Page 37 of Speak No Evil

“Will Strongbow here,” Will answered and studied her while he listened.

Seconds later, her cell rang. The caller’s number was a university exchange. Since she was the supervisor of the research lab for the next two weeks, her phone number had been passed to campus security for any emergency. She took a deep breath. “Hello, this is Gwen MacLaine.”

“Officer Starnes here. We received an alarm from your lab and checked it out. Looks like someone tried to break in.”

Her pulse sprinted. She took another deep inhale, but to no effect. “Okay.”

“We want to make sure nothing’s been stolen. Considering the high-risk value of the lab, we’d appreciate if you could come in to campus as soon as possible.”

She glanced at her watch. Seven-thirty. It would take at least an hour to get there. Maybe more since tonight was Saturday. “I’m up in Westchester County. It’s going to be a while before I get there.”

“Try to come tonight,” the campus cop urged. “I left a man guarding the scene, but I’d already started the shift a man short.”

“Yes, I understand. I’m on my way.” She hoped. She glanced at Will, who’d ended his own call by now. How was he going to feel about driving back to the city tonight?

Sterns said, “Let me know when you’re close and someone from security will meet you at your building.”

“I will.” She disconnected and dropped her hand and phone into her lap. “Guess what?”

Will turned in his seat, and from his expression he seemed to already know what she would say. “You have to go back to Manhattan.”

“Yeah, work.” She explained about the attempted burglary. “I need to handle this. I can drive down myself, if you’ll take me over to my place to pick up my car.”

“Let’s leave your car where it is for now.” Will rubbed the back of his neck. “Someone may have put a GPS tracker on it. You shouldn’t drive it until I can check it over. Do you particularly want to take it?”

A tracker? She shivered. “No, but that was the university police. I need to go on campus and check that the lab is secured. Could you take me? I hate to ask you another favor.”

“Not a problem.” He squeezed her hand. “We’re a team now.”

“Thanks.” Gwen sank back against the seat, liking the sound of his “team.” Her last boyfriend used to get huffy when she even seemed on the verge of asking for a favor. “I didn’t want to assume. I know you have your own life.”

“Not until this situation is resolved and Winston and whoever else is harassing you are out of the picture.”

She looked down at their joined hands. “Thanks.”

He let go and started the Jeep. “It’s the least I can do. I still feel bad about asking you to come downtown to my office.”

“I volunteered, remember? I’d been putting you off all week.”

“I noticed you put the study guide on Erin’s bed.” Will put on a blinker and merged onto the expressway.

“I want to be sure she sees it right away when she gets home. Ohmigod, I should probably warn her about the car in the bushes.”

“Good idea. Just tell her to be careful.”

Gwen sent a message to her roomie. “Done.” A breath swooshed out. “I really hope we get a resolution soon. I’m sure it was Evan Winston who tried to get into the lab.”

“I think so, too.” He rubbed the gear knob, and Gwen flashed back to last night and how his hands had felt on her. “You want to tell me the best way to get to campus?”

She jerked her thoughts back to the task at hand. “I will. The good thing is that you won’t be called on to rescue anyone who’s fallen down an escalator. My building only has stairs. Tell me what Uncle Tim had to say.” She paused. “Unless it’s private.”

“You should know about this, too.” Will joined the flow of traffic. “Your uncle gave me the photos of the car he saw cruising his neighborhood. He got a portrait of the man in the back seat. I sent those to Clay and he just called back.”

“What did Clay say?”

“The man who was sitting in the back seat is named Jacok Caruceko. He’s a Romanian arms dealer wanted by Interpol. I’ve got your uncle’s photos on my cell if you want to look at them.” He handed her his phone from off the dash.

She studied them. “This is the businessman who came to my boss’s seminar presentation with Evan Winston. They must be working together. If Winston’s a mercenary, this is probably who hired him.”

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