Page 53 of Veil of Silence

“I was practically a child.”

A faint smile touched her lips.

“Christian slept through half those sessions on the couch in the control room,” Roscoe said. “Kept insisting he’d play guitar on your next record.”

Nora’s fingers tightened around the case.

Roscoe’s voice softened. “I heard he came home. I’m glad, Nora.”

“Thank you.”

He allowed the silence to hold for a moment before adding, “A Christmas reunion album would sell beautifully.”

“No.”

“Acoustic?”

“Goodbye, Roscoe.”

Austin noticed the SUV about ten minutes after they left Southern Heritage Records.

It was dark gray and an older model, with nothing remarkable about it. That was probably why it had taken him so long to notice it.

The car remained behind him, the driver keeping just enough distance not to look obvious.

Nora was quiet beside him, staring out the passenger window.

Austin checked the rearview mirror again. The SUV had moved closer.

“Everything okay?” Nora turned toward him as if she’d sensed the change in the air.

“All good.” He didn’t want her to worry until he knew there was a reason.

Her gaze lingered on him. “I don’t believe you.”

Of course, she didn’t. He didn’t respond.

Austin watched the sign for the next exit. At the last possible second, he cut onto the ramp.

Nora braced a hand against the door and gasped. “Something tells me you didn’t almost miss that exit by accident.”

Austin kept his attention on the rearview mirror.

The gray SUV swerved across the solid white line behind them. Its tires struck the rumble strip, and a pickup in the other lane blasted its horn.

But the driver never hesitated.

The SUV followed them off the exit.

Nora followed his gaze toward the side mirror. “What’s going on, Austin?”

“Hopefully nothing.” He turned right at the bottom of the ramp.

The SUV turned right too.

Any reasonable explanation disappeared.

Austin kept his speed steady even as tension spread across his shoulders. “There’s a vehicle behind us that’s been there since the studio.”