Maybe the woman’s fear caused her to confuse the truck’s exact location. He jogged around the hospital perimeter and checked all three parking lots. Rain penetrated his clothing and hair, but nothing unusual caught his interest or made him the least bit suspicious.
Back in the main lot, he found a police car parked in the patient-loading area.
Good.The city police were likely here because of the woman. They’d get to the bottom of this, and he could return to Jessie and their therapy visits.
Entering the lobby, he slicked the moisture from his hair and shook it from his jacket. To the sweet sound of children caroling in the distance, he took the stairs two at a time.
In the hallway, he spotted the woman outside a patient’s open door. Her hands were curled tight, voice surprisingly loud for such a small person and standing next to a police officer.
“But you can’t just leave, Officer York.” She looked at him with feverish eyes. “What about my daughter? He could come back.”
York lifted his narrow shoulders under his uniform shirt. “I’m sorry, ma’am. But this guy hasn’t made contact with you or your daughter or threatened you today. As much as I would like to help, there’s not much I can do other than file a report.”
“A report?” Her emotion-choked voice cut into Reid. “What good will a report do when he comes after Ella again? How will a report keep him from killing her?”
Officer York looked away, helplessness written all over his face.
Reid recognized that expression. The man wanted to do more for this woman, but budget constraints didn’t allow police officers to pursue every problem presented, and they often had to prioritize resources.
She searched the area, and her eyes lighted on Reid. “There. That’s the guy who went after him. Maybe he saw him or at least saw his truck.”
The officer summoned Reid with a crook of his finger.
“Reid Maddox,” he said as he glanced at the woman, still trying to place her, and flashed a look of apology before he told her he hadn’t seen the supposed offender.
“Reid,” she whispered his name like an involuntary breath.
Oh, man. Megan. Megan Singleton.
He knew her. Knew her well, but he couldn’t acknowledge it. He was frozen in place, and he couldn’t manage to move his mouth, let alone drop it open as she was doing.
He hadn’t seen her since she’d testified at a bank robbery case he’d headed up for the FBI when he was a young agent. As a federal crime, bank robbery fell under the FBI’s jurisdiction, and the case had been assigned to him. A big break. His first chance to prove himself in a leadership role.
He first met her at the bank. He’d never forget the moment. She was wide-eyed and shivering with fear, and he could do nothing about it. He had to see beyond the cowering woman to convince her to let go of her fear and testify against Norman Fowler. That was the beginning of months spent together preparing for and sitting through the trial.
Now here she was after all this time.Wow.Here in front of him. Peering at him with the same terrified expression. The same urge to hold her until it all went away was nearly stronger than he could resist. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked away.
York glanced between them. “I take it you two know each other.”
“Unfortunately, we do.” Megan’s shoulders stiffened. “Figures the FBI would send the perfect company man to tell me Norman Fowler was out of prison.”
Reid blinked at her. “What? Fowler?”
“C’mon, Reid. Don’t play dumb with me. I know why you’re here.”
At her unusual display of temper, heaviness settled into Reid. He’d done that to her—him—and he wished he could change it. “The Bureau didn’t send me. I was just down the hall with my daughter and our therapy dog when I heard you scream.”
She arched an eyebrow. “So you’re not here to tell me about Fowler?”
He met her gaze. “I’m not an agent anymore. Haven’t been one for three years.”
Her eyes, a soft blue and rimmed with thick lashes, widened, and he could see her working to process the information.
York took a step closer. “Mind filling me in on what’s going on here?”
“I was the special agent in charge of Norman Fowler’s bank robbery case. Ms. Singleton—”
“Cash,” Megan said. “My name is Cash now.”
