Chapter 11

Everything went stillaround Trevor as he listened. He needed to know more.

“Who is it?” the woman asked.

“I don’t know,” the officer said. “We haven’t identified him yet.”

“So he’s not a local?”

“Doesn’t appear to be. But this guy probably was killed sometime early this morning.”

This morning? Trevor mused. That would have been about the time he’d found Sadie.

What if Larchmont was right? What if Sadie wasn’t really her name? What if she had some type of secret life he wasn’t privy to?

Trevor couldn’t imagine what that life might be. But it wouldn’t be wise of him to ignore the possibility. He’d worked many classified missions. It stood to reason that some of the enemies he’d made might want to find him. Might want to know what he knew.

Did Sadie have anything to do with that dead body?

Trevor didn’t want to believe it could be true. But he needed to face reality and examine it as a possibility.

He texted the update to Larchmont.

Trevor needed to stay here now and find out what Guy knew. But Larchmont could send someone else to look into this dead man.

“Why do you think he was murdered?” the woman behind him asked.

“You know all the drug problems we’ve been having in this area lately,” the officer said. “My guess is that it had something to do with that. Maybe a drug deal gone bad? It’s hard to say right now.”

“I hate hearing that. I wish I could scrub all those things from this area.”

“You and me both,” the officer said. “Anyway, enough about work. How was your day?”

The conversation between the two shifted to soccer and an upcoming concert.

Instead, Trevor turned his attention to Guy on the other side of the partition instead.

But Guy and his friend continued to chat about inconsequential things.

Which still seemed strange.

Why wouldn’t Guy be more concerned about his girlfriend?

Trevor waited patiently, hoping the conversation would change.

In the meantime, Trevor scanned the restaurant. Several people had come in and were talking about the dead body.

Word traveled fast in smaller towns like this.

His food was delivered, and he slowly ate, taking his time so he wouldn’t miss anything. On the plus side, the spaghetti was delicious.

Then the conversation beside him shifted.

Guy lowered his voice as he said, “I don’t know what’s going on, and I don’t know what you want me to do about it.”

“You need to handle it.”

“You’re acting like I knew this would happen,” Guy said.

“You should have seen it coming.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle things.”

Trevor’s shoulders tightened.

Was he talking about Sadie? On one hand, Trevor could see where this might be a conversation with someone at work. That this could be innocent, and the emotions could simply be present because of the hit-and-run.

But the other part of Trevor wondered if there was something sinister behind the man’s words.

Before he could listen anymore, he glanced at the window and saw a man peering inside.

Peering at him.

It was a different man than the one Trevor had chased at the hospital—the one who’d taken off after he’d been spotted.

When he saw Trevor had noticed him, the man darted away.

* * *

Trevor dropped some money on the table and then took off.

He didn’t want to make a scene, but this guy couldn’t get away either.

Just as he sprinted outside, the man ran toward the woods.

Where was this guy going?

The man turned around.

Trevor saw something in his hands.

A gun.

The next instant, gunfire exploded through the air.

Trevor ducked behind a car. People around him screamed and ducked for cover

He peered up to check the situation.

Saw the man had taken off again.

Trevor dashed after him.

But as they ran, the man continued to fire.

Was this guy trying to kill him?

Sirens were already sounding. No doubt the officer in the restaurant had called for backup.

Trevor might take out his own gun. But only as a last resort.

The man ducked behind a thrift store in the distance.

Trevor cut through a small patch of trees, trying to reach him in time.

But just as Trevor emerged from the tree line, a car pulled up to the curb.

The man jumped inside.

As the car pulled away, he glanced back at Trevor once more.

His face was concealed by his hat, making his features impossible to distinguish.

Trevor wouldn’t let that stop him.

He was determined to figure out what was going on here.