WINDOW OF TIME Read Free Page B

forty-five minutes ago, but I don’t think he waited for you.”
    A sudden burst of adrenaline surged through her veins at the unexpected news, prickling the fine hairs on the back of her neck in alarm. After flexing her fists a couple of times to dispel milding finger tingling from the excitement, Lucy walked away from the desk as she scanned the lobby.
    Ken wasn’t paying attention to her when she reached behind her back and discreetly took out the .38 police special revolver from its holster in her waistband. She hid the small weapon by her thigh and headed toward the staircase as she scanned the lobby. She looked between the tall potted plants, the large Romanesque-type pillars, and the over-stuffed leather furniture—places where two dangerous and armed foreign agents could hide to ambush her. There were only a few people in the lobby.
    But if one of the men-in-gray had found her key card, wouldn’t they have used the key to search her room already? But then why would they have asked for her? It didn’t make sense. This “game” was never personal. Everyone just did his job. As she reached the bottom step, she heard a rich voice directly behind her.
    “Lucille James?”
    She turned around, swinging her gun up to the chest of the firefighter with the dark brown eyes—eyes that went wide staring down at the barrel of her weapon. She immediately dropped it to her side when she recognized him.
    “It’s you,” Lucy said, trying to catch her breath. She looked around to see if anyone else had seen her brandish the gun. Glancing over at Ken, she was glad to see him busy leering at another woman standing at his counter.
    “I didn’t mean to scare you,” the firefighter said.
    Lucy shook her head. “You didn’t.” That was her first lie to him. His dark brows slid up his forehead.
    “I’d hate to think you greet everyone this way.”
    Lucy holstered her gun and read the name silk-screened to his uniform t-shirt. “Only those who sneak up on me, Mr. Cartwright.”
    “Johnny,” he said. “My name is Johnny.”
    She scanned the lobby behind him to make sure he wasn’t followed. “How did you find me?” He reached behind his back, tugging at something in his belt. Lucy grabbed her gun again, swinging it out in time to aim at—her handbag. It wasn’t a gun. Where was her head? “Don’t …” she began, exhausted, “ever do that again.” She quickly holstered her weapon before she created an incident.
    Johnny nodded. “Yeah,” he said with a lowered voice. “I’m sorry, Agent James.”
    He’d found her ID and her hotel’s key card. It hadn’t been the foreign agents after all. But how far did he search her bag? As she reached to take it, he asked a startling question.
    “Did that man in the gray suit come after you for the envelope of money you were carrying?”
    He’d seen the agent? No! He couldn’t have. Lucy reflexively stepped away from him, trying to put distance between them. Her heel caught the bottom step, tripping her. She fell backward onto the thickly carpeted stairs. Something must’ve happened after she left.
    “Oh, crap,” he said, catching a flailing arm as she fell. “I’m sorry. I thought …” He let her go and sat down beside her, rubbing his hand around the back of his neck.
    “How?” Lucy asked. How did he know about the agents? Had they approached him after she got away? Did they threaten him? Her anxiety level rose as she looked around the lobby once more in case the agents had followed him.
    He picked up the bag he’d dropped and handed it to her. “I looked through your wallet to find your name and I saw the envelope.” Johnny leaned in closer, softening his voice. “I’ve never seen ten thousand in cash in one place before.”
    “I didn’t mean that,” Lucy whispered, taking her small bag from him. After opening the zippered top, she dug out the envelope, receipt, wallet, and keycard, and set them down next to her hip. The tiny-hinged compartment