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Chapter One Friday, Dec. 23, 5:45 p.m. Merrilee Walters shut down her computer and sighed. Her first report as an assistant field investigator was complete. She smiled. She was a full-fledged Colby Agency investigator now. Merri slid back her chair and stood. She’d proven to Ian Michaels, the second-in-command here at the Colby Agency, that she could pull her weight despite her disability. Ian was still dubious, hence the continued insistence that for a time Merri would be teamed with another investigator on a case. Getting past that final test would be a breeze. Pulling on her coat, she considered the seven years that had passed since she’d lost her ability to hear. Life had been tough at first. Being a grown woman and an elementary schoolteacher at the time, she’d had to work particularly hard to regain her bearings. She’d taken a year off from work to adjust to this new soundless world of hers and during that time she’d realized that returning to the world of teaching wasn’t possibl
Chapter One
Chapter Two 7:58 p.m. The apartment was in an old building off the South Loop that lacked the care and restoration of some in the neighborhood. There was no elevator, so that meant climbing the stairs to the third floor. Ancient graffiti covered the stairwell walls. The tile floors were worn. The doors looked secure, but the place smelled of neglect. If Brandon had said anything to Merri on the way up the stairs, she missed it. Since he didn’t look back at her in question, she assumed he hadn’t. She’d noticed him shiver once or twice. He had to be freezing, especially his feet in those flip-flops. Brandon paused at the door marked 11 and looked at her for advice on proceeding. Two strips of official yellow crime scene tape had been placed across the center of the door, along with a proclamation declaring the premises off limits to anyone but official police personnel. If, as he’d said, Brandon had been questioned for hours, chances were the forensics techs had come and gone already. Th
Chapter Two
Chapter Three “Brandon!” He couldn’t look away from the landing outside his door. “That was an explosion!” Something had blown up in his apartment! He blinked, stared at the door barely hanging on its hinges. What the hell had just happened? “Brandon!” He turned to the woman waiting a few steps below him. The questions reeling through his mind would be the same as hers. Should they call the police? What the hell would they say? Your crime scene just blew up. But this wasn’t just a crime scene, this was his home. “We have to get out of here,” Merri urged. His feet were taking him down the stairs before his brain analyzed her warning. They were in danger. Imminent danger. If they hadn’t walked out that door when they had…damn! It was a miracle they weren’t dead. Like Kick. When Brandon hit the step where she waited, she grabbed his hand and rushed downward. They moved past the second floor and onto the first in record time. He moved toward the front entrance. She held him back, her face
Chapter Three
Chapter Four 9:20 p.m. She had to think. Fifty-five minutes and they could very well be dead. “These men…to kill us.” Merri stared up at Brandon. Struggled a moment to fill in the parts she had missed. Clearly he had never been in this situation before and he was scared. As he should be. “Unless you give them what they want,” she countered, an idea coming to her. Her suggestion wasn’t exactly a palatable option, but it might buy them a little much-needed time. Unless she came up with something better, that might very well be their only option. He stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. Maybe she had. “Just let me do the talking,” she said, in case anyone was listening. “Neither of us wants to die just because your roommate was into something he shouldn’t have been.” When he would have interrupted, she held up a hand to silence him. “These guys don’t want us at all. They want the video Kick had. This isn’t really about us. I know you want to clear yourself with the police, but this is
Chapter Four
Chapter Five Christmas Eve, 2:15 a.m. Brandon felt as if he were sitting in a corner after being caught cutting class. The investigator who’d willingly took his case, Merri Walters, and her associates were squaring off in the conference room of the Colby Agency. The one named Simon Ruhl agreed with Merri’s conclusion that whoever had sent those men, possibly some of the ones Brandon and Merri had glimpsed at the warehouse, were more than prepared to finish the job. The authorities had confirmed that two bodies were discovered amid the remains of the van. Brandon swallowed back the lump of anxiety clogging his throat. He would be dead right now if not for Merri’s quick thinking. She had saved his life. The risk she had chosen to take was the only one that would have worked. Period. It had been a shot in the dark but the only one they’d had. Her associate, Ruhl, had played his hand with the SWAT folks perfectly. Yet the end result had backfired. Brandon had to come clean with Merri soon.
