in a divorce case, but aside from that, how much more nefarious could Ernest’s motives be than Toby’s were? He was trying to trick his employer.
Ernest had found a classical station that sounded pretty scratchy on Toby’s old car radio and he now switched it off. “When are you picking up Batshit?”
“About ten tomorrow morning.” Toby stopped at the first light in Corona del Mar.
“You’re nervous about it.” It wasn’t a question.
“It’s so much responsibility. They love that dog more than chocolate.”
“He wouldn’t ask you if he didn’t trust you.”
“He might, but do I?”
“Just don’t let that nine-pound princess push you around.”
“Easy for you to say.”
They laughed as Toby made a U-turn and pulled up in front of the clinic. He turned to Ernest. “If I try my whole life, I can never come up with enough words to thank you for what you did.”
“I enjoyed it.”
“No one could have done a better job.” He leaned over to peck Ernest on the cheek.
Ernest turned his head and caught the approaching lips full on his mouth. They lingered for a moment, Toby in delighted surprise and Ernest in who knew what motivation. When Ernest pulled back, he grinned. “I’m sure there must be someone from your school around here somewhere.” Chuckling, he opened the car door and slid out, not saying a word about when or if he’d ever see Toby again.
Lips tingling, Toby watched Ernest stride away in his beautiful suit until he disappeared around a corner. Toby’s foot desperately wanted to press the accelerator and follow Ernest, but that wouldn’t be nice. Ernest deserved his privacy. Damn.
He pulled away from the curb and drove slowly past the street Ernest had turned down, straining his neck to catch a glimpse of the tall, lean figure moving with his gangly grace.
Nothing.
Yes, it was dark and the street lights weren’t brilliant, but Toby was pretty damned sure nobody was moving on that street. Did that mean Ernest’s house was one of those “charmers” lining that street or had he turned somewhere else? He wasn’t invading privacy if Ernest wasn’t there, right?
He yanked the wheel and turned down the street, moving slowly, maybe with the idea that he’d see a figure through a lighted window or something. There were people moving around in the houses, TVs flickering, but no familiar faces. That’s what he got for being nosy.
Sighing, Toby increased to the 25 MPH speed limit and headed for the next intersection where he could turn back to the Coast Highway. Coming toward him on the street was a dark SUV and Toby scooched over on the narrow residential road to let him pass. The windshield of the SUV must have been tinted because Toby could barely make out the outline of the driver as he went past, but that was enough.
His mouth fell open. He could be paranoid, yes. Or crazy. Or imagining things. But his brain told him he’d just seen the same guy who’d been at the restaurant—and at Z, and at the vet. The guy who Ernest said was just a coincidence.
Ernest slid into the passenger seat and slammed the door. After a half-hour of hiding in the bushes to give Toby enough time to leave the area, he was cranky. “Toby saw you in the bar. Now he’s convinced one of us is being followed and he’s pretty sure it’s me. Not cool. You’re going to have to assign someone else to tail me because you’ve totally been identified.”
“Yeah, I noticed when his eyes connected with mine. What’d you tell him?”
“I played the ‘why would anyone be following me’ card. But Toby’s not dumb. He knows something’s off.”
Bill was quiet for a few seconds, then said, “I got a call at the restaurant. The word is, Santorelli’s actively looking for you. He’s put out a substantial bounty for information on your whereabouts.”
Goosebumps sprang up on Ernest’s arms and he rubbed at them. “To who?”
Bill glanced at him. “Our guess is the query’s gone out to informants and contacts of the high-profile lawyer who’s representing him. It would be logical that the defense would be looking for any potential witnesses against their client.”
“And once somebody finds me?”
Bill shrugged. “Then he knows where to send a shooter, doesn’t he?”
“So what do I do?”
“We’re thinking we go back to plan A and keep you under wraps for the next month. With such an enticing reward, people are going to be looking for you everywhere. And not just slimeballs. That law firm