Mint Cookie Murder by Leslie Langtry Page A

springing up around me, now I have an international killer on my heels."
    Riley's cell chimed. He looked at it. "Well, at least we're about to clear you of being at the prison. The video was just emailed to me."
    I felt a small sense of relief as I followed him over to the computer and watched him log in. At least there was some good news. I knew I hadn't been in Colorado a week ago. In fact, I hadn't ever been to Colorado as far as I knew. This would take some heat off of me.
    Riley clicked on the attachment video, and a new screen opened up. The footage was grainy—black and white—which I thought was weird. Surely a supermax prison could use better equipment. Why was this stuff always grainy black and white?
    We could see the back of someone, talking to Lenny, who looked very much alive.
    "How do they think that looks like me?" I asked. "It could be anybody." Seriously. This was beyond lame.
    Riley shook his head. I could smell the scent of his hair. It smelled like the ocean. "Obviously they were just looking for someone to blame, and you were it. You're being framed."
    "Obviously," I grumbled as I focused on the screen.
    The visitor was standing up. Lenny nodded and got up on the other side of the wall, replacing the telephone. The camera zoomed in as the visitor turned around…and my face grinned at the camera before moving out of view.

 
CHAPTER TWELVE
     
    "Well that ain't good," I mumbled as I stared at myself on the screen.
    Riley said nothing. And that wasn't good either.
    "It's not me," I said.
    "It sure looks like you," Riley responded.
    "Yes it does. But it's not me." The fake me had only lingered in the scene for a moment before vanishing. It was dark and grainy and the body type was hard to make out. But the face and hair looked like mine. I couldn't deny that.
    Someone was setting me up on an epic scale. And when I found them, I was going to kill them. Slowly and painfully. With carrots.
    "Now you have to stay out of sight," Riley insisted.
    "How do I know that you didn't doctor this to make me stay underground?" I asked, even though I knew he wouldn't go that far.
    Riley ignored me. "This image will go out to every Fed out there. This town is about to be overrun with agents looking for you."
    "Well, good. Maybe they'll find Bobb then." Philby hissed. In his sleep. I really needed to find out what was up with this.
    "You think he's behind this?" Riley asked. "There's no connection between him and Lenny, only him and you."
    "It's not really a connection," I mumbled. "He just visited and didn't kill me. It's not the same thing."
    Riley wasn't listening. He was getting dressed, so I grabbed the duffel and ran into the bathroom to change before he ditched me. I threw on a pair of jeans, driving moccasins, and a sweater, and ran out to see Riley gone but Suzanne and Kelly sitting in his place.
    "Where's Riley?" I asked. But I already knew the answer. The bastard was gone.
    "He had to go," Kelly said. "I've got the day off so I volunteered to babysit."
    "Babysit?" I asked. " Babysit? I'm a fully trained CIA operative with years of experience in dangerous situations in the field!"
    "Okay." Kelly rolled her eyes. "I'm here to keep you company. How's that?"
    "Worse." I sat down hard, folding my arms over my chest to show her I meant business.
    "Can I get you anything?" Suzanne asked. It was the first time I'd heard her talk. "The shop's opening in half an hour, but I could run and get you something."
    I looked at her with interest. She looked like she'd walked out of The Great Gatsby , with her severe, shiny black bob and her red lips and nails. She was dressed in the most beautiful, hunter green cowl-necked sweater over skinny black jeans and black ballet flats. She could be a model. What was she doing in this town?
    I held out my hand and walked toward her. "We haven't been officially introduced. I'm Merry Wrath."
    Suzanne took my hand and shook it. "Suzanne Aubrey. Nice to meet you." She pulled a business card