Page 380 of Cold Case, Warm Hearts

Addie tried to stay in her lane.

Right before the exit he side swiped her. A nudge, but she fought to keep control of her car.

The exit coming up was on the outskirts of town but was her best bet finding aid right now. If this guy planned to push this, she either had to turn the tables somehow or get to a spot where she’d have help. A police or fire station. Something.

She took the turn at the last second.

As she careened down the off ramp, she spotted him swerve into the lane behind her.

Addie ignored the light and took the corner with a wince. Someone honked at her, but anyone watching would see the pickup in pursuit.

She waited for a lifeline. A spot she could pull into.

The pickup overtook two cars and narrowly avoided a collision with a semi coming the other direction.

He raced up behind her and nudged again.

Addie changed lanes.

He came behind her again—another bump.

Her head slammed back against the headrest. She hissed out a breath. In front of her, she saw a sign.

“Jacob Wilson Photography.”

Like a sign from the heavens, Addie veered toward it and turned at the last second into a cracked parking lot. Potholes of iced-over rain. She bumped into one and winced as her undercarriage scraped the asphalt.

She threw the car in park as soon as she could and raced to the door with her purse. Addie dug inside as she went. She’d left her phone in the car and the door open. She drew her weapon at the door and spun to watch for the truck.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Jacob heard the screech of metal and the clunk of a car hitting something. He emerged from his office just as the studio’s front door flung open, and Addie raced in.

“Call 911!”

He moved to her. Reached for his phone as he did. It wasn’t in his pocket. “What’s going on?”

His phone had to be on his desk. Or in his backpack. He couldn’t remember how long he’d been here, but he hadn’t retrieved it yet.

She had her gun out but kept it angled down. Protecting herself. Not from him, though.

“Addie.”

She moved to the window and pulled the blind aside. “He’s out there. The white pickup truck. He followed me ran into me. I dropped my phone, so I need to borrow yours.” She glanced at him, and he saw more than relief in her eyes.

“Who is it?”

“I don’t know.” She looked out again. “Maybe you’ll recognize him. I never got a look at his face.”

Jacob peered over her shoulder out the window. Her car had a crumpled back left corner, but he couldn’t see any other damage.

“Where’s your phone?”

Jacob moved to the front door and locked it, so no one came in and caught them by surprise. “In the office. I’ll lock the back.”

“No.” She shook her head. “Stay with me, so that I don’t have to worry you got jumped.”

She nudged him ahead of her, and he led the way to his office. She seemed rattled. But as jumpy as he’d imagine an FBI agent might get. Which meant the overriding feeling he got from her body language was that she had a handle on any fear, and now she was aware. Alert. Ready for what might happen next.

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