Page 33 of Secret Stalker

“Which way?” Max demanded. “The girl who ran out of here. Which way did she go?”

He pointed to the right, and Max caught a glimpse of her brown hair before she disappeared around the corner of the building. Dang, she was fast. Remembering the layout of the store on the lot and what was behind it, he took a gamble and headed in the opposite direction.

“You’re going the wrong way,” the cop called behind him.

Max ignored him, pumping his arms and legs as he rounded the corner, then sprinted for the next corner. If he remembered right, the tall fence at the back of the property would force his prey back toward him. Sure enough, as soon as he reached the corner, Reggie ran out in front of him. He tackled her in midstride, turning with her in his arms to protect her as they both fell.

Her startled scream was abruptly cut off when they landed in a heap of arms and legs. Max cursed when his head slammed against the pavement, but he held on to the squirming girl.

“Stop fighting me,” he ordered.

The fury in his voice must have shocked her into submission, because she immediately stilled.

The sound of running footsteps heralded the arrival of Colby, the stun gun in his hand his weapon of choice against the rowdy teenager in Max’s arms. He stopped a few feet away and clipped the stun gun back on his belt.

“Looks like you got your man—or woman or child, as the case may be.”

“Stop grinning and get her off me.”

“Yes, sir,” Colby teased. He yanked the girl up then put her on the ground again, facedown, while he cuffed her.

Max was slower to get up, brushing off his pants and then rubbing the back of his head. He winced when his fingers touched a particularly tender spot that was already becoming a knot.

“Hold still,” Colby ordered as he patted down the now squirming girl, checking for weapons. He straightened, keeping one hand on Reggie’s right arm. “You okay?”

“No,” she whined. “He threw me down. I probably have bruises. I’m gonna sue both of you.”

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Colby said. “I was talking to the police officer who had to chase your sorry butt.”

She glared at him.

“I’m fine. Just a bump.” Max lowered his hand. “Are you Gina Oliver? The one they call Reggie?”

“Depends on who’s asking.” If she’d been chewing gum she’d probably have spit it at him. “Why’d you chase me? I ain’t done nothing.”

“So it’s just a coincidence that you were at the cash register when your friends came in firing automatic weapons, huh?”

She looked away. “Friends? Don’t know what you’re talking about. Like I said, I didn’t do anything.”

“Then why did you run?”

She shrugged. “You’re a big guy. You scared me. I’ve seen TV. I know how you cops can be, beating people up for no reason.”

Colby rolled his eyes. “I’ll clear the break room. We can interview her in there.”

Max grabbed her arm and led her around the side of the building, following Colby.

Reggie swore at him. “I’m just a minimum-wage cashier. I ain’t broke any laws. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Then you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

A few minutes later, Max had Reggie cooling her heels in the locked break room while he spoke to Colby and Donna in the hallway a few doors down, just outside the manager’s office. Donna had run over to them when they brought Reggie back inside.

She was slightly out of breath from zipping across the width of the store to catch them. “Max, you’d better be careful, and fast with the questions. I just got the lowdown on Gina. She’s Sam Oliver’s daughter.”

Max groaned. “The Olivers who live off Coonskin Hollow?”

“Yep.”

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