Page 91 of Smoke Screen
And she wasn’t about to lose this potential opportunity to find the missing jewels and clear her name.
Music blared from the front side of the building, so she hustled along, reaching the sidewalk. A child screamed just as Maddy turned left to where a barrier had been set up to block Main Street from vehicle traffic.
She knew, from conversations on the way over here, that Phin was to meet the person in front of the Triple B. Shouldn’t be that hard to find him. Steele Ridge wasn’t that big.
And Phin? With the movie-star good looks? Hard to miss. Exactly why they were in this predicament.
She glanced behind her again. No Zeke. She sidestepped the barrier, joining the crush on Main Street where open-air tents blocked the sun’s rays. To her left, a line extended out the door of a bakery, the sweet aroma of fresh-baked cookies drawing a crowd.
If all went well, after the meeting, she’d stop and buy Lynette some cookies as a thank-you.
Her phone chirped. She slid it from her back pocket. Zeke. Checking on her.
She put her thumbs to work.
Still looking. Total madhouse.
What she hadn’t expected when she jumped from the SUV was that Phin could be lost in the crowd.
Zeke: He’s in front of La Belle Style. Two doors down from the B.
Two teenagers pushed around Maddy, giving her the hairy eyeball for blocking the way.
All around her, people bobbed and weaved, crowding the sidewalk and the street.
No Phin.
A group of tables for people to sit and dine had been placed in the road in front of the Triple B. She wandered by them, searching the area beyond for the orange baseball cap Phin wore. Not too many of those around here.
A flash caught her eye.
There.
In front of a clothing boutique a few doors down. Phin clearly hadn’t made it that far once he’d stepped onto Main Street.
The gray-haired older woman continued chatting him up, monopolizing his time. Maddy would have to rectify that. Business to conduct. She was the FBI’s number one target in a priceless jewelry heist and this old woman was in the way.
Time to break this up.
Maddy kept moving, not too fast, not too slow. Isn’t that what she’d seen in all the undercover cop shows? Looknatural.
As if any of this was natural.
Maddy kept her gaze pinned to Phin, who stood at least a foot taller than the woman and could easily see over her. If he’d just lift his head, he’d see Maddy coming.
Come on. Look up.
Nothing.
Of course.
In another ten feet, she’d be there. He had to see her coming. Had to.
Look up.
She almost laughed. Could nothing go her way this week?
Fine. She’d take care of it herself.
