Kitabı oku: «Holiday Amnesia», sayfa 3
FOUR
Robin paced the small motel room while the news played clips of the lab burning in the background. She’d watched it intently, hoping to spark some sort of recognition, but the yawning black hole in her memory never closed. When the reporter continued to say the same thing she’d said five minutes ago, Robin had finally shut the sound off.
Toby hadn’t yet returned with her clothes, so she’d wrapped herself in the snuggly robe she’d been surprised to find hanging on the back of the bathroom door.
Amber looked up from the table in the corner. “You took a hard hit to the head. You should probably be resting.”
“I can’t rest. I need to think, but my thoughts are so jumbled.” Robin pressed a hand to her pounding head.
“You have a concussion. I’m sure that’s part of it.”
“So, after I heal from the concussion, will I remember what happened?”
“I don’t think anyone can tell you that. I suppose time will help. What did the doctor say?”
“That time will help.” She shot her new friend a rueful smile. Then frowned. “Unfortunately, I don’t think I have a lot of time.”
Lights flickered behind her eyes. She blinked, then lowered her lids as she sat on the edge of the bed. No, not lights. Flames. Smoke. Choking her. She gasped and opened her eyes.
Amber stood, brows drawn in concern. “Are you okay?”
Robin raked a hand through her drying hair. “Yes. I think I just... I don’t know. Remembered the fire. Maybe.”
“Anything else?”
“Choking on the smoke. Feeling like I couldn’t breathe.”
“I would think that’s normal. You were trapped, right?”
“I... Yes. I mean, I think so.” She frowned. “Was I?”
“That’s what Toby said. He said you broke the window out of one of the bathrooms and escaped that way.”
“Then I guess that’s true.” She pressed her palms against her eyes, then lowered them with a sigh. “So, what do you do when you’re not guarding people?”
Amber smiled. “I take care of my family. I have a nine-year-old son and a one-year-old daughter.”
“I’m taking you away from your family. I’m so sorry!” Remorse had a bitter taste.
“Hey, it’s okay, really,” Amber said, her voice low and soothing. “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to help out and I’m glad to do it.”
“Still...”
“No, not ‘still.’ It’s fine, I promise.”
Robin sighed. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Any big Christmas plans?” Amber asked.
Was the change of subject an attempt to get Robin’s mind off everything? Possibly. “No big plans.” At least she didn’t think so. If this Christmas followed true to the pattern of past ones, she would be curled up somewhere on a sofa watching It’s a Wonderful Life. “I suppose my plan is to stay alive to see Christmas.”
“An excellent plan.”
“What about you? Any favorite Christmas traditions?”
“Mmm,” Amber said. “Yes. My family loves Christmas. We usually gather at my parents’ house, eat too much, watch football, play some football if the weather cooperates, take a horse ride, play in the snow...” She shrugged. “Stuff like that.”
“Sounds idyllic,” Robin said softly. Sounded exactly what she’d always dreamed of Christmas being—but not one she’d ever experienced. Longing welled and she cleared her throat. “Toby said you were in law enforcement before. What branch?”
“I used to work for one of the government agencies.”
“So, you’d rather not say.”
Amber gave her a faint smile. “Not unless it will help you feel better.”
“You don’t have to tell me.” She figured it was probably the CIA or something like that. “Do you miss it?”
The woman shrugged and glanced out the window before turning back. “Sometimes. But I’d miss my family more if I were still working, so I help out some friends who are still active every now and then.”
“Like Toby?”
“Like Toby.”
Robin pressed a hand against her aching head. “I wonder where he is.”
Toby stashed the bag in the back seat and scanned the area one more time. The guy was gone, and Toby started to wonder if he’d been overreacting in the store.
When his phone rang, he yanked it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. “Yeah, Ben, what’s up?” He turned his attention to the parking lot, the cars leaving and arriving, the people loading their bags. The guy’s car was still in its spot.
“The fire at the lab’s been ruled arson.”
He walked to the back of the vehicle and noted the license plate. “That didn’t take long.”
“ATF guys found bomb materials. They’ve been shifting through everything with the dogs.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised.” In fact, he would have been surprised to hear otherwise.
“So, right now, we’re looking for someone who has the motive to blow it up,” Ben said. “What was going on in there that someone wanted to get rid of?”
“I’ve already passed on to you everything I know.” Which hadn’t been much. Ben already had the background on all of the employees, including as much personal information that Toby had been able to dig up.
