his phone back in his pocket, then turned to look at her. Someone bumped into him. His face lost its smile. Went slack as he bounced off of the person. She could see blood.
Kent was on his feet. Barking orders. She didn’t hear him. She was already on her feet, heading to Zeke. Maybe he’d be conscious. The person who had run into him disappeared. She didn’t get a good look, so she wouldn’t be able to identify him.
Her attention stayed on Zeke, who landed on the ground as if he were a rag doll.
“Riley,” Kent said, but she ignored him.
The person was already gone. Zeke was bleeding on the sidewalk. Someone stood over him, talking into a cell phone. Sounded like that bystander was calling for an ambulance.
Riley knelt down. Zeke’s eyes were glazed and blood was pooling below him. Dammit. He wasn’t able to speak.
“Zeke,” she said.
Then strong hands grabbed her from behind. She was about to swing when she realized it was Trent. Joan was directly behind him.
The car they’d come here in came to a screeching halt in front of her. Kent shoved her into the back seat, while Joan hopped in the front. The driver took off without speaking to either of them.
Riley looked out the back window. A crowd had gathered around Zeke. Kent stood over him.
“Damn.”
“You okay, Ri?” Joan said.
“Yeah, just pissed that we weren’t able to get the information.”
“What happened?”
“I think he was stabbed. He must have been followed.” She turned back to Joan. “I’m getting the impression that this is the craziest corporate espionage we’ve ever been involved in.”
Part of her thought she was in over her head, but she wasn’t admitting that yet. She’d figure this out.
“Did you hear Kent curse when you flew out of the coffee shop?” Joan said.
“No, I didn’t. I was paying attention to Zeke. Oh, crap. I have to tell Dirk. Zeke’s his best friend.”
The drive spoke up. He’d made a few turns at this point and was about to enter a parking garage. “Kent already did.”
“Oh, okay.”
He driver took them up a few levels then parked. “We’re waiting here until the situation is under control. You’ll have to talk to the cops.”
“I didn’t get a good look at the man,” Riley said.
“I didn’t either. I was trying to figure out who you were looking at,” Joan said.
Riley pulled out her phone. Dirk had called a few times. He hadn’t left messages, which meant he was pissed. He knew what happened and knew she was safe at this point. Nothing she could say would make a difference.
She called anyway.
“Hi, Dirk.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
She took a deep breath. He was pissed, and maybe he had a right to be. Or maybe he didn’t. They’d made no promises to each other. “I’m trying to figure out the leak in your company. Remember? What you hired me for?”
“I didn’t clear that action. And now somehow Zeke is involved and on his way to the hospital? What is going on?”
“Dirk, look. He must have been followed. He must have important information. That’s why I wanted to meet him. I didn’t sneak out. I didn’t leave Kent behind. We had it under control.”
“So much control that my best friend is on his way to the hospital.”
She wasn’t going to calm him down. He wasn’t going to see her side of this. “I still have to make my statement to the police. I can meet you at the hospital. We can talk there.”
“Maybe.”
He disconnected. Her eyes dropped closed. This was not going to be easy to fix.
“He’s mad?” Joan said.
“That would be an understatement.”
The driver’s phone rang. He answered then hung up with only a monosyllabic sound. “The cops are ready for you.”
“Okay. Let’s do this. Then I want to get to the hospital Zeke is in. I want to be there when he wakes up. I want to see if I can talk to him.”
“He must know something, right? Someone wanted to silence him,” Joan said.
“And my cover is
Kent was on his feet. Barking orders. She didn’t hear him. She was already on her feet, heading to Zeke. Maybe he’d be conscious. The person who had run into him disappeared. She didn’t get a good look, so she wouldn’t be able to identify him.
Her attention stayed on Zeke, who landed on the ground as if he were a rag doll.
“Riley,” Kent said, but she ignored him.
The person was already gone. Zeke was bleeding on the sidewalk. Someone stood over him, talking into a cell phone. Sounded like that bystander was calling for an ambulance.
Riley knelt down. Zeke’s eyes were glazed and blood was pooling below him. Dammit. He wasn’t able to speak.
“Zeke,” she said.
Then strong hands grabbed her from behind. She was about to swing when she realized it was Trent. Joan was directly behind him.
The car they’d come here in came to a screeching halt in front of her. Kent shoved her into the back seat, while Joan hopped in the front. The driver took off without speaking to either of them.
Riley looked out the back window. A crowd had gathered around Zeke. Kent stood over him.
“Damn.”
“You okay, Ri?” Joan said.
“Yeah, just pissed that we weren’t able to get the information.”
“What happened?”
“I think he was stabbed. He must have been followed.” She turned back to Joan. “I’m getting the impression that this is the craziest corporate espionage we’ve ever been involved in.”
Part of her thought she was in over her head, but she wasn’t admitting that yet. She’d figure this out.
“Did you hear Kent curse when you flew out of the coffee shop?” Joan said.
“No, I didn’t. I was paying attention to Zeke. Oh, crap. I have to tell Dirk. Zeke’s his best friend.”
The drive spoke up. He’d made a few turns at this point and was about to enter a parking garage. “Kent already did.”
“Oh, okay.”
He driver took them up a few levels then parked. “We’re waiting here until the situation is under control. You’ll have to talk to the cops.”
“I didn’t get a good look at the man,” Riley said.
“I didn’t either. I was trying to figure out who you were looking at,” Joan said.
Riley pulled out her phone. Dirk had called a few times. He hadn’t left messages, which meant he was pissed. He knew what happened and knew she was safe at this point. Nothing she could say would make a difference.
She called anyway.
“Hi, Dirk.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
She took a deep breath. He was pissed, and maybe he had a right to be. Or maybe he didn’t. They’d made no promises to each other. “I’m trying to figure out the leak in your company. Remember? What you hired me for?”
“I didn’t clear that action. And now somehow Zeke is involved and on his way to the hospital? What is going on?”
“Dirk, look. He must have been followed. He must have important information. That’s why I wanted to meet him. I didn’t sneak out. I didn’t leave Kent behind. We had it under control.”
“So much control that my best friend is on his way to the hospital.”
She wasn’t going to calm him down. He wasn’t going to see her side of this. “I still have to make my statement to the police. I can meet you at the hospital. We can talk there.”
“Maybe.”
He disconnected. Her eyes dropped closed. This was not going to be easy to fix.
“He’s mad?” Joan said.
“That would be an understatement.”
The driver’s phone rang. He answered then hung up with only a monosyllabic sound. “The cops are ready for you.”
“Okay. Let’s do this. Then I want to get to the hospital Zeke is in. I want to be there when he wakes up. I want to see if I can talk to him.”
“He must know something, right? Someone wanted to silence him,” Joan said.
“And my cover is
Similar Books
