DEADLY PURSUIT

Nothing will stop Claire Walker from finding her father’s killer. But a shy Southern librarian is no match for a murderer, and as a novice bounty hunter, she’s quickly cornered. Fugitive recovery specialist Adam Knight arrives just in time to rescue Claire. But now she owes her life to the man who once broke her heart. With the killer still tracking Claire, Adam decides she needs a guardian—and he’s the best man for the job. Set on seeing justice served, Claire and Adam must join forces…and try to outrun a desperado and his deadly traps.

Bounty Hunters: Finding justice one fugitive at a time

“You don’t have to be brave for me, Claire.”

Claire glared at Adam. “I wasn’t trying to be brave. I thought I could do it.”

He quirked an eyebrow and smiled. “Whatever you say.”

Before he could take a step out of the cabin, a rush of air exploded next to his head, and wood splintered on the door facing. Claire screamed and buried her head in his shoulder as he staggered backward and kicked the door closed.

Another bullet struck the front door, and Adam fell to the floor on top of Claire. He heard her sob and felt her body tremble as he continued to shield her from the gunfire that shattered the cabin windows and streaked over their heads.

Adam had never felt so helpless in his life, but there was no way he could make it outside to confront their attackers without being shot down. His mind raced to find a solution as the barrage grew heavier, but nothing came to mind.

He and Claire were at the mercy of someone who wanted them dead, and they might very well succeed at their mission.

All he could do at the moment was lie still and try to protect Claire and hope that no stray bullet found its mark.

SANDRA ROBBINS is an award-winning, multipublished author of Christian fiction who lives with her husband in Tennessee. Without the support of her wonderful husband, four children and five grandchildren it would be impossible for her to write. It is her prayer that God will use her words to plant seeds of hope in the lives of her readers so they may come to know the peace she draws from her life.

Fugitive Trackdown

Sandra Robbins

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

—Hebrews 11:1

Dedicated to Scott,

who never tires of my endless questions about police procedures

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

Dear Reader

Extract

Copyright

ONE

There hadn’t been any movement inside the cabin for the past hour. Claire Walker pulled her coat tighter to ward off the chill of the October night and peered around the tree trunk where she’d decided to conduct her surveillance of the house.

For perhaps the tenth time, she asked herself what was she thinking. Standing in the woods watching a house was the last thing her fellow teachers at Nashville’s Hope Academy would have expected from their shy librarian with the nonexistent social life. But sometimes circumstances call for drastic actions.

Her teeth chattered, and she thought of the big fireplace in the den at her father’s house back in Memphis and wished she was there curled up in her favorite blanket in front of a roaring fire. She took a deep breath and shook her head. Wishing had nothing to do with it, however. She was on a mission, and she was determined to carry it out.

She glanced down at the pistol she’d purchased a month ago and tightened her grip on it. Hopefully, she’d be able to remember everything the instructor at the firing range had told her if she had to use the gun. Just the thought of aiming the gun and pulling the trigger made her nauseous, but she could do it if need be. She’d made up her mind—she would do whatever it took to bring in the fugitives who’d skipped bond, leaving her father’s bail bond business with serious financial problems. Peter Willis would be the first. And for a good reason. When Peter jumped bail, her father had tracked him down, but Peter murdered him in cold blood.

Her heart pricked, and she blinked back tears. Her father didn’t deserve to die like that, and she intended to see Peter Willis brought to justice. After Peter, she’d tackle the next one on the list, then the next. Then she’d decide what she wanted to do. Go back to the cocooned life she’d built for herself in Nashville or take on her father’s bail bond business in Memphis and the mountain of debt he’d left behind.

She frowned and shook the thought from her head. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about her options. All she needed to do at the moment was to concentrate on capturing Peter Willis, and now she had him. Right inside that cabin. The only problem was she had no idea how she was going to apprehend him.

It had all seemed so simple when she’d mapped out her plans at home. All that had gone up in smoke earlier tonight when another man arrived at the remote cabin before she could take Peter into custody.

Now, instead of a single two-hundred-pound man, she had two to contend with. There was no way she could take both of them by herself. If she could get Peter by himself, she might be able to get him out of there before the other one knew what had happened. She had to be patient and wait for the right time.

To her left a twig snapped, and she jerked to attention. Was someone else in the forest with her? Her heart pounded, and her stomach roiled at the thought that one of the men had slipped from the cabin without her seeing him or that another friend was about to join them. She froze in place and listened, but she heard nothing else.

After a moment she relaxed and directed her attention back to the cabin. There had to be something she could do. But what?

The thought had barely entered her mind when the front door opened, and Peter strolled around the side of the house as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He stopped at his car, unlocked the trunk and pulled the lid up. He bent over to peer inside, and Claire knew it was time to make her move.

She bolted from behind the tree and covered the distance between them as quietly as possible. Then she pressed her gun against his back. “Hands in the air, Willis!”

“Wh-what is this?” he said as he raised his hands.

She took a step back but kept the gun trained on him. “It’s time to go back to jail. Now turn around.”

The light coming from the room inside the cabin lit his face as he turned, and he frowned. “Who are you and what do you want?”

“I’m Claire Walker, the new owner of Walker’s Bail Bonds since you murdered my father. I’ve come to take you back to answer for the crime of murdering an employee of the Second Citizens Bank and to have you charged with killing my father.”

A smug smile pulled at his mouth. “Really? You think you can do all that?”

“I know I can. Besides the two murders, I know my father found out about some other illegal activities of yours, and I intend to find out what they are.”

An amused expression lit his face, and he shook his head. “You’d better be careful. What your father found out got him killed.”

She pulled a pair of handcuffs from her jacket and took a step toward him. “Turn around and put your hands behind your back,” she ordered.

An amused smirk crossed his face. “I don’t have any intention of going anywhere with you.”

She took a step closer. Her hand shook, and she took a deep breath to calm her nerves. “Oh, yes, you’ll go with me. On your own two feet or dragged by me after I shoot you. Your choice.”

He threw back his head and laughed out loud. “Shoot me? You don’t have it in you to shoot me. Besides, the gunshot would alert my friend inside, and you’d be dead before you could get out of this yard.”

She tightened her grip on the gun to hide how her hands were shaking and cleared her throat. “You don’t scare me.”

He took a step toward her and scowled. “You’d better be scared because I don’t have any intention of going anywhere with you.”

