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.“You can put that on the seat next to you,” I suggest.But he shakes his head.“No.It wouldn’t be safe.”“Ryan, we’re in a public place.I’m here.I wouldn’t let anyone take it.”“You’re a girl,” he says.“You might not be able to stop it.”I start to smile, to crack a remark about how he seems to have forgotten how I handled Cujo, but I don’t.He’s far more agitated than I’ve ever seen him.“Has something happened?”He leans across the table.“I think someone’s been following me,” he whispers.“What?”“There was a guy outside my house last night.He stood across the boardwalk, by the dock on the bay.He thought no one noticed, but I saw him.He was looking at my house.”“Are you sure? Until this morning, I don’t think anyone knew about you, Ryan.I didn’t tell anyone and I’m pretty sure Trish didn’t.Mr.Frey knew nothing except your name and that you helped Trish run away.”Ryan shakes his head stubbornly.“I didn’t imagine it.He was there.”“Can you tell me what he looked like?”Ryan looks around as if to assure himself that we can’t be overheard.He glances over his shoulder, toward the door and freezes.“That’s him,” he gasps, the color draining from his cheeks.I follow his gaze.Special Agent Bradley is standing at the door to the café.He’s talking to the waiter, his eyes sweeping the interior.When he spots us, he smiles and points.“There they are,” he tells the waiter in a low voice.I listen carefully for the rest.“My family is right there.”I can hear Ryan’s heart pounding in his chest.My own heart is doing the same thing.His family? I have a very bad feeling as I glance at my watch.Williams is ten minutes late.When I left him, Donovan and Bradley were on their way up.What’s Bradley doing here now?I look over at Ryan and motion for him to come sit beside me, leaving the opposite chair for Bradley.Ryan gets up and moves stiffly around the table.I put my arm over his shoulder and squeeze.“It’s all right.I know who this is.” It’s only half a lie.But Ryan hears the unease in my voice.He lowers the book bag so it’s out of sight under the table.Bradley approaches.I figure his wide smile of greeting is deceptive, aimed more at anyone who might be watching than Ryan and me.I’m proven right when he takes the seat opposite me at the table and the smile vanishes.He reaches across and takes my hand.“We should be going, Anna,” he says, squeezing.“I have a car waiting out front.”I pull my hand back.“I don’t think so.Chief Williams is joining us.He would be upset if we left before he got here.”The waiter approaches with a coffee pot and an extra cup.Bradley waves him off with a frown that leaves no question as to its meaning-leave us alone.The waiter backs off.Bradley leans toward me again.“Williams isn’t coming,” he says.“He sent me.I’m supposed to bring you and the boy back to his office.He and Donovan are waiting for us there.”Ryan is watching Bradley.“Who is he?” he asks me.Bradley answers the question himself by producing his badge and ID.“FBI, son,” he says.“Special Agent Bradley.I understand you have evidence we can use to put some very bad men behind bars.Anna, here, has been helping us.Now it’s time you showed us what you have.”Ryan shifts in the seat, hands out of sight under the table.“Why were you at my house last night?”Bradley nods, a smile of approval touching his lips.“You’d make a good field officer, Ryan,” he says.“I didn’t think anyone saw me.”“You haven’t answered his question,” I interject.“Why were you at his house?”The smile evaporates when he looks at me.“Routine investigation.We found out where Trish went to school before she moved.We got a list of her friends.When you gave us the slip yesterday, we spent some time checking names on the list.I got Ryan.When I was convinced Trish wasn’t with him, I moved on.”It sounds so simple.And logical.I feel Ryan relax as he slumps a little, tension draining from his shoulders and neck.I feel no such relief.Something is wrong.Williams would never have sent Bradley to meet us without getting in touch first.Especially after our conversation this morning.I pull out my handbag and wallet, extracting a twenty [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]