“We ran the plates, but there are no outstanding warrants on the car itself.”

“Did you see where the driver went?” I asked.

“He probably headed down toward the harbor docks,” the officer said. “Not much open down there this time of night. I’ll drive down that way and take a look.”

“Thank you,” I said.

The officer nodded and walked back out into the rain.

Lydia closed her laptop and packed it away in her briefcase.

“We should go back to the motel,” she said. “It is safer there, and you need to rest.”

We paid the bill and walked out into the cold night air.

The rain was coming down harder now, stinging my face as we hurried to Lydia’s car.

During the short drive back to the coastal motel, neither of us spoke.

I kept looking in the rearview mirror, watching for the headlights of the dark SUV, but the road behind us remained empty.

When we arrived, the motel parking lot was dark except for the yellow light shining above the office door.