She backed up a step and inhaled a deep breath.

Suddenly she felt the nudge of something against her back. She glanced around to see the man who’d arrived earlier standing behind her with a gun pressed between her shoulders.

Claire whirled around, but the man was quicker. He grabbed her pistol, wrenched it from her hand and hit her across the face with his gun. The handcuffs flew out of her hand as she fell to the ground. She lay there with her head pounding as if a freight train were passing through it. Before she could catch her breath, Peter reached down, kicked the handcuffs and her gun away, and hauled her to her feet. A sharp pain shot up her leg from her ankle, and she groaned.

The man holding the gun glanced at Peter. “Who is she?”

“Her name is Claire Walker,” Peter said. “She’s the daughter of that old bail bondsman we took care of a few weeks ago.”

Claire twisted from the man’s grip and tried to fight back the tears at hearing her father referred to in that way, but it was no use. Before she realized what she’d done, she turned to Peter and slapped him across the face. “How dare you talk like that about my father? He was a good man, and he gave you a chance to stay out of jail until your court date. And how did you repay him? You killed him! I intend to see you spend the rest of your life in jail.”

Peter rubbed his cheek where she’d hit him and doubled up his fist. Claire cringed from the blow she knew was about to come. He pulled his arm back, and then lowered it as he laughed. “I don’t think you’ll talk so big without your gun,” he taunted. “Now I want you to answer some questions for me.”

“What?”

Claire tried to inch away from him, but he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. “Oh, like who else knows you were coming here tonight?”

She tried to pry his fingers from her arm with her free hand, but it was no use. She glared at him. “I don’t have to tell you anything.”

The two men looked at each other, and Peter tightened his grip. “I’ll ask you one more time. Who else have you told about your suspicions that I had something to do with your father’s death?”

Claire ignored the pain shooting up her arm and took a deep breath. “Let go of me.”

Peter smiled and relaxed his grip. “Well, it seems like you’re not going to cooperate. I think we can handle that okay.” He glanced at his partner. “I think it’s time for our visitor to disappear.”

Fear curled in Claire’s stomach, and she darted a glance at each of the men. “Wh-what do you mean?”

The man holding the gun laughed. “It means we’re the only two leaving here. The only thing that remains to be decided is where that leaves you.”

Claire swallowed the bile that poured into her mouth and tried to speak. “What are you going to do?”

Peter shrugged and glanced at the other man. “Kill her. We can’t let her run to the police.”

Claire tried again to pull free from Peter’s hold, but she couldn’t. “No, don’t do that. Just let me go, and I won’t tell anyone I found you,” Claire screamed.

Peter released her with a shove. “Oh, really?” he said. “Somehow I don’t think I can believe you.”

The man holding the gun aimed at her again, but before he could fire, a bullet hit the edge of the roof and ricocheted off a shingle. He spun around and fired into the forest in the direction the bullet had come from. Two more shots kicked up dirt at his feet. Stunned, Claire dropped to the ground and crawled out of the line of fire toward the far side of Peter Willis’s car.

Peter climbed into his car and called over his shoulder “Let’s get out of here!”

“What about her?”

“Leave her. We’ve got to go.”

Another bullet whizzed past the car. The man who’d been about to shoot Claire ducked and ran toward his car parked in front of the cabin. Desperate to stop them, Claire tried to push to her feet, but a sharp pain in her ankle shot up her leg. All she could do was groan and sink back to the ground. She landed flat on her stomach.

Both cars roared out of the yard, and Claire watched helplessly from her prone position as the taillights disappeared in the darkness. She pounded her fists into the ground. “No!”

She heard running footsteps, and then someone crashed out of the forest and stopped next to her. “Are you all right?” She could hear concern in the man’s question.

Claire flattened her palms on the ground and tried to sit up. “I—I think so. Thanks to you.”

“Let me help you.” He leaned down, gripped her arm and helped her sit up.

“Thank you again,” she said. “If it hadn’t been for you...” The words froze in her throat, and she stared up at the last person in the world she would have expected to meet outside a cabin in rural Mississippi.

* * *

“Adam? What are you doing here?”

Adam Knight released Claire, blinked and then shook his head. An angry growl came from his throat, and he bent over her until their noses almost touched. “Me? I think the question is what are you doing here?”

Claire scooted a few inches away and propped her hands on her hips. “I was trying to bring Peter Willis back to Memphis. He killed my father.”

Adam’s eyes grew large. “What?”

“You heard me. My father posted his bail, Willis left town and my dad went after him. Then Willis killed him. Now, what about you?”

“I was after the other guy, James Lester. The company that posted his bond hired the Knight Agency to bring him in after he jumped bail on an attempted murder charge.”

“Well, your guy got away, too.”

“I know that, Claire, but I still don’t understand why you thought you could bring a guy like Peter Willis in by yourself. If you needed help, why didn’t you call me?”

Claire sniffed and shook her head. “As if I’d ever ask you for anything, Mister Big-Time Bounty Hunter. Besides, I couldn’t afford your fees.”

Adam turned his back on Claire, raked his hand through his hair and muttered under his breath before he faced her again. “Claire, you’ve been my sister’s best friend since middle school, you practically grew up at our house and you know my family owns the biggest fugitive recovery group in Memphis. We wouldn’t have charged you anything. Why didn’t you come to us?”

Claire doubled her fists and pounded them against the ground. “Because I didn’t want to see you, that’s why.”

He inhaled a deep breath and attempted to control the anger rising inside him. “You didn’t want to see me? Then what about Jessica? You could have called her. She would have helped you.”

“Because I knew Jessica was busy on another case. Besides, this is my problem. I can take care of it by myself.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “Like you did tonight?”

She pounded the ground again with her fists. “Oh, that remark is so like you. You never miss an opportunity to let me know what your opinion is of me.”

He glared down at her. “So we’re back to that again. I’m sorry I caused you problems years ago, but I only wanted to save you a boatload of grief. That has nothing to do with what happened tonight. Your pride almost got you killed.”

“It wasn’t pride. It’s just that I don’t like to be reminded of what a fool I was to think I saw something in you that wasn’t there.”

He gave a short gasp and swallowed hard. “I’m sorry you feel that way. Contrary to what you think, I’ve always admired you a lot. But I don’t see any reason for us to be discussing what happened between us years ago. Don’t you understand what I just said? You were almost killed tonight. If I hadn’t been following James, they would have shot you without giving it a second thought.”

