Read Online Weep In The Night by Valerie Massey Goree - Free Book Online Page B

“Thank you for coming, but you don’t have to stay. I’ll be all right.”
    “Are you sure?” Griff’s question had an edge to it.
    “Yes. Sam had a bad day and worked the late shift. He won’t stay long.” She pointed to the sofa. “Have a seat, Sam. I’ll be right back.”
    Debra and Griff moved to the door and spoke in low tones. Bowen couldn’t make out what they said. After Griff whispered in Debra’s ear, he left.
    She returned to the sofa and sat near him.
    How could he find out more about her visitor? Before he could formulate a question, she provided a bit of information.
    “Griff has been a good friend for a long time. That’s why I called him.”
    “You could have called me. Julian would have—“
    “I did phone Rhodes. Greg said you’d been busy all night, and when I called you were with two elderly ladies.”
    Bowen remembered them well and raised his eyebrows. “Ah, yes. The lovely Cooper sisters. They had a two-page list. Took me thirty minutes to help them locate everything. But enough of work. Do you know who followed you?”
    She wiped a hand across her forehead. “No, but I did get a partial license plate number. Griff’s going to check it out.”
    He nodded. So this guy could be a cop.
    Debra nudged him in the ribs. “Why so serious? What are you thinking about?”
    His Sam persona firmly in place, Bowen tapped her arm. “You. I’m thinking about you and how I don’t want anything bad to happen.”
    The look she gave him pricked his conscience. Trust filled her eyes.
    Before he could say or do anything he’d regret, he stood and yawned. “Glad you’re all right, but I can’t stay. I only stopped by because of the concern in your voice. Anything you need before I go? I have to make a quick trip to the grocery store.”
    Debra eased off the sofa and ruffled her curls. “Thanks for taking the time to come, but I’m fine.”
    On his way to the door, Bowen said, “This is a nice place you have.” He noted the clean lines of her simple decorating, the functional arrangement of furniture, and the lack of photographs. “How long have you been here?”
    “About a year. It suits my needs, and I like the location.”
    Reluctant to cut the visit short, he scrambled for a reason to stay. “I just thought of something. Why don’t you give me that partial plate number? I’ll see if I can track it down.”
    A frown creased her brow. “How?”
    Bowen scoured his brain for an explanation, and then shrugged and told the truth. “I’ve got contacts.” He hoped his nonchalance would satisfy her.
    She pulled a scrap of paper from her jeans pocket. “Here it is.”
    One glance at the scribbling and his mind raced. “A California plate. Interesting.”
    Debra had a good eye to make out the state and some of the characters. His pickup’s tags were from California. He’d better make up a good cover story if she ever asked about them.
    “Interesting, indeed.” He tucked the paper into his shirt pocket. “Are we still on for tomorrow night?”
    “Yes.”
    “Stay safe.” He wanted to hold her, but she backed away and crossed her arms.
    After she closed the door he waited to hear the lock click before jogging to his truck.
    Conflicting emotions surged through his chest. Desire for her ran smack into fear that someone else from California had found her. And a touch of elation. He was seventy-five percent certain she was Sadie. Earlier he’d checked notes from his client and sure enough, Sadie and her husband had been involved in a puppet ministry. But if she was Sadie, he’d have to make the phone call that would end their relationship. This dating game was simply part of the job.
    For the rest of the drive home, he thought about Griff. Was he a cop? Maybe a U. S. Marshal? He might be Sadie’s local WITSEC contact. Hours of research awaited him. Good thing he had tomorrow off.
     
    ****
     
    Bowen had no luck tracing the California plate number. Even his research into Griff turned