Page 73 of Final Approach

She called the nurse’s station to check on Emily and was assured her sister was asleep and not in pain. Emily had asked for her phone the last time she’d been awake, so that was a good sign. She’d be transferred to a regular room sometime tomorrow ... or rather today.

Relief swept through her at all the good news. Now if they could just find who hired the hijacker, the connection between the two incidents, and Jacob, of course, then all would be well.

After double-checking her locks and windows, she glanced at her laptop, picked it up, and carried it into her room. After washing her hair and brushing her teeth, she climbed into bed, set her alarm, and pulled the laptop in front of her.

A loud buzzing woke her. She blinked and blinked again. Her phone read 5:30 a.m. A groan slipped out before she could stop it. But she stretched and grabbed her laptop from the edge of the bed before it could hit the floor. So much for working last night.

Twenty minutes later, she was climbing in Andrew’s passenger seat. “Morning.”

He grunted his greeting.

She smirked. “Exactly.”

“This kid better show up. I don’t have the energy for this early morning stuff.” He aimed the Bucar toward Mike’s.

“You’re an FBI agent. You can’t tell me early mornings aren’t a regular part of your existence.”

“They are, but I’ve never gotten used to it or liked it. I try to catch the bad guys in the afternoons or at night.”

She laughed. “Cute.”

“How did you sleep?”

“Like a rock.”

“Really? No nightmares from everything that’s happened over the last few days?”

“Not last night. I was too tired, I think. My brain just shut off. I’m actually not sure it’s flipped back on yet. You?”

“One nightmare.” He frowned. “But it had nothing to do with the hijacking or being shot at or being chased in the pouring rain—or watching an innocent man get killed in a holding cell.”

“Okay.” She glanced at him. “What?”

“Nothing. The nightmare was that my cousin Corey moved in with my parents.”

“Oh. Wow. That’s really bothering you.”

“It is. I’m worried for them. And all my prayers seem to be hitting a brick wall.”

“They’re not, Andrew. Truly.”

“I know that in my head.” He tapped his chest. “This is a little harder to convince.”

“I know that feeling.”

He fell silent and she did too, checking her phone and finding a text from her father. She ignored it. Andrew turned onto a side street that led around to the back of the restaurant and parked. They had a perfect view of the door that led to the kitchen.

It was shut tight and no one was hanging around, looking like they were waiting on someone. She bit off a sigh. “Where’s Nathan? He too good for early morning duty?”

“Naw, he had something to do with Jesslyn a little later. I told him I was fine doing this alone. Well, with you, but not with you, right?”

“Of course. I’m just keeping you company.”

“I appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome. Now go back to the innocent man getting killed in the holding cell, will you?”

He flinched. “I’d rather not.”