She bit down on her lip and sighed. “I know, and I do appreciate your help. It’s just that everything has been so difficult since my dad died. I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

“I’m sorry.” He wanted to say more, but he knew his sympathy was the last thing in the world she wanted at this this moment. Instead he held out his hand to her. “We need to get out of here. Let me help you up.”

She hesitated a moment before she reached for his hand. With a groan she pushed to her feet. He held on to her for a moment. “Can you stand on your own?”

She nodded. “I think so.”

Adam released her hand, and she took a tentative step. Then a low moan escaped her throat, and she lurched sideways. She clawed at the air in an effort to regain her balance, but it was no use. She toppled straight into Adam’s arms.

It happened so quickly Adam didn’t have a chance to react. One moment he was yelling at Claire for taking on a job she obviously wasn’t qualified for, and the next he had scooped her up into his arms. He gazed down into her face and saw her bite down on her lip.

“Are you in pain?” She nodded but didn’t say anything. He stood there a moment, trying to decide what to do, and then she shivered. “Are you cold?”

“Yes.”

He turned and walked around the cabin to the front door. It still stood open. He carried Claire into the house, kicked the door closed behind them and looked around. A fire warmed the room, and a couch faced the fireplace. He set her on the sofa and knelt in front of her.

“Let me take a look at that ankle.”

She flinched from his touch as he began to pull her boot off. “No, really. I’ll be okay. I just need to get home.”

He stared up at her. “Why do you always have to be so independent? You may need to go to the hospital. I need to see what your ankle looks like.”

She exhaled and leaned back against the cushions. “Then do it. I don’t think I’m in any condition to fight you right now.”

He tried to hide the smirk that pulled at his lips. “It’s good to see you can be sensible sometimes.”

Adam slipped her boot and sock off her foot. He frowned and sucked in his breath at the sight of how swollen the ankle was. He touched it lightly, and she groaned. “That hurt.”

He sat back on his heels and stared for a moment before he stood up. “I’m sorry. I think we need to get you to a hospital.”

Claire shook her head. “We need to get after those men. I had a hard time finding Peter, and I don’t want to lose his trail.”

“I’m afraid we already have. We’ll have to rethink what’s to be done. The first thing is I’d like to talk you into letting us find Willis for you.”

“Your sister is my best friend. I’m not going to impose on her family to help me out when I can’t pay them.”

Adam sat back on his heels and stared at her. “Claire, we would never think you were imposing.”

“Maybe not, but I can’t do it.”

He sighed and rose to his feet. “I will give you credit for one thing, though. You found Willis. A lot of bounty hunters are never able to find the guy they’re looking for. How did you know he was here?”

Her face flushed, a sign that his compliment hadn’t gone unnoticed, and she smiled. “I remember hearing your dad talking to you one time about being a bounty hunter. He said you had to research your fugitive until you knew everything about him. I found out that Peter likes to gamble in Tunica and that his family had this cabin nearby. I asked around about him and finally spotted him at a blackjack table in one of the local casinos. I followed him back here tonight and was just about to take him into custody when your guy showed up.”

Adam pushed to his feet and glanced around the cabin. “Well, we’ve lost both of them now. But as long as we’re inside the Willis cabin, we should take a look around.”

Claire started to stand, but she groaned and sank back to the sofa. “I can’t. See if you can find anything that might help us.”

He pointed to the room just off the living area. “This looks like it could be his bedroom. I’ll look in there.”

She nodded and patted the couch. “Okay. I’ll wait right here.”

Adam walked into the room and looked around. A lamp on a bedside table cast a glow across the room, and he glanced around to see if Peter Willis might have left anything behind. An open suitcase sat on the floor against one wall, and he squatted down beside it. A few rumpled clothes that looked as if they were ready to be laundered lay inside. Rising, he walked across the room to the closet and opened the door. Two pairs of pants and three shirts hung there. One thing was evident. Peter Willis hadn’t taken enough clothing for an extended trip.

Adam walked back into the living room and glanced at Claire. She sat up straighter on the couch. “Did you find anything?”

“No. He had very few clothes.”

She frowned. “But that doesn’t make sense. If he was planning to disappear indefinitely, why didn’t he bring enough clothes to last for a while?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he had clothes stashed somewhere else.” Adam glanced at the coat rack on the wall just inside the door and the leather jacket that hung there. He walked over, rammed his hand into the pocket, and pulled out a cell phone. He held it up for Claire to see. “Well, well. Look what Peter left.”

Claire sat up straighter on the couch and motioned for Adam to bring her the phone. “Maybe we can find out where he’s been by looking at his recent calls and texts.”

Adam nodded and sat down next to Claire on the sofa. “I was just about suggest that.” She scooted closer and watched as he scrolled through the calls. He frowned as he stared at the phone. “There are several calls to a number in the Middle Tennessee area code and more to a number in the Smoky Mountain area in the eastern part of the state. These other ones are all to a number in Memphis, probably his wife.”

Claire stared down at the phone for a moment before she glanced up at him. “Why don’t you call the ones we don’t know and see who answers?”

Adam started to call the first number but stopped. “We can do this later, Claire. Right now we need to get that ankle taken care of.” He let his gaze drift over her once more. “Do you think you can stand?”

“I’m sure I can.”

She placed her hands on the cushions on either side of her and pushed up. She made it halfway to a standing position before she cried out in pain and toppled forward. Adam caught her before she fell to the floor and scooped her up into his arms once more.

He tightened his grip around her and shifted her in his arms. Then he looked down at her and chuckled. “You don’t have to be brave for me.”

She glared at him. “I wasn’t trying to be brave. I thought it was better.”

“No matter what you thought, we need to get that ankle checked out. I’ll take you to the hospital in my car. Then I’ll get my brother, Lucas, or Jessica to come back with me tomorrow to pick up your car.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary. I think by tomorrow I’ll be able to drive.”

He quirked an eyebrow and smiled. “Whatever you say.”

Adam glanced around the cabin to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind before he headed across the room. He stopped at the front door, and Claire reached up and switched off the light. Juggling her in his arms so he could reach the door knob, he turned it and pulled the door open.

Before he could take a step, a rush of air exploded next to his head, and wood splintered on the door facing. Claire screamed and buried her head in his shoulder as he staggered backward and kicked the door closed.

