Read Online The October List by Jeffery Deaver - Free Book Online Page B

looking anywhere but at the sidewalk. Suddenly Daniel took her arm and guided her quickly into a Korean deli, where they paused to examine the fresh-cut flowers and a tub of ice in which nested plastic bottles of orange and mango juice.
    ‘What?’ Gabriela asked in a whisper.
    ‘Cops.’
    A police cruiser sped past, silently, but its lights pierced as harshly as a siren.
    Blue and white …
    A moment later they took to the sidewalk again. They dodged through traffic and bicyclists and joggers and more pedestrians. When they hit the uptown–downtown street, another police car sped past.
    She looked back and said urgently, ‘I thought I saw him again. The yellow shirt guy.’
    When they reached the next intersection, another police car sped past. It didn’t slow, but the officers were looking around. He said, ‘We need to get out of sight. There’s a place we can stay.’
    ‘Where?’
    ‘The Norwalk Fund has an apartment, for out-of-town clients.’
    ‘Norwalk … Oh, your company, right?’
    He nodded. ‘It’s empty now. Off First Avenue in the Fifties.’ He noted the cross street sign: 79th . ‘It’s a long walk,’ he said. ‘But I’m worried about cabs. They have that new video system, the TVs. Your picture might show up on the screen.’
    ‘I can walk, sure.’
    After five minutes, he paused and examined her. ‘You can’t walk.’
    She sucked in a breath, then coughed. ‘Subway, okay.’ She leaned against him again. ‘Is that man behind us, Yellow Shirt?’
    ‘I don’t see him.’
    He took her arm and directed her east.
    She inhaled again and let herself be led down the sidewalk. ‘On Madison Avenue? He wasn’t dead when we left. You saw that, right? He’ll probably be okay, don’t you think? He was so young.’
    Daniel Reardon didn’t speak for a moment. He said, ‘I don’t know, Gabriela. It depends on where you shot him.’
    ‘He was married. He had a wedding ring on. Maybe he has children.’
    ‘Gabriela …’
    ‘I didn’t mean to. I panicked. I didn’t want to hurt anybody. But they were going to stop me and I couldn’t let them. It was for Sarah … You understand. I had to do something.’
    ‘People can get shot and still live.’
    ‘The ambulance would be there soon, right? Probably minutes.’
    At 74th and Lexington they dodged through traffic and paused at a light, next to a pushcart vendor, who called, ‘You want hot dog? Pretzel?’ He glanced at them with some curiosity. When they ignored him he turned to another customer and fished a frankfurter out of the gray frankfurter water.
    The light changed and they crossed.
    She said, ‘People’re looking at us, Daniel.’
    ‘At you, Mac. Not us.’
    ‘What?’
    ‘Because you’re beautiful.’
    She gave a wan smile. She nodded at a souvenir shop. ‘Hats,’ she said, pointing to a rack.
    ‘Good.’
    They stepped inside.
    She grabbed the first one she saw. But Daniel smiled and said, ‘Maybe not.’ It sported a Lady Gaga logo in glitter.
    ‘Oh.’ She picked a plain navy blue baseball cap. He picked a black one.
    ‘Jackets?’
    But all the store sold were brightly colored and sequined I ♥ New York gear, worse than the glitzy hat. Outer camo would have to wait.
    They both also bought new luggage – small backpacks, hers black, his dark gray.
    Daniel paid, cash, and they pulled on the caps and stuffed their gym bags into the new packs.
    ‘Not much of a disguise but different enough.’
    At the door Daniel gazed out, looking for police, looking for the man in the yellow shirt, looking for Joseph.
    ‘Nothing.’
    ‘But—’
    She took his arm and grew serious. ‘Listen, Daniel. This isn’t right. It’s time for you to leave. Get out now. I don’t think they even saw you back there, when I shot him. Get away from me.’ She choked. ‘This isn’t your problem.’
    He bent forward fast and kissed her on the lips. ‘Okay, that’s it.’
    She blinked in surprise.
    ‘What?’
    ‘Do you watch that show CSI