“Hold on a second,” Ben said. “I’ve got a text coming through.”
While Ben checked his messages, Toby did a three-sixty, still on high alert. There was nothing there to alarm him and yet he couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. He pushed the cart to join the others in the designated area.
“Toby?” Ben was back on the line.
“Yeah?” He headed back to his truck, his nerves itching.
“Alan Roberts and another man were found dead at the scene. They both had bullet holes in them.”
“Great. Just great. Who’s the other guy?”
“Not sure. They’re still trying to ID him. May have to use dental records.”
“Alan has a family,” Toby said softly. “And a little girl fighting leukemia.”
“Oh boy.” Ben sighed.
“Yeah.” Toby frowned and took another look around the parking lot. It was busy, with a steady stream of people. “Once we know the identity of the other guy, maybe we’ll know why they were killed.”
“I hope to have that information soon. How’s Robin?”
“Hanging in there, but she doesn’t remember anything that happened at the lab.”
“Nothing?”
“No. Seems like she’s lost the last six months of her life at the moment.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I wish.”
“Fabulous.” Ben paused. “We need her to remember.”
“I know, but right now, she’s so stressed and shaken, I don’t see that happening any time soon. And pushing her isn’t going to help. The doctor said to let her heal and feel safe, and the memories should start to return.”
“Toby...if someone tried to kill her because of something she saw, we may not have time to let her feel safe.”
“I’m working on that part.”
“Yeah. Okay. I guess we don’t have a choice. Stay low and keep your head down until I get back to you.” He paused. “In the meantime, you find her that safe quiet spot to heal. The faster the better.”
“Already thought of that.”
“I thought you might have. Where will you be?”
“Wrangler’s Corner. It’s small and close-knit. If any strangers show up, I’ll know it.”
Ben fell silent. “That might not be a bad idea. Plus, you have law enforcement friends and family there.”
“I do.” The law enforcement friends were in-laws, but he counted them as family.
“All right. But let me know immediately if she remembers anything. She’s not safe if she can’t tell us who did this—and why.”
“I know, Ben.”
“I know you do,” his friend said. “This thing’s got me rattled. I never saw this coming.”
“I didn’t either.” Toby kept his head on a swivel, goosebumps pebbling his arms, the air shifting. “When I get back to the hotel, I’m going to send you a picture of a guy. See if you can identify him, will you?”
“Sure.”
“Look, I’ve gotta go. I don’t like being out in the open like this. Talk to you later.”
“Be safe.”
“That’s the plan.” Toby hung up and placed his hand on the door handle.
A footfall sounded behind him. He started to turn when something hard pressed against the base of his skull.
Toby froze. The man had been watching. Waiting for him to get off the phone, then striking quickly.
“Where is she?” a low voice demanded.
“Who?”
“You know who. Robin Hardy. Where is she?”
“Who wants to know?”
The gun pressed harder. “I’m not playing, man!”
“I’m not either.” Toby bent his knees and dropped in one controlled movement. The gun slid away from his head. In a crouched position, he spun and kicked out, connecting with the man’s knee.
His attacker yelled but instead of pulling away, he surged forward and struck out, catching Toby on the cheek with a hard fist. Toby’s head snapped back and pain vibrated through him, but he kept his feet beneath him.
“What’s going on over there?”
The shout startled him and he stumbled back two steps, just in time to avoid the second punch headed for his face. He grabbed the swinging arm and shoved. The man went to his knees, rolled to his feet and bolted toward the back of the parking lot.
Pounding footsteps from the opposite direction grabbed Toby’s attention. A man in a uniform reached him. Another swept past him in pursuit of the fleeing attacker. “Are you okay?”
Toby touched a hand to his cheek. “Yeah, I think so.”
“What happened?”
“I got jumped. Let your partner know the guy is armed.”
The officer did so while backing away from Toby. “If you’re okay, I’m going to go give him backup.”
“Go.”
“I’ll be back to take your statement,” he called over his shoulder.
Toby didn’t plan to be around for that. He snagged his keys from the asphalt, climbed into his vehicle and headed for the motel. If whoever was after Robin had found him, it was very possible they would soon find Robin. Time to run.
Robin had dozed sitting upright on the bed, her head against the cushioned headboard. When the door opened, she jerked awake, setting off a pounding in her skull. Ignoring it, she swung her feet to the floor and tightened the sash on the shin-length robe.
