By now the phone was powered up. Trapper went to the voice memos icon and tapped play.

The recording began with Kerra’s voice “… coming from the corner. A third, from the other direction.” After a lengthy silence, “There’s a fourth, Trapper.”

Then Wilcox. “They’ve been instructed to wait for a second call, a second hang-up. If it doesn’t come within ten minutes …”

Trapper tapped pause and stared down at her. “How much is on here?”

“I had to stop recording when I made the second call. You took back the phone immediately after.”

“Pretty smart trick.”

“Thanks.”

He dashed her perky comeback with anger. “A trick that could’ve gotten you killed. Us killed. Why didn’t you tell me about this before now?”

“Well, you’ve kept me rather occupied. First there was the unannounced visit to Marianne’s house. Then our drive back here in the middle of the night. The tense conversation between you and The Major in the hospital. This morning—”

“That’s all bullshit, Kerra. You didn’t tell me because you knew I’d be mad as hell. Think what would have happened if you’d gotten caught.”

“But I didn’t! And now you have the recording.”

“A recording of me spinning what Wilcox called a captivating story.”

“He talked about wanting to avenge his daughter’s murder. He talked about the four men outside standing by to rush the building and kill you. It’s something. At least it’s enough to get the authorities to listen to you without laughing.” His lack of excitement dismayed and confused her. “I thought you’d be pleased.”

“I’m glad to have the recording. And it is something on that son of a bitch. But it makes my point, Kerra. If not for me, you wouldn’t have been there in that life-threatening situation, taking risks.”

He paced a few feet away from her, and when he turned back, he said, “Your involvement in this should’ve ended the night I took you those damn flowers.” He held her gaze for a moment, then looked down at his boots and, in a mumble, added, “I just couldn’t stay away from you.”

The admission made her heart flutter. But it turned to a thud of dread with his next statement. “Your involvement ends now.”

“I’ve changed my mind from what I said earlier.”

He gave a negative shake of his head. “You’re going back to your life. Or not. But in any case you’re going away from me.”

“But I don’t want to drop this.”

“I don’t want another Berkley Johnson on my conscience. Only with you, it would be worse. I never kissed him.” The words shimmered between them, then he said, “Besides, this is something I’ve got to do alone.”

That statement had a different ring to it. “You’ve got to do it alone? That’s an odd thing to say.”

“What’s odd about it?”

“It doesn’t sound like someone who’s only seeking justice. It sounds like you have a hidden agenda.”

“And that sounds like psychobabble.”

If she hadn’t hit on something, he wouldn’t be responding so defensively. Determined to get to the bottom of it, she searched his face and asked again, “Why must you do this alone?”

“I just do, okay?”

“Not okay. That’s not an explanation.”

“That’s all you’re getting.”

“Why alone, Trapper?”

“Kerra.”

“To restore your pride?”

He drew himself up to full height. “Yeah. That’s it. I’m a peacock whose tail feathers got plucked by the ATF. Save that quote. Put it in your story.”

“Don’t do that,” she said, coming to her feet. “Don’t slam the door on me or cop that smart-ass attitude.”

“Then stop asking questions. I don’t give interviews, remember?”

“Aren’t we beyond that?”

“Well, I thought so, but obviously not.”

“We’re just two people talking, Trapper.”

“Wrong. Only one person is talking. You. I’m not listening anymore.”

He went around her, scooped her bag from off the floor, and carried it with him into the bathroom, where he began tossing in grooming articles and the sleepwear she’d left hanging on the hook on the back of the door.

She followed him as far as the threshold between the two rooms. “You’re really sending me packing?”

He didn’t say anything, just raided the shower of her shampoo and razor and added them to the bag.

“Me plus you equals jeopardy for the bad guys, isn’t that what you said? Well, it’s worked. Someone got nervous enough about our being together to ransack your apartment and office. Thomas Wilcox came to you wanting to make a deal for immunity. How likely was that to happen if he hadn’t feared what you have on him? Someone went to a lot of trouble to set up Leslie Duncan for Sunday night’s crimes.”

She had to move aside or get mowed down as he came through the bathroom door. “We’ve stirred live coals, Trapper. Isn’t that what you had in mind when you abducted me?”

“What I had in mind was banging you.”

“That’s very romantic,” she said, “but it wasn’t your primary motivation.”

He lowered his eyelids to half mast. “Wanna bet?”

“Please follow along, ladies and gentlemen, as we move from scare tactic number one to scare tactic number two. Lewd and lascivious innuendo.” She paused for a beat. “Save it, Trapper. I’m not going to have the vapors or run screaming in fear of my virtue.”

“Don’t be so sure. I can get really lewd and … whatever that other thing was.”

She huffed out a breath. “Let me see what’s on the flash drive.”

He dropped all degree of suggestiveness and reverted to anger. “You’re just after the story.”

“Damn right, I am. But I can’t turn my back on this injustice and then blithely go on with my life.”

“It’s your life I’m trying to save.”

“Which is why I have a bodyguard.”

“You haven’t advanced me a penny of my retainer.”

“How much?”

“You can’t afford me.”

“Try me.”

“And anyway, I’m not for hire.”

“Where’s the flash drive?”

“Fuck!” Looking ready to throttle her, he stood there, breathing hard and angrily, then sliced the air with his hands. “Fine. I have transportation.” He dug into his jeans pocket for the key Carson had given him. “I’ll go. The room is paid up through today. You can stay here and figure out how to get back to Dallas on your own.”

He pulled on his coat and went over to the door. “The offer’s still good to take you to your car, but it expires in thirty seconds.”

She continued staring into eyes that could be as hard as blue diamonds or as hot as blue flame. They were in the former mode, giving back nothing as she looked deeply into them.

Yielding was her only option.

She pulled on her coat, zipped the duffel bag and shouldered the strap, then got her purse. He took a wire coat hanger from the closet. They met at the door; Trapper held it open for her. Remembering Carson’s instructions to Trapper, she turned toward the north end of the building.

A maroon sedan was one of only three vehicles parked on the rear lot. Trapper unlocked it. He set her bag on the backseat while she got in the front. It wasn’t far to the motel in which she had originally stayed. They reached it before the car motor had warmed up sufficiently for the heater to work.

Trapper pulled up beside her car. “Wait here till I get it started. It may need some coaxing since it’s been out in the cold for so long.”

He left the sedan’s engine running as he got out, taking the coat hanger with him. She thought car manufacturers had redesigned door locks so they were no longer susceptible to this kind of break-in, but they were susceptible to Trapper, who had it open within seconds.