Another bullet struck the front door as Adam landed on the floor with Claire on top of him. In one swift move he rolled over and covered her with his body. He heard her sob and felt her tremble as he continued to shield her from the gunfire that shattered the cabin windows and streaked over their heads.

Adam had never felt so helpless in his life, but there was no way he could make it outside to confront their attackers without being shot down. His mind raced to find a solution as the barrage grew heavier, but nothing came to mind.

He and Claire were at the mercy of someone who wanted them dead, and they might very well succeed in their mission. All he could do at the moment was lie still and try to protect Claire and hope that no stray bullet found its mark.

TWO

Terrified, Claire tried to lie still, but she couldn’t control the fear that shook her body. She jammed her fist in her mouth, but it only softened her crying a bit. She closed her eyes and said a prayer as the bullets continued to strike the front door and the window next to it. She cringed beneath Adam as the shattered glass hit the floor.

When would it stop? Surely they had to run out of ammunition at some point.

Adam pressed his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Don’t be afraid. You’re going to be all right. They should get tired of this soon.”

She didn’t respond but wondered if he really meant it or if he was only trying to comfort her.

Then just as suddenly as it had started, the shooting stopped. Neither Adam nor Claire moved for a minute or two. Then he slowly raised his head, cocked it to the side and frowned as he listened. “Do you think they’re gone?” she asked.

“Maybe,” he said. “I’m going to get up and check. Don’t move until I get back.”

He crawled away from where she lay to the front door and stopped as he pulled his gun from its holster. Then slowly he reached up, grasped the door knob and pulled the door open. He waited, as if expecting a bullet to strike, but nothing happened. After a minute he crawled out onto the porch and disappeared from her view.

The eerie silence sent new chills through Claire. She listened for any sounds outside but heard nothing. The minutes ticked by without Adam’s return, and a feeling of panic began to grow in her mind.

Had their attackers left? If so, where was Adam, and why didn’t he come back? A new fear flashed in her mind. What if they had knocked him out? Or worse yet, stabbed him, and he was lying in the yard bleeding to death.

The more she imagined what was happening outside, the more frightened she became. She had to find out where he was.

She crawled to the front door and hesitated a moment before she pushed up on her good leg and peeked out. No sign of Adam. Taking a deep breath, she hobbled onto the front porch and leaned against the railing.

Which way would he have gone? Earlier, Peter’s car had been parked on the left side of the house, and she faced in that direction. Holding on to the railing, she hopped on her good foot until she’d reached the far end of the porch, but she couldn’t see around the edge of the house. She leaned over the banister and tried to peer around the side of the cabin, but it was no use. Before she could straighten up, a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She screamed and whirled to face her attacker.

* * *

Adam reached out and grabbed for Claire as she toppled backward, but she slipped from his grasp and hit the porch with a loud thump. Still holding his gun, he leaned over and glared down at her. “What do you think you’re doing?”

Claire grabbed her ankle, massaged it with both hands and gulped a deep breath. He couldn’t tell if it was fear or anger behind the look in her flashing eyes. “I was coming to check on you. I was afraid they’d killed you or something.”

He tried not to smile at her remark, but it was impossible to keep a straight face. His mouth twitched from a frown into a grin, and he cocked an eyebrow. “Or something? Is that worse than being killed?”

The teasing tone of his voice appeared to pacify her some, and a small smile pulled at the corner of her mouth. She rolled her eyes and swatted at the hand he held out to help her up. “Never mind that. I was coming to check on you.”

“Then I suppose I should thank you, but I believe I told you to stay where you were until I returned.”

She nodded. “Yes, you did, but I’m sure you remember I’ve never been very good at taking orders.”

He stuck his gun back in his holster and shook his head. “No, you never have been.” He squatted down beside her, and his gaze raked her. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. Are they gone?”

He nodded. “It looks like it. We can leave now.”

She sat up and stared at him. “Do you think Peter and James came back?”

“I suspect they were the ones. Who else would want to shoot us? But this makes no sense. James Lester doesn’t have a history of violence. Why now?”

Claire’s face warmed, and she stared down at her clasped hands. “It could be because of what I told them.”

He leaned closer. “And what was that?”

She took a deep breath. “That my father knew Peter had killed a man and that he was involved in some illegal activities. And I was going to see that he was brought to justice.”

Adam’s eyes grew large, and his mouth gaped open. “Why would you tell him such a thing?”

“Because it’s true, and I intend to do it.”

“But, Claire, he was going to kill you because of it, and it looks like they came back to finish the job.”

“Maybe they just wanted to scare us. At any rate, they might have gotten tired, or maybe they ran out of ammunition, or they thought no one could have lived through such a barrage. Who knows? But whatever the reason, they’re gone now.”

Adam sighed, reached down and picked her up again. “We’re not going to figure it out right now, so we’d better get you to that hospital. Hopefully this time we can get to the car.”

She stiffened as his arms tightened around her. “I really don’t need to go to a hospital. If you’ll just take me home...”

“Save your breath, Claire,” he interrupted. “We’re going to the hospital to see what a doctor says. And from the looks of things, you’re in no condition to argue with me.”

She clamped her lips together and glared at him as he carried her down the porch steps. He glanced around once more before he headed through the forest.

She didn’t say anything as he plodded through the thick growth of the woods and ducked under low-hanging branches, but he couldn’t help thinking about how close she had come to death tonight. If he hadn’t been there, she would now be lying next to the cabin with a bullet in her head.

Adam’s arms tightened around her at the thought. She shifted in his arms, and he loosened his grip. She didn’t have to say the words aloud. It was almost as if he could read her mind. She might be grateful to him for saving her life, but she would never forgive him for what he’d done. The best thing he could do was go home after she got medical attention and chalk Claire Walker up to one more mistake he’d made in the past.

* * *

Claire sat on the edge of the exam table and stared down at the elastic compression bandage on her ankle. A pair of crutches leaned against the edge of the table.

A knock on the wall outside the curtained-off exam cubicle caught her attention and she straightened. “Who is it?”

“Claire, may I come in?” Adam called out.

“Yes.”

He pushed the curtain aside and stepped into the small exam area.

“The doctor says you can leave now. Are you ready to go?”

She sighed and nodded. “I guess so.”

He frowned at the resignation in her voice and stepped closer. “What’s the matter?”

