The Lawman Meets His Bride. Meagan McKinney

but we can’t stop anywhere. I can’t risk it.”

      “There’s a few granola bars in the glovebox,” she told him.

      He handed her one, too, and they both ate in silence for a few minutes.

      Constance was the first to break it.

      “You mentioned something about having an ‘ace in the hole’ in Billings. May I ask what it is?”

      When he answered, his voice had lost its snappish tone. “I’d better not get too specific with you. You’ll be going to the police eventually. And you may end up being grilled by the same goons who’re trying to put handles on me.”

      “I take your point.”

      “Now you’re catching on. Actually I doubt if what I have is an ace. But with luck, maybe it’ll turn out to be a king or a jack. So far it’s my secret. All on my own, I was putting together a case against…the two men who are trying to set me up. I kept my efforts secret because I was afraid to jeopardize security until I have some idea just how high up the corruption goes.”

      Quinn thought about how one secretly obtained court order had allowed him to painstakingly assemble a damning paper trail from phone and financial records. As huge amounts of money were released from the Federal Highway Fund to a major Montana road-construction firm, he had traced subsequent “portfolio diversifications” by the firm’s attorney— Brandon Whitaker.

      Over time a clear pattern emerged. So regular you could plot it like a graph. A pattern known as “the kickback curve” among prosecutors. After each federal payment to Montana, Whitaker initiated lucrative transactions involving preferred stocks and leveraged buyouts. It was only circumstantial. But it would warrant judicial examination; Quinn was sure of that.

      Despite her resolution to remain skeptical, Constance again felt herself wanting to believe her abductor. True, he was holding back specific details. But ever since their paths had crossed earlier, he had insisted on his innocence.

      He didn’t really need to bother doing that—he had a gun, after all. A true criminal would simply rely on intimidation to gain her compliance.

      Once again he lapsed into a long silence. His labored breathing became more obvious to her as he nodded out once more. Before long, his head had slumped onto her shoulder.

      No question about it now; he was fast asleep. She glanced down. The greenish glow of the dashboard lights showed that his coat was open.

      I could maybe get the gun, she thought.

      But then what? She knew full well she wouldn’t use it, and he probably knew that, too.

      She thought about her cell phone. Had he been thinking like a real bad guy, he would have taken it from her. But he didn’t. She could get it out, dial 911, and perhaps whisper to the emergency operator. Give their location and let the police take it from there.

      Yet, she made no move to try. It wasn’t just fear he’d wake up and catch her. As much as she hated to admit it, she was starting to see this mess from his perspective, too.

      If he was innocent—a strong possibility in her mind—then she might be condemning him to prison—or worse. If he were simply running to get away, Billings was the last place he’d head for. From frontier days to the present, Montana fugitives chose the Canadian Rockies to the north as their favorite refuge from the law.

      Even as all this looped through her mind, a blue-and-yellow sedan eased by her in the passing lane—a Montana state trooper.

      Her pulse leapt into her throat. The cop wasn’t pulling her over, just passing on his way to someplace else.

      Flick the bright lights on and off a few times, she thought. That cop will pull you right over.

      And then what? Loudon was armed and desperate—this time he might not aim high.

      Wracked by indecision, she did nothing as the red-glowing taillights receded ahead.

      She assumed Loudon was sound asleep. So hearing his voice made her nearly crawl out of her skin.

      “Missed your chance,” he told her in a sleepy voice. “S’matter, you soft on crime?”

      “Maybe I don’t want to get caught in the middle of one of your shootouts.”

      “Oh. Here I thought maybe it was my sexy eyes.”

      Heat came into her face. “I could floor it and still catch that cop.”

      “You’re the driver.”

      Despite his exhaustion, she detected a smug, mocking tone to his voice. He had called her bluff. It wasn’t bad enough that he had kidnapped her—now he had to toy with her to amuse himself.

      “Since you’re awake, kindly remove your head from my shoulder.”

      He complied, slumping against the passenger’s window.

      “Do you know how nice you smell?” he murmured sleepily. “Your perfume is Gardenia Passion, right?”

      He was right, but she said nothing. He didn’t even wait for a reply, going back to sleep immediately.