He gasped and spun around and then immediately ducked. “Good God, why would somebody follow us?”
“Well, considering that we just picked you up, maybe it has to do with you.” She reached for her phone on the dash and called Rodney.
When he picked up, he asked, “Where the hell are you?”
“I’m just coming into the office. Why?”
“The sergeant has been looking for you.”
She sighed. “I’m trying to do a job. Remember?”
“I get it, but he does like regular check-ins.”
“Yeah, I know. I’m bringing Rick Lord in for questioning.”
“Have you found him?”
“Yes.” She studied her rearview mirror, as she changed lanes. “I also think I’m bringing in a bogey.” There was a pause at the other end.
“Say what?”
“I think I’m being followed,” she spelled out. “Can you head down to the parking lot and get yourself in a vantage point where you can take a look as I pull in?”
“You really think somebody is coming in behind you?”
“Well, he is, but I don’t know how far he’ll travel. And I don’t know whether they’re interested in me or my cargo.”
“You didn’t arrest him, did you?”
“No, I didn’t. But somebody is very interested in my passenger.”
“Or in you,” he offered. “You have a tendency to make a lot of enemies.”
She laughed. “Good point. Anyway, can you do what I asked?”
“I’m already there,” he stated. “How far away are you?”
“About four minutes.” She kept driving, steadily changing lanes, and the other driver kept up with her. She studied Rick in the darkness. He looked seriously scared. She glanced at Simon, who was looking at his side mirror at the guy following them. “Do you recognize the car at all?”
Simon shook his head. “No, I don’t. I’m trying to get a bead on the driver.”
“Yeah, let me know if that works. All I see is a baseball cap and sunglasses.”
“Which is pretty cheesy,” he muttered.
“But effective,” she countered, “and that’s why people do it.”
“Got it,” he noted, “but you’d think they’d be a little more original.”
She laughed. “Nope, not in this world. They’re all about making it work.” After several quick turns, she then pulled into a side street and drove slowly. And, sure enough, not very long afterward, the muscle car came in behind her. “I can see the first two letters of the plate,” she noted. “Can you get the rest?”
“Yep,” Simon replied. “Wish I could take a picture.”
“You might in the rearview mirror,” she murmured.
He nodded. “I’m already on it.” And just then, he said, “Got it.”
As they came into the police station, at the back entrance to the parking lot, a shot was fired, and hit the side mirror of her car. She immediately turned, with the kid screaming in the background, and pulled into a parking spot, where they were surrounded by other vehicles. She told Rick to get his head down and to stay there, as she got out of the car. She raced to the entrance, but the muscle car had already taken off down the road.