Virgin In Disguise

Traffic slowed in front of them. He spotted a police car parked on the cross street and, for a split second, considered trying to signal for help or trying to overpower her. But he wanted to find out who her client was more than he wanted to escape. At the moment, anyway.

She changed lanes to bypass the backup of cars turning into and out of the Wedge Co-op parking lot, then shifted back into the right lane in time to squeak through a yellow light. They hit the on-ramp to Highway 94, heading east.

“Where are you taking me?”

“I told you earlier, before we left.”

“Yeah, well, the last few hours are pretty hazy, thanks to the drug-induced stupor I seem to be in. Why don’t you refresh my memory?”

A gap in traffic opened and she changed to the exit lane for Highway 35W north. “My employer didn’t expect me to catch up with you quite so quick.”

“Gee, I’m sorry I was such an easy mark. If I’d known I was being hunted, maybe I could have made it more of a challenge for you.”

She ignored his sarcasm. “He’s not ready to meet with you and asked me to take you out of town for a few days, until he has some other details in order.”

“If all he wanted was a meeting, why the kidnapping?”

She clenched her jaw. “This isn’t a kidnapping.”

“You couldn’t tell by me.” He rattled the handcuff. “From where I’m sitting, it sure feels like one.”

She glanced at him but didn’t respond.

“Come on, Elf. Give me a good reason, just one, why I don’t turn you in for what has got to be a major ethical breach.”

This time she glared at him. “Elf?”

That got a rise out of her. He smiled. “It seemed to fit when you were crouched next to the bed. I’ll admit, you’re a bit tall for an elf, but you’re still plenty shorter than I am.”

“There is nothing elfish about me.”

“I don’t know. You’ve got the pixie haircut, a pointy chin, big eyes. The bleach job and nose ring aren’t quite in keeping with the concept, but I’m a tolerant guy and can allow a little creative license in the interpretation.”

She snorted—a decidedly unelfish expression.

“Maybe,” Frank continued, “if I knew your name, I wouldn’t have to make one up for you.”

“Angel.” The road split, and she shifted lanes again, staying with the northbound traffic.

“Angel. No, I don’t think so.” Frank looked her over. “What happened to your long, brown hair? And your gray eyes?”

“They served their purpose. As did the auburn curls, the black pageboy, the brown eyes, the green eyes.”

A soft whistle escaped his lips. He leaned toward her and studied her features in profile. Satisfied, he nodded and settled back against the seat. “You’ve been following me for a few days, haven’t you?”

“Almost a full week, actually.” She flicked a glance in his direction. “You lead a particularly uneventful and rather predictable existence.”

“Like I said, if I’d known I was being hunted, I could have made it a little more interesting.” A week. And he hadn’t spotted her. Even if he wasn’t expecting a tail, he should have spotted someone following him for that long.

He ran through a quick mental log of his activities over the past seven days. Her mastery of disguises was very impressive, and he needed to find out if she might have stumbled onto anything that would jeopardize his investigation. He didn’t think so, but he’d have to be sure.

The city landscape dwindled and changed. Elf/Angel settled a little deeper into her seat and accelerated. The speedometer crept higher, leaving sixty behind and pushing seventy. He waited for the car to protest the speed with various vibrations and rattles. Instead, the engine purred like a very contented cat.

“You still haven’t told me where you’re taking me.”

“It’s Friday afternoon. We’re going where all the good Minnesotans go on a summer weekend.”

“I’m not from around here. Enlighten me.”

“On the weekend, everyone goes up north to the cabin on the lake. We’re going up north.”

“That I can see. Where up north?”

“To the lake.”

“The lake. According to your license plate, there’s more than one.”

“True. But the only one that counts is the one we’re going to.”

“And that would be…?”

“The one where the cabin is.” She smiled and her dimple winked at him. “You’re kind of slow, aren’t you?”

“You’re killing me, Elf.”

She chuckled, and the husky sound sent images of late-night intimacies flashing through his mind. He shifted, trying to get more comfortable. Between tight legroom and tightening pants, it wasn’t easy.

“Any chance you’ll be stopping for gas? Soon?”

“Just filled the tank before I picked you up, so no, I’m not planning on it. I’d like to get mostly there before full dark.”

He muttered a soft curse and shifted again, still finding no comfort.

Elf gave him a quick once-over, a frown creasing her forehead. “Something wrong?”

“Nothing access to a rest room wouldn’t solve.”

“Ah.” The frown deepened. “Hmm.”

“I take it you hadn’t considered the need for rest stops before you hustled me out of that room?”

“No.”

“Understandable. You can’t be expected to think of everything.”

Red crept up her neck and stained her cheeks. Interesting. Was she embarrassed by the situation or mad at not having thought of the eventuality?

“Of course, it wouldn’t be so bad if you hadn’t forced that glass of doctored water down my throat.” He twisted the guilt knot a little tighter.