Chapter Five
Chapter Six Christmas Eve, 1:52 p.m. On the range. Nothing can change. My space and no place. Invisible. Merri stared at the phrases she’d written on her notepad. She pursed her lips and took a moment to consider her thoughts before she spoke. “This has to mean the place where he grew up.” They had gone over every other possibility. There were no other reasonable alternatives. “Seems logical.” Brandon’s noncommittal attitude was beginning to get on her nerves. They had awoken about ten. She’d prepared breakfast with his help. He’d wanted to know what the call was about last night. She hadn’t mentioned it until he’d asked because the call was nothing important, just property security wanting to ensure that all was as it should be as they settled in for the remainder of the night. Routine call. The staff at the agency knew to call her on her cell phone. The specially designed phone would blink, allowing her to see that a call was coming in. For more than two hours after dragging themselv
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven Randolph Home, 6:05 p.m. Merri stepped onto the porch. A large, welcoming wreath decked in Christmas trimmings hung on the door. The electric candles burning in the windows sent a glow of light across the wide porch. Passing by, one would never know that the family inside had suffered a great tragedy. The holiday decor had likely been in place well before the heinous murder. Brandon waited in the car, both to avoid facing Kick’s family and to be able to escape the instant he spotted trouble. Merri could take care of herself. But if anything—anything at all—seemed fishy, she wanted him out of here. The street in front of the lovely old home had been quiet and clear of vehicles. Those belonging to the homeowners were apparently already secured in garages against the cold Illinois night. Brandon had let her out on the street behind the Randolph home and he’d parked several houses away on that same back street. She needed him safe. If he hadn’t refused to stay at the motel, l
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight Christmas Day, 4:48 a.m. It was still dark. And it was cold as hell. They had waited quietly for hours last night. The winter chill had invaded the vehicle. But between their coats and, more important, the warmth of their bodies they had managed to stay warm. At some point they had both fallen asleep. Merri wasn’t sure if she’d surrendered to the weariness first or if he had. Whatever the case, she’d slept like the dead. Even better than she had at the lake house yesterday morning. Had to be the man holding her tightly against him…as if he were afraid she would suddenly disappear. Brandon appeared to be asleep even now. It was still too dark to see his face, but Merri confirmed her conclusion by the rise and fall of his muscled chest. After she’d fallen asleep, she’d somehow managed to make a pillow out of his torso. He felt strong, and warm. She’d snuggled deeper inside his coat, pressing her face to his sweater—the only thing separating her cheek from his chest. Her leg
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine Chicago, Home of Victoria Colby-Camp, 8:30 a.m. Victoria Colby-Camp slipped her arms into her coat and smiled as her husband smoothed the heavy wool over her shoulders. She and Lucas were nearing their sixth anniversary, and life could not be better. Their granddaughter was safely at home with her parents enjoying Christmas after the harrowing scare by the thugs who would have kidnapped her this past summer had Victoria and the entire Colby agency not intervened. Jim, Victoria’s son, and his wife Tasha were happier than ever with a second child on the way. The scare of the last ill-fated pregnancy was well behind them as this pregnancy moved into the second trimester. Things at the Colby Agency were running more smoothly than ever. Life was good. The Colby family had fought evil and triumphed once more. The telephone rang and Victoria paused at the door. “We’re going to be late,” Lucas suggested, knowing his wife couldn’t resist answering the call. “It could be Jim,” she a
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten Chicago, 9:00 a.m. “I don’t care what you have to do,” Clive Mathias told his detective, “you get this situation under control.” The silence that emanated from the other end of the line warned Clive that Detective Whitehall was out of his league. Finally the other man said, “Sir, I’m doing my best but this situation is totally out of control. I can’t—” “Just take care of it,” Clive almost shouted. “It’s Christmas, for God’s sake, man. You know what to do. Just do it.” Clive disconnected. He had nothing more to say. Whitehall would regain control or else. This was totally unacceptable. No one as pointless as Kevin Randolph, much less his inept friend, was going to ruin everything for Clive. He slid his phone back into the pocket of his suit jacket and smiled at his wife as she entered the foyer. They were due at church in fifteen minutes. His children were presenting a short Christmas production. Murder wasn’t going to get in the way of Clive’s enjoyment.
