Page 108 of Save Me

I’m determined to finish this case. But as I walk back to my desk, his mentioning working with the Global Group and having business ties with Dae still rings in my head.

CHAPTER 31

Kennedy

A shiver of fear rolls down my spine. I peer over my shoulder and make out a couple of cars on the one-way street. There are a few teens hanging out on the front porch of one of the homes across the street from where I’m walking.

I’m in a relatively quiet lower-class neighborhood on the outskirts of Williamsport. I left my car at work and caught a cab to this side of town. I took the cab to pay in cash without leaving an electronic trail.

I also left my personal phone at the office. I only have my burner phone with me.

As I continue to walk to the spot where Nicole told me to meet her, nothing obvious appears to be out of the ordinary.

Yet, it feels like there’s an invisible shadow that I can’t shake.

I glance over my shoulder again, and when I turn back, I almost crash into a guy walking in the opposite direction.

“Sorry,” I tell him.

He nods and keeps walking.

When my phone buzzes, it makes me jump.

“Hello?” I answer.

“Are you there yet? I’m about five minutes away,” Nicole says.

“I’ll be there soon. I just need to take a detour.”

I choose to dip into a corner store for a few minutes. After hanging up with Nicole, I buy a pack of gum and a bottle of water before exiting the store.

Instead of heading toward my meeting point with Nicole and her boyfriend, I turn in the opposite direction and make a right at the next block.

Since my burner phone doesn’t have GPS capability, I mentally track each turn I take to make sure I know how to lead back to my original destination.

Once the feeling of being watched subsides, I check over my shoulder again. No familiar cars or passersby remain behind me. With relief, I start for the correct meeting point.

It takes me an additional ten minutes by foot to arrive, but knowing I’m not being followed is worth it. By the time I get to the parking lot of the convenience store, which is directly across the street from a two-story motel, Nicole and her boyfriend, Michael, are there.

“Kennedy.” She waves me over.

“Did you just get here?” I ask.

“A few minutes.”

“Do you think anyone followed you?” I ask, looking between them both.

Michael snorts. “Who the fuck would follow us?” His words aren’t laced with anger but more of a dismissal tone. As if my question is beyond ridiculous.

I look him over. He’s at least ten years older than Nicole, who’s twenty-two. His eyes are slightly bloodshot, and he looks like he’d rather be anywhere else than here.

“Kennedy, this is my boyfriend, Michael. Who I told you about,” Nicole introduces.

He murmurs, “Yeah, nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure is all mine.” I nod at him. A quick look between her and this guy tells me she’s too good for him. There’s a sweet quality about Nicole that he doesn’t deserve.

“It’s getting dark, so they should be here soon,” Nicole says. “Right?” She looks over at Michael.

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