She tried to take in her surroundings. Think. She could do this. She didn’t have to wait for someone else to do it for her.
They reached the bottom of the stone steps and, sure enough, there wasn’t anyone on the dirt trail or even in sight up and down the river. The banks on either side of the canal were steep. Too steep for her to hope to climb. Other than the occasional steps near bridges like the one they’d come down, there wasn’t any quick way back up to the houses and streets that she could see. And it wasn’t likely for someone in one of the houses to see down into the canal at the moment. Sounds from the street were muffled on the trail running next to the canal. She wondered if shouts from down here would be similarly muffled to people up in the houses or the street beyond.
Calling for help wasn’t going to do her much good if Joseph still had his hands on her.
“Come along.” Joseph tugged at her until she stumbled into a faster walking pace. “There’s a parking lot at the end of this godforsaken little hiking trail. I’m going to need to change my shoes after this.”
It was a good thing she was wearing low heels. Otherwise, she’d have had a lot more trouble catching up. As it was, these were comfortable and broken in. If she had to, she could run in them. Looking at the odd stones in the well-worn trail, it might be better for her feet if she kept her shoes on. Plus the other parking lot she’d seen, where Alex had parked, had been gravel. She wouldn’t be able to run far on gravel in bare feet if they reached a similar parking lot. So the shoes stayed.
A phone rang, and Joseph pulled it out of his pocket. “Yes? We’ve left the restaurant. We’re heading toward the parking lot you are in. Have Quinlan come down the trail along the canal and meet us en route.”
The phone conversation continued, but Elisa only partially listened. Instead, her awareness centered on the way Joseph’s grip was loosening on her arm as he split his attention. There might not be another chance.
She yanked her elbow back at a downward angle, ripping free of his hold. Then she kicked out, aiming for his shins. The inside of her foot caught him just below the knee, and he stumbled away from her with a surprised yell. Inspiration took her and she risked shoving him.
He fell into the canal.
She sprinted for the bridge ahead of her. It was closest, the nearest set of steps back up to the street and other people. Because when Joseph came out of the canal he’d be angry. And he was a much faster runner than she was.
Chapter Twenty-Five
I’m sorry, sir, but she left.” The waiter looked genuinely distressed.
Rojas drew in a slow breath, struggling to remain and project calm. “Do you mind if I take a look around the table where we were sitting?”
“S-sure.” The young man indicated for Rojas to proceed ahead of him. “They’re clearing the table now.”
So Elisa and her friend hadn’t left too long ago. “Did the woman who was with me leave on her own?”
“I don’t know, actually. I was with another table when she stepped away.”
Rojas nodded to acknowledge the waiter’s answer and started scanning the area on and around the table where they’d been sitting. There, under the table, almost under the railing. He bent, grabbed Elisa’s napkin from the table, and used it to gingerly pick up his find. It was the phone he’d given Elisa, screen cracked from a sudden unceremonious dumping on the floor. Not good.
“Please work.” Rojas figured talking to electronics might yield more help than he’d gotten talking to random people.
The phone lit up despite the spiderweb fracture pattern across the screen. It’d been dropped mid-entry and the text was addressed to his number.
Its hium. Hes here. H
Garbled—it must have been done in a hurry. She’d been interrupted sending him the text. The last word could’ve been a lot of things, but he swallowed hard. His girl had been trying to ask him for help and he’d been out of reach. He never should’ve left her. Stupid to think she was safe with him a text away.
She’d said her friends and family hadn’t believed her when she’d gone to them for help, had even supported her ex. He should’ve remembered, kept that in mind.
He straightened and headed out of the café. Once he was out the front door, he turned to Souze. “Time to work.”
The big dog almost vibrated with eagerness to be given a job.
Good, because Elisa needed them, STAT. He bent to show Souze the phone. The big dog sniffed it over a couple of times, ending with a single long and low whuffling intake. Once he was sure Souze had Elisa’s scent, he gave the command. “Such. Such Elisa.”