***
Angela sped toward the area where she’d exited the warehouse. Besides the constant shriek of the alarm, she could hear police sirens in the distance. Despite what Jason had said about leaving him behind, she couldn’t do it. She needed to get him out of there. She came to a screeching halt in front of the building just as a shot rang out from inside the warehouse.
She opened the glove compartment and reached for the gun. Dread crept over her as her finger settled over the trigger. In the rearview mirror, she glimpsed the man she’d hit with the flashlight coming for her.
Her foot hovered over the gas pedal, ready to take off the moment Jason showed up. Just then, the solid metal doors swung open and Jason jumped inside the car.
She sped off, tires screeching before he could get the door shut. A figure sprinting through the doors took aim at Jason’s retreating figure.
“Get down!” Angela shouted.
Shots were fired, but they were already too far away for the bullets to do any harm. Thank God.
***
Neither of them said a word until they were sure they were out of danger. Once Angela merged onto US 50 West, headed toward Sacramento, Jason pulled the cell phone out of the glove box and made a call.
Colin answered on the first ring. “Where are you guys?”
“Why?”
“Sophie called to let me know that police are all over her mother’s house. She’s being questioned.”
“Nice of her to let you know.”
“Yeah, it was. I was able to get my hands on a few thousand dollars, and she was bringing it to you. We’re both trying to help you, so what’s your problem? I know you’re upset that she’s living with me, but you’ve been gone for eight years. What did you expect?”
“I need to know if Sophie was ever pregnant.”
“What?”
“You heard me. After I was locked up, was Sophie pregnant with Dirk’s child?”
“No. Why are you asking?”
“Let’s just say I think you better start sleeping with one eye open.”
“I don’t like what you’re implying.”
“I don’t suppose you do.”
“She’s my wife, Jason. Has been for three years.”
“Funny, I didn’t see a ring on her finger.”
“We agreed it would be best for me to give you the news.”
“Well, congratulations, old friend. We’ll talk soon.” Jason hung up the phone.
Angela had gotten as far as 65th Street when he told her to take the next exit and turn around.
“Why, what’s going on?”
“The house we were staying at is no longer safe.”
“So where to now?”
“Mom’s house.”
“Your mom?”
He nodded. “Take 50 East via the ramp toward South Lake Tahoe, then get off on Watt Avenue.”
“I heard a shot ring out,” Angela told him. “Please tell me you weren’t hit.”
He examined the backpack before reaching inside. He pulled both computers out at once. A bullet was lodged in the middle of one of the laptops. “Saved my life,” he said.
“I can’t believe you got out of there alive.”
Taking a deep breath, he opened the other laptop. As soon as he saw the black and silver sticker on the left hand corner, he let out a laugh.
“You didn’t know that was your computer until now?”
“I had no idea. The alarms went off right just as I reached the end of the shelf. These were the last two. I shoved them into the backpack and took off.”
Angela shook her head. After a moment, she said, “I thought you said your mother’s house was crawling with cops.”
“It is. I was going to have to find a way to get in there either way. Better sooner than later.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I can’t get into the computer without a password. I kept a disc with all my passwords at home before I was locked up.”
“How are you going to get inside the house without being seen?”
“I’ll enter from the backyard. I spent most of my teenage years sneaking in and out of that place. When my dad was young, he was in the army specializing in surveillance, but not even he ever caught me coming or going.”
“You’re not thinking of asking me to wait in the car, are you?”
“Didn’t even consider it.”
“If I’m wrong about this,” Jason told her, “if there were no large deposits made into Sophie or Colin’s account, then I’m finished.”
“Don’t say that. Even if you find absolutely nothing on that computer, we can’t give up. Your attorney was taking bribes. The key witness at your trial lied. We have proof. That has to be worth something.”
“No matter what happens,” he said, “meeting you was worth the trouble.”
“Jason, you’re scaring me. Going to your mom’s house is like sneaking through a lion’s den. It’s too risky.”
“I need that password, Angela.”
Chapter Fifteen