She pointed at the bandage and then the crutches. “How am I going to be able to go after Peter Willis if I can’t even walk on my own for at least thirty-six hours?”

He raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “I’d say catching up to Willis is the least of your worries right now. Try to remember you’re lucky to be alive.”

He walked across the room toward her and reached out to help her down from the table. She pulled back and grabbed for the crutches. “I can handle this.”

He raised his hands and backed away. “Okay, if you say so.”

Claire leaned on the crutches as she slid off the table onto her good leg and then slipped the crutches under her arms. Holding her injured ankle up, she took a step toward the door. “See,” she said, “I can do it by myself.”

He stepped around her and opened the door. “Yeah, I know. You always were an independent kid.”

Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the crutches. “I’m not a kid anymore, Adam.”

“I know,” he said. “But this decision you made about going after a bail jumper doesn’t sound too adult to me.”

“Sometimes life can cause you to take desperate measures.” She pushed past him and into the hall.

He followed behind as she slowly made her way out of the ER and into the parking lot. Outside the ER door he stepped up beside her and pointed toward his car, which sat underneath one of the streetlights. “I moved the car from the entrance to that spot over there after I got you inside. If you’ll wait here, I’ll go get it so you won’t have to walk with your crutches.”

“No need for that. I can make it,” she said. She took a deep breath and headed toward the car.

“I don’t mind, Claire.”

“I know, but I need the practice of using these crutches.”

He sighed. “Whatever you say.”

She kept her eye on the car as she inched her way toward it. It hadn’t seemed so far when she’d first spotted it, but the distance seemed to grow with each step. When she finally reached the car, he held the door for her to climb inside before he closed it and went around to the driver’s side.

He glanced at her, but she pretended not to notice and preoccupied herself with finding the radio station she wanted. When she’d settled on one, she turned up the volume and leaned back in her seat. The sound of a Christian rock song filled the car.

Adam didn’t say anything until he pulled onto Highway 61 and headed back toward Memphis. Then he reached over and turned the volume down. “Not much traffic tonight.”

“No, but the casinos in the area are probably filled,” she said.

“I guess so.” When she didn’t answer, he shook his head. “So much for small talk,” he muttered under his breath.

After a few minutes Claire reached over and turned the music up louder than before. After a few minutes she glanced over at him. Every time the drumbeat boomed, he winced. As he rubbed the back of his neck and exhaled, Claire directed an innocent look at him. “Too loud?”

“A bit,” he said. She reached over and turned it down some. After a few minutes he twisted the knob to silence the roar of the rock band. “I didn’t tell you I called the local police while you were being examined. They sent an officer to the hospital, and I gave him a rundown on everything that happened at the cabin tonight. I had the license number for the car James was driving, and he said he could find out Peter Willis’s. They have a BOLO alert out on the two cars and will let me know if they find them.”

Claire swiveled in her seat to face him. “Good. Did you tell him my car was on the road back of the cabin?”

“Yes. I told him we’d go back sometime tomorrow to pick it up.”

“Good.” She turned up the volume on the radio, closed her eyes and leaned back in her seat.

He sighed and turned it back down. “Claire, I need to talk to you.”

“About what?”

“I’ve been thinking. It might be better if you went to Jessica’s house tonight instead of going home.”

She sat up straight and faced him. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Because the doctor said you need to stay off your foot as much as possible, and you need to be on those crutches for at least thirty-six hours. Jessica can help you out, and she wants to.”

She narrowed her eyes and stared at him. “And how do you know that?”

“Because I called her and told her what happened. She wants you to go there instead of going home tonight.”

Claire rolled her eyes and leaned against the headrest. “That’s just great. Now I get to listen to my best friend tell me how dumb it was for me to think I could bring a bail jumper in by myself.”

Adam shook his head. “She wouldn’t do that. She’s concerned that you could have been killed tonight.”

She sighed and reached down to rub her ankle. “I guess it would be better if I had someone with me tonight. So take me to your sister’s apartment, and then you can go home.”

He nodded but didn’t say anything for a few moments. Then he darted a glance at her. “Jessica said she’s hardly heard from you since your father’s funeral. Why haven’t you been in touch with us?”

She shrugged. “For the past few weeks I’ve been going over my father’s business affairs. It seems he owed a lot of penalties to the courts because of bail jumpers, and he wasn’t getting a lot of new business. I’ve been trying to figure out how I can save his company. I thought even if I couldn’t, I would see that Peter Willis was brought in.”

“It sounds like you might stay in Memphis. What about your librarian job back in Nashville?”

“I’ve taken a leave of absence for the remainder of the semester. I thought I could spend the time taking care of all the loose ends with my father’s business, but I didn’t know how bad things really were for him.”

Her words startled him, and he glanced in her direction. “What do you mean?”

She sighed. “It seems business hadn’t been too good lately, and he had a lot of clients jump bail. Besides, that new bail bond business in Memphis has given everybody else some stiff competition.”

“You mean the Bond Squad?”

“Yes. Do you know them?”

He nodded. “Yeah. They’re the ones who hired me to go after James.”

“That figures,” she snarled. “They can afford to hire the best bounty hunters.”

He grinned and glanced at her. “So you admit I’m the best at what I do.”

She let out a sarcastic chuckle. “Don’t flatter yourself. I wasn’t talking about you personally. I meant your family’s business. It just happens to be the oldest bounty hunter group in the city, and maybe in the state.”

He laughed and shook his head. “The term bounty hunter makes people think about some reality show you might see on TV. That’s why we call ourselves a fugitive recovery group.”

Her eyebrows arched and she chuckled. “Well, call it whatever you want, mister. But you’re still a bounty hunter as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think your great-grandfather who started the business had any problem with the term.”

“I’m sure he didn’t.” He smiled. “But things have changed since the days when he hunted bail jumpers up and down the Mississippi River. One thing about him, though, he had a philosophy that has been an inspiration to all of us.”

“‘A man must answer for the crimes laid against him,’” she said. “That’s what he always said after taking someone into custody, wasn’t it?”

He darted a surprised glance in her direction. “How did you know that?”

“I ought to know it. I’ve heard Jessica say it plenty of times. Anyway, I’m glad your business is doing well even if mine isn’t.”

“Claire, I’m sorry things weren’t going well for your father before his death, but I meant it when I said I wished you had come to us. If not to me, then Jessica or Lucas. You know we’ve always thought of you as family.”

