Page 51 of Complicated Past

“We’ve got to move.” Costa edged into the line of cars exiting the airport.

Linc slid into the passenger seat and watched out the sideview mirror as Tawnya raised a hand as if signaling them. When Costa kept going, she released her grip on her suitcase and pulled out her phone.

Linc answered the call. “What’s going on?” he played dumb.

“She’s not cooperating on coming with me. Where are you going?”

“Traffic cop was coming. You got the suitcase?”

“Yeah, but?—”

“But nothin’. Get out of there. I’m not risking sticking around. Make the delivery. Pack up and get out of town—and the state.”

“This is worse than Nashville.”

Costa smacked the phone from Linc’s hand and laid on the horn. “Asshole driver,” he muttered loudly for no apparent reason. He waved Linc off when he reached for the phone.

“I can’t hear you,” Costa spoke loudly. “Some asshole about sideswiped me. Can’t reach my phone. Talk to you later.”

Once the screen went black, Linc picked up the phone and checked that the call had ended.

“Her mentioning another city smelled like it could be a trap to verify she was talking to Malloy. Didn’t want to risk it.”

“Smart move,” Linc concurred.

“You said the program would mimicanyone’svoice. I took you at your word.” He turned left and circled back toward arrivals.

“I’m tailing our subject to the parking deck,” Patton reported.

The loud smack of kisses coming through his earpiece allowed Linc to draw in his first full breath in days. Bri was home. She was safe.

“Are you all right, sweetie?” Bri asked. “I’m sorry. So sorry.”

“I wanna go home wif you, Mommy,” Jalen said.

“Me too. I need to figure that out.”

“Let me know when we’re clear to approach Bri before she gets in a taxi,” Clara requested.

“Fahey’s at the elevator. You’re good to go,” Patton said a minute later.

“Excuse me, Miss Porter. I’m Detective Lowe.”

“Detective? I don’t have any drugs on me. I swear. They hid them in a suitcase, and?—”

“We know. And that you were forced to bring them. We got the message you left on your grandmother’s phone.”

“Is my grandmother she really safe?”

“She was dehydrated and shaken up, so they kept her in the hospital overnight, but she’ll be fine.”

“Thank God. And Kendra Andrews? She’s my?—”

“Kendra’s fine. They didn’t get her or Jalen.”

“But I saw video of them.”

“We filmed them so you’d cooperate to get you out of Mexico. Tawnya’s partner never found them,” Clara assured her.

---