Skin Tight

CHAPTER 19

Once they made their plans, they went boldly out the front door of the condo.

Mia had misgivings, but Søren swore he could shake the guy. Or kill him, if need be. The latter went unspoken, but she saw an avid light in his gray eyes.

Sure enough, a dark sedan pulled onto the road after them.

“This asshole’s not even trying to be subtle,” Søren said in disgust. “He’ll make his move when we hit that long, dark stretch of road between here and the city limits.”

Mia knew exactly the section he was talking about. Nerves coiled taut, she watched the rearview mirror. Søren drove as if he didn’t want to lose their tail, which she thought was bizarre, but at this point, she’d cast in her lot with him and had to hope for the best.

“You’re sure you can handle him?”

His brows arched. “Do you doubt me?”

“Of course not.”

“If it makes you feel better, I know what he’ll do. He’ll come up on our left and try to force us into the field. That’s where he intends to kill us and dump the bodies.”

Shit. Hearing the facts stated so baldly shook her. After taking a deep breath, Mia checked her seat belt. However she might’ve quietly envied Kyra her adventuresome life, she wasn’t cut from the same cloth. She felt like she might barf.

It happened as he’d predicted. In the straightaway, the other car accelerated, bearing down on them. Søren let it come up alongside them, but when the killer slammed left, he stomped the brakes. The other car nicked their vehicle, and the momentum carried it across the road. When the tires hit the dirt shoulder, they lost traction. Søren sped up and slammed into the car on the right, driving the sedan into the field.

“If you weren’t with me, I would stop and finish him.” He was actually smiling when he shot through the straightaway and into town. “He’ll have a hell of a time catching up with us now.”

As they hit the highway, Mia had to agree. She leaned her head against the window, intending to rest for a minute only, and then she slept.

It seemed like they’d been on the road forever, but it couldn’t have been more than four hours. After waking, Mia left a message on the elderly couple’s voice mail saying that she had a family emergency, and they needed to contact someone to take care of Peaches. Søren seemed amused at her concern over a cat that didn’t like her much.

The night spread like a black rose before them, split petals of the sky parted to show glimmers of distant light. Dreamily, she watched the moon-kissed clouds whip by. Søren had cracked the window to keep the air fresh; he said driving after dark made him sleepy.

“You’re good at this,” she said, breaking the long silence.

“Practice. But I haven’t had to take off in the middle of the night in a long time.”

“What are you going to do about Lexie? And your mom?”

Headlights from a passing car highlighted his wry smile. “Beulah’s not my mother.”

Mia blinked. “She’s not?”

“No. I kind of… adopted her. Eventually, I decided to make use of my weirdness. I wanted to test it. I was working on my ability to emulate voices, which is a mundane skill. Almost any actor can do it.”

“So you picked some old lady at random and pretended to be her son? To see if you could fool her?”

His hands tightened on the wheel, as if her scorn mattered to him. “She’s blind. Her son had left her in a hellhole of a state facility before going down for statutory.”

She got it now. “And thanks to you, Beulah thinks her son has straightened out and earns enough money to keep her in style. You go see her every week, the nurse said.”

“It’s not a big deal.”

“Yes, it is.”

His annoyance was palpable. “As to what I’ll do, they’re safe enough where they are. Unfortunately, the visits will be interrupted. Lexie won’t mind. Beulah will. But she’s old and accustomed to disappointment.”

“Quit it. I know you’re not that cold, so stop pretending. It only pisses me off.”

“I wouldn’t want to do that,” he muttered.

Despite her melancholy, Mia smiled. “No, you wouldn’t. You still don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

Søren cut her a sharp look. “Then why don’t you tell me? I intend to drive all night before I find us somewhere to regroup.”

She considered. “All right. It’s fair for you to know what you’re getting into.”

“You say that like you’re hiding something.”

“Aren’t we all?”

“Point. Go on, then.”

“I’m a thief.” With those words, she told him something nobody knew about her, not even Kyra.

“You’re joking.”

Mia’s smile widened. “I’m not. You know when I told you my father sent money for college, but I invested it?”

“Mm-hm.”

“I was lying. My dad’s been dead since I was a kid.” Not long after she had visited him, in fact. “The money I used to start my business came from money I skimmed via electronic transfers. I’ve been doing it for years.”