She turned and stared at him. “Really? Somehow I always got the impression you’d rather I wasn’t around.”

He squirmed in the seat and straightened his back. “I’m sorry if I made you feel that way.”

“It really doesn’t matter now. I must have seemed like a silly little girl to you with my crush on my best friend’s big brother, but that’s all in the past. Let’s just drop the conversation. All right?”

“Sure. If that’s what you want. I’ll take you to Jessica’s, then...” He stopped midsentence and stared in the rearview mirror. “I think we’ve got a problem.”

“What kind of problem?”

“I think we’re being followed.”

Claire looked over her shoulder and out the back window. “You mean by that car behind us?”

“Yeah. They’ve stayed right with us for several miles.”

“Can you tell if it’s one of the cars that Peter and James were driving?”

He squinted and stared into the rearview mirror. “Their headlights are too bright. I can’t tell anything about the car.”

“What should we do?”

“Let’s make sure they’re really after us.” Adam glanced at the dashboard as he let up on the accelerator. The car’s speed dropped by twenty miles per hour. “Now we’ll see if he’s really tailing us. If not, he’ll pass.”

He watched for a few minutes, but the car made no effort to pass. He dropped the speed lower, but the vehicle remained several car lengths behind them. Claire glanced back and then to Adam. “He’s still there.”

“I know.” Adam pushed the accelerator down, and the car sped away from the headlights that shone through the rear window of his car. As if on cue, the driver behind accelerated and kept the same distance between them. “Seems like he’s going to hang with us.”

Claire’s eyes grew wide. “What now?”

“Try again.” He slowed almost to a crawl, but the car still didn’t pass. Then without warning, he floored the accelerator, and the car leaped forward.

Claire screamed and gripped the sides of her seat. Adam cast one glance at her before he hunched over the steering wheel and roared toward the lights of Memphis that were just coming into view.

THREE

Claire stared wide-eyed at the speedometer as it inched higher and then looked at Adam. The reflections from the streetlights they roared past cast an eerie glow across his face that sent cold chills up her spine. He glanced in the rearview mirror, and the muscle in his jaw flexed. She turned her head to stare out the back window and swallowed the fear that rose in her throat. The other vehicle sped through the night perhaps two car lengths behind.

Ahead, the lights of Memphis beckoned as they approached the turnoff that would take them toward the eastern part of the city. She bit down on her bottom lip as the tires squealed and they barreled along the exit and onto the city’s loop highway.

The car shook, and she wondered how Adam could remain in control of the speeding car, but he appeared to be having no problem. Even this late at night heavy traffic rolled along the expressway. Adam wove in and out of the cars as if they were on a racetrack. Another glance to the rear told her that the other car hadn’t given up the chase.

Finally she could keep silent no longer. “Have you been able to tell if the car looks like either of the ones James and Peter were driving?”

He shook his head. “I still can’t tell, but it has to be somebody connected to what happened earlier tonight. Hang on. I’m going to get off this highway.”

Claire gasped as the car swerved along the next exit and roared down Poplar Avenue headed east. Claire looked behind, but the car wasn’t in view. Traffic was lighter on this street, but that could be expected at eleven o’clock on a weeknight. Adam didn’t slow the car as he wedged his way into a line of traffic in the right-hand lane. Then the lights of another car flashed in the distance, and Claire wondered if they’d been spotted amid the vehicles that moved down the street.

“I think he’s behind us again,” she said.

Adam didn’t reply. Instead he made a sharp right turn into the parking lot of an all-night discount store. A flashing sign next to the street advertised a midnight sale, and the area around the store was filled with cars and people standing in line waiting to get inside.

He drove into the parking lot, found a spot between two cars and pulled in. He quickly killed the engine and turned off the lights. From where they sat they had a good view of the street. Several cars drove by, and then one sped by in the direction they’d been traveling.

Adam exhaled a deep breath. “That looks like the car Peter was driving.”

“Do you think we’ve lost them?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know, but I hope so. I don’t want them finding their way to Jessica’s apartment.”

With their followers out of sight, Adam started the car again and pulled back onto the street headed toward the interstate they’d been on minutes before. Thirty minutes later he pulled into the midtown apartment complex where his sister lived.

Claire let out a sigh of relief when they parked. “You did a great job of losing whoever was chasing us. In fact, you’ve done a good job of everything tonight. Thank you for helping me.”

He looped his arm over the steering wheel and swiveled in the seat to face her. “The things I’ve done tonight require the skills I’ve picked up from the work I do. It’s not easy bringing fugitives back to face the court. If they wanted to go to jail, they wouldn’t have run away to start with. I hope what you’ve seen tonight has shown you how foolish it was for you to think you could bring Peter Willis in.”

His words stung, and she fought back tears. “I’m glad to see nothing’s changed with you. I’ve always been foolish as far as you’re concerned. Now you’ll have one more thing to add to your long list of complaints about me.”

She pushed the car door opened and tried to step out onto the pavement, but he reached out and grabbed her by the arm. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m going to Jessica’s apartment.”

He shook his head. “Wait a minute, Claire. You need some help.”

Before she could protest, he’d jumped from the car and walked around to the open passenger door. He reached into the backseat and grabbed her crutches. Then taking her by the arm, he helped her to her feet and positioned the crutches in place.

Claire braced herself on the supports and took a tentative step, but she staggered. Adam’s hand grasped her arm. She tried to jerk free of his grip, but it was no use. She sighed in resignation. “Okay, you win. These are a bit harder to maneuver than I thought.”

He didn’t say anything but tightened his hold on her as they slowly made their way into the building and to Jessica’s apartment. They stopped outside the door, and Adam pushed the buzzer. The door flew open right away, and Jessica stood there, her dark hair tumbling around her shoulders and her eyebrows pulled down in a worried frown.

“Where have you two been? I’ve nearly gone out of my mind waiting.”

She pulled Claire into the apartment and helped her to the sofa where she dropped down with a groan. “We had a little problem getting here,” Claire said.

Jessica looked at Adam. “What happened?”

“I had to lose a tail. I didn’t want to bring him straight here.”

Claire propped a sofa pillow behind her back and frowned at Adam. “It’s a wonder we got here alive at all the way you were driving.” She turned to Jessica. “Don’t be surprised if your brother decides to take up stock car racing. He’s got all the skills.”

Jessica’s eyes grew wide, and she looked from her brother back to Claire. “What are you talking about?”

