Chapter 15
15
Vinnie stirred eggs and tried to wipe the smile off his face. It wouldn’t leave.
He was happy. He couldn’t think of the last time he was happy. Maybe early in his relationship with Allison. When she still wanted to spend time with him.
He pushed thoughts of his ex out of his mind. She didn’t get to occupy the same space as Lorelei. Especially when Lorelei called out to him from the living room.
“What are we doing today?”
We. He liked the sound of that. “What do you want to do?”
She didn’t answer until he walked out of the kitchen. Her gaze ran down his body, and his dick responded instantly. “You.”
Vinnie chuckled. Four days of starting their day with sex wasn’t enough. He didn’t think he’d ever have enough of her. “I’m not going to argue with you on that. Is there anything else you want to do?”
“I feel like there’s something I’m supposed to do. I don’t know what it is, though.”
“Adam didn’t mention anything. I doubt you have a meeting or something on a Saturday.”
Lorelei shook her head and glanced at the laptop. “I think I need to dig into that more.”
“Okay.”
She looked up at him. “Will you help me?”
He tried not to grin and lost. “Of course.”
She smiled back and reached for the computer.
Vinnie finished making their breakfast and carried two plates out to the living room.
Lorelei had already logged into the computer and was looking at a file.
“What is this?” he asked.
She grabbed a slice of bacon and pointed to the screen with it. “It seems like this is where I made most of my notes. I have been trying to figure out what it means, though. I used a shorthand that I can’t understand.”
“Mind if I look?”
She turned the laptop toward him and let him take it from her lap. She picked up her plate and stabbed at the scrambled eggs while Vinnie focused on the screen.
“Are these initials?” he asked.
“That’s what Karli wondered, too.”
“But that doesn’t make sense to you?”
She wrinkled her nose. “That seems too easy. Plus, Adam didn’t know what any of them could mean. I would expect he would recognize at least some of them if they were initials.”
“True.” Vinnie looked at the notes and tried to make sense of what she could have recorded. Everything was typed in, so it wasn’t a matter of not understanding her handwriting. It was only deciphering her code.
Pairs of letters followed by numbers. Sometimes she had two numbers, sometimes three. There didn’t seem to be an order to any of it.
“Could these be case numbers?”
“Adam said they’re not.”
Vinnie didn’t like asking her the same questions she’d already answered. It felt like a waste of her time.
Initials made sense because there were two, but they could have been in a code. Still, there was no way to know what the code was.
So what else could they mean? Vinnie looked for patterns and repetition. One combination she had at the top and bottom of the first sheet.
“Do you know what this is?” he asked, showing her the duplicate.
“That’s… weird. Why would I have put the same thing twice?”
Vinnie shook his head. “I don’t know, but I’m sure there was a reason for it.”
Lorelei nodded, staring off while she finished her breakfast.
Vinnie studied the list, unable to make sense of any of it.
When Lorelei set her plate on the coffee table, Vinnie handed the computer back to her. She clicked to another file, and she stopped.
“Abigail Painter,” Lorelei said.
“Who is that?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know, but I think she’s someone I need to talk to.”
“What if she’s not?”
Lorelei shook her head slowly. She pointed to the screen. “LR. It’s not first initials, it’s the last letter in a name.”
“Why do you think LR is Abigail Painter? It could be a hundred other people.”
She nodded. “I know, but as soon as I saw LR, I knew her name. I don’t know what case she’s involved with, but I feel like I need to talk to her. Maybe I have a way to contact her.”
Vinnie watched as Lorelei clicked through the computer like she knew exactly what she was looking for. Before she found an answer, his phone rang.
He glanced at her, but she was engrossed. He went to the kitchen where he’d left it plugged in overnight.
“Hey, Mol. What’s up?”
“Oh, thank God you answered.”
“What’s wrong?” Vinnie’s spine stiffened. Molly didn’t call him often, and she never sounded the way she did. Scared but angry.
“I was in an accident.”
“You what? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. But the cops are insisting I go to the hospital.”
“She was wandering around and almost walked out into traffic,” someone said in the background.