Amber stood at the door and hit the deadbolt after Toby shut it behind him. “Did you get what you needed?” Amber asked.
“Yes, but we’re going to have to take off. Someone attacked me in the parking lot of the store.” He set an overnight bag on the bed.
Robin gasped. “Your cheek! Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but if they found me there, it’s possible they could track us here.”
“How?” Amber asked.
“I don’t know. I checked the truck for tracking devices, but I could have missed it.”
“Not you,” Amber said. “What about your phone?”
“It’s not traceable.”
“Everything is,” she said. “Even that one.”
He frowned. “That would take some pretty high-tech equipment.”
“And until we know who you’re dealing with, you need to assume they have access to that equipment. You need to ditch it. We’ll stop and get you another one on the way.”
His frown stayed put, but he nodded.
Robin watched the exchange with a curious detachment. They were obviously good friends.
“Are you a cop, too?” she asked Toby. “I mean, Amber told me she used to work for some government agency, but what about you?”
Toby stilled. “No. I’m not a cop. Although...” He paused. “I have a lot of friends with the FBI.”
“Why do I have a feeling it’s more than that?” she murmured.
Amber lifted a brow and shot Toby a look Robin couldn’t decipher.
Toby sighed. “Although I’m not with an official law enforcement agency, I’ve—we’ve—both had some training. And we’re going to keep you safe, all right?”
She nodded, but something flickered in her midsection. Not fear of Toby, but more of a wariness...an anger? But why? He’d saved her life and was continuing to do so. The feelings didn’t fit. Or was her subconscious trying to tell her something?
Toby motioned to the bag that held her clothes and other items she’d requested. “Hurry, we need to get going.”
Robin grabbed the bag and slipped into the bathroom. She found the clothes and pulled them on. They weren’t a perfect fit but close enough. Next, she downed one of the prescription pills for pain and used the brush to gently force her hair into some semblance of style. She settled for a loose ponytail that didn’t pull at her wound.
She was ready. She hoped. Taking a precious peaceful moment, she shut her eyes and drew in a deep breath. Then tried to force herself to remember the explosion.
Heat. Flames. Smoke. Terror.
The knock on the door jarred a gasp from her and she opened her eyes while her heart pounded fast and furious. From the knock or the blips of memory? “I’m coming.”
She opened the door to find Toby holding his car keys. “You okay?” he asked.
“Okay might be pushing it, but I’m ready to go.”
His eyes darkened with an emotion she couldn’t identify. And wasn’t sure she wanted to. She was already drawn to this man who’d saved her, but the twinge of...something...that she felt toward him every so often cautioned her to hold herself distant until she could figure it out. She slipped past him and into the room.
Amber stood guard at the window. “I’m going to follow you back to Wrangler’s Corner,” she said to Toby. “Wait, a car just pulled in the parking lot and slowed when it drove past yours.”
“I parked several doors down. They won’t know what room we’re in.”
She held out a hand. “Give me your keys and your phone.”
“Why? What are you thinking?”
“Change of plans. I’m going to drive a circuitous route and you guys are going to take my car and phone back to Wrangler’s Corner.”
“Amber—”
“If someone managed to plant a tracking device on your truck, we need to throw them off. I’ll leave it at a bus station, grab a ticket to Nashville, then rent a car and drive to Wrangler’s Corner.”
Toby nodded. “Tell us when he’s gone and we’ll go together.” He and Amber swapped keys and phones.
Robin stood, bag over her shoulder, ready to act when signaled to do so.
When he tugged on her hand, she followed him to a new blue Tahoe and climbed into the passenger seat. Toby scrambled behind the wheel and within seconds, they were turning right out of the parking lot. Robin could see Amber in her side mirror driving Toby’s black Ford F-150. The woman turned left.
Robin watched until she couldn’t see Amber any longer and never saw anyone who looked like they were following her—or them.
“You can rest now if you want. It’s only about thirty minutes to Wrangler’s Corner.”
Since her head was protesting in spite of the medication, Robin didn’t argue. She closed her eyes and prayed she was making the right decisions, trusting the right people. Because if she was wrong, she was as good as dead.
FIVE
Toby pulled into his sister’s driveway with one last glance in his rearview mirror. He’d been on high alert the entire way, and at no time had he seen anything that worried him. While relieved for the moment, he wouldn’t drop his guard.
The front of the house shouted that children lived there with small riding toys and a pair of roller skates parked under the wicker table on the front porch. Christmas lights hanging around the perimeter of the door blinked a welcome while the wreath in the center proclaimed Merry Christmas in big red letters.
