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“Do we know where Lindy Sheets is?” Rusty asked.
“No. She’s still in the wind, and Danny Biggers got transferred to a federal prison. That’s all for now,” Howard said.
“Okay. I’ll be watching for files to arrive, and in the meantime, if we have anything else to report, you’ll be the first to know.”
“Thank you, Caldwell. Have a good night.”
“Thank you, sir,” Rusty said, and disconnected, regretful of the need to relocate.
She glanced at the clock. It was already a quarter past nine. She needed to hurry so she could say her goodbyes. And since she was being relocated, keeping that rental car seemed redundant. More details to tie up and no time to do it.
Rusty was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt and pulling her wheeled suitcase behind her as she walked down the hall. She could hear voices in the living room and the sound of some television program in progress.
This sucks. It just sucks.
They looked up as she paused in the doorway.
“I’m so sorry this is happening, but it’s for the best. We’ll catch up later, for sure.”
The three of them swarmed her with hugs and goodbye kisses, and begged promises from her to stay in touch as they walked her to the foyer and the elevator beyond.
“I’ll call when I can, but don’t think anything of it if you don’t hear from me for a while. Staying under the radar is part of my job and I’m damn good at it, so don’t worry. Oh…Uncle Ray, if you could do me a favor tomorrow, I would appreciate it greatly. These are the keys to my rental car and the key card to the penthouse. Would you call the rental agency and have them come pick up the car?”
“Of course,” Ray said, then frowned. “Wait. If you’re turning in the car, then how are you leaving?”
“I’m being picked up. All low-key. Just me dragging a suitcase out of the hotel. No public farewells in the lobby, okay?”
Liz threw her arms around her. “Be safe. Someday I’m going to break down and get married and you have to be my maid of honor. I won’t do it without you.”
Rusty hugged her back. “Just say the word and I’ll make it happen,” she said, then entered the elevator, turned and waved as the doors began to close, and then she was gone.
Pat was teary-eyed and anxious. “I just don’t understand what possessed her to take a job this dangerous,” she said.
Ray gave his wife a quick hug. “Some people live to please themselves, and some people live to do for others. Rusty is one of the latter.”
***
It was five minutes to ten when Rusty exited the elevator. She paused in the hallway, looking out into the lobby, scoping out the people coming and going before heading for the exit. As she was walking, she kept thinking she should have called Cameron and let him know what was happening, then shrugged it off. They were still going to be working together. She’d call him tonight after she got to the new place.
She walked outside, pausing beneath the overhead lights at the valet station, and as she did, saw a vehicle come wheeling into the breezeway and stop right beside her. She recognized Cameron’s Jeep and the big white dog in the back seat. Then Cameron emerged and came toward her.
“You get in. I’ll get your bag,” he said, and took it out of her hands.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I told Agent Howard you’re coming home with me.”
Next to finding him again, this had to be the best news ever. Rusty climbed into the passenger seat, turned around and gave Ghost a pat on the head, and then buckled up as Cameron slid behind the wheel.
He gave her a look that curled her toes, and then they were on their way.
Chapter 11
“I’m not even going to ask how all this happened. I do not look for reasons in blessings, but you are one to me,” Rusty said.
“I want to know you’re safe. I want to help you clean out this wasp nest of criminal activity. And I want you,” Cameron said. “It’s as simple as that.”
Nobody had ever said that to her, and the emotion that welled up in her throat choked off anything else she might have said. She shivered, then leaned back against the seat as the streets of Jubilee began to blur. At first she thought it was raining until she realized she was crying.
