AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Fifteen
The next morning dawned sunny, and I parked up the street from my brother’s house. I was in the black Toyota RAV4, plus I had on my ball cap and sunglasses. I’m professional that way.
John’s Range Rover was still in his driveway, and I had to know if the Hyundai would follow him. Last night I’d enlarged its photo, but it had been too dark to see the license plate. The Hyundai was nowhere in sight now, and I hadn’t seen it on my street this morning.
John’s street was lined with fake French châteaux, mock English Tudors, and modern glass boxes landscaped with specimen plantings, mulched beds, and solar-powered lighting. The quiet peace of the privileged was interrupted only by dog walkers and joggers checking Apple Watches on the run.
I sipped my coffee and checked my phone. It was seven-thirtya.m. John had told me he was going to see Stan first thing in the morning, so he’d be leaving soon. I hadn’t phoned or texted him because it would raise questions if we had a flurry of communications around the time of Lemaire’s death. I couldn’t convince anybody that I liked John all of a sudden. I wasn’tthatgood a liar.
John emerged from his house in a dark suit, his stride to his Range Rover characteristically purposeful. I’d never walked that way a day in my life, even on my way out of prison.
He climbed into his car and took a right turn out of the driveway, and I kept my head down just in case, though I knew he wouldn’t recognize my stakeout car because he’d never seen it before.
The Range Rover reached the end of the street, and I took off after it. We wound through the neighborhood, and I followed the Range Rover at a safe distance. We reached Lancaster Avenue, four lanes lined with shops, restaurants, and businesses. Traffic was congested, and I kept an eye out for the Hyundai. It felt odd to stalk my own brother, though I was still pissed at him. I fought the temptation to rear-end him.
Suddenly I spotted a black Hyundai following John from two cars back, in the slow lane. It looked like the same one as outside my house last night, but I couldn’t be sure. If it was, it had to be somebody connected to Lemaire, whether to his embezzlement or death.
I shifted forward, keeping an eye on the car.blue route, read the big green sign, and I watched the black Hyundai follow John onto the on-ramp to the highway. I followed, maneuvering to the far right lane. Traffic was congested, but it was easy to separate at this speed. Sooner or later, I’d get a glimpse of the Hyundai’s license plate.
We zoomed up the highway together as an unwitting caravan, and the notion put me on edge. Seeing John stalked made the threat so real, and I couldn’t help but flash on the black coroner’s van last night. Whoever these people were, they weren’t playing games.
I switched lanes and got a clear view of the Hyundai license plate.
“HOK6253,” I said aloud. I grabbed a pen and wrote it on my hand.
•••
Half an hour later, John pulled into the Runstan parking lot, which was beginning to fill up. He drove directly to the visitor spaces and took the first one.
The Hyundai trailed him, heading to the right and parking in the outermost space, which was exactly what I would have done. I pulled into the first open space near the entrance, giving me a clear view of my brother and the Hyundai to the right.
I turned off the engine, pushed up my sunglasses, and waited to see what would happen. John left his car and headed into the building. Cars began pulling into the parking lot, and I scanned them for the maroon Volvo, but no luck. Runstan employees emerged from their cars and headed into the office.
I lowered the brim of my cap and kept an eye on the Hyundai. Nobody got out. It was too far away to get a good look at the driver. I took a few pictures anyway, keeping an eye out for the maroon Volvo.
I set my phone down, hoping the Hyundai driver would get out, maybe get a coffee at the pizza place, so I could see what he looked like.
BOOM!Suddenly someone pounded on my window.
I startled, looking over.
Chapter Sixteen
“Dad?” I said, my mouth going dry. My father was standing next to the car in a sharp gray suit and silk tie. Oddly, he held a white pastry box.
“TJ, what are you doing here?” he demanded through the window.
I started the engine to lower the window, but he was already storming around the car. He tore open the passenger door and climbed into the car, ending up so close I caught a minty whiff of his aftershave.
“TJ, why are you here?” My father met my eye directly. “And why are you wearing that getup? Are you hungover?”
“God, no,” I blurted out, getting my bearings.
“Tell me you’re not meeting aconnection. Do you know this is Runstan’s parking lot?”
“Yes, Dad, I’m with John, I was going to meet him here—”
“John’shere?” My father blinked, surprised. “What’s he doing here?”