She didn’t know what she expected from him: certainly not judgment or absolution. Mia gazed out the windshield at the red lights of the car in front of them. The dash clock read three forty-five. The sky would be lightening soon, and she didn’t know where the hell they were.

Of course he asked the most important question. “Why?”

“Before I settled on accounting as my security net, I was very into computers.” Jesus, what an understatement. “They seemed like the ultimate escape, allowing me to touch other people’s lives.”

“And you learned to hack.”

“The first time I did it, I got into a Minnesota county library system. Big deal, right?” She studied her clasped hands. “But that gave me a taste for more.”

“Your methods grew more sophisticated and your acts more daring,” he guessed.

“How did you know?”

“It’s kind of like being a superhero, isn’t it? Here you can do this amazing thing-and get away with it-and nobody passing on the street will ever know by looking at you.” With those words, Søren pared her down to the bone.

Yeah, that was exactly it.

“It made me feel special,” she admitted.

“I’d imagine that’s a hard thrill to leave behind.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Do you skim from clients?”

“Generally, no. Not unless they’re real douche bags. Mostly, I just pad my bill.”

His grin was a flash of white in the shifting shadows. “Mostly?”

“There have been a couple of times when I understood why the embezzler targeted that company. That’s all I’m saying.”

“No wonder you’re so good at catching thieves. You know how they think.”

“I’ve always found it hypocritical, but I tell myself I’m not putting people away for stealing; I’m punishing them for being bad at it.”

Søren laughed softly. “You, Mia Sauter, are not the good girl I took you for.”

There was real relief in having someone know her like this, dirty splotches and all. “No, I’m not.”

Silence settled between them, but it was comfortable.

By the time dawn broke, he was flagging, but they couldn’t stop yet. “We need to get rid of this car.”

“Agreed. Breakfast and then swap?”

“I’ll look for a truck stop.”

Ten miles down the road, they found an all-night place that offered a $2.99 breakfast special: fried eggs, sausage, grits, bacon, and biscuits with gravy. To her astonishment, he stated his intent to order it with no hesitation and every appearance of delight.

“Are you trying to kill yourself? Why not just get a gun?”

Søren paused in mixing an insane amount of sugar into his coffee. “I have to eat like this. My metabolism is fucked up.”

“So your engine thrives on grease and sugar?”

“Yes.”

“Lucky bastard,” Mia muttered. “I bet you inhale chocolate and think nothing of it.”

There was a faint apology in his tone when he answered, “Well, I could, but I don’t much care for it.”

“That is beyond wrong.”

“I like ice cream. Pistachio. What’s your favorite flavor?”

“Mocha. My favorite indulgence, which I should never, ever eat is Reese’s peanut butter pie.”

“What the hell is that?” His tone implied, It sounds disgusting.

“Not sure how it’s made, but it starts with a chocolate cookie crust, and I think it has chocolate and peanut butter chips in the filling. It’s topped with crushed Reese’s.”

“Even I wouldn’t eat that.”

“Funny.”

Thinking about desserts made her realize how damn hungry she was. Well, what the hell. She might not live long enough to care about the state of her arteries anyway. When the waitress came to ask what they were having, she got the same thing. Once the waitress had gone, Søren dumped another creamer in his coffee and smiled.

“Don’t worry, if you can’t eat it, I’ll help you out.”

As it turned out, she ate most of it.

Once they reached the next town, Søren drove to the nearest rental agency drop-off. If the Foundation hacked into Mia’s credit records, they’d find out where they’d returned the car. He had to assume that would occur and plan accordingly.

“Where the hell are we?” she asked, stumbling from the car.

Since they’d driven across two states during the night, she could be forgiven for not knowing. “Kentucky.”

She watched him drop the keys in the after-hours box. “I see. And we’re staying here, I take it?”

He wouldn’t mind. Frankfort was a beautiful city, lush with trees and graceful buildings. Most of the weathered bricks along this street had been whitewashed, giving it a fresh, clean look. From the rental agency, Søren led the way down the sidewalk to a used car dealership he’d scouted on the way in.

Belatedly, he realized Mia was still waiting for an answer, when she gave a little huff. “We’re going to change cars and drive on.”

“Don’t you need sleep?” she demanded.

