Everyone's Man – 52

"Keyes was right," Bill said as he abruptly turned right onto a side street, glancing in the rearview mirror as he did.

 

"About?" Marc asked with a trace of asperity. He was already frustrated that Bill had to drive him to work. He'd gone out to his car, ready to head in, only to find that it wouldn't start. It had at least half a tank of gas, the battery was relatively new and since they weren't experts, rather than fixate on what the problem could be, Bill had offered to take him in and then pick him up before heading off to work in the morning.

 

"I think we're being followed."

 

Marc frowned. "That makes no sense." He turned to look. "Which car?"

 

"Black, square headlights. It's three cars behind us right now."

 

Spotting it, Marc nodded. "Why do you think he's following us?"

 

"'Cause I'm paranoid after Keyes's talk with us last night? And maybe that's all it is, paranoia." Bill took a sharp right at the last second without signaling. "He's still with us," he said a minute later.

 

"I see. I'll call Keyes and let him know what's going on." He did so, explained their situation and then listened for a moment before hanging up. "He says we should just go on to the hospital. It's not like whoever it is doesn't know where I work. Maybe they were hoping we'd go to wherever Colin is for some reason. Maybe they're just playing games to scare us."

 

"If they are, it's working," Bill muttered as he got back on the highway again.

 

Twenty minutes later, Bill was heading back to the apartment. He kept watching to see if that car was following, feeling relieved when he pulled into the parking lot without having seen it. As he got out of the car, one of his neighbors pulled into the space next to him, joining him as they walked towards the entrance to the building.

 

"I take it the mechanic didn't figure out what was wrong with Marc's car," the man said.

 

"Mechanic? What mechanic?" When?"

 

"I came home for lunch and there was a man in a blue mechanic's uniform checking the engine. I figured since the car's still here, he must not have found the problem. Guess Marc forgot to tell you he called him."

 

"Yeah, guess he did," Bill agreed. Then he snapped his fingers. "I forgot something in the car," he told the man, heading back the way they'd come. As soon as the man was inside the building he called Keyes with the new piece of information. The detective told him to wait in the building lobby until he got there.