Missouri Loves Company (Rip Lane Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

She had returned to the bus station hours after I had left.
    “Now hit PLAY ,” I told Olga.
    She did.
    “Look at that,” I said. “Anna’s opening the locker. . . . She’s taking out the duffel bag. . . . And now she’s exiting the bus station with the bag slung over her shoulder.”
    “I wonder what’s in that bag,” Olga said.
    “Me too.”

CHAPTER 15
     
     
    “O NE MORE THING I need your help with, Olga.”
    “Only one?” she said with what was meant to be a seductive smile.
    I managed to smile back. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, though I didn’t want to lead her on either. It was a fine line to walk.
    “What I need your help with, can you print out enlarged images from the DVR?”
    “Images of . . . ?”
    “Faces.”
    “The two guys in the Armani suits?”
    I nodded.
    “And Anna?”
    I nodded again.
    “These are great, Olga,” I said as she handed me the pictures a few minutes later.
    I took a moment to look at the pictures. There were three of them. One showed Anna smiling. One showed a scowling thug. And one showed a toothpick-sucking thug.
    When I looked up from the pictures I saw Olga unbuttoning her shirt. Her stubby fingers were working very hastily. She was starting to move in my direction. The jumbo-sized bra showed more of its fleshy contents than it should have.
    I rose from my chair, thanked Olga for her help, and headed for the door. I walked. I did not sprint.
    Outside the bus station I swung a leg over my motorcycle, fired up the engine, peeled out of the parking lot. The streets were dark. The roar of the engine was loud. I was hungry.
    I figured I would eat a frozen dinner at home. Chicken in peanut sauce sounded pretty good. It was between that and roasted turkey breast. I had plenty of time to make up my mind, because S’mores and Snores Campground was fifteen minutes down the road.
    I planned on getting to bed early that night. Then, in the morning, I could wake up refreshed. With a refreshed mind I could begin to figure this thing out. And it would take some figuring out.
    All I knew for sure was that Anna was running from something dangerous.
    She had escaped from the bus station by climbing out the window in the ladies’ room. I was certain of that now, because the video had shown that she never exited through the door.
    What was she running from? Why were two goons watching her? Who were they? What was in the duffel bag? How the hell did I become involved?
    I didn’t want to be involved. Not with Anna’s problems. Not with anybody’s problems. Including my own.
    Problems were supposed to be a thing of my past. After all, I was retired. Which meant enjoying life. Traveling the country. Writing novels. Taking it easy.
    At least that was how I had always pictured my retirement. The picture never included problems.
    One option was for me to just walk away from this new problem. Forget it ever happened. Forget that Anna had set me up for the fall. Forget that the thugs had broken into my motor home.
    Forgetting about what had happened seemed like a good option.
    I took some time to consider it . . .
    And realized it was not an option. Not really. Not for me.
    Because I knew that I could not forget. Would not forget. This thing would always be in the back of my mind. It would piss me off whenever I thought about it. I would always resent having been used by Anna—and letting her get away with it. I would always resent having been burglarized by the two goons—and letting them get away with it.
    Not only would I be pissed, I would be curious. Curious about what happened. Curious about Anna. Curious about the contents of the duffel bag.
    And so my only option was to investigate this situation in which I had somehow become involved.
    Everything else would have to be put on hold. My travel plans. My novel. My life.

CHAPTER 16
     
     
    I N THE MORNING I dusted my motor home for fingerprints.
    First I focused on areas where Anna had touched. The passenger door