Because new identities didnt come cheap, shed used almost every dime she had left on establishing hers. And shed been aided, at first unknowingly, by the one person whod been allowed to get halfway close to her, Benny Zappa.
Something inside her softened at the thought of Benny, with his gangly scarecrow walk and too large Adams apple. His narrow black-rimmed glasses had been meant to be stylish, but they couldnt disguise what he wasa computer geek through and through, and proud of his abilities, if not of the persona that he could never quite shed. In his awkward, bumbling way hed offered to help herin an attempt to hit on her, shed thought. And at first shed seen his shy overtures through purely shrewd eyes, as a means to an end. It wasnt until later that she discovered in the process shed made an invaluable friend.
His genius with computers was coupled with a hackers love of a challenge. No databaseuniversity, state or federalseemed impenetrable with him at the keyboard. With the information he was able to access for her, shed chosen a new identity and followed every lead she could think of. And what she appreciated most about him, in all this time, was his willingness to use his skills without asking questions she had no intentions of answering.
Although he must have put some details together about what drove her, he didnt press her about it, and she appreciated his discretion as much as his friendship.
Refilling her cup, she sipped, watching the river churn sluggishly by, as evening turned to dusk. If she headed back now she could get a couple hours of work in. Not at the sheriffs office, but in the office shed set up in a spare bedroom in the house shed bought in Tripolo.
Each lead shed followed about her identity, every fact shed discovered, was carefully encrypted and kept on her home computer. After six years she had a substantial file with a copy downloaded to CD monthly and sent to a mail drop across the country for safekeeping. So far she had plenty of dead ends, plenty of threads that apparently went nowhere. But she wasnt giving up. Shed never give up.
There were some who would consider her existence lonely. But she thought she must be used to being alone, because it had never bothered her overmuch in the last half-dozen years. What had seemed strange was the openhearted generosity of Luz, the puppy-dog friendliness of Benny. The fact that Ria had first regarded both of them with suspicion was surely an indictment of who, or what, shed been.
Catching the waitresss attention, she summoned her over, ready to leave. Whatever else shed learned about herself, she wasnt one to make the same mistake twice. Benny lived halfway across the country and she was excruciatingly careful on the rare occasions she allowed herself to contact him on an untraceable cell phone. She didnt think shed be able to bear it if another person died because of her.
Oh, theres no bill, maam, the waitress said. Jake said its on the house.
Jake. Shed like to pretend shed already forgotten him, but she wasnt in the habit of lying to herself. Hed hovered in the back of her mind since hed left, a haunting reminder of a fascinating man she would never see again. Ria opened her purse, took out some bills. I told him that wasnt necessary. Id like to pay for my own meal. Could you please tell me how much it was?
But the woman was backing away, a faintly alarmed expression on her face. Oh, no, maam, I couldnt do that. Jake said specifically, and round here, we do what he says.
With a mental shrug, Ria gave up. She folded the bills and handed them to the server. Then this is for you.
The woman gave her a shocked look, but whisked them into a pocket in her apron quickly enough. Thank you, maam. Hope you come back real soon.
But thoughts of returning were far from Rias mind as she made her way to the large parking lot outside, keys in her hand. It was full now, much more crowded than it had been when shed arrived. Walking purposefully toward her car, she heard her cell phone ring and took it from her purse, checking the caller ID. Eldon Croat. With a grimace, she decided against answering it. Tomorrow would be soon enough to meet with the county commissioner and try to talk him out of the press conference hed want to call about the latest drug busts. Even after all these years, and the attempts shed taken to change her appearance, she was leery about getting
He seemed to come out of nowhere, looming from between two cars and taking quick steps toward her. Her hands were full, slowing her response, and before she could react he was behind her, grabbing her nape and smashing her face into the roof of her car.
It was telling in that instant, with stars bursting behind her eyes, that her first thought was of the assassins. And that theyd finally caught up with her.