Page 10 of Forbidden Whispers

“What?”

“Read these,” she said, handing several pieces of paper to him.

Noah’s mouth fell open again as he flipped through the registration, insurance, and title papers to the car, all clearly showing one Noah Riley as the owner.

“I bought a Porsche last night?” he shouted.

Suddenly Boon, who had been sitting quietly next to the open driver’s side door, leaped into the car and onto Noah’s lap. He filled the entire front of the vehicle as he pressed his large body against Noah, his doggie face now eye-to-eye with Maggie.

“Boon!” Noah exclaimed, getting a mouthful of fur. “What are you doing? Get down, boy! Off!”

A lot of wriggling, twisting, and nudging ensued, resulting in Boon eventually sitting in the tiny, low-slung back seat, his furry head poking between Maggie and Noah in the front.

“Start it up!” Maggie said, her face flushed with excitement.

Noah hesitated, uncertain. But then he reluctantly obeyed, and the engine purred to life. His eyes moved from the standard tachometer centered behind the steering wheel to the glowing digital displays that showed speed and car status information floating along each side of it.

Maggie instantly tapped at the large touchscreen that lit up in the center of the instrument panel. She scrolled through options for navigation, entertainment, and vehicle settings. She tapped a button and gave a delighted squeal as the atmospheric drums and heavy bass of a dubstep tune poured through the Bose surround sound system. She started swaying to the beat in her seat before catching Noah’s eye. He was staring at her.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying this,” he said.

Maggie looked back at him, barely managing an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, but...c’mon! We’re in a Porsche!”

“But where is my car?” he said. “And don’t say this is my car!” he quickly added when he saw her open her mouth.

She closed it.

He shut his eyes and leaned back against the soft leather of the deep bucket seat. He tried to deep breathe and think. But it was useless, his memory of last night was still a blank slate. And his headache was pounding out a relentless drumbeat against his temples. When he opened his eyes, he found a genuinely contrite Maggie looking back at him.

“I really am sorry,” she said. “I can’t imagine all you must be feeling right now. I know you said you want to try and retrace your steps to find Valentina. I want to help.”

Noah sighed, then sat back up and shook his head. “It could be dangerous, Maggie. Think about what happened with those guys breaking into—” She held up a hand, cutting him off.

“I want to help! This matters to me, too, Noah. Valentina was my client, and I’m just as concerned about what might have happened to her. Let me help you retrace your steps.”

He looked uncertain. “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

He surveyed the Porsche’s stylish interior, still trying to process how it was possible that this luxury vehicle had somehow ended up in his possession. Despite his reservations, he let out a resigned sigh.

“Okay then,” he said with reluctance, and started to adjust the mirrors. “I guess we should start with a visit to Lakeside Latté. You can follow me in your car.”

“Uh...”

He looked over at her. “What?”

“Don’t you think maybe you should change first?”

He’d completely forgotten about his disheveled appearance and blood-stained shirt. He glanced at his face in the rearview mirror and groaned. “Yeah, I guess that’s probably a good idea.”

“Look, my car is over there.” She indicated an old burgundy Subaru a few rows away. “I’ll drive home and get Valentina’s file info off my computer while you go freshen up. Then maybe you can pick me up at my place?”

“What about him?” Noah said as Boon once again poked his head through the gap between their seats, his exploration of the back seats apparently complete.

“I think we should just keep him with us for now,” Maggie said, leaning sideways to avoid his probing wet nose. “I mean, maybe Hugo’s wrong and Boon really is Valentina’s dog. He might even be a help.”

Noah glanced between her and the dog with a doubtful look, then gave a little shrug. “Okay, it sounds like a plan.”