Adam waved his had in dismissal. “Claire’s exaggerating. I had to outrun a car, so I had to move fast.”

Jessica nodded as if she understood before she turned back to Claire. “Adam told me a little of what happened tonight when he called, but I want the whole story. Why were you at a cabin in the Mississippi woods trying to bring in a bail jumper?”

Claire closed her eyes and shook her head. She’d known telling Jessica about her father’s failing business and her efforts to keep it afloat was going to be difficult, but there was nothing she could do about it now. “I’ve been having a hard time ever since my father’s death,” she began.

For the next few minutes she related the problems she’d discovered about her father’s murder, fugitive bail jumpers, penalties that had accumulated from the courts and how she had decided the only way to save her business was to go after some of the fugitives herself.

Jessica didn’t say a word until she finished, then she reached out and grasped Claire’s hand. “Why didn’t you tell me this? We would have helped you.”

“It’s not your family’s responsibility to take care of my problems. Besides, I thought if you can do it, so can I.”

Jessica arched an eyebrow and regarded Claire with a skeptical look. “You’re forgetting I was a police officer before I went to work in my family’s business. I’ve had training that you haven’t. You could have been killed tonight.”

“I couldn’t ask you or your family for help. I felt like I needed to do it on my own.”

Jessica pursed her lips and shook her head. “You’ve always been too independent, Claire. There are times when a person needs help.”

“That’s what I told her,” Adam said.

Jessica glanced up her brother and smiled. “Then I’m sure you’ll be glad to help her.”

“Oh, no,” Claire interrupted. “He’s already done enough tonight.”

Jessica pushed to her feet as if she hadn’t heard Claire and faced her brother. “It looks to me like the guy you’re after and Claire’s bail jumper are tied together some way. So if you find one of them, you’ll be able to find both of them. Adam, you need to bring these guys in. Then Claire can get paid for Willis. That will be a start toward helping her and toward putting her father’s killer in jail.”

Claire tried to push up from the sofa, but she couldn’t. “Jessica, listen to me. I don’t want Adam to help me. I can do it myself.”

Jessica ignored her. “I would do it, but I’m leaving in the morning for Louisiana to pick up a guy down there. Lucas won’t be back from Illinois until the day after tomorrow. So that leaves you, Adam. You’re the only one who can do this.”

Adam rubbed the back of his neck and cast a doubtful glance in Claire’s direction. “I don’t know, Jessica. Claire doesn’t want me to help her.”

Claire reached out and grabbed her friend’s arm. “Jessica, listen to me. I don’t need Adam’s help.”

She smiled down at Claire and then looked back at Adam. “I don’t know what happened between the two of you years ago, but it’s time you let it go. Claire needs help, and you, Adam, are the only one who can do it.”

He didn’t say anything for a moment. Then he nodded and glanced down at Claire. “Jessica is right. Whether or not you want any help, you need it. But we’re all tired tonight. So get some rest, and we’ll talk about this in the morning.”

“Good,” Jessica said. “Now, you go home and get some sleep. I’ll take care of Claire.”

They walked to the door, and Adam kissed his sister on the cheek before he stepped into the hall. Jessica closed the door behind him and came back to where Claire sat. “Let’s get you to bed. I have the spare bedroom made up for you.”

She helped Claire to her feet, and they made their way down the hallway toward the bedrooms. “What time are you leaving tomorrow?” Claire asked.

“I’ll have breakfast with you and make sure you can move around before I leave. I don’t know what time Adam will be here. But if you can’t get to the door, he can let himself in with his key.”

They entered the bedroom, and Claire smiled at the nightgown Jessica had laid out on the bed for her. She dropped down on the side of the bed and smiled up at her friend. “Thank you, Jessica. It’s good to be here with you.”

Jessica squatted down and took Claire’s hands in hers. “Although we’ve been friends since middle school, I’ve never pushed you to tell me what happened between you and Adam. I know you don’t like him, but he’s really a wonderful person. The problem is, he’s never thought of himself that way. I don’t think you have, either, but I can’t stand to see two people I love continuing to holding some kind of grudge from years ago. I hope you can reach the point where you can let it go.”

Tears formed in Claire’s eyes and she nodded. “I hope so, too.”

Jessica sighed and pushed to her feet. “Do you need me to help you get ready for bed?”

“No, I’ll be okay with my handy crutches. Thanks again.”

“I’ll get one of my robes and bring it back for you.”

“Thanks, Jessica.”

Jessica covered Claire’s hands and squeezed them before she left the room. Claire watched her go and thought about what she had said. Could she ever forgive Adam for how he’d hurt her? She didn’t know. Her dislike of him had become a part of her, and she didn’t know if she could ever wipe it from her mind.

She did have to admit, though, he’d come to her rescue several times tonight. Maybe he did have some good qualities she’d ignored. The question still remained whether or not she could forgive him. Only the future would tell.

Claire sighed and hobbled on her crutches to the window to close the curtains. As she reached for the cord to close them, the lights of a car in the parking lot behind Jessica’s apartment caught her eye. She stopped and stared as a car drove slowly past the parked cars of the residents. It didn’t stop but moved to the exit and disappeared around the corner of the building.

Claire tightened her fingers around the cord to draw the curtains, but her body seemed frozen in place. The car that had just passed by looked exactly like the car that had zoomed past their hiding place on Poplar Avenue a short time ago. Had the driver waited for them to lead him where Claire was going to stay that night?

“What are you looking at?” Jessica’s voice startled her, and she turned to see her friend standing in the doorway.

Claire glanced down at the robe Jessica held and smiled. “I was just closing the curtains.”

Jessica stepped into the room and laid the garment on the bed. “I hope you sleep well.”

Claire yawned. “I’m sure I will. I don’t know when I’ve ever been so tired.”

“Then I’ll say good-night.”

“Good night, Jessica.”

Claire waited until Jessica had left the room before she turned back to the window and stared outside. After a moment she closed the curtain, inched back to the bed and pulled her gun from her purse. She laid it on the bedside table, changed into the nightgown Jessica had left for her and then crawled into bed. No matter what she’d told Jessica, she knew sleep wouldn’t come.

She pulled the covers up to her chin and waited to see what would happen next.

* * *

Claire jolted awake and glanced at the bedside clock with its face glowing in the darkened room—2:00 a.m. Despite her good intentions, she’d fallen asleep. She pushed up in bed and raked her hair out of her face.