As a child, Toby had hated Christmas thanks to his dysfunctional family situation. Now, he looked forward to it as much as his nieces did. Which reminded him he still had some Christmas shopping to do.
His sister, Zoe, stepped outside and wrapped her coat tighter around her. The smile that seemed permanently attached to her lips since marrying the town’s veterinarian, Aaron Starke, beamed in his direction. Toby climbed out of the Tahoe and went to hug her, then turned and waved for Robin to join them.
Robin opened the door and stepped out next to the SUV, looking unsure and fragile.
“Come meet my sister, Zoe,” Toby said. His brother-in-law joined them dressed in his warm winter coat, carrying his medical bag in one hand and his gloves in the other. “And her husband, Aaron.” He shook hands with the man. “Sorry to get here so late.”
“Not a problem,” Aaron said, setting his bag on the wooden floor of the porch and pulling on his gloves. “I was just getting ready to head over to the Wilsons’. They’ve got a foal who’s having some issues, and Bud’s worried.” He nodded to Robin and grabbed his bag. “It’s good to meet you. Y’all make yourselves at home and I look forward to talking when we have more time.”
“Thank you.”
Aaron kissed his wife and headed for the truck parked near the barn.
Zoe rubbed her hands together. “So, come on in. We’ve got rooms ready for you.”
“Wait a minute,” Robin said. “We can’t stay here.”
“Why?” Toby asked, frowning. “What’s the problem?”
“B-because we just can’t. What if—” She broke off and bit her lip.
Toby placed a hand on her upper arm. “Excuse us a second, sis.”
“Sure,” Zoe said. “Just come on in whenever you’re ready.”
Once his sister was inside, Toby turned to Robin. “What is it? We need you in a safe place. This is about as safe as it gets.”
She rubbed a hand across her forehead and he could tell her head was hurting. “But that’s just it. It might not be safe. At least not for them. And I’m not willing to put your family in danger.”
Toby breathed a sigh of relief. “Is that what’s bothering you?”
“Of course. Doesn’t it bother you?”
He paused. “If I really thought I’d be bringing trouble to Zoe and her family, there’s no way I’d risk it, but no one followed us here. I got rid of my truck and my phone so no one could track us. I really think we’ll be all right.”
“But—”
The door opened. “Sorry, I couldn’t help overhearing,” Zoe said.
“Eavesdropping you mean?” Toby asked.
She waved a hand in dismissal. “Whatever. Come inside for just a minute where it’s warm so we can discuss this without freezing.” Once inside she turned to Robin. “We want to help. I promise we can handle whatever comes our way.”
Robin pressed fingers against her temples. “I appreciate it, I really do.” To Toby, she said, “But I just... I can’t put them in possible danger. If something were to happen, I’d never forgive myself.”
“If it helps, we’re not going to be here anyway. We’re leaving tomorrow shortly after breakfast to go on a little mini vacation. You can use one of the guest cottages,” Zoe said. “Toby stayed in one for a while before moving to work at the university. The one right next to it is fully furnished and comfortable. And vacant. Toby can stay in his cottage and you can stay in the other. Both cottages even have some nonperishable food there you can snack on.”
“Will that be okay, Robin?” Toby asked.
“I... Yes. That’ll be fine. Thank you.”
“Great. Let me just get the keys.”
Zoe left and Robin clasped her arms to her stomach, the lost look on her face just about doing him in. Toby held still, not allowing himself to go to her. She was a case. He was there to protect her and help her remember.
And he had to keep his heart out of it.
Those last words were ones he’d been preaching to himself from the moment he’d realized she had nothing to do with anything illegal going on at the lab. His head was willing to listen to the sermon; his heart was in compete rebellion.
“What are we going to do?” she asked. “I can’t hide here forever.”
“Not forever. Just long enough for your memory to come back so you can tell the police what happened at the lab.”
“What if it doesn’t?” she cried. “What if I can’t remember? What if—” A sob slipped from her.
The tears did him in. He slipped his arms around her and she let her head drop to his shoulder just as Zoe stepped back into the room. “Aw, come on, Robin, it’s going to be okay. We’ll figure it out.”
“Before someone else gets hurt?” she mumbled.
“That would be best, yeah.” He lifted his gaze and locked on Zoe’s very expressive eyes. Toby simply stared at her. She cleared her throat and Robin pulled away.
