Melinda Lorenzo - Captivating Witness

She closed her eyes for a second, considering whether or not the bump on her head was making her short-term memory fuzzy. A strong possibility. When she lifted her lids again, he’d turned back to the road, and all she could see now was his profile. She had to admit to a weird stab of disappointment that she couldn’t stare at him for a bit longer.

Apparently the bump didn’t affect your libido, she thought sarcastically.

Reggie fought the need to study him further, knowing full well that she should be worried about what he planned to do with her rather than be distracted by his looks. She had no clue where they were headed or what his intentions were. Something in her gut told her she could trust him, but at the moment, she wasn’t sure she should rely on the instinct. If someone had asked her twenty minutes earlier whether or not Chuck was a good guy, she probably would’ve said yes without even considering another answer.

She fought a shiver as the memory of his furious tone came back to her. The man in the front seat was a far better option than being back there. He had to be.

At least until I’m far away from Chuck. That’s all that matters right this second.

Except as quickly as the thought came, it was replaced with the realization that it wasn’t quite true. In her panicked run, she’d forgotten all about the man on the other end of the gun.

“Oh, my God!” she gasped.

The man in the front seat tossed a concerned look over his shoulder. “What’s the matter?”

“We have to go back!”

“What?”

“The man...the other one...” She tried to push up to a sitting position, but a wave dizziness hit her, overriding the worry and guilt and keeping her in place. “Oh, God.”

“Take it easy.”

She shook her head, making the dizziness even worse. “I can’t.”

“Just give yourself a minute. Breathe.”

Reggie closed hers eyes and took his advice, her mind reeling. What had happened to the other man? Could he possibly have lived? Should she be calling someone for help? Probably. Yes. Definitely, actually.

But who?

Clearly the police were out of the question.

“We have to go back,” she said again, this time in a mumble.

“I get the feeling that would be a bad idea.”

“We have to. I have to.”

“We’re over halfway to my cabin.”

“Your cabin?”

“Wasn’t sure where else to take you.”

“Oh.”

“You need to tell me something?”

She chewed her lip nervously, trying to decide what to say. “Someone’s life might depend on whether or not I go back.”

He met her gaze in the rearview mirror, and he didn’t look as startled as she thought he should. “And your life?”

“What?”

“That cop back there...”

Those four words were enough to make Reggie’s heart beat at double time, and her hands tightened on the blanket. “Yes. That’s Chuck Delta.”

“Well, Officer Delta had your shoe.”

Reggie glanced down at her feet, then recalled one of the slip-ons had fallen off during her hasty escape. And it wasn’t exactly good news that it was now in Chuck’s possession. But even that wasn’t the most pressing of her issues right then. She needed to help the victim. If he could still be helped.

“Bad time to play Cinderella,” the big man pointed out, then sighed when she didn’t respond. “All right. You tell me where you need me to go and I’ll circle back.”

“The Frost Family Diner.”

“Got it. But the second I see anything I think is dangerous, I’m hitting the gas. That includes running into the cop again.”

Reggie breathed out, glad he’d conceded, even with his conditions. “Okay.”

She closed her eyes, letting the rhythm of the tires under her back lull her. After a few silent moments, though, one of his statements came back to her.

His cabin.

And finally she placed him.

“Tuesday, table five. Two eggs, over easy, dry toast,” she said, opening her eyes again.

A smile tipped up both sides of his mouth and showed a row of nice even teeth before his gaze went back to the front windshield. “I usually go by Max. But that works, too.”

Reggie felt her face warm. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. It’s not like customers wear name tags.” His teasing gaze found hers in the mirror again. “Actually, I’m kinda flattered you remembered my meal.”

“You left one of the girls a twenty-dollar tip when she complained about the price of diapers. She talked about it—and you and your plans to start a bed-and-breakfast—for an hour after.”

“Ah. My wanton display of wealth. Should’ve known.”

“Generosity with no strings,” she corrected, then blushed a little more at how emphatic she sounded.

“Always glad to help,” he said with another glance at her in the mirror. “Never any strings.”

She sensed a question in the words, and she wasn’t sure what it was. Which made it even harder to answer. After a moment, she settled on something easy.

“Thank you. For picking me up and for taking me back, too.”

He replied just as simply. “You’re welcome. And speaking of which...we’re here.”

She fought the dizziness and propped herself up to look out the window. The street was eerily empty. And even though she knew it was because Jesse Garibaldi owned the whole block and all the owners were probably just getting ready for his party, it still made her shiver. Even the familiar sight of her family’s restaurant couldn’t help her shake her unease.

“See anything you don’t like?” Max asked.

“I don’t see anything at all,” she admitted. “But I still don’t like it. Could you drive around to the alley?”

“Sure.”

Very slowly, he guided the car to the end of the road. Reggie didn’t have to strain to see that it was as empty as the street.

Unless there’s a body behind the Dumpster.

She swallowed nervously and reached for the door handle.

“What are you doing?” Max demanded immediately.

“I need to get out and check.”

“Check what?”

Ignoring his question—mostly because she wasn’t sure she could answer without panicking again—she pushed open the door. From the front seat, the big man muttered something unintelligible, and before Reggie could even get both feet on the ground, he’d flung open his own door and made his way to her side of the car.

He positioned himself in front of her, arms crossed over his wide chest as he repeated, “Check what?”

She met his gaze as steadily as she could manage with her head swimming the way it was and made herself say the words. “Check for a body.”

Max’s eyes widened, then darkened as he shook his head. “We’re not checking for a body.”

“We have to.”

“Body checking is a police job.”

“Unless the police created the body.”

“Chuck?”

Reggie nodded, wincing at the sharp pain the motion caused. “There was a gun and another man and cop or not... I’m sure it wasn’t something legal.”

“Then you definitely shouldn’t be checking.”

“I have to, Max. What if the other guy is still alive and needs help?”

His mouth twisted like he wanted to argue, but after a second, he just shook his head again. “I’ll go.”

“No.”

“The second you step out of the car, you’re going to fall over. What’s going to happen if someone is back there, and he’s not happy to see you?”

Reggie wanted to protest that she wasn’t anywhere near falling down, but it would’ve been a lie. Her head definitely didn’t feel right. But she wasn’t excited about the idea of him risking himself either. Not for her sake.

She swallowed. “I don’t think it’s very safe.”