“Yeah. Let’s get out of here.”
“While you were still waiting, a uniformed officer gave us a ride back to the farm,” Jack said. “We’ve got our vehicle, and yours.”
“Great.”
They all walked out of the building to the parking lot, and Max was surprised to find that it was full dark. He’d been at the damn police headquarters for hours, when he should have been doing something constructive, like finding evidence that linked Claire and Angela’s murders so they could get the guy who had tricked him into leaving the farm. He understood the feeling of urgency. He wanted to make up for his failure earlier in the day. Not just his leaving Olivia alone, but his reason for rushing away. He hadn’t trusted Olivia because he was putting his own spin on her behavior.
Shane broke into his dark thoughts with a welcome piece of information. “And we’ve got the video.”
“Did you look at it?” Max asked.
“We were waiting for you.”
“We can’t go home,” Olivia said.
“And we need to keep you safe,” Max said to her, “now that we know that you’re a target.”
“Then where are we going?” Olivia asked.
“We’ve booked you a suite under an assumed name, at one of the local hotels. The Marriott Courtyard,” Shane said
Max nodded.
“You can follow us over,” Shane said.
He and Olivia climbed into his SUV. She leaned across the console toward him, and he leaned toward her, putting his arms around her and holding her tight, his hands stroking over her back. There wasn’t time to say much now, but he needed to hold her, and she seemed to feel the same.
“Thank God you’re okay,” he repeated what he’d said at the farm.
“You, too.”
“Nothing happened to me.”
“I’m sure Hamilton—um—how would you say it, tried to crack you.”
Max laughed. “He tried.”
There was a lot more he wanted to say. But it would have to wait until later.
Easing away, he started the engine.
“Thank you for sticking to the bodyguard story,” he said.
“I could see it was important to you. But why?”
He sighed as he pulled out after Shane’s SUV. “Some cops hate having anyone poking into their investigation. Hamilton’s one of them, and in this case, he and I have a history.”
“Like what?”
Max hated dredging up old business, but since he was working for Olivia, he didn’t see that he had a choice.
“I was with the Baltimore PD, and he was here in Howard County. The two departments were working on a case involving major thefts from businesses in the area. I thought it was a relative of a delivery man, and Hamilton didn’t agree. One night the relative broke into a Columbia warehouse that was supposed to be empty at night—except for the security guards who patrolled the industrial park. But the warehouse manager was there, and the thief shot him. Not fatally.”
“And?”
“And Hamilton got reprimanded for not following up on my lead.”
She laughed. “I guess that would make him hostile.”
“After that, I tried to stay out of his way, but I couldn’t avoid having some other dealings.”
“He said he’d arrest you if you interfered in this case.”
Max’s head whipped toward her. “He told you that?”
“Yes.”
Max cursed.
“Doesn’t he want to solve the murders?” Olivia asked.
“Of course he does, but he doesn’t want any help from me.”
“And he’s not going to make your job easier.” She shook her head. “Of course, he thinks you’re just a bodyguard.”
“He may not believe that.”
“But you’re not going to let that stop your investigation.”
“Right.”
Shane had pulled into the parking lot of the Marriott Courtyard, a beige stucco building, and Max parked a few cars over.
Shane strode to the driver’s side of his SUV, and he rolled down the window. “Wait here,” he said. “Jack and I will go in the front and open the side door for you. It’s locked at night,” he added.
When Shane came to the door, they got out of the car and hurried inside, then to a nearby elevator.
After unlocking the door to the suite, Shane handed the key card to Max and gave another one to Olivia.
“But I hope you’re not going far by yourself,” Max said.
“No,” Olivia answered.
They all went into the suite, which had a living room and an adjoining bedroom with a king-sized bed.
“I can take the sofa,” Max said.
Olivia didn’t object, and they all sat down in the living room area.