Free Agent Undercover by Lynette Eason

people in the school, maybe he was the one she needed to talk to. Quickly coming up with a story, Paige turned back. “Sam, in the curriculum I have to use with the kids, I’ll be talking about drug use. One of the teachers mentioned her grandson came home with drugs in his backpack but claims he doesn’t know how they got there. You’re all over this school. Have you ever heard of anything like that happening here?”
    His brows furrowed as he thought. “No, not here. I mean, out of all the kids that go here, I wouldn’t doubt a few of the parents have done drugs at some point, but I haven’t personally seen anything.”
    “Hmm. Well, thanks.” She should have figured. Even if he knew something, he might hesitate saying anything tothe new person. Understandable. What she didn’t get was the fact that the drug dogs hadn’t come up with anything tangible.
    “Sure thing. See you tomorrow.”
    From what she’d read in the report, after the arrest of the two parents, a drug dog had been brought in. The dog had alerted to a few of the kids’ backpacks, but that could be because their parents smoked marijuana at home, or it could be the child was at a friend’s house and someone in that house smoked it.
    But nothing had turned up.
    The fact was, unless the drugs were found at the time of the alerting by the dog, there wasn’t much she or anyone else could do about it.
    Paige continued on to her car, anxious to get home and get ready for the evening ahead. Although the skies still threatened, she was grateful that the rain had stopped for now. Tossing her unopened umbrella in the backseat, she climbed in and turned the key.
    Nothing. Not even a click.
    What?
    She tried again.
    Still nothing.
    “Great.” She slapped the wheel. Not now. A glance at her watch showed it was already 4:23.
    Reaching under the dash, Paige popped the hood. Climbing out of the vehicle, she exposed the engine and gaped.
    Her battery was gone.
    Paige’s blood pressure spiked. Spinning on her heel, she looked around the parking lot.
    No one in sight.
    Even Tom Bridges’s car was gone.
    A red truck sat in a parking spot about six spaces down.
    Probably belonged to Sam Hobbs. But what could he do? She needed a battery.
    Then again, he’d been outside emptying trash. The bins were to her right within line of sight of her car. He may have seen something, someone tampering with her vehicle. Sam’d already disappeared into the building.
    Now she stood alone in the parking lot.
    Alone.
    Her mind clicked.
    Okay, go question Sam or figure out what this meant.
    Someone wanted her to be here. Someone wanted her stranded, unable to leave.
    Taking her battery shouted that real clear.
    But who? And why? And
where
was the person who’d snatched her battery?
    Close by and watching?
    Watching for what?
    For her to start walking home?
    A quick look at the street showed it was busy, cars passing in front of the school on a regular basis.
    But people had disappeared on busy streets before.
    Paige looked at the lock on the door. She knew for a fact she’d locked it when she climbed out that morning, but someone skilled with a coat hanger or access to a professional locksmith tool could easily gain entry without leaving a clue behind.
    Reaching into the backseat, she pulled out her purse, set it on the hood of her car and dug out her cell phone.
    Wheels crunched on the asphalt behind her. Whirling, her hand went to her shoulder holster—the one that wasn’t there. Blood still pumping, she moved so that her car was between her and the vehicle that pulled up beside her.
    Simon Moore. The reporter. A small grin pulled at his lips as he lowered the driver’s side window. “Trouble?”
    Paige straightened. “Someone stole my battery. You wouldn’t happen to know who, would you?”
    A hurt look crossed his face. “Well, thanks a lot.”
    She grimaced. “Sorry. I’m in a bad mood.” Even though she had her suspicions, she supposed she should get proof