Her thoughts drifted back to the events of the night, and she shivered. She’d never been so scared in her life, but at least she was alive. Now she needed to get a grip on her emotions. Nothing else was going to happen tonight, so there was no need for her to try to stay awake. She had a busy day ahead of her tomorrow, and she needed some rest if she was going to make it through.

She plumped up her pillow and was about to lie back down when a noise from the direction of the kitchen startled her. It sounded as though a door had opened. She sat up again and strained to hear any other sounds in the apartment. Nothing. Then the creak of footsteps on the floor sent her heart racing.

Someone had entered the apartment.

Claire eased from the bed, slipped into her robe, and grabbed the gun from the bedside table. She stared at the crutches for a moment before she propped one under her left arm. With the gun in her right hand, she limped toward the bedroom door. Once there she propped the crutch against the wall and balanced on her good foot. Then she eased the door open and slid into the hallway.

She stopped and held her breath when the beam of a flashlight pierced the darkness. Now she had no doubt a prowler had entered the apartment.

She slid along the hallway wall until she reached the living room and then reached for the switch to turn on the overhead light. The man was facing away from her, and he pulled something from her purse. He whirled around just as the room lit up. Her bag tumbled to the floor.

“What...?” he snarled.

Claire’s heart jumped into her throat at the sight of James Lester with Peter Willis’s phone in one hand and a flashlight in the other. She tightened her grip on the gun. “Put it down, Lester.”

His gaze dropped to the gun in her hand, and he smirked. “Still trying to play the tough girl, huh? Well, you don’t seem too tough to me.”

He took a step toward her, and she swallowed. “I’m warning you. Don’t come any closer. Put the phone on the coffee table.”

He cocked his head to one side and grinned. “And what are you going to do? Shoot me? I don’t think you have it in you.”

Perspiration beaded her forehead. “Are you willing to chance it?”

He smiled. “I think I am.”

Before she could respond, he hurled the flashlight at her. It hit her in the chest, knocking the wind out of her. He rushed forward, grabbed her wrist and tried to twist the gun from her hand.

“No!” she screamed as she struggled against him. The gun jerked in her hand and fired.

James Lester screamed out in pain, and the gun and the cell phone he had held clattered to the floor. “You’ve shot me!” he yelled and staggered backward. “You shouldn’t have done that!”

She tried to reach her gun, but he lunged again, grabbed it before she could and pointed it in her face. She closed her eyes and waited for him to fire. Before he could pull the trigger, a voice thundered out. “Get away from her!”

His fingers loosened on her arm, and Claire glanced around to see Jessica with her gun aimed at James Lester. “Jessica, thank goodness...”

He growled, grabbed Claire’s other arm and pulled her in front of him. His left arm encircled her waist, and his right one, which held the gun, pressed across her chest. She realized she had just become James Lester’s shield. “Put your gun down unless you want your friend here to get hurt.”

Jessica didn’t back off but inched forward. “Let her go.”

“No way.” James pulled Claire backward toward the kitchen. She glanced down at the floor and noticed the trail of blood he left behind. She tried to claw at his face, but his arm across her chest held her so tightly she could barely move. “I’m leaving, and I’m taking her with me. If I see any cops following me, I’ll dump her body out of the car. Do you understand?”

“I understand you’re going nowhere but to jail,” Jessica said.

“Not today, sweetheart,” he replied. “So back off.”

They were almost to the back door now, and Claire knew she had to do something. He released the arm around her waist and reached behind him to open the door, and the pressure of his other arm lessened.

In that split second Claire ducked her head and clamped her teeth into his hand. He yelled in agony and hurled her away from him as the gun clattered to the floor. She stumbled forward and fell against one of the kitchen chairs. She looked up in fear as he took a step toward her. “You’ll pay for that!”

Jessica appeared in the doorway, her gun pointed at James. “Hands up, Lester.”

The look that washed over his face reminded Claire of a cornered animal. He glanced from side to side, then reached for the coffeepot on the counter next to him and hurled it at Jessica. When she ducked, he opened the door and stumbled out.

Before Jessica reached Claire, he had disappeared, and the sound of a car roaring away split the night air. Jessica dropped to her knees next to Claire. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “I’m fine.”

“Then I’m going to see if I can catch him.”

“I don’t think you will. I heard a car drive off. Peter Willis must have been waiting for him outside.”

Jessica rushed out the back door, and Claire lay there for a moment thinking about what had just happened. This was the second time tonight that someone she’d known since childhood had been put in danger because of her. How could they ever forgive her for that?

Claire tightened her grip on the back of the kitchen chair she’d landed against and pulled herself to her full height just as Jessica walked back into the apartment. “He got away, but at least we know who he was. I’ve called the police, and I’ve also called Adam. Everybody should be here in a few minutes.”

“Why did you call Adam?”

“He would have been angry with me if I hadn’t.”

Claire groaned. “Now I get to listen to him lecture me again.”

Jessica frowned and shook her head. “You need to get over this idea that Adam doesn’t like you. He’s really quite fond of you.”

“I’m sure he is. About as fond as he his of a headache. But anyway, I’m sorry I put both of you in danger tonight. I didn’t intend for that to happen.”

“We know that, Claire. It’s just that we’ve been doing this kind of work for a long time. You’re new to it.”

“I may be new, but I’m learning fast. For instance, I know James Lester broke in here to get Peter Willis’s cell phone, but he didn’t. Those phone numbers must be more important than we thought at first.” Claire took a deep breath and hobbled toward the living room door.

“Be careful of your foot, Claire,” Jessica called out.

Claire gritted her teeth and took another step. “James Lester was right about one thing. I have to toughen up. I put my best friend and her brother in danger tonight, and I don’t want to do it again.”

Jessica followed her into the living room and watched as Claire staggered to the couch and took a seat. Claire reached down and picked up the cell phone James had dropped in the struggle.

“At least he didn’t get what he came for. Back at the cabin Peter let it slip that James was also involved in my father’s death, and I’m determined they’re not going to get away with it. There must be something in this phone that’s so important they’d risk breaking in here to get it. Now all I have to do is find out what it is.”

Jessica dropped down beside her. “How do you expect to do that?”

Claire shook her head. “I don’t know yet, but one thing is for sure. The next time I meet up with those two I intend to be ready for them.”

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