Part 25 (2/2)
”But they don't know s.h.i.+t! Why not keep it that way?”
Two days of thinking about it had obviously gotten Pierson pretty worked up. Drew held up a hand. ”Don't worry. We've been talking to an agent we're pretty sure we can trust.”
”Who?”
”He's the guy in charge of the task force my dad was working with.”
Pierson gave him an incredulous look. ”The guy Harlan and Meg ran away from? That's That's the guy you trust?” the guy you trust?”
It sounded like a pretty lame move when he put it like that. Drew ran a hand through his hair in frustration, but Lauren jumped to Chapman's defense.
”This guy expended a lot of effort trying to keep me safe when he thought I was Meg. We're not just going on instinct. You'll have to trust us us on this.” on this.”
Pierson gave them each a long, hard look before nodding. ”Okay, it's your call. Let's just get moving on this thing. You gave this guy the information?”
”We will as soon as we leave,” Drew a.s.sured him.
”Good. I hope you'll keep me informed.”
”We will. But Lauren and I were hoping you could do something else for us. You know my dad as well as anyone in Was.h.i.+ngton. Can you think of any place he might go to hide out? Maybe he mentioned some private cabin he used on occasion or maybe he has some friend who would give them a place to stay where no one would spot them.”
Pierson sat back with a thoughtful look. ”Are you asking me about some private hideaway where Harlan might have taken a lady friend?”
Was he? Why else would his dad sneak off somewhere, except for one of his notorious trysts? ”I suppose so. If he might have mentioned that to you.”
”If he mentioned it?” Pierson chuckled. ”I've heard a few stories from him over the years. Let me think, there must be someplace...” Pierson began pacing the small area between the kitchen and living room, eyes on the floor and mouth pressed into a firm line.
They watched quietly, then glanced at each other as one minute turned into two. Lauren leaned toward him, whispering, ”How many incidents can there be?”
Drew grimaced. ”A lot.” He doubted that his dad had talked about most of them, but if he'd just mentioned a hideaway where he'd been able to avoid the press for a few days...
”I might know of a place.”
Pierson's sudden announcement made them both sit up straighter. ”Where?” Drew asked.
”Maryland, out in the sticks. There's this place Harlan told me about years ago that's about as remote as you can get. It's a small vacation cabin, way off some back road. He pointed it out once when we drove by it. It might be nothing, but it's the only thing I can think of.”
”That's great,” Lauren said enthusiastically. ”It's a place to start. Can you give us the address or tell us how to get there?”
”Sure, let me write it down. I can tell you as much as I remember, which might be enough to get you there, seeing as how there's not much else out that way. I don't know why I didn't think of this place before.” He found a pen and paper and began writing down directions, explaining them aloud as he did.
Drew put the folded paper in his pocket and rose, pulling Lauren up with him. ”Thank you. We'll let you know if we find them.”
”You'd d.a.m.n well better, son, because I won't sleep a wink until you do.” He trailed them to the door. ”You'll check that out soon, won't you?”
”As soon as we can, probably by tonight,” Drew rea.s.sured him.
”Great. And if I think of anything else, I'll call.”
They thanked him again and left. Drew took Lauren's hand as they walked to the car, aware that he was just looking for a reason to touch her. He was fine with that.
”He sounded as worried as we are,” Drew said.
”I know.” She was silent for several seconds, and Drew thought she must be thinking about Pierson. ”You know what?” She smiled up at him.
”What?”
”Jeff didn't approve of public displays of affection like holding hands.”
It seemed to him that her hand was doing as much clasping as his was. ”What do you think about it?”
”I like it.” Her smile became a grin. ”I like you.”
He smiled back, pretty sure that what he felt for her was more like I love you I love you.
She watched Drew driving, studying the features she'd become so familiar with the past few days. She could look at him forever. ”Drew?”
”Yeah?”
”I've been thinking about the photographs of Meg and Mihaly.”
”What about them?” He turned at a stoplight, his attention on the road.
”When we first found them at the bank, I couldn't believe Meg would let someone take photos of her like that.”
He chuckled. ”You were were pretty embarra.s.sed.” pretty embarra.s.sed.”
”But I understand it now.”
That got his full attention. He looked at her, eyebrows arched in amused surprise. ”You do? You understand someone taking pictures of herself having s.e.x?”
”That wasn't s.e.x. She was making love with Mihaly, which must have been very special and emotional for her. She wanted to preserve that feeling. I think he's right; she really does love him, whether she admits it or not.”
”Huh.” He thought about it as he switched lanes. ”What made you think of that?”
”It reminded me of when we were at the hotel and you told me to watch in the mirror. It was exciting, and... beautiful.”
He gave her a long look. ”Well, one of us was beautiful.”
”Have you ever taken photographs of yourself like that? You know, making love with someone?”
”No. Have you?”
She smiled. ”Not yet.”
He stared, darted a look at traffic, then back to her before grinning like a fool.
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