Chapter 45

“He’s not back there, darn it,” Paige said at one point. “At least not that I can tell.”

“I should have asked. What does he drive?”

“Sometimes, a black car with red flames on the side, when he wants to show off. The rest of the time an old, blue beater that he said he was going to fix up.”

“For sure the flamed car hasn’t been anywhere around. The other one?” He shrugged. “Could have been but I didn’t see it.’

“Me, neither.”

A few minutes later they were searching for a parking spot at the mall, eventually finding one not too far from one of the entrances. After that, it was a case of wandering from store to store, all the while hoping that Leon was there and watching.

“Well, sort of hoping,” Paige said at one point. “What I really wish is that he’s given up after seeing us together yesterday.”