She swiped under her eyes, then her cheeks and sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry for,” Toby said. “I think you’ve earned the right to have a good cry.”
A low laugh escaped her, but it lacked humor. “Maybe so. But tears never solved anything.”
“You ready to see your temporary home?” Zoe asked.
“Sure.” Robin’s shoulders straightened and she blew out a breath. “That would be great. I...ah...don’t have any money right now, but I can pay you as soon as I—”
“We’re not worried about that.”
“Unca Toby! You here!” He turned just in time to catch the little two-year-old missile who launched herself into his arms.
“Gracie, you’re not supposed to be out of bed,” Zoe gently scolded her daughter.
Gracie wrapped her arms around Toby’s neck tight enough to choke him. “Unca Toby. Mine.”
“Let go, monkey, you’re choking me,” he said.
She loosened her hold and patted the pocket on the front of his T-shirt, then jammed her hand in. “No candy?”
The befuddled expression on her face almost made him laugh in spite of everything. “No candy tonight. Sorry, kiddo.”
Her lip poked out, then she rubbed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. “Talk an’ walk, pweese.”
Zoe bit her lip and held out her hands as though to take the child from Toby. “I’ll just put her back in bed and then we’ll head over to the cottages and get you settled.”
But Gracie was having none of it. “No! Want Unca Toby! No, Mommy!”
With pursed lips and a furrowed brow, Zoe looked at her child in exasperation.
Toby shook his head. “Robin, are you okay if I handle this?”
She blinked, looking tired and dazed and he felt guilty for even asking. “Of course.” Then her eyes softened and she smiled. “I’ll be fine for a few more minutes.”
“I can just show Robin to her place while you take care of my strong-willed child,” Zoe offered.
“No,” Toby said swiftly. “I’d rather you not. I don’t want to leave her alone right now.”
His sister hesitated, her gaze bouncing back and forth between the two of them. She finally sighed. “Fine. In the interests of time and to avoid a complete meltdown, it will be easier to let her have her way this time.”
“Exactly,” Toby said. He winked and turned his attention to Gracie while Zoe linked her arm with Robin’s and led her to the kitchen. “Let’s get you some water and a bite to eat if you’re hungry. He won’t be long. He’s like a baby whisperer or something.”
Toby chuckled and started a silly monologue that would put Gracie to sleep within minutes. But while he paced and talked, his mind churned.
What if Robin couldn’t remember what happened at the lab? How would they go about finding the killer? They needed a plan and soon.
Twenty minutes later, he walked into the kitchen to find Robin and Zoe sitting and talking. To say Robin looked tired was an understatement. The strain around her mouth said she was at the end of her rope. The concern on Zoe’s features said she was thinking the same thing.
He forced a smile to his lips. “She’s out. Robin, are you ready?”
“Yes, please. Zoe very graciously offered to let me lie down, but I’m afraid once I do, I won’t be able get up for a while.”
“That’s no problem.” Zoe stood and gathered a few items from her refrigerator and dropped them into a plastic bag. “I’ve got the keys and some chicken salad and fruit. Let’s go.”
Toby plucked the keys and the food from his sister’s fingers. “I’ve got this. You make sure the little one doesn’t wake up and come looking for you.”
Zoe rolled her eyes but nodded. “Fine. If you need anything, you know where to find me.”
Toby nodded. “Now,” he said to Robin. “We can go get you settled.”
Settled would be nice. Because Robin had been unsettled ever since she’d awakened in the back of Toby’s car. And maybe if she was able to sleep, some of the pounding in her head would ease. Toby drove her the short distance to the cabin and unlocked the front door for her. “Here it is. Home sweet home. Let me give you the tour.”
“I think I can probably find my way around.”
“Humor me. It won’t take long.”
She gave him a tired smile.
“You’re standing in the living area,” he said. “Kitchen and laundry to the right. In the refrigerator, you’ll find water bottles, soda and probably some chocolates. In the pantry, there are crackers and other nonperishables that will keep you from starving. We’ll go to the grocery store in the morning or raid Zoe’s fridge.”
Robin nodded to the bag in his hand. “I think she already raided it.”
“True enough.” He set the bag on the counter. “Bedroom and bath to the left. Through the sliding glass doors in the living area is the deck that overlooks the new man-made lake.”
“It’s lovely. And it’s so clean. I didn’t think anyone was using this during the winter.”