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven Dwight D. Eisenhower High SchoolBlue Island, 9:30 a.m. The Christmas tree in the corner next to the trophy display case mocked Merri. It was Christmas and she had facilitated a break-in at a high school. How unorthodox was that? Her parents would be mortified. Like many of the actions she had taken in the name of getting the job done, they didn’t have to know. They were far better off not knowing. Or maybe she was the one who was better off. The key had gotten them into the building. Fortunately the trophy display case was not locked. All they had to do now was determine how Kick had hidden a clue in or around the trophy. As his sister had explained, the trophy, along with newspaper clippings regarding his success and a recent photo, held a position of prominence in the display case. No wonder Kick was so proud. Everyone who visited the school’s office would see that Mr. Invisible was no longer invisible in the least. In fact, in some ways he had been too visible. Brando
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve Chicago, Home of Jim Colby, 10:30 a.m. Jamie, Victoria’s granddaughter, had opened the last of her Christmas presents and the family was enjoying spiced cider when the doorbell rang. Victoria’s gaze sought and found Lucas’s. This would not be good news. “I’ll get it.” Jim was up and moving toward the front door before Victoria could voice her worries. She prayed nothing had happened to Merri. Victoria attempted to hold a smile in place for her sweet grandchild. It didn’t help that Tasha kept sending concerned looks Victoria’s way. Lucas’s stoic profile was equally troubling. No one had been more certain than Victoria that Merri was fully capable of being a Colby Agency investigator and pursuing a case alone. What if she had been wrong? “Victoria.” She turned at the sound of her son’s voice. “Would you and Lucas come into the kitchen for a moment?” “Of course.” Tasha busied her daughter with installing her new digital game player while Victoria and Lucas silently followed
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen Chicago, 10:40 a.m. “We have the woman.” The idea aggrieved Clive. He hated involving civilians like this. But Kick Randolph had left him no choice. “Does the husband understand what’s at stake?” Clear instructions had been given to his men; one foul-up could ruin everything. “Yes, sir,” his henchman guaranteed. “We told the husband that if he said a word beyond the script we had given him that his wife would die and his little boy would be next.” “Excellent.” That would be sufficient motivation for the lowly schoolteacher to do the right thing. He wouldn’t want to raise his two children alone or to risk losing one of them. “We’re waiting now for Thomas to follow through with his end.” Clive wondered how the fool intended to get past the police. But then, that wasn’t his worry. Brandon Thomas would have to find a way unless he wanted to be responsible for Bethany Stover’s death. He sure as hell wouldn’t be welcomed into the Randolph home then. Idiots. All of them. Kevi
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen Blue Island, Stover Home, 10:45 a.m. “How many times do we have to go over this?” Brandon asked, disgusted with the cops. The encounter had turned into a fiasco. Thank God the children weren’t here to witness it. Larry’s parents had come for them when this all began. The Randolphs were too distraught to be of any assistance under the circumstances. The two men who had brought him and Merri to Bethany’s house were posted outside. The chief had asked the same questions over and over. Brandon had already passed off the storage device to Merri. He’d been right to do so. The chief had searched him the instant he’d set foot in the house. His search of Merri had been cursory at best. Wherever she’d hidden the jump drive, the chief hadn’t found it. Until Brandon understood how he could help Bethany, he didn’t want the evidence passed off to the police. The front door opened and one of the officers stuck his head inside. “Chief, you’ve got a call I think you’re going to want to
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen Blue Island Pie Factory, 12:05 p.m. Merri raised her head up. A groan escaped her lips. She couldn’t hear it, but she remembered what it sounded like. What it felt like, vibrating across her lips. “…for yourself.” She blinked, tried to focus on the guy’s lips. “What?” She’d missed part of what the bastard said. “Just tell us where the evidence is and we’ll release both you and the Stover woman.” Merri shook her head. Pain radiated through her skull. She’d been punched. Her hair had been pulled and her head banged against the wall a couple of times. All while poor Bethany Stover watched. “Let her go,” Merri repeated, “and I’ll tell you where I hid the evidence.” She cringed when her swollen lip burned with the movement of her lips. She’d hidden the jump drive at the church. They would never in a million years find it. Not that it mattered. As soon as Simon saw the video, these bastards were finished, as was their boss. The factory they’d brought her to had been closed fo
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen Chicago Police Department, 4:00 p.m. Brandon had been here for two hours. The police had taken both men from the church into custody. The district attorney was reviewing the evidence Brandon had given him. All good. Except that Merri was in the hospital and this crap was keeping Brandon from going to see her. He wanted out of here. “Mr. Thomas.” Detective Morales, Whitehall’s replacement on the case, entered the room. “You may go home now. You’re a free man.” Brandon didn’t remind him that he didn’t actually have a home at the moment. “Thank you.” He hesitated before walking out the door of the interview room. “Does the D.A. have enough evidence to take down Mathias?” That was what mattered to Brandon. The guy responsible for Kick’s death should pay. Morales smiled. “That and more.” Brandon was satisfied. He walked out of the interrogation room, down the long corridor and out of the building. He had no idea where he’d left his car last. A taxi would do just fine. Anythi
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen Colby Agency, Jan. 1, 8:00 p.m. “A toast.” Victoria held her glass high. When her entire staff had reciprocated, she said, “To all of us. May our New Year be filled with beauty and wonder and, most of all, peace.” The clinking of glasses and the murmurs of agreement went around the room. Merri didn’t have to hear the words and cheers; she remembered what they sounded like. She drank deeply of her champagne, then stared into the dark eyes of the man at her side. Her bruises were clearing up. The swelling was gone and she wasn’t sore anymore. Kick Randolph’s story had seized attention all across the nation. His family was so proud. The mayor of Blue Island had even named a day in his honor. Work at the Colby Agency was as steady as always. The prospects for the New Year were all favorable. Merri was considering asking Brandon to move into her place with her. He’d been living in a hotel for the past week. They’d spent every possible moment together. They might as well li
Chapter Seventeen
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