Page 30 of Double Take

“I sat on the floor and laughed.”

He huffed a short laugh. “What?”

“And then I called the cops, gave my report, and started cleaning. The anger fueled me. I was furious. Livid. Beyond livid. I don’t think a word has been invented for how angry I was at ... everything.”

“Understandable. But weren’t you healing from a bullet wound?”

“Yes, but it was the proverbial straw. And I swore I’d never be a victim again. So, if I start acting like one—” She shuddered. “I ... I just can’t.”

“Acting like a victim and playing it smart are two different things,” James said.

“Maybe, but I just don’t understand the point of it all. If the person’s goal is to get to me—I’m talking mentally, not necessarily physically—then I’m not going to let him do it. I’m just not.”

“Lainie...”

She shook her head and bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. Why this? Why now? But more importantly,who?

Familiar fury buzzed like bees in a hive, blocking rational thought and sending her heart rate off the charts. She had to get out of there before—

She stormed from the security office, breaths coming in fast pants, eyes sweeping the area and seeing nothing but friendly faces. Definitely nothis. And that was good, but...

Vaguely, she heard James calling her name, but she hurried on down the hallway, her only thought to get to her car and go home where she could fall apart. She couldn’t let James see her like this.No onecould see her like this.

Her chest ached and she pressed a hand to it. “Not now, not now.” She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d done this. Sometime before Adam’s death. But his death had seemed to end the attacks. And now, with an Adam look-alike haunting her, her physical symptoms were back.

The stairwell exit was just ahead, and she bolted toward it, hit the bar, and pushed through.

Footsteps echoed behind her, and she picked up her pace, made it to the door that opened into the parking garage. Someone else did too. She reached into her pocket for the mace that was never very far from her fingertips and spun. She lifted the small canister and froze. “James.”

What little breath she still had whooshed from her lungs, and she leaned against the nearest pole, fighting the breathless, heart-pounding panic.

He frowned and stepped closer. “It’s just me. I was calling your name. Why are you ignoring me?”

“Because I don’t want to talk to you!”

He reared back, and instant remorse nearly sent her to her knees.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t take my issues out on you.” She grabbed the key on the chain around her neck, then pulled in a deepbreath. The pressure on her chest had eased and she felt almost back to normal. Minus the fact that James had scared her spitless.

He caught her hand, and she let him pull it away from the necklace. “I was just worried,” he said. “I didn’t want you leaving alone.”

A blue four-door sedan backed out at the end of the row of cars and headed toward them and the exit ramp. Only it slowed as it drew closer. The passenger window lowered.

James pulled her behind the safety of another vehicle, but not before she got a look at the driver, who locked eyes with her and smiled.

“That’s him.” She tugged against James’ hold. “That’s him!”

The engine roared and the car sped away.

WITHIN SECONDS,James had a 911 operator on the line. He identified himself and his badge number, then spouted the information as well as a partial plate number on the vehicle. Only when he was assured that officers would be looking for the car did he hang up. He clipped the phone to his belt and walked to the parking spot the guy had backed from.

A white piece of paper lay on the concrete. He snapped several pictures of it with his phone, then turned to Lainie and showed her one of the photos. “This looks like it fell out of his car. It’s a dry-cleaning receipt dated yesterday. You heard of Hartwell Cleaners?”

She paled. “Yes. Adam used them on a regular basis. I picked up his clothes from there a couple of times on my way home from work. What’s going on, James?”

“I don’t know. I don’t suppose you have a pair of tweezers in your purse?”

She stood beside him, her expression a cross between dazed, confused, and furious. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen that look before. On anyone.

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