“Who was that?” Vinnie asked.
“Paramedic. He’s trying to put me in an ambulance.”
“Get in the fucking ambulance, Molly. Let me talk to the paramedic.”
The phone was muffled for a second before a man’s voice said, “This is Holden Cross.”
“Hi, Holden. I’m Vinnie Morgan. I work with Molly. What hospital are you taking her to?”
“St. Nicholas. Will you be able to meet her there?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there in ten minutes. Is she okay?”
Holden sighed. “I think she’ll be fine, but she seems a bit confused. The airbag went off and probably gave her a concussion. It’s better if she gets checked out.”
“Do you know where her car is going?”
“It’s probably going to be totaled. It’s pretty bad. Someone turned in front of her. She had no time to stop. The accident wasn’t her fault.”
“Okay. Thanks, Holden. I really appreciate your help.”
“Just doing my job. I’m glad she has someone who can get her. We should be at the hospital in ten minutes or so, so if you beat us there, just hang tight. I’ll give them your name so they know to find you.”
“Thanks.”
“Giving you back to Molly now.”
“I hate you,” Molly said.
“You love me, and you know Holden’s right. You’d have to be cleared before returning to work, anyway. If you get someone to clear you now, you won’t have to sit out.”
Molly grumbled. “I hate when you’re right.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Hey, Vinnie?”
“Yeah, Mol?”
“Thank you. I know you’ve got a lot going on right now, but I really appreciate you coming to get me.”
“Anytime, Mol. I’ll see you soon.”
Vinnie hung up the phone and took a breath. His heart was racing. He didn’t like his people getting hurt. And if the police and paramedic thought Molly needed to go to the hospital, she was hurt.
Vinnie went back to the living room, where Lorelei was still staring at the computer. “Hey. Did you find anything?”
Lorelei shook her head. “No. I wish I understood all this.”
“You will. We’ll figure it out.” Vinnie rubbed the back of his neck. “I need to run out for a little bit.”
That got her attention. Lorelei looked up at Vinnie, her gaze clearing after a minute. “Is everything okay?”
Vinnie nodded. “One of my teammates, Molly, was in a car accident.”
Lorelei’s eyes went wide. “Is she okay?”
Vinnie shrugged. “I think so, but the paramedics are taking her to the hospital. Her car is totaled. She needs a ride home.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
Vinnie shook his head and walked to the couch. “No, but thank you for offering. I’m sorry to run out on you like this.”
“You’re not. You have people in your life who need you.”
Vinnie chuckled. “Molly doesn’t need anyone. She’s as tough as you are. She was on the call with me when we worked with you. She’s a fan of yours.”
Lorelei pressed her hands to her cheeks. “That’s sweet. I don’t feel like I’m the kind of person who should have fans.”
“You are. And you do. I’m your biggest one.” Vinnie leaned over and kissed her. “I hate to leave you right now.”
“Go help your friend. Make sure she’s okay. I’m going to keep digging into all this. When you get back, I’ll share what I’ve learned.”
Vinnie grinned. “Sounds like a date.”
She snorted. “Weirdest date ever.”
“Maybe, but if I promise to take you to bed afterward, maybe that’ll make up for it.”
Lorelei chuckled. “I like that promise.”
He kissed her again, crashing his lips to hers. He didn’t want to leave her, but he wasn’t going to abandon Molly.
Vinnie pulled back and grinned when Lorelei didn’t open her eyes right away. She bit her lower lip and smiled. “You know how to leave a woman wanting more.”
“I hope not. I’d rather have you fully satisfied.”
“I was… until you kissed me again and reminded me what you are capable of.”
Vinnie kissed her once more. “I won’t be long.”
“Just make sure she’s okay. I’ll be fine here.”
“Good. Let me know if you need anything. I’ll be back as soon as possible.”
“I hope your friend is okay.”
“Me, too. Thanks.”
“Bye.”
He waved and let himself out. He locked the door, then walked away before he called another teammate to go help Molly instead.
Lorelei was engrossed in her search for Abigail Painter. There was no contact listed, no information about the woman, just the two initials that might or might not actually lead to the woman Lorelei thought it led to.
