“Yes, sir, I suppose a pretty spring day like this makes everyone want to get out and take a drive,” the woman continued chattering as Libby made another selection. “We’ve had more business this afternoon than we’ve had in a month of Sundays. We had a nice family stop in right after noon. Out for a drive, they were, but the kids had to use the rest room.” The woman grinned, showing several spaces where teeth had once been. “You know how little tykes are, bladders no bigger than peanuts.”
Libby murmured something appropriate and fed in the last of her coins as the woman continued. “But some folks we get passing through here, they aren’t worth God’s spit. Like those two who were here a while ago…one dark as the devil himself and the other pale like a ghost.”
Libby’s heart dropped to her feet at the woman’s innocent words. She turned away from the machine and stared at the woman. “The pale man…he was an albino?” she asked breathlessly.
“Yes.” The woman’s eyes narrowed and she looked at Libby suspiciously. “Friends of yours?” Gone was the aura of country friendliness from the old woman.
“On the contrary,” Libby murmured, a chill dancing up and down her spine. “We…uh…encountered them on the road some time ago and they nearly caused us to have an accident,” she improvised, grabbing her snacks from the vending machine.
The woman clucked her tongue sympathetically, friendliness back in her twinkling eyes. “Some days I just wonder what the good Lord was thinking about when he put men like that on this earth.”
Libby nodded and smiled absently, her eyes searching for Tony, who was still talking in low murmurs on the phone across the room. “S’cuse me,” she said to the woman and hurried over to Tony. “Tony…” The urgency of her voice made him turn and look at her immediately. “They were here…the albino and his friend in the sports car. They were here just a while ago. They must still be looking for us.”
“Cliff, I’ll call you later tonight,” Tony said into the phone. “I need anything and everything you can find out. I’ll get back to you later.” Tony hung up the phone and put an arm around Libby’s trembling shoulders. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
Moments later they were driving again, this time with directions from the attendant who had filled up their gas tank. “Damn, I hate functioning in the dark,” Tony muttered, his eyes constantly checking his rearview mirror as he drove. “If we knew exactly what value that necklace had, we’d know which authorities to hand it over to, but until we know what it represents, I can’t just give it to anyone. CIA men can be bought just as easily as anyone else,” Tony said. “You have no idea how many double agents there are in the agency.”
“Surely there’s one honest, patriotic man working for the CIA,” Libby countered, equally impatient.
“Give me his name and I’ll be glad to hand the necklace to him,” Tony stated emphatically.
Libby hugged her displeasure. “You are a cynic,” she exclaimed. “Working for the police department for so many years has made you perceive everyone as an enemy.”
“And you are naive,” Tony returned. “Working in the confines of a neighborhood pawnshop amid your antiques and treasures has made you see everything through a rose-tinted veil. Haven’t you heard, spying is big business…. Ask Mrs. Walker.”
“Who’s Mrs. Walker?” she asked curiously.
Tony rolled his eyes in exasperation. “The Walker case was only one of the most well-publicized cases of spying this country has seen.”
“Well, excuse my ignorance,” Libby said stiffly. “Had I known I was going to get caught up in the middle of a national security crisis I would have taken a class in how to evade spies and protect national secrets.” She glared at him, suddenly angry at him for making her feel stupid. She was not having a red-letter day, and his condescending attitude was the last straw.
“It would have been helpful if you had read a book or taken a class in picking an agency man you can trust,” Tony exclaimed, his mustache twitching with amusement.
“Or taken notes the last time I went to see a James Bond movie,” she replied, her anger dissipating as she recognized the completely ludicrous nature of their argument.
“Or at least watched reruns of ‘Get Smart,’” Tony said with a wide grin.
“That’s definitely more in my league.” Libby giggled, taking off her shoe and holding it up to her ear like a telephone. “Hello, Control. Could you tell me again, who are the bad guys?”
Suddenly they were both laughing. Uproarious laughter that fed upon itself. Libby recognized the laughter for exactly what it was, a release of the tension they’d felt since leaving Kansas City and encountering so many problems. Yet, even realizing this, she allowed the laughter to overtake her. As she wiped at the tears in her eyes and held her aching sides, she realized this was the first time she’d heard Tony really laugh. He had a pleasant one, a low, full rumble that caused a funny sensation in the pit of her stomach. The sound of his laughter was one she would like to hear more often.
It was Tony who sobered first, the light slowly fading from his dark eyes. “Libby, I think it’s obvious these men know where we’re going. They know about the lab and they’ve guessed that’s where we’re headed.” He paused a moment, then continued. “I think maybe it would be a good idea for us to hole up for a day or two. Maybe if we don’t turn up at the lab today or tomorrow, those goons will think we turned around and headed back to Kansas City.”
“You really believe that?” she asked dubiously, rather uncomfortable at the idea of sharing a motel room with him, yet even more uncomfortable at the thought of being in a room alone or at the mercy of the man with the deathlike eyes.
Tony shrugged. “I don’t know what to believe. I do know those men are anticipating our moves, so perhaps it’s time we change the game. By holing up for a day or two, maybe we can throw them off the track.”
“Whatever you think is best is fine with me,” she said, then frowned worriedly.
“What’s wrong?” Tony asked.
“Twilight. I assumed we’d be back at your place late tonight, and I didn’t leave much food out for him.”
“He can always feast on the remainder of my flesh, which is probably still under his claws,” he joked, then continued. “If it will make you feel better, when we stop for the night I’ll call my neighbors and see that they feed the beast. They often take care of things for me when I’m out of town or on a case.”
“I’d appreciate it,” she said gratefully.
“I’m starving,” Tony said suddenly. “That’s two things I have against those goons. First, they fired bullets at me, which always puts me in a foul mood. And secondly, they made me throw down my biscuit this morning. And they’ve had us running so crazy this afternoon, we haven’t even had time for lunch.”
