Chapter 41

Maybe this was alla scam or maybe they’d been set up.

Trevor was ready to leave.

Then he saw a man walking toward them.

It was him. The man from the elevator. Trevor was nearly certain of it.

Sadie must have felt him stiffen because she suddenly straightened. “He’s here, isn’t he?”

“Headed our way.”

The muscles across his chest tightened as he waited for the man.

Trevor spotted the bulge of the gun tucked inside the man’s sweatshirt. In some ways, Trevor couldn’t fault the man for coming armed. He had his own gun nestled away, just in case. But he prayed he didn’t have to use it. Not here. Not with Sadie and so many civilians around.

The man reached them and sat on the concrete barrier in front of them.

“Didn’t think you were going to show up,” Trevor started, observing the man coolly.

“I had to make sure it was safe.” He remained stiff as he said the words, though to anyone watching this would look like a casual conversation. “Thanks for coming.”

“What’s this about?” Sadie leaned forward, her voice grim. “Who do you work for?”

The man studied her a moment, an unreadable emotion racing through his gaze. Then he shook his head. “I’ll get to that. It’ll be better if I explain a few things up front first.”

“Go on.” Trevor didn’t want to draw this out any more than necessary. As he waited, he continued to scan everything around them, looking for trouble. He couldn’t afford to let down his guard.

The man looked at Sadie. “My name is Richard Matheson. I’ve known you for about four years.”

Trevor halfway expected this guy to say that he was another secret boyfriend. But he didn’t.

“Your name is Sadie,” Richard continued. “But your last name isn’t Carrington. It is Hayes. Sadie Hayes.”

“Where am I from?”

“Indiana.”

“Am I an accountant?”

“You did study that in school. But you decided that working with numbers wasn’t your passion. You wanted something more exciting.”

Sadie still sounded cautious as she said, “Tell me more. Do I work for Frederick Moreau?”

“Not really.” Richard’s expression didn’t hint that there was more to the story.

She sucked in a breath as if his words surprised her. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t really know how to say this.” Richard frowned. “I’m just going to state it outright. Sadie, you work for the FBI, and you were sent here on an undercover assignment to take down any remaining people employed by Frederick Moreau.”

* * *

Sadie’s head spun.

The FBI? What sense did that even make?

It was better than being a criminal, she supposed. But she still had so many questions. So much didn’t compute.

“I’m your handler,” Richard continued. “I heard what happened to you, and I’ve been trying to touch base. Then I realized you had amnesia, and you wouldn’t remember anything after all.”

“Are you the man I used to meet with late at night? My neighbor Victoria told me she saw a man come in the middle of the night.”

“Yes. I came to your house when your neighbors were sleeping. It was one of the best times to speak with you and find out if you’d learned anything new. I tried to call you when you were in the hospital, but when you answered, I knew something was wrong. That’s why I didn’t say anything.”

Sadie rubbed her arms, feeling a sudden chill. “From what I’ve heard, Frederick Moreau is a pretty formidable guy.”

“He’s in prison, but he still has people out there. You were trying to find out who.”

“So I went to work at an elevator company?” She tried to make sense of things.

“We believe someone employed there may also be working for Frederick. You were supposed to figure out who as well as find evidence of what they were doing.”

“Okay . . .” She nodded slowly as she tried to comprehend that information. “But it sounds as if one of his guys must have realized what I was doing. Someone tried to kill me in the parking lot.”

Richard glanced around again. “I do believe that’s what happened. They didn’t manage to kill you, but maybe they figured out later that you lost your memory, and that bought them some time.”

“Then they realized I might be regaining my memories, and now they’re after me again,” Sadie finished.

He nodded slowly. “That appears to be the gist of it.”

Another question hit her. “What about that man who died? Did I do that?”

“No, we don’t believe you did,” Richard said. “We believe one of Frederick’s guys is responsible.”

“That’s a relief,” Sadie said. “I’d hate to think I’d killed anyone.”

“Who was the guy?” Trevor asked.

“We believe he was working for Frederick. Sadie, you discovered that connection and confronted him—that’s why you were seen arguing with him.”

“Which of Frederick’s guys killed him?” Sadie asked.

“We’re still trying to figure that out.”

“I’m not much good to you if I’m an FBI agent who doesn’t have any recollection of my past.” Sadie tried not to sound whiny as she said the words, but it was difficult not to. She was in a no-win situation.

“That information is buried somewhere deep inside your brain.” Richard’s gaze locked with hers. “And we’re still hopeful it will emerge.”