Brain Storm by Cat Gilbert (detective books to read .TXT) 📖

“WHAT’D YOU BUY?” Mac asked as he slipped into step next to me as I came out the doors of the Wal-Mart across from the hotel.

“A gun. And I’m going to use it to shoot you if you sneak up on me like that again.”

“You didn’t buy a gun, and you wouldn’t shoot me even if you had.”

I stopped to turn and look at him. “You sure about that?”

“I’m staking my life on it,” he replied, reaching over to take the bag of supplies from me. “I appreciate your offer, but I’m not about to leave just when this is getting interesting.”

I nodded and headed across the parking lot in the direction of the hotel, Mac by my side. I had hoped that he would stay. Even figured he probably would, but I needed to give him the choice. More for my benefit than his. I’d been ignorant of his presence during those seven years. He may have been watching and protecting me, during that time, but he’d been working alone. Telling him what I planned to do and giving him the option to leave, was a game changer. If he chose to stay, we’d be working together as a team, and his job description was going to change big time. In my mind, I had no option but to give him the opportunity to leave, but I wasn’t about to lie to myself that I wasn’t relieved that he’d decided to stay.

“How are the others?” I finally asked, not sure if I really wanted him to answer.

“Torn, I guess would be the best way to describe it. You’ve given them a lot to think about.” He walked for a few minutes in silence before adding, “I’m worried about Jonas.”

I just smiled, nodding to myself, as we walked along. I understood why Mac was concerned. Trinity and Mac would follow me anywhere because they believed in me. Jonas never would. He would dig in his heels, question every move and the motivation behind every decision and choice I made. Jonas, my voice of dissent. What Mac saw as a problem, I was grateful for. Jonas would keep me on my toes if he decided to come along for the ride. He’d taken his role as Trinity and Mama D’s protector very seriously and wasn’t too keen on putting them in danger. Neither was I, but I wasn’t sure which road was the most dangerous one. That was something they’d have to decide for themselves.

“They still up in my room?” I asked him, putting the subject of Jonas on the table for now.

“No. Things broke up just after you left. I wasn’t sure how much Trinity was going to rely on Jonas, but she went off to her room without saying much to him.”

“She’s smart, and she’s used to operating alone. Making decisions for herself. She’s got Mama D to think of now. She knows that. Whatever she decides, it’ll be the right decision for the both of them.”

He nodded in agreement. We had reached the hotel, and he hesitated. I slowed down, giving him time to tell me what was on his mind. Obviously, he had something more to say.

“I did tell them, no matter what their decision, they would need to start using their new identities tomorrow, even in private. They need to get used to calling each other by their new names, so they don’t make a mistake when it really counts. They need to forget who they were. Decide who they’re going to be.”

And now he was telling me. I nodded to let him know I got the point and walked past the fountain to the entrance. I’d left the hotel as Taylor Morrison. I was going back in as Samantha White.

“You can call me Sam,” I informed him as I pushed through the door into the lobby. “All my friends do.”

He chuckled and followed me in. I headed to the business center. They had some computers there for guests to use and we needed to try to locate the guy Mac thought could help me. I checked my watch, surprised to see it was only a quarter to ten. With everything that had happened that day, I was sure it had to be after midnight. When we got to the Business Office, it was empty. The center was open until midnight, which gave us a good two hours to track him down. Mac came in behind me, closing the door, and pulling up a chair next to me.

“I’m going to wipe the drive when we finish, just in case,” he told me in a low voice, as he sat my bag on the floor. “I don’t want to leave any evidence of where we’re going in case someone comes looking.”

I offered him the keyboard, but he rejected it. “You’re the detective. I’ll give you what information I have, and you take it from there. Between us, maybe we can get somewhere.”

Two hours later, my eyes were glazing over, and we still hadn’t found him. Exhausted, I headed to my room wanting nothing more than a hot shower and a soft bed. Before they’d split up, everyone had agreed to make it a late morning, to give the rush hour traffic in Dallas time to clear before we hit town, so Mac and I agreed to meet for the free breakfast in the lobby at 8:00.

I ended up standing in the shower for a good 30 minutes, letting the jets of hot water beat the tension out of my muscles until the stress and terrors of the day gave up their hold on me. Exhausted, I crawled into bed, pulled up the covers and let the sweet release of sleep take me.

* * *

I WAS MORE or less awake when the sun lightened the room through the drapes. I lay there determined to keep my mind off the coming day, intent to get at least another 15 minutes of sleep when the knock sounded on my door. My head jerked up off the pillow, and I snorted in dismay. It had to be Trinity. Or Candice, I thought, shaking my head. I had to start thinking of them with their new names, or I’d blow it in public. Mac had warned me it was time.

I checked the clock and was amazed to find it was 6 a.m. Frankly, I was surprised she had waited this long to seek me out. I crawled out from the covers as she rapped again and made my way across the room. Opening the door, I found both Trinity, and Mama D standing in the hallway outside.

“Candice, Della. Come on in.” I swept my arm back, waving them inside. I picked up the morning paper the hotel staff had left and softly closed the door. “What brings you out so early this morning?”

I already knew. You had to be brain dead not to. I looked over at them standing there, bright eyed and bushy tailed and ready to talk and tried to shake off remnants of sleep that clung to me. Needing to be awake and alert, I stumbled over to the coffee maker and started rummaging around for the makings. I didn’t get very far before Mama D came over and grabbed the pot from my hand, sweeping into the bathroom. I caught Trinity’s smile as Mama D filled the pot with water. Within minutes, she was back, and the smell of coffee began to filter through the room.