Chapter 7 #3
I shook my head. “I didn’t agree to be imprisoned. This is my investigation too. Even more so now that they tried to kill me after they killed Emily.”
Eli sucked in a breath, and for a second, I thought he was going to argue.
Instead, he shut it down, exhaling slowly, reaching for a white cardboard tray of hush puppies.
He popped one in his mouth and chewed slowly, sending the very clear message that my question would not be answered.
Irritating, but not unexpected. I let it go, already making a plan.
“I’m going to go to bed early,” I said. “After I spend an hour or two downloading software and setting up the new laptop.”
“All right. I’ll see you in the morning,” he said, a little too quickly and easily. It was clear he was relieved I wasn’t pushing back more.
“Sure,” I agreed just as easily, taking myself down the hall.
I was fairly sure that if they did have cameras inside the safe house, they weren’t in the bathroom. That seemed a little skeevy for a company like Sinclair Security, especially since the safe houses were designed for their own clients.
I took my pajamas into the bathroom and changed after washing my face and brushing my teeth.
I folded the clothes I’d been wearing and hid them in the cupboard under the sink.
I doubted Eli would go digging around under there, but just in case, I slid them between two folded towels, noting that there were plenty of towels hanging next to the shower.
With that, I tucked myself into bed, turned off the lights, pulled up a video on my phone, and tried to catch a nap.
I drifted off for a bit, never falling into a deep sleep, alert for any sound in the hall. I heard Eli use the bathroom at some point. Checked my phone to see it was only ten. Not that late, I thought. I drifted off for another hour and decided it had been long enough.
Leaving the light off in the bedroom, I slid from between the sheets and crept into the bathroom, trading the clothes I’d hidden for my pajamas. Then I cracked the door to my bedroom, tucked myself back under the covers, and waited.
Just after one, I caught the creak of the floor in the hall, the almost silent rustle of Eli’s cargo pants. I slipped from the bed and through my door just in time to catch him with his hand on the deadbolt.
“Going somewhere?” I asked brightly.
Eli startled and turned, scowling at me in the dim light coming from the kitchen. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he asked, eyeing my jeans and dark hoodie.
“Coming with you. What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
“Going out,” he said, lifting his chin. “You aren’t invited.”
“I’m inviting myself,” I said, closing the distance between us. “Where are we headed?”
“I’m not taking you.” Eli crossed his arms over his chest as if prepared to stonewall me as long as necessary. He was underestimating my tenacity, but I was used to that.
“Yes, you are. Because if you don’t,” I explained, “I’ll pitch a fit and waste your time and your energy. You don’t strike me as a guy who likes to waste his time and energy.”
Eli’s jaw clenched as he stared me down. I stared back, crossing my arms over my chest in a mirror of his posture.
It was time to make him understand.
“This is my case too,” I said. “And more than that, this is my life. You’re investigating Emily Shaw for what, a client?
I’m investigating her because whoever killed her tried to kill me.
Don’t tell me I don’t deserve to be a part of the investigation.
I’m not going to get in the way, but you’re not leaving me out. ”
Eli stared at me for a few seconds before coming to a decision. “Fine,” he said grudgingly. “Keep your hood up and your mouth shut. We’re going for a ride.”
I could do all the above. The last thing I wanted was to impede the investigation, after all. I just had to prove to Eli that I was a help, not a hindrance.
I didn’t say another word until I was buckled into Eli’s SUV, and we were out on the street headed for the highway.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Knoxville,” he said.
“The crime scene?” I pressed, trying to put the pieces together in my head.
“No,” Eli said. “The building where they’re holding the evidence from the crime scene.”
I waited for more, but he remained silent.
Finally, I gave in and pushed. “Why there? Aren’t they processing the evidence?”
“No. Everything was bagged and sent straight to cold storage. We don’t know why, except that they closed the case. We’re going to do some recon. Take pictures, get a feel for their security. We’ll send another team in if we decide it’s worth going after whatever they have.”
“What are you looking for specifically?” I knew what I would want, but I wanted to hear Eli’s answer.
“Her phone, laptop, and tablet. That would be the top three.”
His answer was the same as mine.
I nodded. “Good idea. It’s not like we have much else to follow.”
“No. You’ll wish you’d stayed behind and gotten a good night’s sleep.”
“Nope,” I said. “I told you. This is my case as much as it is yours. You’re not leaving me behind.”