name, Lynnette Hudson. He had her financial records and all the information in her cell phone and laptop. This was identity theft waiting to happen—if it hadn’t happened already.
She held the man’s cell up and examined the keys. Looked like a new phone. Even had a photo feature. “I suppose this has one of those GPS trackers,” she said. She looked at Blue. “Do you know anything about this stuff? Does the GPS work when the phone is turned off?”
Blue nodded. “It might. Depends on the phone and how the owner set it up.”
“If I throw it away here, whoever tracks the signal will know I took the bus.”
Blue shook her head. “He wouldn’t know for sure where you went from here unless he knows how to use mapping software and you still have the phone. Why don’t you throw it in the trash? Or give it to one of these people?” She waved her hand toward the collection of passengers now lined up at two of the boarding doors.
Lynnette turned her back on Grace and leaned closer to Blue. “He threatened me. He said if I touched anything in the case, he’d kill me. He said if I gave the case or anything in it to anyone else, he’d still kill me and then he’d kill whoever I gave it to. He said he might kill me anyway, just for stealing his case.”
Blue held out her hand.
Lynnette started to give her the phone, but changed her mind. “What are you going to do? I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.”
“I won’t give it to anyone. I’ll destroy it.”
“No. That’s not a good idea. I need to put it back in the case. He said to protect all the contents of the case with my life.”
Grace tapped Lynnette on the shoulder. “What happened, Lynnette? Who called?”
“Just a guy. The guy who wants his stuff.”
Oh, God, thought Lynnette. She had to take charge. She didn’t dare get rid of the fat man’s case, but she couldn’t risk putting the teen and the kid in danger. She’d have to ditch them. Her skin felt very cold, her shoulders heavy, her eyes watery. The phone felt warm and sweaty in her hand. She laid it on the table.
Damn you, Carl. This is all your fault.
Blue leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “This guy you stole the case from—did he say if he’s still in Denver?”
“I think so. Maybe he’s at the airport. He can’t be in the air because he used the phone. And I didn’t steal his case, Blue. Mine looks almost the same as his. He grabbed the wrong one when he left Security.”
“He thinks you stole it, but here’s the deal. If he’s in Denver and he knows you were on your way to L.A., then he knows you’re either still at the airport or you took a bus or a shuttle or a cab. What if you took the case back to the airport and left it with baggage claim? You could call him . . . oh, nuts, how would you get your own bag unless you waited there and did the exchange?”
“How could she go to the airport?” said Grace. “Our bus leaves in a little bit.”
“Never mind,” Lynnette said. She turned to Blue. “Why not do the exchange here? I could have the security guard hold this one, and ask him to exchange the bags because this guy scares me and I don’t want to see him again. My cell phone is in my case. If he keeps it with him and turns the phone on, I can call my own number from his.”
“Check it out, see if he answers.”
Lynnette picked up the phone, then laid it back down. “I still wouldn’t be able to get on this bus. And you two can’t be here.”
“I’ll take Grace to Fort Collins with me. You catch up with us as soon as you can.” Blue pulled a ballpoint pen from her backpack and wrote two phone numbers on a clean napkin. She pushed the napkin toward Lynnette and said, “The top one is my cell phone. The other one is the landline at the house. We’ll be fine if we wait there.”
Lynnette had second thoughts about dumping Blue and losing the benefit of her many talents. On the other hand, she had plenty of reservations about turning
She held the man’s cell up and examined the keys. Looked like a new phone. Even had a photo feature. “I suppose this has one of those GPS trackers,” she said. She looked at Blue. “Do you know anything about this stuff? Does the GPS work when the phone is turned off?”
Blue nodded. “It might. Depends on the phone and how the owner set it up.”
“If I throw it away here, whoever tracks the signal will know I took the bus.”
Blue shook her head. “He wouldn’t know for sure where you went from here unless he knows how to use mapping software and you still have the phone. Why don’t you throw it in the trash? Or give it to one of these people?” She waved her hand toward the collection of passengers now lined up at two of the boarding doors.
Lynnette turned her back on Grace and leaned closer to Blue. “He threatened me. He said if I touched anything in the case, he’d kill me. He said if I gave the case or anything in it to anyone else, he’d still kill me and then he’d kill whoever I gave it to. He said he might kill me anyway, just for stealing his case.”
Blue held out her hand.
Lynnette started to give her the phone, but changed her mind. “What are you going to do? I don’t want to put anyone else in danger.”
“I won’t give it to anyone. I’ll destroy it.”
“No. That’s not a good idea. I need to put it back in the case. He said to protect all the contents of the case with my life.”
Grace tapped Lynnette on the shoulder. “What happened, Lynnette? Who called?”
“Just a guy. The guy who wants his stuff.”
Oh, God, thought Lynnette. She had to take charge. She didn’t dare get rid of the fat man’s case, but she couldn’t risk putting the teen and the kid in danger. She’d have to ditch them. Her skin felt very cold, her shoulders heavy, her eyes watery. The phone felt warm and sweaty in her hand. She laid it on the table.
Damn you, Carl. This is all your fault.
Blue leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “This guy you stole the case from—did he say if he’s still in Denver?”
“I think so. Maybe he’s at the airport. He can’t be in the air because he used the phone. And I didn’t steal his case, Blue. Mine looks almost the same as his. He grabbed the wrong one when he left Security.”
“He thinks you stole it, but here’s the deal. If he’s in Denver and he knows you were on your way to L.A., then he knows you’re either still at the airport or you took a bus or a shuttle or a cab. What if you took the case back to the airport and left it with baggage claim? You could call him . . . oh, nuts, how would you get your own bag unless you waited there and did the exchange?”
“How could she go to the airport?” said Grace. “Our bus leaves in a little bit.”
“Never mind,” Lynnette said. She turned to Blue. “Why not do the exchange here? I could have the security guard hold this one, and ask him to exchange the bags because this guy scares me and I don’t want to see him again. My cell phone is in my case. If he keeps it with him and turns the phone on, I can call my own number from his.”
“Check it out, see if he answers.”
Lynnette picked up the phone, then laid it back down. “I still wouldn’t be able to get on this bus. And you two can’t be here.”
“I’ll take Grace to Fort Collins with me. You catch up with us as soon as you can.” Blue pulled a ballpoint pen from her backpack and wrote two phone numbers on a clean napkin. She pushed the napkin toward Lynnette and said, “The top one is my cell phone. The other one is the landline at the house. We’ll be fine if we wait there.”
Lynnette had second thoughts about dumping Blue and losing the benefit of her many talents. On the other hand, she had plenty of reservations about turning
Similar Books
