Part 18 (1/2)

”That's not a good enough reason. What makes you so sure?”

”Nothing.”

”C'mon, Travis. You're a lot smarter than that.”

”You're right, I am,” he said with a defiant nod.

Sarah's smile disappeared. It was her turn to play a mind game on him. ”No, you're not smart at all. You were dumb enough to get caught, weren't you?”

”f.u.c.k you.”

”You'd like that, wouldn't you, Travis?” She glanced down at her chest. ”Do you want to take my picture? Get real nice and close to these?”

Kingslip began to squirm in his seat, the handcuffs around his wrists and ankles rattling the chair and table like a one-man earthquake. His sudden anger toward Sarah was colliding with his sick and perverted attraction to her.

”f.u.c.k you!” he said again, shouting it now.

”Why can't I find her, Travis?”

”f.u.c.k YOU!”

”Why? Tell me why!”

”BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM, b.i.t.c.h! THINK YOU'RE SMART! YOU AIN'T SO SMART!”

Sarah sprang up from her chair, bolting out of the room.

Her hunch was right.

Chapter 28

”FOLLOW ME! LET'S go, let's go!”

Sarah yelled it to every cop she raced past, from the hallway of the operations department down the stairs to the baggage claim area and out the double doors into the stifling heat. Not even police chief Trout knew where she was going.

But he was following just the same, weaving his way through the crowd, composed mostly of tourists, as fast as his former-Florida-State-linebacker frame would allow.

Nine, maybe ten cops had fallen in behind Sarah as they crossed the taxi and limo pickup lane outside the terminal.

Cars skidded to a halt, the drivers pounding on their horns. People nearby were either staring or scattering to get out of the way.

”Holy s.h.i.+t,” mouthed the guy working on the Avis lot, who barely looked old enough to drive. His booth was being invaded. Leading the way was a pretty woman who, well, looked like she wasn't wearing a bra.

”The trunks!” said Sarah, flas.h.i.+ng her badge. ”Open every car trunk on the lot!”