“I can’t figure any other explanation,” Jason answered, still trying to process what the lawyer had told him.
“Whoever killed your partner had to first steal a knife from your house. And then, I would imagine, they needed to wait for the right moment.”
“At the time of the investigation, the F.B.I. agreed that whoever killed Dirk was someone he knew personally. Someone pissed off enough to stab him multiple times. Like I said before, Dirk had a different woman waiting for him in every city he visited. The detectives knew that. Hell, they would still be interviewing potential suspects if they hadn’t decided to pin his murder on me.”
“Whose idea was it to meet for drinks and discuss selling the business?”
“I don’t remember. And I’m not sure if it’s important.”
“Why not?”
“Since the instant Dirk was killed, the focus was put on me. During the investigation and at the trial…always on me.”
“Who should they have focused on?”
“Dirk,” he said. “It should have been about Dirk.”
She nodded her head in understanding.
“Investigators should have put their efforts into tracking who might want him dead. At the time, I thought Mike was working on researching Dirk’s finances and romantic interests, but obviously that didn’t happen.” Jason pointed to the next exit. “Get off there.”
She did as he said. He pointed to a strip mall and told her to park in the back where they couldn’t be seen from the main street. Once she found a parking spot and shut off the engine, he reached over and pulled out the keys.
“What are we doing?”
“It’s been a long day. It’s late. Time to get a few hours of shut eye and continue this before the sun comes up.”
He tossed the keys into the middle console, pushed the seat back as far as it would go, and then closed his eyes and went to sleep.
***
Angela watched Jason for a long while. She’d never known anyone who could fall asleep in the blink of an eye. She kept waiting for him to sense that she was staring at him and open his eyes, but that never happened. His breathing was deep and even. The man was down for the count.
Already feeling the chill creep in through every door and window, due to rotted insulation, no doubt, she rubbed her arms in an attempt to keep warm. Remembering the blanket and pillow she’d brought, she climbed into the backseat and made herself as comfortable as possible. From where she lay, she could see Jason’s profile.
She peered out the window into the dark and wondered what she was doing here. Not only was she cold, she was completely out of her comfort zone. But there was something about Jason Caldwell that compelled her to want to continue to help him. He was a desperate man, but she never once felt threatened. She’d tried to escape multiple times, and yet he’d never lashed out at her or made her feel as if she was in danger.
Call her crazy, but she believed in him.
Everything about him, his words and his actions, pointed to his innocence. If he were guilty, he wouldn’t be running toward the crime scene, he would have run for the hills. He certainly wouldn’t have come back to California right now. Not when every federal agent in the state would be after him. Maybe later when things calmed down. But definitely not now.
She was convinced that he was an innocent man. And even if he didn’t think so, he needed her help.
Chapter Ten
Jason woke up at 6:45 the next morning. His foot was numb and a crick in his neck made it difficult to sit up straight. The driver’s seat was empty, and so was the backseat.
Angela was gone.
He scrounged around for his hat and sunglasses, wondering where she would go without telling him. Just as he grabbed the keys, he saw her heading down an alleyway toward the parking lot.
He jumped out of the car and met her halfway. She was wearing a backpack and her hands were full. “Where did you run off to?”
Her smile disappeared.
“Someone could have seen you.”
“I’m wearing sunglasses and a hat. Nobody gave me a second look. Here, I brought you a coffee and a muffin.”
He took what she offered, but he wasn’t happy about it.
“You’ll never believe what I found out,” she went on happily.
“Listen,” Jason said, cutting her off. “I appreciate the coffee and the muffin, but I don’t think you understand the risk you’ve taken on my behalf. I had no idea you had left the vehicle. If someone had seen you and followed you back here, it would all be over. No second chance for me. I’d be on my way back to prison. Only this time things would be different. Lockdown. Isolation. No more human contact. Ever.”
“I’m sorry. I was only trying to help.”
He walked back to the car, and she followed.
Jason hadn’t realized how hungry he was until he swallowed the first bite of muffin once they were back inside the car. The coffee was good and hot, warming his insides. He looked over at Angela, but she was staring out the window again. “I didn’t mean to jump on you. I’m sorry.”
“No big deal.”