“You’ll need all the help you can get.” She grimaced. “How long are we talking about?”
Kendra thought for a moment. “At least a few days. If it’s any longer than that, we can discuss it then.”
“You’re damn right we’ll discuss it.”
“So you’ll do it?”
Olivia hesitated for a long moment, then finally nodded. “Yes.” She added, “But I wish you’d come with us.”
“If it makes you feel any better, I packed up and left my condo earlier this evening. I’m staying with Lynch, and his place couldn’t be safer.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Don told me you’d left your place.”
Kendra cast an amused glance at Agent Nelson, who was trying to be stone-faced. “Of course he did. Come on, I’ll help you get your things together.”
She followed Olivia to her bedroom and pushed the door closed behind them. The second the door clicked shut, Kendra jumped in front of her, and whispered, “How in the hell did that happen?”
“How did what happen?” Olivia said with a blank expression. “Please hand me the duffel in the corner.”
“Oh, don’t play dumb with me. You know what I’m talking about.” She added teasingly, “You seduced the poor guy?”
Olivia laughed and walked over and grabbed the duffel herself. “I’m kind of surprised, too.”
“So what happened?”
“You know what happened.”
“Of course. But how did it happen?”
“You want to know the details?” Olivia opened a drawer and felt the Braille codes on her blouse clothing tags. She selected a few articles of clothing and shoved them into the duffel. “He stopped by earlier this evening. He wanted to say good-bye.”
“That’s how he says good-bye?”
Olivia smiled. “No. He told me he wasn’t going to be guarding you anymore. He said that he was going to miss seeing me. Sweet, right?”
“Precious.”
“Stop it. So I let him in for a few minutes, and I suddenly got sad at the thought of not having him around anymore. I … didn’t want him to go. One thing led to another, and—”
“—And the guy never had a chance.”
“Well, I didn’t hear him complaining.”
“Oh, I’m sure not. So … what is this? A one-night stand? Where’s it heading?”
“Hell if I know. I told you I was curious, and he was very good in bed. Maybe it’s going nowhere. You’re the one who’s throwing me out of my home, out of my life.”
“He may be going with you.”
“Along with your mother.” She made a face. “Not exactly a romantic getaway.”
“It’s not supposed to be. He’ll be working. Don’t you go distracting him.”
“Don’t worry.” Olivia threw in some jeans, shoes, and a clear gallon-size Ziploc bag of toiletries. “He was good, but not good enough to risk my life or your mother’s.” She zipped the duffel and slung it over her shoulder.
“All set?”
“Yeah. On the way out, you guys can grab my laptop, my work knapsack, and some of the boxes next to my desk. I’ll take the opportunity to get some articles and reviews done.” She turned back toward Kendra. “By the way, where are we going?”
“I’m not sure. I need to talk it over with Mom. She’ll like having some control. It might make it easier to convince her. It has to be someplace no one could possibly predict.”
“No one.” Olivia smiled. “Including us?”
“Exactly.
CHAPTER
10
University of California San Diego
La Jolla, California
“NO WAY, NO HOW.”
Kendra was alone with her mother in the large Ledden Auditorium, an amphitheater-styled lecture facility in the campus Humanities and Social Science Building. It was a few minutes before seven, and, as Kendra had predicted, her mother was there preparing for her early-morning class.
Also as predicted, she was having none of Kendra’s plan.
“If I left town every time you took on a case, I’d have to quit my job.”
“Mom, this is different. He’s zeroed in on me. The people in my life aren’t safe.”
“Now you know how I feel every time you take one of these cases.”
“This is your idea of payback?”
“It’s not payback. I have a life.”
“And I want you to keep—” She broke off.
The door at the front of the lecture hall swung open. Kendra and Diane turned around as Dean Halley walked into the room.
He smiled. “Kendra … I thought I saw you come in here. Did you come to see your mother lecture and show you how it’s done?”