The Innocent Witness by Terri Reed Page A

murder,” Anthony replied.
    She shuddered. “This can’t be happening.” She looked at Mikey, then cupped her hand over her mouth and whispered, “I didn’t kill Steven.”
    â€œIf you didn’t, then someone is going to a lot of trouble to make it seem like you did,” Anthony replied solemnly. “I had the license plate numbers run.”
    Eager for some proof she was telling the truth, she clutched his arm. “FBI, right?”
    â€œUnregistered.”
    â€œThen that has to mean government.” No one else could get away with driving an unregistered vehicle.
    â€œMaybe. Maybe not.”
    Indignation flashed. “Are you kidding me?”
    He still doubted her innocence even after the attempts on her life? For some reason that stung. Why would he believe the worst when he didn’t know her?
    He held up a hand. “Not my call. You two stay put for a moment.”
    With purposeful strides, he walked away and approached a man sitting on the bench in the designated smoking area. The two men talked a moment, then the man took off his hat and handed it to Anthony. In exchange, Anthony handed him some money.
    He returned, handing her a battered cowboy hat. “Here, put this on.”
    â€œIs that really necessary?”
    â€œYour blond hair stands out like a neon sign.”
    Pressing her lips together, she took the hat and tried not to grimace when she plopped it on her head.
    â€œPull it lower to shield your face,” Anthony instructed.
    She complied and caught a whiff of stale tobacco clinging to the hat’s suede material. Though her eyes watered, she refused to complain.
    â€œObviously taking a commercial flight’s not an option.” Anthony removed his cell phone from his pocket. “I’ll call Trent and see if he can arrange a private plane.”
    Viv touched his arm. “What about Mrs. Wilson? Once she sees the news, she’ll call the police and they’ll come here.”
    â€œGood point.” With his cell phone at his ear, Anthony dialed and took a step away from her. “Carlucci here.”
    Hearing him discuss her and the situation so matter-of-factly to the other person on the line made Viv feel so vulnerable. Why was someone trying to destroy her?
    Mikey tugged on the strap of her hobo bag, signaling he wanted a treat. She dug inside for a wrapped piece of hard candy. She handed it to him. He made quick work of the wrapper, putting the little piece of cellophane into her hand before popping the treat into his mouth.
    â€œSounds good,” Anthony said and hung up. “Trent Associates has a corporate account with several rental-car agencies. We just need to get to one.”
    He hailed a taxi. Twenty minutes later Viv sat in the front passenger seat of a rented minivan; Anthony was behind the wheel with Mikey buckled in the back avidly watching a video on the built-in DVD player. The rental guy had even supplied them with a stack of movies which would keep her son entertained for a long time. One less thing to worry about.
    Anthony handed her a road map as he drove toward the interstate highway.
    â€œSo what’s the plan?” Viv asked.
    â€œI’m taking you to Trent Associate’s headquarters in Boston and we’ll figure out what the next move is after that.”
    Dismay washed through Viv. Maybe she hadn’t heard him correctly. “We’re driving cross-country?”
    â€œYes. A private jet will attract attention. This will take us three days longer, but we’re just another family taking a road trip.”
    A family. If only. Her heart ached. Anthony had no idea how badly she wished for a complete, happy family. She glanced over her shoulder at Mikey. He deserved a family. She sighed. Not going to happen. She was all hehad. And if driving cross-country was the only way to ensure his safety then so be it. “This won’t be easy.”
    A rueful expression played on