Page 2 of Out of Time (Undaunted Courage #3)

She must have missed something he’d said.

“Sorry. Did you ask me a question?”

“Yes. Would you mind walking out with me while Ms. Boyer finishes up with the EMTs?”

Hard as she tried, she couldn’t come up with an excuse to refuse his request short of telling him he discombobulated her. And that wasn’t an option.

“Of course.”

She rose and followed him to the door, keeping her distance from the captivating aftershave that was obviously messing with her brain.

After letting her precede him onto the galérie, he took up a position near the railing. “Are you familiar with Ms. Boyer’s situation here?”

A faint scent of spice and sandalwood tickled her nostrils, and she eased farther away. “Not in any detail.”

“Let me fill you in on what I know, which isn’t much.

She’s a very private person. More so since she retired eight years ago.

As I understand it, her housekeeper is only here two days a week.

A groundskeeper who doubles as a handyman lives on the premises, but I doubt he interacts with her on a daily basis.

He has a few ... issues ... and tends to keep to himself.

You’ll be seeing more of her than anyone.

Falls at her age can be dangerous, and injuries don’t always manifest themselves immediately.

I’d appreciate it if you’d keep an eye on her for the next several days. ”

The sheriff had a caring heart under his badge.

Nice.

“I’ll be happy to do that.”

“Good enough.” He held out his hand. “A pleasure to meet you. Don’t hesitate to call us again if you need any assistance while you’re here.”

“Thanks, but I’m hoping today’s incident was the most excitement I’ll experience.”

“Hold that thought. Enjoy your stay out here. It’s a beautiful spot.”

With that, he descended the steps and returned to his patrol car, the EMTs on his heels.

Cara waited until the two vehicles drove off, then retrieved her purse from her car and locked the doors. No doubt an unnecessary precaution out here in the countryside, but it was hard to shake long-ingrained concerns about safety.

At the doorway, she paused to glance back toward the drive. A cloud of dissipating dust was the only evidence that Natalie’s property had been visited by emergency vehicles today. And hopefully, they wouldn’t return.

Even if she wouldn’t mind seeing that hot sheriff again.

EXCELLENT NEWS.

Fingertips tingling, I lowered the cell from my ear, pressed the end button, and smiled.

Everything was falling into place with minimal effort on my part.

Slipping the phone back in my pocket, I walked over to the counter. Opened the cabinet that held the liquor. Hesitated.

It would be nice to celebrate with a scotch, but I had to keep a clear head going forward.

I poured a glass of iced tea instead, crossed to the back door, and slipped out. Heat shimmered in the air, suffocating and oppressive, and I took a sip of the cold liquid.

One episode of dizziness wouldn’t help me accomplish my goal, of course—but if Natalie continued to have difficulties, it would be harder to write them off as anomalies. It wasn’t uncommon for people in their eighties to begin to have health problems, after all.

A notion well worth exploiting.

A bead of sweat trickled down my forehead, and I took another sip of tea.

The key on my end was patience. Everything had to evolve naturally so no one got suspicious.

But patience was going to be a challenge now that the stakes had been raised and the clock was ticking.

The visiting professor was also a complication I hadn’t expected and didn’t need. If she became a hindrance, I might have to persuade her that hanging around Natalie wasn’t in her best interest.

I tightened my grip on the glass.

Persuasion could get messy—and I didn’t relish hurting anyone. This plan was supposed to be bloodless.

Sometimes, however, circumstances required a person to venture outside their comfort zone. Do things they wouldn’t normally do.

So if it became necessary, I’d take whatever action I needed to. Carefully, of course, even if no one would ever suspect me. I’d played my role well for a long time.

A bead of moisture trickled down my forehead, and I retreated to the coolness inside.

Despite the air-conditioning, however, I continued to sweat— thanks to the second thoughts that were hiking up my blood pressure and stress.

Backing out wasn’t an option, though. I’d already considered the situation from every angle, and this was the optimal solution.

I finished my tea, set the glass in the sink, sat at the table, and booted up my laptop. Seconds after opening the Tor browser, I was on the dark web and diving back into my research.

It was amazing how much information you could find these days with the click of a mouse. The internet was a virtual smorgasbord for criminals.

Not that I was one of those. Not at heart. My ambitions were modest.

But it never hurt to be prepared in case the situation ratcheted up and I was forced to take a detour down a road that was dangerous ... and deadly.