“Insomnia, remember? It takes extreme exertion… or vigorous sex to knock me out completely.” He waited a beat. “Are you volunteering?”

“I’d doze off,” she said with brutal honesty. “Which wouldn’t be very good for your self-esteem.”

He laughed softly. It occurred to him then that Mia had made him smile more in the past few weeks than he had in the past six years. Given their circumstances, he shouldn’t be thinking about anything but keeping one step ahead of their pursuers, but he felt strange and light, as if he’d slipped his own skin during the long night. For the longest time, even his soul felt too tight, weighted with too much loss. Everything seemed different now, and he didn’t know why.

“I guess I’ll be driving on the next leg of the trip, too, then.”

She sighed. “Sorry.”

“It’s all right. I don’t mind.” In fact, it felt good to have her rely on him.

The lot was small, with a tiny white block building at the far end. A plate glass window had white letters painted on it: “STUCKER AUTO SALES.” Søren had to wonder whether that was the owner’s name, or if some wise guy had put the “T” in sucker. Overhead, plastic flags waved in the wind, creating the illusion of applause.

There was a pay phone around the corner of the building. Mia followed with silent curiosity. Mindful of his promise, he dug into his pocket for a handful of change. The operator connected him to the hospital in Virginia, and within seconds, he was talking to the day guy. Just as well-there was some chance the night clerk, Jeremy, might recognize his voice.

“You can come in anytime,” the guy said, as if anticipating a question. “But not field trips, unless you’re a professor teaching an anatomy course at a local university.”

“I wanted to know if you’d identified that Jane Doe yet.”

“Are you a reporter?” Suspicion edged the clerk’s voice.

“No, sir. But I think I might have a lead for you.”

The other man sighed. “Great.” Another crackpot, his tone said.

Comprehension lit Mia’s dark eyes, and he thought he’d do damn near anything to earn another smile like that. See, he told her silently. You can trust me. I’ll keep my promises this time.

She inclined her head as if to say, I know.

“Well,” the clerk demanded, “let’s have it.”

“A girl named Noreen Daniels, who worked at Micor Technologies in their lab, went missing a while back. Check her dental records.”

“Do you have any other information?” The clerk seemed reassured that Søren’s theories didn’t involve aliens or nuclear radiation.

If he only knew.

“I’m sorry, no. But Glenna in Human Resources could get you all the data you could possibly need, including the name of Noreen’s dentist.”

A smile built; he loved when seemingly disparate parts came together to form a diabolically clever whole.

“That’s Micor Technologies,” the man repeated. It sounded as if he was writing the name down.

“Yes. Thank you for taking me seriously. Her family deserves to know what became of her.”

“They do indeed,” the other man agreed.

When he terminated the call, Mia kissed him. As they came up for air, he asked, “What was that for?”

“Doing the right thing.”

Søren regarded her in bemusement. “If reform comes with your kisses, then I suspect I could change my ways.”

“Sweet-talker.”

Smiling, he led the way back around to the car lot. He skimmed the cars out front, but none of them were new enough-or flashy enough-to be expensive. That was exactly what they needed. The business office wasn’t open yet, but according to the sign, it would be in five minutes, so he contented himself with looking around. Mia did the same.

“This place is a dump,” she concluded.

“Nothing catches your eye?”

She shot him an are you kidding look. But she studied the somewhat disconsolate looking vehicles with renewed intensity. “The Corolla looks decent, and it has only minimal body damage. Those are typically good, reliable cars, and-”

“There are a lot of them on the road,” he finished. “You’re learning.”

“The color is also nondescript.”

Gray. One could hardly find anything less memorable. There were a couple other possibilities, but he liked the Toyota himself. Søren could tell they were being watched, so he touched Mia gently and often, molding the salesman’s expectations. Altering his body language-making it stiff and slow-created the perception of age, so if anyone came along behind them, this man would tell them his only customer had been some old coot and his sexy young thing.

“What’s wrong?” Mia whispered. “Are you stiff from driving?”

He still wasn’t used to anyone noticing the subtlety of what he did. Stifling a wry smile, he explained the ruse, and her eyes reflected quiet admiration. Søren allowed himself to bask in the pleasure for a few seconds before hobbling on to the next vehicle.

