And then I remembered, Jack's public appearance inthatcity had only happened because he'd been substituting for Flynn.
Still, I couldn’t help but recall the time I'd spotted Jack in the hotel lobby at nearly four in the morning. He'd been carrying my stolen paperback.
How had he gotten it, anyway?
Was it the same way he'd gotten those lewd photos?
As far as the paperback itself, it had been months since Jack and I last discussed it. But I still had the book tucked into the inside pocket of my favorite suitcase.
Overcome by a wave of melancholy, I felt a sudden longing to see it. I wandered to the closet and dug it out. As I opened it to the signature page, I felt my eyes grow misty.
The original inscription was still there.To Becka – a trouble-maker of the highest order.
But underneath it, in a different color ink, was something new.I love you. Don't forget that.It was dated on the last day we'd seen each other.
As I stared at the new inscription, I blinked away more unshed tears. That was two whole weeks ago, and I hadn't heard from Jack since.No phone calls, no texts, no email messages. No nothing.
So much for love, huh?
Feeling more confused than ever, I returned to my computer with a renewed determination to solve the puzzle that was Jack Ward. This time, I focused only on the cities where I knew for sure that he'd slipped away during the middle of the night.
I found just a few items of interest – a few more bribery scandals, some drug deals gone bad, and some high-end robberies, but nothing I could tie to Jack for certain.
In the end, all I felt was exhausted and overwhelmed.
I didn't remember falling asleep, but as far as waking up, I rememberedthatperfectly.
I woke to the sound of my sister's voice, saying, "Hey, Becka – did you see the thing about Jack?"
Chapter 71
Becka
I sat up and rubbed at my eyes. "What?"
Anna stared down at me. "Why'd you sleep outhere?"
I glanced around. Apparently, I'd fallen asleep on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of me was my notebook computer, still open. The screen was dark, but the room wasn't. Already, pale sunlight was filtering in through the suite's window blinds.
I asked, "What time is it?"
"Just past seven," she said. "But forget that. Did you see?"
I shook my head. "See what?"
"The thing about Jack." Her voice rose. "Did you see?"
"I, uh, don't think so." I squinted up at her. "What do you mean?"
She leaned forward. "Do you know who he is?"
It seemed an odd question. "Yeah. I mean, I think so." I was still trying to clear the cobwebs. "Sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about."
She pointed to my computer. "Go to the news."
Oh, no.Bracing myself, I asked, "What news?"
"Anynews," she said. "It's all over the place."
