Honeymoon - James Patterson [28]
For a brief moment, Nora second-guessed herself. Was she just being paranoid? Was this really necessary? But the nagging feeling proved stronger than any lingering doubt. She stepped harder on the gas. She was almost there.
What the . . . ?
Nora slammed on the brakes.
She’d reached the corner of Connor’s street and had to do an immediate double take. The black BMW was still there. Craig Reynolds hadn’t left.
Why not? What is he doing now?
She shifted into reverse and backed in along the curb by some overgrown hedges and pine trees. They came in handy, shielding most of her car while still providing a decent view of his. From that distance, however, Craig Reynolds himself was barely a silhouette. Nora squinted. She couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked as though he was talking on his cell phone.
Though not for long. Within a minute, the taillights of his BMW flared amid a sputtering of smoke from the muffler. The Insurance Man was finally leaving.
Nora had no idea where he was going, only that she had every intention of finding out. The plan to surprise Jeffrey up in Boston had been usurped by a new plan.
It was called Getting to Know the Real Craig Reynolds.
Chapter 35
OFF HE WENT.
Nora knew she couldn’t follow too closely. He was familiar with her car, and the fact that it was bright red didn’t help matters. What a shame Mercedes doesn’t make a camouflage-green convertible.
VILLAGE OF BRIARCLIFF MANOR INC. 1902
Even before she saw the sign, Nora had figured out that Craig was headed for the center of town. Lucky for her. After dealing with a couple of stop signs and merging traffic from Route 9A, she could barely keep him in sight. Had he been driving anywhere else but this peaceful burg, she probably would’ve lost him.
She was familiar with the small town, having been there several times with Connor. It was a mix of working class and chic, new money and no money. Rustic lantern posts dotted the main drag amid banks and specialty shops. Bluehairs shared the sidewalk with young supermoms pushing the latest and greatest in baby strollers. Amalfi’s, an Italian restaurant that Connor adored, was bustling with lunchtime business.
Again, Nora thought she’d lost Craig.
She sighed with relief when she caught a glimpse of his black Beemer making a left turn far ahead. By the time she followed, he was already parked and stepping onto the curb.
She immediately pulled over and watched as he disappeared into a brick building. His office, she assumed.
Slowly she drove by. Sure enough, there was a sign above the second-floor windows. CENTENNIAL ONE LIFE INSURANCE, it read.
Well, that’s a good sign, so to speak.
Nora doubled around and parked about forty yards up from the entrance. So far, so good. Craig Reynolds seemed to be who he said he was. But she wasn’t satisfied yet. Something told her there was more to him than met the eye.
She settled in for the wait, staring at the building, a two-story, nondescript rectangle. Certainly nothing flashy about it. She wasn’t even sure if the bricks were real. They looked kind of phony, like that facing technique she’d seen on TV.
The wait didn’t last long. Less than twenty minutes later, Craig walked out of the building and got back into his car. Nora straightened up in her seat and waited for him to pull away from the curb.
Where to now, Insurance Man? Wherever it is, you have company.
Chapter 36
THE BLUE RIBBON DINER was where. It was a few miles out of town heading east, not far from the Saw Mill River Parkway. The place had that classic, old-time diner look. Square box with chrome accents, a ribbon of windows all around.
Nora found a space off to the side in the parking lot that had a view of the front doors. She glanced at her watch—well past noon.
She’d skipped breakfast and was starving, actually. It didn’t help that she was also downwind from the