Page 48 of Set In Stone

“CharlieAndrews.”

18

krystina

Ilooked at the clock.It was nearing noontime. Feeling confident about what my team and I had accomplished, I grabbed my purse and slung it over my shoulder. It was time to meet with the DA. I tried not to be nervous as I made my way to the elevator, but it was as if my trepidation grew with every step I took. I stopped short when I spotted Samuel standing near thedoors.

Shit!

I had completely forgotten about my hired shadow. Between this and the conversation with the DA, I was quickly learning that my grand master plan had way too many holes init.

Note to self…I’m terrible atscheming.

“Headed out, ma’am?” heasked.

“I’m just going to a doctor appointment,Sam.”

“I’ll pull the car around,” he told me and moved to press the down button for theelevator.

I had a sinking suspicion that he wasn’t referring to my Porsche that sat collecting dust in the parking garage. If I knew Alexander, he had assigned Samuel his own set of wheels. If that was the case, it could be very problematic. I couldn’t afford to have Samuel follow me. If I wanted to ditch his watchful eye, I’d have to getcreative.

“No, it’s okay. There’s no need for you to come along,” I told him in my most innocent voice. The coughing fits that had plagued me all morning were suddenly absent, so I faked one for addedeffect.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” he said hesitantly, as if he was unsure as to whether or not doctor appointments were in the rule book. “I’m going to have to clear that with Mr.Stone.”

And the plotthickens…

“He’s really busy today in meetings. I wouldn’t bother him. Besides, he’s the one who actually scheduled it for me,” I lied, but felt somewhat shocked at how easily it rolled off mytongue.

“Yes, ma’am. But I’m supposed to accompany you whenever you leave theoffice.”

“Sam,” I said and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. “I can assure you, Mr. Stone understands the importance of privacy when it comes to my doctor appointments. The doctor’s office is only a few blocks away, so I’m going to walk. Trust me, this is perfectlyokay.”

Yet another pang of guilt hit me, knowing I was taking advantage of the fact that Sam didn’t know the ropes yet. If he listened to me, I knew he would be in some serious hotwater.

“If you insist,” he said, but his voice was laced withdoubt.

It wasn’t until the elevator doors shut that I could breathe a sigh of relief. One thing was for certain – keeping up this charade was not going to be easy. I could only hope it would all be worth it in theend.

I hadn’t lied when I told Samuel my doctor was located just a few blocks down from Cornerstone Tower. However, it had been the only truthful statement I made during our brief conversation. I thought of that as I neared the embossed glass door of a building that read LifeCare Health Center. My doctors name, along with the many others in the practice, were listed beneath it. To me, each name was a representation of the many lies I had told over the past few hours. They were like a beacon for my deceit. I was almost grateful when the doors opened and a woman and a small boy exited onto thestreet.

I watched them as they scurried to the curb to hail a cab. The woman, whom I assumed to be the boy’s mother, turned to the boy and placed a woolen knit cap over his head. Dark ends, nearly black, stuck out beneath the winter head gear and I was reminded of Alexander’s hair color. The boy looked up at me, watching me with pale blue eyes, as I passed by them. For some reason, my conversation with Allyson during our shopping trip came tomind.

Babies.

The cold wind whipped around me and I shivered. However, I wasn’t sure if my shiver was from the frigid temperatures or from the trepidation I felt over having children. I shook my head. That was the last thing I needed to think about in thatmoment.

Get your head in the game,Cole.

Pulling my iPod from my purse, I popped a set of purple buds into my ears and listened to the sultry voice of Claire Guerreso as I continued on another four blocks. When I finally reached the building that held the District Attorney’s office, I was freezing. I stepped inside and rubbed my hands up and down my arms. My cheeks warmed, thawing from the cold of the outdoors. The winter temperature did little to help my sniffling and I had to stifle a sneeze. Looking around, I spotted a restroom just down the corridor that led to the DA’s office. I made a quick detour so that I could blow my nose and freshen up before mymeeting.

After popping a couple more cold medicine tablets into my mouth, I looked at my reflection in the mirror of the ladies’room.

Geez, Clive was right. I do lookterrible.

I ran a hand over my unruly curls in an attempt to smooth them out. I frowned when they refused to tame. Rather than fight it, I fastened a hair tie to create a lose ponytail at the nape of my neck. Digging into my purse, I pulled out my compact, added a bit of powder to my nose and freshened up my lipstick. I looked better, but notgreat.

A glance at the time on my cell phone screen said it was twenty-eight minutes after twelve. I had stalled long enough. It was showtime.

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