“How’s Lisa?”
Charlie’s tone was low. “Fine, we’re both okay. She’s still bumming, but who can blame the kid.”
“I know. Did she talk to you at all?”
“A little. Although, I think we’re both the enemy as far as she’s concerned right now. That little girl’s playing it close to the vest. Chip off the old block, right?”
“Where is she?”
“Crashed on the bed. We drove all night, and she didn’t sleep much, just stared out the car window.”
“Where are you?”
“Right now we’re at a motel on the outskirts of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, just across the Maryland state line. We had to stop, I was falling asleep at the wheel.”
“You didn’t use a credit card, did you? Jackson can trace that.”
“You think I’m a novice at being on the run? All cash.”
“Any sign that you’ve been followed?”
“I’ve varied my route, gone the interstate, back roads, lots of stops in very public places. I’ve checked every car that even looks remotely familiar. No one’s onto us. How’s it on your end? You hook up with Riggs?”
LuAnn blushed at the question. “You could say that.” She paused and cleared her throat. “I met up with Donovan.”
“Who?”
“The guy from the cottage. His name is Donovan. He’s a reporter.”
“Aw, crap!”
“He knows about the twelve lottery winners.”
“How?”
“It gets complicated, but basically because none of us declared bankruptcy. In fact we all became a lot richer through shrewd investment advice. I guess that’s pretty unusual with lottery winners.”
“Damn, I guess Jackson isn’t infallible.”
“That’s a comforting thought. I’ve got to go. Give me the number there.” Charlie did so.
“I brought the portable cell phone too, LuAnn. You’ve got the number, right?”
“Memorized.”
“I don’t like it that you’re all alone in this. I really don’t.”
“I’m holding my own. I’ve just got to think things through a little. When Jackson shows up again, I want to be ready.”
“I’m not sure that’s possible. The guy’s not human.”
LuAnn hung up the phone and walked back to her car. As unobtrusively as she could, she scanned the parking lot for anyone looking remotely suspicious. But that was the problem: Jackson never looked suspicious.
Charlie hung up the phone, checked on Lisa, and then went to the window of the ground-floor motel room. The building was constructed in the shape of a horseshoe so that Charlie was looking out not only at the parking lot but also at the motel units on the other side of the parking lot. He had a habit of checking the parking lots every thirty minutes to see who had pulled in after them. He had selected fairly isolated places that would make it easier to flush out someone who was following them. Despite his sharp scrutiny he could not have seen the pair of binoculars focused on him from the dark recesses of the motel room directly across from his. This person’s car was not in the parking lot because he was not a paying guest of the motel. He had broken into the room when Charlie and Lisa had gone out to eat. The man put down the binoculars and jotted some words down in a notebook before taking up his sentry once again.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
The BMW pulled into the front drive. LuAnn sat in the car and stared up at the house. She had not gone home. After driving around for a while, she had decided to come here. The Jeep was there, so he must be as well. She got out of the sedan and walked up the wide steps of the Victorian.
Riggs heard her coming. He was just finishing up his phone call, the paper in front of him covered with notes, more information than he had ever wanted to know. His gut was cramping up just thinking about it all.
He opened the door to her knock and she passed through the doorway without looking at him.
“How’d it go?” he asked.
LuAnn drifted around the room before settling down on the couch and looking up at him with a shrug. “Not all that well, really.” Her voice was listless. Riggs rubbed his eyes and sat down in the chair opposite her.