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“Not for us, Rosie.” Steele drew Harper into the seat beside him. “Brock can stay and eat if he’s hungry.”
“Of course, I’m hungry,” Brock shot back. “But where are you going?”
“Back to the hotel.” He didn’t have to say the exact location, Brock knew they’d been staying at the City Central Hotel. He glanced at Harper. “Did you want to order lunch to go?”
“Sure, I guess.” She didn’t sound enthusiastic. He knew the point of the ATF needing to agree to her meeting with Feldman had squashed her hopes of making progress.
When Rosie returned, he and Harper ordered lunch to go, while Brock ordered the lumberjack’s breakfast.
Less than an hour later, he and Harper were heading outside to the SUV Brock had rented for them. Brock had agreed to cover the bill at Rosie’s too, and Steele was getting a little worried about how much money they were going through in their quest to keep Harper and her baby safe.
Not that he minded spending it on her, but Brock and Rhy and the others shouldn’t have to foot the bill.
“You believe the City Central Hotel is safe?” Harper asked as he left the jam-packed parking lot.
“Yes. There are only two people who know we’re staying there, Brock and Rhy.” He was glad he hadn’t given the location to the ATF agents. “We can trust them both.”
“Okay.” She smoothed her hands over her stomach as he took a winding route back to the hotel. “It would be nice to feel safe again.”
Words no pregnant woman should have to say, he thought grimly. Losing his sister and Monique had been difficult, but he would feel just as awful if something terrible happened to Harper and her baby. He decided to call Rhy once they were back at the hotel. Better than having the conversation through the SUV’s wireless connection.
As before, he parked way in the back corner of the parking lot, near the side entrance. Carrying their to-go bags, he led her inside. Harper still had the small backpack, too, having hung onto it during the shooting.
Once he’d tucked their meals inside the small fridge, he held out his hand for the backpack. “Do you mind if I just make sure there isn’t a tracking device?”
She handed it over. “I guess privacy doesn’t matter anymore.”
He felt bad going through her personal things. There was no device hidden inside, so he handed it back. “Sorry about that. It’s just better to be safe than sorry.”
She turned away. “I’m going to take a shower.”
He let her go, understanding she needed time alone. No matter how many times he’d tried to reassure her that he believed in her innocence, there was no denying the shock he’d felt upon seeing that gun. And the photograph of her and Dillweed.
Dropping onto the sofa, he called Rhy. “I’m sorry to say your SUV was burned.”
“You mean by fire?” Rhy asked in shock.
“No, sorry. I meant I used it to go to Harper’s apartment, and gunfire rang out. I left it with Brock, he’ll return it when he’s done stuffing his face.”
“Oh, that’s fine.” Rhy sounded relieved. “But why would you go to Harper’s apartment?”
He filled his boss in on the recent events. When he came to the part where the ATF found a SIG Sauer in her underwear drawer, Rhy snorted.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Rhy said in disgust.
It was heartening to know the members of the tactical team believed in Harper too. It wasn’t just him being blind because he cared about her. “Yeah, that’s what I said.”
“We have proof that her apartment was breached to place a tracking device in her shoe and car. No reason they couldn’t plant a gun too.”
“Yeah, I pointed that out, too. But, Rhy, her shoes, purse, and coat were left behind in the American Lodge. Technically, all you have is my word that I saw it.”
“No, we have the device,” Rhy assured him. “The crime scene techs have it at the lab. They found one in her purse too. Looks like the coat was clean.”
That was a relief. “Good. That should help.”
“What’s the end game?” Rhy asked. “I mean, they should either frame her or kill her. Doing both makes no sense. First there’s an attempted kidnapping, then several shooting incidents, then planting evidence. There’s no logical pattern.”
“I know, the shotgun approach is bugging me too.” He told Rhy about Harper’s request to meet with her ex-husband face-to-face.
