Velocity (Karen Vail #3)(45)

Shit, she knows I’m up to something. Here it comes.

“Yeah. Let’s call it a night. Keep your cells by your beds. Just in case.”

Make that a definite. She knows.

Brix wiped his napkin across his mouth, then threw the soiled cloth on the table. He stepped around the table and spread his arms. He gave Vail a firm hug, then leaned back. “Karen, I never, ever thought I’d say this . . . that first day we met we kind of got off on the wrong foot. But I’ve really enjoyed working with you. You challenge me—all of us. You make us better.”

Vail tilted her head. “I don’t know about that.”

“I mean it. It’s been an honor.”

“Same here.” She turned to Mann and Gordon. “All of you. Thanks for putting up with me. My attitude.”

“Hey,” Mann said, “you just wanna get the damn case solved. We may go about it in different ways, but . . . Well, Redd’s right. Thank you. If there’s anything we can do on our end—”

“We’ll keep working this,” Brix said. “Tomorrow morning, we’ll be right back at it. We’re gonna find Robby and we’re gonna find Cannon.”

Vail tightened her lips, then nodded appreciation.

“C’mon,” Dixon said. She led Vail away, back toward the car. Neither of them said a thing until they got inside. When the doors closed, Dixon pulled away and let loose.





28


I know you, Karen. You’re thinking of doing something stupid.” She turned to face Vail, her eyes hard and wide and angry. “And don’t fucking lie to me.”

“So after all we’ve been through these past seven or eight days, working in close quarters and dealing with all the shit we’ve dealt with, all you can say is that you know me and that I’m going to do something stupid?”

Dixon extended the fingers of her right hand, which remained on the steering wheel. “That didn’t come out right. I’m sorry. I just think, well, I think you’re reacting emotionally. I’m sure I’d be the same way if this had happened to me, with Eddie. If I could’ve prevented his death, had I known he was in danger . . . ” She curled her hand around the wheel. “So let’s cut through all the shit. Can you do that for me?”

Vail sat there a long moment. “Drop me at Guevara’s house, a couple blocks away—”

“See? That’s what I mean!”

“What do you expect me to do, Roxx? Guevara’s the only one who knows what the hell is going on.”

“And you’ve already tried prying information out of him.”

Vail turned and looked out the black side window at the quiet countryside. “So I’ll try again. And this time I won’t be so nice.”

“You weren’t very nice the last time around, either. Yesterday, when we stopped at Superior.”

“You mean when I shoved my Glock against his head?”

“I think that qualifies, yeah. But look at it logically. He’s got bodyguards. Even if you can neutralize them, they’re witnesses. So when his high-priced attorney files a complaint—which he will—there’ll be corroboration of his story. And the worst part is, he’ll be on the right side of the law. And you’ll be on the wrong side.”

“Just take me there. Let me worry about it.”

Dixon pulled the Ford hard right onto the shoulder. Gravel flew up and kicked around the wheel wells.

“What are you doing?”

“It’s goddamn obvious, Karen. I’m not going to let you throw away your career. You’re not thinking clearly.”

Vail turned away and again peered out the window. Rolled it down. The cool air blew against her face. Stole a glance in all directions. Pin-pricks of light here and there. But it was dark, too dark for her to figure out where she was. She grabbed the handle, opened the door, and swung out her legs.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Vail did not reply. She flung the door closed and trudged off, ahead of Dixon’s vehicle, the headlights cutting through the damp air and slicing around her body, throwing it into silhouette.

At this time of year, it was still nippy at 12:30 or 1:00—or whatever time it was now. She wasn’t going to stop to look.

But what was she going to do? It wasn’t like she could hail a cab—not in the middle of the Napa countryside. She didn’t even know where she was. She stopped walking, put both hands on her head, and leaned her neck back. Her body swayed—the wine was still in her bloodstream. How did this happen? How did I get to this place?

She heard Dixon’s door open. She turned and saw that Dixon was talking to her through the windshield. No, not to her—to her Bluetooth visor.

Dixon stuck her head out the door and rose from her seat in one motion. “Get in the car!”

“What is it?”

“We got a twenty on Cannon.”





29


Vail ran back to the Ford but nearly flew out of the seat when Dixon floored the accelerator. The tires spun in the gravel, then squealed as they gripped asphalt.

Vail settled herself in and then snapped the seat belt closed. But the blood was pounding in her temples. The wine? The sudden dump of adrenalin? “What’s the deal?”