first?”
“Sure.” She motioned behind him. “Just down that hall on the left.”
“Perfect.” He strode in the direction she pointed. Once out of view, he passed the bathroom and traversed a series of hallways and corners until he reached a side exit.
Evan scanned the alley without opening the door all the way. With his hood swept up, he slinked between two brick buildings across the street and approached his Accord from the back.
Inside the car, he grabbed his Nikon D3300 from a bag in the back, swapped the regular lens for the telephoto zoom, and focused on the Suburban. “You’re not the only ones with tinted windows, boys.” He zoomed in on their license plate and shot a handful of photos, including a few of a crater-faced guy pacing the sidewalk beside the SUV.
If Evan had to guess, he was the one who’d scared Anna this morning. Even in broad daylight, the guy could startle any woman with pure ugliness.
He lowered the camera and called his buddy at the police department.
“Corporal Harris.”
“What’s up, man, it’s O’Riley.” Evan scrolled through the pics. “I need a favor.”
“Nothing like cutting to the chase.” Harris laughed. “You gonna stop by the station while you’re in town, or what?”
“Maybe next week. I need you to run a plate for me.”
The pause on the end of the line stretched.
“On what basis?”
“Friendship.”
Harris breathed into the phone and lowered his voice. “All right. Give it to me.”
Evan held up the camera. “Bravo Two Five Foxtrot Romeo Six Three. Call me when you have something.”
“Roger that. But stay out of trouble while you’re here, huh?”
Evan’s job led him into the heart of trouble every day. That was one promise he couldn’t make. “Later, bro.”
He hung up and rifled through his bag for the tracker he’d picked up last week. From the backseat floorboard, he snatched a ball cap and exchanged his sweatshirt for a coat. The jokers might be packing guns, but he’d gamble brains didn’t come with the gear. He didn’t worry a second over blowing his cover.
Quietly easing out of the car, Evan tugged the bill of his hat tight over his eyes. He circled back the way he came and approached the SUV from behind. With Maps pulled up on his cell, he glanced up and down until he bumped into the guy.
Evan gripped the dude’s shoulder, pretended to catch his balance, and tucked the tracker under his coat collar. He turned on the Texas drawl he’d learned from his boy Hernandez. “Sorry. I’m supposed to meet a friend. You by chance know how to get to . . .” He looked at his phone. “Grant Park?”
Crater Face shoved him back and readjusted his coat. “Screw off, man.”
“A’ight. Easy. Just looking for some directions.” Evan kept walking with his cell out.
Behind him, a car door closed, followed by tires screeching around the corner.
Evan pulled up the GPS app and watched the dot on the screen pulse down South Calumet Avenue. “Yeah, keep driving, buddy.”
He slid the phone into his pocket, grabbed Anna’s bag from his car, and hustled back to the rec center. He’d deal with Tweedledee and Tweedledum after nightfall. Right now, he had someone even more intimidating to tackle.
Inside, he spun his ball cap backward and shed his coat while jogging onto the court toward Shaun. “Let’s ball, big guy.”
Amazing how quickly the hours passed while interacting with the kids. Evan hadn’t meant to spend the entire day at the rec center. But after the way Anna had completely mesmerized him while teaching her ballet class, he doubted he’d be much use doing anything else, anyway.
Standing beside him, Anna rearranged some things in her bag without looking his way. Whatever was on her mind confiscated her smile. Did he want to ask?
She rolled up a pair of tights. “Thanks for staying today. It meant a lot to Shaun. He desperately needs a male role model in his life.”
“Looks like the kid’s got a good
“Sure.” She motioned behind him. “Just down that hall on the left.”
“Perfect.” He strode in the direction she pointed. Once out of view, he passed the bathroom and traversed a series of hallways and corners until he reached a side exit.
Evan scanned the alley without opening the door all the way. With his hood swept up, he slinked between two brick buildings across the street and approached his Accord from the back.
Inside the car, he grabbed his Nikon D3300 from a bag in the back, swapped the regular lens for the telephoto zoom, and focused on the Suburban. “You’re not the only ones with tinted windows, boys.” He zoomed in on their license plate and shot a handful of photos, including a few of a crater-faced guy pacing the sidewalk beside the SUV.
If Evan had to guess, he was the one who’d scared Anna this morning. Even in broad daylight, the guy could startle any woman with pure ugliness.
He lowered the camera and called his buddy at the police department.
“Corporal Harris.”
“What’s up, man, it’s O’Riley.” Evan scrolled through the pics. “I need a favor.”
“Nothing like cutting to the chase.” Harris laughed. “You gonna stop by the station while you’re in town, or what?”
“Maybe next week. I need you to run a plate for me.”
The pause on the end of the line stretched.
“On what basis?”
“Friendship.”
Harris breathed into the phone and lowered his voice. “All right. Give it to me.”
Evan held up the camera. “Bravo Two Five Foxtrot Romeo Six Three. Call me when you have something.”
“Roger that. But stay out of trouble while you’re here, huh?”
Evan’s job led him into the heart of trouble every day. That was one promise he couldn’t make. “Later, bro.”
He hung up and rifled through his bag for the tracker he’d picked up last week. From the backseat floorboard, he snatched a ball cap and exchanged his sweatshirt for a coat. The jokers might be packing guns, but he’d gamble brains didn’t come with the gear. He didn’t worry a second over blowing his cover.
Quietly easing out of the car, Evan tugged the bill of his hat tight over his eyes. He circled back the way he came and approached the SUV from behind. With Maps pulled up on his cell, he glanced up and down until he bumped into the guy.
Evan gripped the dude’s shoulder, pretended to catch his balance, and tucked the tracker under his coat collar. He turned on the Texas drawl he’d learned from his boy Hernandez. “Sorry. I’m supposed to meet a friend. You by chance know how to get to . . .” He looked at his phone. “Grant Park?”
Crater Face shoved him back and readjusted his coat. “Screw off, man.”
“A’ight. Easy. Just looking for some directions.” Evan kept walking with his cell out.
Behind him, a car door closed, followed by tires screeching around the corner.
Evan pulled up the GPS app and watched the dot on the screen pulse down South Calumet Avenue. “Yeah, keep driving, buddy.”
He slid the phone into his pocket, grabbed Anna’s bag from his car, and hustled back to the rec center. He’d deal with Tweedledee and Tweedledum after nightfall. Right now, he had someone even more intimidating to tackle.
Inside, he spun his ball cap backward and shed his coat while jogging onto the court toward Shaun. “Let’s ball, big guy.”
Amazing how quickly the hours passed while interacting with the kids. Evan hadn’t meant to spend the entire day at the rec center. But after the way Anna had completely mesmerized him while teaching her ballet class, he doubted he’d be much use doing anything else, anyway.
Standing beside him, Anna rearranged some things in her bag without looking his way. Whatever was on her mind confiscated her smile. Did he want to ask?
She rolled up a pair of tights. “Thanks for staying today. It meant a lot to Shaun. He desperately needs a male role model in his life.”
“Looks like the kid’s got a good
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