Free Man from Half Moon Bay by Iris Johansen Page A

our people and—”
    “Let him go,” Jordan finished for him as he threw himself into a chair. “What else did he say?”
    “You knew?”
    “It was a setup.” Jordan’s lips tightened. “With Sara as the sacrificial lamb. A very willing lamb.”
    “No wonder you look so uptight.”
    “That’s a massive understatement. If they pretended to lose Kemp, they must have arranged to keep a tail on him. Has Kemp reached San Francisco yet?”
    Cam shook his head. “And he won’t be here for at least another forty-eight hours. Evidently, he’slow on funds and bought a bus ticket from New York to San Francisco. It’s due in at the Greyhound station at 3:05 P.M. day after tomorrow. Marambas said to tell you his operative flew to St. Louis and will board Kemp’s bus there.”
    Forty-eight hours. Kemp was coming, Jordan thought. There had been the slightest hope that Kemp might have decided not to make good on his threat, but now that hope was gone.
    “What are you going to do?” Cam asked quietly. “Can’t you persuade Sara to get the hell out of this town?”
    “No.” Jordan’s hands clenched on the arms of the chair. “She says she can’t let Kemp stay out on the street. She won’t even let me stay with her or help her.” He covered his eyes with his hand. It was trembling. “God, I’m scared.”
    “The police will protect her,” Cam said. “I guess you’ll have to trust them.”
    Jordan’s hand dropped again to the arm of the chair. “That’s easy to say. Would you be willing to sit on the sidelines if it was your wife they were using as bait?”
    Cam hesitated. “No, I guess we’re both too possessive to rely on anyone else to protect what belongs to us. It must be a Bandor family trait.” He paused. “But what else can you do?”
    “Well, I’m sure as hell not going to rest on my duff and do nothing.” Jordan stood up and headed for the front door. “I’m going back to Sara’s apartment and I’m staying there until they catch Kemp.”
    “You said she wouldn’t let you stay with her.”
    “I’ll find a way.”
    A flicker of apprehension crossed Cam’s face. “Be careful, Jordan. For God’s sake, don’t lose the ground you’ve already gained. It may be too soon to—”
    “Do you think I don’t know that?” Jordan’s expression was bleak. “I have to take my chances. It’s better that I lose Sara than for Sara to lose her life.”
    “Jordan …” Cam trailed off. What else could he say? He would probably do the same thing in Jordan’s place. “If I can help, let me know.”
    “Just stay here in case Marambas calls again. Contact me right away if there’s any news about Kemp.”
    “I won’t budge until you come back.” Cam hesitated. “You’ll be at Sara’s all night?”
    “Yes,” Jordan lips tightened. “I’ll be at Sara’s.”
    “Here take one of these sacks. I don’t want to crush your treasures.” He thrust a grocery bag into Sara’s hand and strode past her into the apartment. “Lord, it’s raining hard. I was lucky the sacks didn’t burst open in the supermarket parking lot. They’re soggy as hell.”
    Sara quickly smothered the sudden leap of joy she had felt when Jordan had identified himself and she had opened the door to see him standing there. “What are you doing here? I told you—”
    “To stay away from you.” Jordan gave her a flashing smile over his shoulder. “And I will, whenthe trap is ready to be sprung. But I’m sure your Lieutenant Blaise has told you that you don’t have to worry about Kemp for another forty-eight hours. Why should I have to eat dinner alone when there’s no reason that you can’t join me?” He set two bags down on the kitchen counter. “Or rather I can join you. We’d both be drowned if we tried to make it to a restaurant.”
    He pulled off his olive crewneck sweater and tossed it on one of the kitchen stools. The white shirt he wore beneath it was almost as wet as the sweater and clung like a