Page 79 of Cold Light of Day

Relief washed over him that they were back to normal—and normal was relative, of course.

“You’re going to need your strength.”

Back in the restaurant, they caught the waiter as he was clearing the table and took their seats again. He brought them fresh water. Their burgers were cold, but they ate anyway.

The chief leaned in. “We know Mateo is after me in Shadow Gap, but are we sure he knows you have the cold wallet?”

“I think he probably does, yes.” Grier bit into his burger, which should have tasted fantastic but instead was flavorless. After he chewed and swallowed, he finished his thought. “He would have been trying to find out what happened to it and could have learned about our SIGINT—signals intelligence—operations. His organization has connections within the intelligence community.”

They finished their meal in silence, both caught up in their thoughts. After dinner, he walked with her up to their connected hotel rooms and said good night. He figured she wouldn’t sleep any better than he would, given everything that had been dumped in her lap today. Knowledge of her mother’s survival trumped Grier’s story, by far, but regardless, the danger factor had increased.

He rested in bed and stared out the second-floor window. The aurora borealis had taken up the night sky. Now that he knew Sarah was connected to Krueger, he believed she held the missing piece—the evidence that could clear him.

The next morning, Grier met Autumn downstairs, and they ate a quick breakfast.

“What now? Sarah didn’t give us a meeting place.”

“No, but we’re here. She said she would find us.”

The chief pushed her plate aside, after only eating half her eggs and toast. “That seems risky. For her to find us, we have to be out in the open. Others could find us too, if they’re looking here.”

“Nothing we can do about it.” He finished his coffee, pulled out enough cash for breakfast and a tip, and set it on the table. “Let’s walk around and see what happens.”

“If you say so.” Instead of her uniform, she was wearing a white blouse, blue jeans, and her Shadow Gap jacket, her badge still secured where it was visible. Her 9mm remained easily spotted in the holster at her waist.

He held the door for her to exit the restaurant. He waited a few seconds while they both took in their surroundings, then followed her when she started walking along the sidewalk.

“Let’s hope she doesn’t make us wait all day,” she said. “I have things to do.”

A woman peered out from the alley. Grier immediately recognized Sarah and stepped into the alley with her. The chief had seen her too and moved in close.

“We’re here. Where do you want to talk?” Grier asked.

“What’s she doing here? I told you to come alone.” Sarah glanced down the alley as if she would flee.

Grier gently gripped her wrist. “Relax. She’s with me. She’s in this with me and in danger too. I trust her.”

Sarah looked at the chief. “Does she...”

“I know everything.”

The chief pressed her hands on her hips, and her gun was in full view. He hoped she wasn’t intentionally intimidating Sarah.

Sarah frowned. “Maybe you don’t know that someone followed me here. I was afraid to even look for you, but I easily found you. So maybe he did too.” She stepped deeper into the shadows and rubbed her arms. “Meeting you was too risky.”

“Who followed you?” Grier asked.

“I don’t know who he is, but I’ve seen him in Shadow Gap. I know when I’m being followed. I almost didn’t wait for you, but I have to tell you what I know before it’s too late. So I bought us tickets for the train. We can talk there.”

“The train?” the chief asked. “It goes nowhere.”

“It’s a two-hour excursion. Maybe he’ll give up looking for me, but at least we can talk without fear. Let’s go. We’re going to miss our ride.”

Grier wasn’t so sure Sarah’s idea was the best plan, and it almost sounded like a trap. But Sarah had answers he needed, and she was finally ready to talk. He looked at the chief to gauge her reaction.

She shrugged. “I guess we’re going for a train ride.”

The White Pass and Yukon Route railway was initially built during the Klondike Gold Rush to facilitate transporting passengers and equipment between the Yukon and the Port of Skagway. These days the narrow-gauge train transported tourists who wanted to see the breathtaking view along the Klondike Trail roundtrip from Skagway.

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