Trail of Secrets(29)

                Seth rushed to the wall and scanned the area outside the parking garage, but the men were nowhere in sight. They had either ducked into another store or an accomplice had been waiting outside with a separate getaway car to make sure they made it out okay.

                He returned to Callie and pulled her to her feet. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

                She nodded. “Yes.”

                “What happened?”

                “The salesclerk and I had just gone back to the dressing room when a man ran in and grabbed me. When the lady helping me tried to intervene, he hit her in the head with the butt of his gun.”

                “Did you recognize the man?”

                Callie shook her head. “He had a ski mask on. He must have pulled it on right before he entered the fitting room, or someone would have noticed.”

                “Yeah. That would have stood out, all right, especially since it’s summertime.” His gaze raked Callie from head to foot. She had no apparent injuries. Except for being frightened, she appeared to have come through the incident quite well. “If you’re sure you’re up to it, we need to get back to the store. Security and the police should have everything in there under control now, but you’ll need to give your statement.”

                Callie took a step before she stopped, her eyes wide. “I haven’t asked about the clerk yet. Is she all right?”

                “I think so. Let’s go see.”

                As they walked toward the exit, Seth’s heart thudded as guilt washed over him. How could he have been so careless and left Callie like that? It wouldn’t happen again.

                He glanced once more at the barrier the assailants had jumped. Somewhere out there were assassins determined to kill Callie. He didn’t know who they were or why they wanted her dead, but he intended to find out. From now on, he wasn’t going to let her out of his sight.

                * * *

                From her chair at the kitchen table Callie glanced out the window at the gathering night shadows. The memory of what had happened earlier today in the department store returned, and she shivered. She pressed her fingers to her temples and rubbed in small circles to fight off the looming headache. From the minute she’d arrived in Memphis her life had been turned upside down, and she didn’t know how much more she could take.

                Across the table Seth looked up, and their eyes met. He’d said very little while they ate, and she had found it difficult to carry on a conversation, too. “How are you?” he asked.

                “I’m fine, Seth.”

                He raked his hand through his hair. “I’m so sorry for leaving you, Callie. I won’t do that again.”

                “Seth, it wasn’t your fault. If you’d been there, it could have been worse. Either one of us could have been shot. It all worked out in the end, so let’s not talk about it anymore.”

                Instead of replying, he rose to his feet and began to clear away the containers of carry-out Chinese food they’d eaten. When he’d tossed them in the garbage can, he turned back to her and pointed to her uncle’s notebook she’d brought downstairs before they began to eat. “There has to be something in this notebook to give us a clue to what Dan found out before you arrived in Memphis.”

                He sat back down, and Callie pushed the notebook over in front of him. “I’ve looked through it so many times and nothing stands out to me, but I agree. We’re overlooking something.”