With the book in an evidence bag, Ben and Lainie got back into his car.
“Hey, are you up for dinner after we drop this off?” Ben asked Lainie as he walked to the driver’s side and she walked to the passenger side. As sad as he was about Efren, he was glad he’d met Lainie, and he hoped to get to know her better.
“I’m hungry, that’s for sure.” She looked at him over the top of the car.
“Great, we’ll pick a spot later.”
They hopped in and he started the engine. “Even with this find, or maybe because of it, I’d still like to talk to Stan,” Ben said as they waited for the tow yard gate to open. “He might know more about this book than he told your sister.”
“Sounds like there is abutthere.”
He turned toward her, amazed that she knew he was bugged about something. “I’m thinking about what your sister said about Efren. The idea that Benton was on to him from the get-go bothers me.”
“Are you thinking that his cover was blown long before he disappeared?”
Ben nodded. “I am. I’d like to hear more about the situation at the car wash.”
The gate opened and he exited the yard.
“If Evie can talk him into talking to you, I’m sure she will.”
“Great, I...” The next words caught in Ben’s throat. He saw a black SUV.
“What’s the matter?”
“I think we’ve got a tail. There’s a black SUV behind us. It was parked outside the tow yard. I think that’s the same car that was behind me a couple of days ago.”
Lainie leaned forward to see what she could in the side-view mirror. They were traveling west on Willow Street, in the middle lane. Ben drove west toward Long Beach Boulevard, planning to turn left there to head downtown to the police station. He sped up and changed lanes.
“Yep,” Lainie said, “they are following us. I see two people at least. A man and a woman, I think.”
“Well, they can follow us to the station, I guess.” As they approached the light at Atlantic, it changed to yellow. Ben punched it and made it through as the light turned red.
The SUV followed on the red light and rapidly caught up with him, now riding his bumper.
“He’s not being shy. I’m glad there’s not a lot of traffic right now.” Ben swerved around slower traffic and then moved back into the left lane.
The SUV pulled up next to Ben on the passenger side. As he concentrated on driving, he asked Lainie, “What’s he doing?”
“Driver’s-side window is coming down. I think he wants you to pull over.”
“Not happening.” Gripping the steering wheel, he pressed the accelerator down more.
The SUV dropped back. Then Ben’s sedan shuddered when the SUV rammed the bumper.
Ben fought to maintain control as the seat belt locked and kept him from lurching in the seat. Long Beach Boulevard was the next intersection.
“He’s trying to PIT maneuver us,” Lainie said.
Ben had seen effective PIT maneuvers on TV, the precision immobilization technique was effective if applied correctly. He prayed the guy next to him did not know how to apply it correctly.
“Hang on,” he told her as they barreled toward the boulevard, and he decided to make the left turn whether the light was green or not.
Lainie kept her eyes focused on the side mirror and kept a firm grip on her weapon as they sped down Willow Street. She’d drawn the gun when the SUV had pulled next to them, and she held it down between her knees.
She snapped against the seat belt as Ben made a left onto Long Beach Boulevard, the sound of tires squealing and honking horns blaring. When she recovered enough to check the side mirror, she could see that the SUV had followed. The image in the mirror grew as the vehicle pulled up on Lainie’s right.
“Look out!”