“They’re not. Aaron and Zoe have a cleaning crew that comes in after guests leave in the summer and twice a month during the winter to keep the cottages fresh.” He smiled. “Because sometimes they get a winter guest or two and want to be prepared.”
She set her bag on the sofa. “I really appreciate this, Toby. Please be sure Zoe knows.”
“She knows.” He walked to the door. “Come here.”
“What?” Robin stepped over next to him and he pointed.
“See that cabin right there next to yours?”
“Yes.”
“That’s where I’ll be.” He turned back her. “You have your phone, you also have a landline on the wall in the kitchen. Your back door opens up to mine. The cabins are exactly the same, just opposite floor plans. If anything happens, I’ll be right here.”
“Okay.”
“And one more thing.” He pointed to the box on the wall next to the door. “This is an intercom system that works between cabins. Zoe and Aaron just put it in last year. Cell phone reception is usually okay, but if the weather gets bad or a cloud gets too low or a bird flies just right, it can turn spotty.”
“You’re being sarcastic, I think.”
He shot her a quirky grin. “Yeah. You never know when you’re going to have service and when you’re not. Aaron and Zoe have a satellite phone just in case. But at least with the intercoms, there’s no problem with us communicating.”
“What if the power goes out?”
“There’s a generator. It automatically kicks in.”
“That’s comforting.”
“Good. Now, why don’t you get some sleep while I head over and check out my digs?”
“All right. Thank you. For everything.”
“Of course.” He reached for the doorknob and hesitated.
“What?” she asked.
“I just—”
“Just what?”
“Nothing. Your medicine is in the side pocket of your bag if you need it.”
“Okay.”
Once he was gone, she locked the door and immediately felt the press of loneliness. As a child growing up in foster homes, she was familiar with the feeling. She hadn’t liked it then and she didn’t like it now. Tears threatened once more, but instead of letting them fall, she closed her eyes and tried to visualize the lab where Toby said she’d worked. She started with test tubes, then beakers, then a table.
The room flashed in her mind. A poster warning of hazardous materials in the area hung on a white cabinet. The choking smell of smoke.
She gasped and opened her eyes while her head began to pound a nauseating beat. She stumbled to the couch and grabbed her bag, shook a pill into her hand and tossed it back dry with only one thing on her mind.
Sleep.
Because she was safe. For now.
Twenty minutes later, as she turned the bedside lamp off and pulled the covers to her chin, she decided she was fooling herself. Because until the man—or men—who’d burned down the lab and tried to kill her was caught, she doubted she’d be safe anywhere for any length of time.
Toby paced the small area of his cottage, his mind racing, heart pounding. The fact that he couldn’t figure out how they’d tracked him to the store bothered him. A lot. He was trained to know that. Either he’d missed a tracking device—which was entirely possible since he didn’t have anything but his eyes and hands to search with—or it had to have been his phone. But that shouldn’t have been possible. At least not for the average or even above average person.
But if they’d tracked him via his “untraceable” phone, that meant the people after Robin were more dangerous than he’d originally thought. Not that he hadn’t taken them seriously, but this new information altered things. It would change the way he planned to protect Robin. Because if the guys looking for Robin were as good as they appeared to be, she wasn’t as safe as he’d hoped. And that set his nerves more on edge, cranking up his adrenaline.
Using Amber’s phone, he’d sent the picture of his store stalker to Ben with a request to figure out who the guy was. It was good to know his instincts were still on target. And while the man had escaped, maybe the picture would connect him back to whoever had blown up the lab and was trying to kill Robin.
He glanced at Robin’s cottage and noted the lights appeared to be out except for the one over the kitchen sink. He hoped she was sleeping. She was going to need it.
Toby settled himself on the couch and closed his eyes. Unfortunately, they wouldn’t stay that way. The cottage felt too empty. While he was comfortable with that emptiness, he’d never liked being alone. He supposed he should be used to it by now. He lived alone in his little house near the university, but with the constant activity on campus, he never felt alone. He simply had to step outside and take a seat on his porch and someone he knew would eventually come along and join him for a cup of coffee and conversation.
Taken from his home and placed in foster care as a teen, he’d always been the outsider, desperately trying to fit in—and never quite making it happen. Until Ben had recruited him to work for the CIA. From a troubled teen with a chip on his shoulder to one of the top operatives in the CIA, Toby had come a long way and he knew it. He just hoped all of the skills he’d acquired along the way would serve him well now in protecting Robin.
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