She slapped the laptop closed and tossed it onto the couch next to her. She hated not knowing what the hell was going on. One step forward and six steps back. She got a memory, but it wasn’t one that helped her solve the case. She knew a name, but it didn’t lead her to a solution for the other names.
“When am I going to remember everything?” she asked aloud.
She needed to move. To get up and do something besides sit there. She grabbed her crutches, frustrated again that she couldn’t just go for a walk. She slammed them down and stomped her way across Vinnie’s small apartment.
Nothing made sense. And no one could help her.
Lorelei paced for a few minutes, then went back to her computer. She opened it up and wondered if there was software on it to let her search for people. Cops had that, right? It made sense she would, too.
She found something that looked like it would do the job, and she typed in Abigail Painter’s name.
Within seconds, three women with the name were shown on the screen. One was local, and the other two were hours away.
Lorelei stared at the driver’s license picture of the woman. She wanted to believe she recognized her, but the longer she stared, the less familiar she looked.
“This is pointless.”
But it wasn’t. There was an address. Two actually. Work and home.
She could go look for the woman. Maybe if she saw her in person, she would recognize her.
Lorelei debated on waiting for Vinnie, but she was going crazy sitting around his apartment all day. The address wasn’t far, surprisingly. And the phone she had came with a credit card loaded onto it to use for things like getting a ride. She wasn’t going to talk to the woman, just see if she recognized her when she saw her in person.
Lorelei flipped through the ride share app and figured out how to use it, then made her way downstairs. She requested a ride once she was on the ground floor, then walked outside to wait for the driver to pick her up.
A blue sedan pulled up in front of her. The license plate matched the one in the app, and the driver confirmed his name. Lorelei managed to get herself into the backseat and close the door, then told the driver she was ready.
Ten minutes later, she was standing in front of a salon on a quiet street not far from the center of the city. The building next door had bars on the windows and a cage across the front door. The one across the street was vacant, a broken window in the front and a faded sign for an old store telling the tale.
Lorelei wanted to pretend she was okay being there, but the reality was she had no idea.
“Agent Sloane?” a woman hissed.
Lorelei turned and saw Abigail Painter looking at her.
“What are you doing here?”
Lorelei opened her mouth to say something, but a vehicle came around the corner. Abigail’s eyes went wide.
“He found me!”
“Who?”
Before Abigail could say anything, a man jumped out of the car. He went right for Abigail, a knife in his hand.
“No!” Abigail screeched.
Lorelei swung one of her crutches at the man, catching him off-guard. The sound of his arm breaking echoed off the buildings around them.
“Gah!” the man shouted. His knife fell to the ground. He bent to grab the knife with his other hand, and Lorelei swung again, hitting him in the shin.
“Agent Sloane, inside,” Abigail shouted.
Lorelei moved as fast as she could, half-running on her good foot as she hurried to beat the man to the door.
He shouted as Lorelei made it inside.
Abigail slammed the door shut, the door locking automatically. She slid a cage in front of the door and backed away. She pulled out her phone. “How did he find me?” she whispered.
“I’m going to kill you, bitch! Come back out there. That stupid one led me right to you. You can’t hide from me forever.”
“Who is that?” Lorelei asked.
Abigail spun to face her, her eyes tugging together. “That’s the man who kidnapped me.”
“Who what?” Lorelei breathed.
“You found me. A year ago. He kidnapped me and was going to kill me. He drugged me and raped me and wanted to kill me, but you found me. Why did you come here?” Abigail asked.
“I don’t… I’m sorry,” Lorelei whispered.
The man hit the door, something solid connecting with the metal and the sound clanging through the whole building.
“Why are you here? You said we couldn’t have contact ever again. Did you know he was back?”
Lorelei shook her head. “I don’t know anything. I’m sorry. I… I thought you could help me figure out who I am. I had your name, and I thought…”
“What do you mean, help you figure out who you are?”
“I have amnesia. I was abducted and tortured and left for dead. My memories… I didn’t know who you were. I don’t know who I am.”
