Page 20 of A Colby Christmas Rescue

“Thanks.”

She turned to Abi. “Where are they keeping him?”

“I’m afraid I have no idea.”

Probably a lie. “Why can’t I see him? Verify that he’s okay.”

“You’ll see him when the op is complete. You have my word that he is okay.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?” This man would say whatever he was paid to say. They both knew this to be true.

“I would certainly hope so.” He looked from her to Poe and back. “Are we ready to go back to the house?”

Jamie walked to her brother’s desk and sat down. She tapped the trackpad to wake the computer. It was up and running and required a password. She didn’t attempt to access the system. No need. Her brother was too smart to leave information too readily accessible. She opened the two shallow drawers and picked through them. Nothing of particular interest. Sharpies, pens. She hadn’t really expected there to be anything helpful as to his whereabouts, but she wanted to buy time. She was in no hurry to get back to the Excalibur house. But there was one other thing she wanted to find out.

“I’m finished.” She stood, pushed in her chair and headed for the door.

They locked up and descended the stairs that led down to the ground level. Jamie surveyed the street and postage-stamp-size yard that served two condos. The place was like her brother—efficient, well thought out, minimal. He didn’t like wasting time. And he didn’t like a lot of stuff.

Jamie settled into the passenger seat while Abi slid behind the steering wheel. Poe climbed in the back. She was sure he wasn’t very happy about being relegated to the back seat, but someone had to take one for the team.

“We should stop for lunch.” She shrugged. “Since we’re out, I mean.” Mostly, she just didn’t want to rush back to the house. And she’d like to see if anyone was following them. She hadn’t spotted anyone on the way here. Going back might be a different story.

Nashville was not Abi’s home turf. Jamie knew far more about this city than he did—only because her brother lived here. Despite being in charge, out here in the wild, Abi was just one of them.

“Why my brother and why me?” The story he’d given her up to now just didn’t fit in her opinion.

“Your reputation precedes you,” he said, absorbed in navigating traffic.

“I’m still not buying it.”

There was something he was leaving out. Something relevant. And even if there wasn’t, it kept him trying to assuage her concerns. She liked making him work for his comfort.

“Perhaps it’s best not to dwell on the whys and just do what we must do.”

“How did he find you?”

He glanced at her. Now there was a question he hadn’t been expecting. “I have a certain reputation.”

This was true. “What’re you doing? Advertising on the dark web now?”

“I shouldn’t answer that question.”

Keeping an eye on the exterior mirror on her side, she said, “I’m still not convinced of why they need us both.” She and Poe had discussed the idea of Dr. Case’s child being a target as well, which would certainly require more than one pair of hands.

But it didn’t have to be Jamie or her brother.

“We’ll have food delivered to the house,” he said as he pointed the car in that direction.

And there it was. This other thing that nagged at her. He wanted to keep her at the house until it was time for the op. Was he concerned something would happen? That she would be injured somehow, making her useless for the purposes of the operation?

As if fate had decided to answer her question, a black sedan appeared in the passenger-side mirror. It was a ways back, but she watched as he made turn after turn and the sedan did the same. Oh yeah. They had a tail.

“Does having me here have something to do with my grandmother?” She hadn’t considered the idea until now. The Colby name was internationally known. Mostly she was making conversation while she watched their tail.

“This only has to do with you and your participation in achieving the proper outcome. Trying to read something more into it is a waste of time.”

He was sticking to his story, which suggested he could possibly be telling the truth.

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