After Me by Deborah Coonts

Author:Deborah Coonts [Coonts, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-944831-98-1
Publisher: Chestnut Street Press

Beck dropped me at the precinct where I’d left my motorcycle. “Where are you going?” he asked, stopping me as I opened my door.

“I gotta see Stella, but first I’ve got to see Dan.”

Beck’s expression turned cold. “What for?”

“I need my file.”

He thought that over for a bit. “Hell of a risk. He may tie your hands.”

“On what authority? WITSEC is voluntary. After all of this, he’ll probably be glad to wash his hands of me and everything.”

“Maybe.” Beck didn’t sound convinced, but I knew Dan—he wouldn’t get in my way. “Then you’ll be at the hospital to see Stella?”

“Yes.”

“You be careful. They may be watching. The chief is barking like a dog over all of this. I’ve got to bring him up to speed. And I’d like to see if NYPD is in a sharing mood—their file on Khoury would be interesting reading. Then I’ll stop by the hospital. They got the guy you left barely conscious. I’d like to see if we can wake him up.”

“Okay. I’ll see you there, then.” I stepped out of the car then leaned back in before shutting the door. “You have my new number?”

“Programmed in.” He reached across and grabbed my hand. “Kate…”

“I know.”

He left his hand on mine for a moment. It felt warm, reassuring—the connection I craved.

“And the GPS on my phone?”

“Disabled.”

I’d asked him so many times to double-check that the tracking feature was turned off I was amazed he hadn’t lost his patience. But he hadn’t. “Okay.” I stood there for a few moments longer than necessary. I knew once I shut the door he’d drive off. Finally, I took a deep breath and let him go. I didn’t watch as he pulled into traffic.

He was a good man, better than I deserved. And I didn’t want to hurt him. But I had to know. Why had I taken the diamonds? Who was I?

Life, an upside to sin. The downside? Having to live with it.

I had to get my hands on the diamonds. And then I needed to use them to get Khoury. Yes, I remembered his name. It was branded on my soul.

What had I done with the stones?

Could my file help me remember?

The sky spit rain. The cold filtered through every gap between clothing and skin as if it too wanted to find a warm place to hide. I turned up my collar as I straddled my ride. Instead of firing it up, I took the time to read through all of my notes from the beginning, and listen to my recordings, even the one I’d dictated this morning from Beck’s notes. Everything was there. I was whole again—maybe as whole as I was going to be. The doctors hadn’t made any promises.

Scrolling through photos, I stopped on the one of Nesto, sprawled in my tub. Something about him…

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