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Reggie sighs. “If they try to make you move, and you don’t want to—call me Reginald. I’ll have you out of there fast. While they talk to you, I’ll be in the background—packing. Packing everything.”

I LISTEN TO TERI GIVEher statement in a clear voice that barely shakes. They ask about the abduction, and she’s pointed in remarking that someone in Powell’s agency must have led the kidnappers to her, whether through her phone or someone talking too much.

“We’re handling the internal breaches. Now, the men who abducted you were found outside the hotel. Both had severe head trauma, and one had a stab wound.”

“They got into a fight over something. Money, I think.”

I keep my back turned, pretending to fiddle with the thermostat, worried my face might show my proud surprise at Teri’s quick wits, but Heatherington and Powell are focused on Therese.

“They beat each other up and carried each other outside?” Powell’s voice is skeptical, and my blood boils. Later, when it’s safe, I’ll be angry. I’ll rage. But then I think about Therese’s face and how it’s in one piece.

Something calm inside of me swallows up the anger and enjoys the scoffing in Therese’s voice.

“No! Reggie dragged them outside so he could rescue me. It’s funny that he got there before the police. I thought you said something about a police detail keeping tabs on us and checking in periodically?”

Powell mumbles something about miscommunication and a failure to update rosters.

“You mean you didn’t check to see if your details followed through? You put in the requests—presumably through whatever emails or web forms U.S. Marshals use—and you never double-checked to see if anyone erased them or called them off?”

“We would have checked periodically. Remember, you only arrived here several days, not weeks, ago, and you insisted on hiring private security instead of staying under our direct protection.”

I turn around in time to watch my beautiful blonde goddess standing on weak legs, holding onto the loveseat for support. “Ithink you started focusing on the new evidence I gave you and the big fish you were about to catch. You were so consumed with that, you neglected the little details—like keeping the witness alive.”

Get him, Teri!

She smiles suddenly, her voice changing to something meek and sweet. “I understand. Truly. These men are so dangerous and evil. Of course you would focus on bargaining with Delgado to get information on Estrada. If you’ve improved security, I’m guessing Estrada won’t hear that his plan fell through—at least not for a few hours. So, he’s still planning to send a boat up theriver—the Susquehannah, I guess—to collect my lifeless body. I heard them talking to him. He offered me my life in exchange for changing my story about Matteo—” Therese pauses and drops the mild-mannered routine, giving the sweaty, open-mouthed Powell a steely stare. “But they planned to kill me anyway..”

“Mrs. Gray... I’m so sorry. But, you’re safe, and that’s an excellent lead.”

“Good. I’m not changing my story—but I am changing my plans. I’m no longer interested in being in the WITSEC program, but I’ll be leaving town and avoiding any publicity or notoriety. You won’t need my testimony, will you? Once I refuse to recant, Matteo will probably talk.”

Powell begins to protest as I slide my arm around Therese’s shoulders and push her gently back into her seat. “If you do need her, I’m sure you’ll find a way to contact us.”But you won’t find her unless she wants to be found. The people of Pine Ridge will make damn sure of that.

“I think you ought to reconsider, Therese. You’ve had a horrible experience. It can cause people to act rashly. And the matter of the abduction and those men—”

I know it’s rude not to let Therese speak for herself, but I don’t like Powell’s stance, the tone of his voice, or the sudden hardness around his eyes. He’s feeling like an ass, and he wants to get the situation back under his control so he can end up looking like a hero instead of someone who dropped a ball the size of a Boeing.

“You must have footage from the shopping center. There are cameras everywhere. You’ll find their DNA and Therese’s all over the hotel room and their vehicle. Not only that, but I’ll bet they’re hatchet men for Estrada. Why don’t you cook up a nice juicy deal to get them to rat each other out and get the Coast Guard searching any craft just entering the Susquehannah?”

“Yes, Agent Powell, that seems much more important. After all, I’m being very cooperative. It’s not like you’ll never see me again.” Therese smiles and extends her hand, ending the interview.

Only we both know it’s not over. It’s just delayed by pressing matters that involve more dangerous fish to fry. A squawk of static from Powell’s flesh-colored earpiece confirms that. He turns on his heel, holding up one finger.

Just a minute.

Therese has given every agency in the country precious minutes, and the agencies have proven untrustworthy.

I kick myself because I failed her, too.

“Can you get me some water? And maybe something like plain crackers—if we bought any?”

“I’ll go check,” I whisper, helping her back into a chair. Of course, I don’t have the few items I had in the cart. I don’t have her hard lemonade when she could really use a drink or even a vague idea of what to cook after this hellacious day.

As the sun sets, I stalk into the kitchen and lean heavily against the counter. A hard bulge presses into my hip—and it isn’t the fun sort of bulge. It’s in the wrong spot, anyway.

Fuck. I’m a shoplifter, too. I still have the ring I wanted to buy Therese in my pocket. Once the dust settles and she has a moment to think, she’ll blame me for failing to keep her safe, no matter what she said in the heat of the moment when she was newly rescued and finally safe. My daring rescue is all well and good, but it wouldn’t have been necessary if I’d guarded her better in the first place.

I take a long time getting her that ice water.