“We need to call for help. He knows where I work now. He can find me. I have to leave.”
“I’m sorry, Abigail. I had no idea.”
She shook her head, her dark hair flowing over her shoulders. She turned her back on Lorelei and tapped out a number on her phone. “He’s here.”
Lorelei wondered who she was speaking to. It couldn’t have been the police.
“Agent Sloane is here.” Abigail glanced at Lorelei. “She doesn’t know anything.” Another pause, and Abigail looked away. “I can’t tell if he left, but I want him put away.”
“Who was that?” Lorelei asked when Abigail hung up the phone.
“It was Samuel MacNeil.”
“Who’s that?” Lorelei asked.
“He works for Rose Protection Agency. He and his partner, Austin Ward, kept me safe after you found me in Boston. You brought me here. Samuel was supposed to be the only person who knew my location.”
“I’m sorry,” Lorelei said. “I have no idea why I knew your name.”
“You know Abigail Painter. That’s not my real name.”
“What’s your real name?”
“It doesn’t matter. I just…”
Abigail jumped when the man banged on the door again, letting them know he was still there, and still trying to get inside.
“How did he follow you? Did he track your car?”
“I took a ride share,” Lorelei said.
“Your phone?”
“It’s new. FBI issued.”
“Then he must be watching your credit cards or something. There had to have been a way for him to track you.”
The door rattled again, and this time, a different voice called out.
“It’s me. He’s gone.”
“Dammit,” Abigail breathed. She went to the door and unlocked it, letting two large men inside.
The first one looked around the room with a careful gaze. He was older, probably close to sixty if Lorelei had to guess. His hair was cut short, and what was left was gray. He had sharp, assessing brown eyes that scanned her, then quickly moved on. The gun strapped to his thigh, the knife on his belt, and the size of the man’s arms said he was used to making shit happen.
The second man was younger, likely late-thirties. He was dressed similarly in all black, with weapons strategically placed. His brown hair was longer, giving the man a softer look. His blue eyes added to the softness of him. He spared Lorelei a smile before he continued his observation of the room.
“Are you okay?” the first man asked Abigail.
Abigail nodded. “I saw her outside and walked out to see why she was here. She said she has amnesia and has no idea what’s going on.”
“She’s telling the truth,” the first man confirmed.
“He followed her. I don’t know how, but he followed her here.”
“We’ll get you out of here,” the second man said. “We won’t let him get you.”
Abigail nodded.
The first man walked over to Lorelei and stuck out his hand. “We’ve met, but since you don’t remember, I figure I should introduce myself. I’m Samuel MacNeil.”
Lorelei shook the man’s rough hand. She wanted to recognize him, but there was nothing there.
“That’s Austin Ward. We both work for Rose Protection Agency. We helped your partner and his wife, and our team was assigned to Dawn Patterson a few months ago.”
Lorelei nodded like she had any idea who Dawn Patterson was. Karli said Dawn was going to let Lorelei stay at her house, but Lorelei hadn’t actually met the woman. Not since she lost her memory.
“Sorry. I guess you don’t know Ms. Patterson yet. Anyway, we need to get to work moving Ms. Painter. Do you have a ride back to wherever you’re staying?”
Lorelei shook her head. “I got dropped off by a ride share service.”
“We can get you back. But we need to move. Another unit is coming to clear the place of any evidence of Abigail being here.”
“Are they going to find him?” Abigail asked.
“We’re going to do everything possible,” Samuel said. “I promise you.”
Abigail drew a breath and let it out slowly. She clearly trusted the men in the room.
Lorelei didn’t get any bad feelings from either of them, but she wished she knew who they were.
“Agent Sloane saved me,” Abigail said as they all made their way to the front. “She doesn’t know who she is, but she saved me. Whacked him with her crutches and broke his arm. Maybe his knee. I’d be gone, or dead, if she hadn’t done that.”
“If I hadn’t come, he never would have found you,” Lorelei said.
“He would have eventually. I’ll look over my shoulder until I know he’s in the ground,” Abigail said.
“We’re not going to stop until we know you’re safe,” Samuel said. “Now, let’s move.”