Page 28 of A Step You Shouldn't Take

“Reed Cullen’s here,” Kayla announced, poking her head into my office. She waggled her eyebrows and mouthed, “And heishot.”

Annie had gone with a client to look at dresses, so at least we could talk in private, and I’d cleared the visitor’s chair opposite my desk in preparation for his arrival.

“Would you show him through?”

Kayla backed away, and ten seconds later, Reed’s oversized frame darkened my doorway.

“Please, take a seat.”

“Coffee?” Kayla asked.

“I’ll have a cinnamon spice latte. Mr. Cullen?”

“Reed. Just plain black, please.”

See? Dull.

He settled back in the chair and crossed his ankles. Today, he’d worn a white T-shirt, so at least I didn’t have to worry about his buttons.

“You said there was news?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“Well? Is it good or bad?”

His face stayed impassive, and I couldn’t read his eyes. They were an unusual greyish blue, which looked strange with his dark hair.

“It’s not great,” he admitted. “I’ve tracked down the car.”

“But that’s good.” A tiny shake of his head said otherwise. “Why isn’t it good?”

He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. A photograph. No, two. He smoothed them out on the desk in front of me and pointed at the top picture.

“Here’s the vehicle with you in it, a half mile before the traffic lights.”

Whoa. I mean, I knew I’d been there, but seeing myself slumped in the car with a madman sent a shudder through me.

“And here it is from a different angle.”

“The registration’s blurry.”

“I’ve got an electronic copy that’s clearer.” He flipped the paper over. “Here’s the licence plate, zoomed in.”

“That doesn’t look like a Maryland plate.”

“It isn’t. It’s a diplomatic plate.”

“A diplomat? I was drugged and kidnapped by a freaking diplomat?”

“Sure seems that way.”

“That’s crazy! I mean, aren’t they supposed to be responsible?”

“You’d be surprised by the shit…stuff they get up to.”

“So what now? Can you find out who he is from the DMV?”

“The DMV doesn’t register diplomatic vehicles. The Office of Foreign Missions and its Regional Offices does that.”

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