtown, using up every available inch of real estate. She didn’t say anything, because she didn’t want to distract him.
By the time they were a block from her building, Zoe was twitchy. She’d watched everyone who passed them on the street and every car that drove past. No one looked remotely like Ethan. And no one paid any attention to her and Spence. But the space between her shoulder blades itched.
She tried to ignore it but couldn’t help shuddering. Ethan was in Seattle. Likely knew her routine. He surely knew she’d walk down this street, which meant he could be close by. Watching her right now.
When the itch intensified, she moved closer to Spence. He glanced at her. Froze for a moment, then slid his hand beneath his coat. Zoe was certain it was resting on his gun. “What’s wrong, Zoe?”
“We’re being watched,” she said in a low voice.
