Page 34 of Choosing Stella

“It’s from the casino.”

“Looks like it.”

I photographed the unit where it had fallen, then sealed it in a clear evidence sleeve from my kit.

Her face went even paler.

I stood.

“You said somebody was waiting at the elevator with a needle.”

“I saw a flash of it.”

“But they were here.”

“Because we changed routes.”

She could be right about the route.

Or she could’ve heard or seen something without realizing it—a shadow beneath a door, a sound from the elevator, pieces adrenaline had put together faster than conscious thought.

I’d seen people survive on instincts they couldn’t explain.

I’d never needed ghosts to account for it.

Stella folded her arms.

“You still think I guessed.”

“I think you told me not to use the elevator, and listening to you put these two in a worse position.”

“That isn’t what I asked.”

“It’s what I know.”

Her mouth tightened.

Her eyes dropped to the syringe again.

She swallowed and pressed the heel of her hand to her temple, her face losing what little color it had left.

“We’re leaving now.”

“Through the stairwell they just used?”

“Not until I know it’s clear.”

“Good. I don’t want to walk into them again.”

I pulled out my phone and called Bancroft.

He answered immediately.

“We had an attempted grab at the residence. Two attackers retreated. No serious injuries.”

“What did they leave?”

“They left capture gear and something I want secured. I’ll send details once she’s moving.”