They browsed until a short, middle-aged man unlocked the office and stepped into the sunshine. This salesman wore an honest-to-God leisure suit in a fantastic shade of powder blue, and Søren was pretty sure they’d stopped making wide-collar shirts in the seventies. Paisley. That’s paisley. A cravat or a colorful scarf would’ve completed the picture, but no-instead, they got a badly matched toupee. Søren found himself staring in fascination at the red brown synthetic hair, tugged over the fuzzy gray bits.

But the man wore a wide smile at finding them waiting. “Morning, folks. Want a test drive or are you just looking?”

Søren gazed at Mia, as if the moon and stars shone in her eyes. “Whatever she wants.”

Her breath hitched a little, but she mastered herself swiftly. “How much is the Geo?”

Ah, clever girl. Never ask about the one you want most.

“Well, for such a pretty lady, I can make a special deal. Eleven hundred.”

Mia shook her head with every evidence of regret. “We can’t afford that. He’s on a fixed income, and I haven’t been able to find work.”

“Are you new to the area?”

“Yes, we just moved in.”

Søren could see the other man trying to work things out. “Well, it’s mighty kind of you to look after your dad.”

Her eyes widened, and she pressed up against Søren’s side. “Oh, he’s not my father.”

The salesman let that pass, but from the look he gave Søren, he was wondering how many magic pills it took for him to keep his new bride happy. “Why don’t you tell me what your price range is, and I’ll show you what I’ve got in the ballpark.” He paused and then added, “You know if you like that Prizm, I do offer weekly financing. No banks-”

“No credit,” Søren snapped in his best crotchety voice. “I don’t hold with it-never have, never will.”

Beside him he felt Mia stiffen in astonishment. He flushed with pride, even though it was a basic skill. As he’d told her previously, any competent voice actor could develop different tones for different roles.

Though they hadn’t discussed it, she said smoothly, “We really can’t spend more than five hundred dollars.”

The salesman scowled. “You should be in a junkyard, not on my lot.”

Mia gazed at him through her lashes, and he saw the other man melt. God knew he’d been on the receiving end of her doe eyes. Good thing this guy didn’t know how much of a shark she was.

“Well, if you’re sure there’s absolutely nothing…” She turned as if to lead Søren away.

“Wait.” Before they’d gotten ten feet, the dealer broke. “I guess I could make you a deal on that Toyota.”

“What year is it?” Søren asked.

“1994.”

“That was a good year,” he mused. “My old dog Kip was still alive then. By gum, that hound could hunt. Honey, did I tell you-”

“Yes, dear.” She fielded the “senior” non sequitur without missing a beat. “I know about Kip. The dog ran into a blind and brought out two ducks, and he hadn’t even shot them,” she added in explanation to the salesman, who looked bemused.

“That’s some hound,” the salesman agreed eventually.

Mia pretended to study the Toyota for the first time. “Hm. It has damage on the fender… and the bumper. There are rust spots at the bottom of the passenger doors. And this headlight is cracked.”

“Minor,” the salesman snapped. “If you want full disclosure, the air conditioner don’t work, and neither does the cigarette lighter. But the car runs, and for what you’re willing to pay, you won’t do better.”

Hard to argue that.

Mia said, “Well, we like the fresh air and neither of us smoke. That Toyota would be perfect, and you’re the sweetest man ever to work with us like this.”

In short order, they bought the car for cash and drove away. Mia took the wheel until they’d gone a few blocks. At Søren’s request, she pulled into a shopping center and paused while he scanned the cars.

She regarded him quizzically. “What now?”

In answer he peeled the temporary plate card out of the back window and popped a plate from a vehicle of identical make and model, but different production year. It would attract less attention. He knew from experience, cops took note of thirty-day dealer cards.

As he straightened, he found himself very close to Mia. Her skin glowed bronze in the morning light, so warm and lovely he couldn’t resist running a fingertip down her cheek. She reacted with a little shiver, and her response went through him like a blade.

“You were amazing back there,” he said.

“Right back at you. Shall we press on?”

He nodded; there was no real alternative. Søren climbed into the car and drove.

His eyes felt gritty now. The coffee and sugar from breakfast were starting to wear off, siphoned by the use of his ability at the dealership. Rest would be helpful-and with Mia nearby he might even sleep-but they had to push on. Getting to safety was the first priority, and then they had to lay their own plans: a trap for the unwary.

Running could only take you so far.