Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 51995 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 51995 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)
Wide eyed, the beautiful gravekeeper who believed in mysterious curses peered around the lobby—her jaw slackened when she spotted Conrad.
His synapsis started firing again, and he arched a brow at her. Caught her investigating red handed. But it wasn’t anger or worry he experienced. Oh no. He was a starving man who’d just discovered an all you can eat banquet.
“Agent?” Dr. Holmgren prompted.
He forced himself to look away from Jane, to pretend he was back to business as usual. He refocused on the doctor in front of him, but kept the brunette in his periphery. “I have one more question for you.”
Beau bent his head to say something to Jane. Whatever it was thrilled her. A smile, somehow both innocent and calculated, bloomed over her face, and the two broke apart, heading in separate directions. She plans to play a game of cat and mouse with me.
Bring it. This cat had rabies.
“Excuse me,” he muttered. He trailed Jane to the hors d’oeuvres table but circled her rather than approach as she twice sampled something from every dish. Had she forgotten her mission already?
Ready to strike, Conrad moved in. Midway, Beau stepped into his path. As expected.
“Just let her have her fun,” the other man griped. “She’s not hurting anything.”
“I will never put her amusement before her life. Right now, a murderer who traipsed all over her property remains at large.”
“She isn’t in any danger when I’m there,” the vet bragged, and Conrad believed him.
Still. “Don’t be a child, Harden. You can’t be there all the time, nor can you control everything.”
The other man snorted, offering his first show of humor. “Neither can you, Ryan. Not when that everything is Jane Ladling.” With the semblance of a smile, he walked away.
Surveilling Jane once she finished snacking was easy. She made several sweeps around the room, inserting herself into conversations and—nope, not finished snacking, after all. She pilfered food from the snack table between visiting with guests. Approaching her, however, proved impossible. Anytime he attempted to close in, Beau interfered.
When Conrad spotted his prey, err, protectee, chatting with people signing a guest book, he aimed straight for her. No sign of the–nope. Spoke too soon. Beau planted himself in Conrad’s path.
“Nice weather,” the other man offered.
Conrad ditched him and awaited another opportunity to strike. As Jane conversed with a group standing near a long table that displayed pictures of the doctor and some of the children he’d saved, Conrad braced to move in.
Beau shoved a cup of punch his way. “Thirsty?”
With a growl, Conrad broke from the vet to reassess his strategy. It was ten minutes later, as Jane lingered near a trash can, waiting for various mourners to throw away their buffet plates, that he got close enough to overhear the same conversation she overheard. Her eyes lit up at the mention of Anthony Miller.
Miss Amateur Sleuth had just found her next clue.
Her day had gotten better while Conrad’s only grew worse. A weight settled hard in his stomach. He did not want her going near Mr. Miller.
Okay, time to get serious about stopping her. No more encouragement. Conrad crossed to Barrow. “Distract Miss Ladling’s companion. The muscular blond.”
“Consider it done.” The other agent hastened off.
The second Barrow cornered Beau, Conrad marched to Jane. The former soldier noticed, of course, and rudely abandoned Barrow to rush up behind his charge and sound the alarm. Straightening, she spun in Conrad’s direction. Multiple finger sandwiches filled her hands. Nervous excitement flittered over her features.
“What are you doing here, Jane?” he demanded, doing his best to ignore her incredible scent and the undeniable charm of her. Oh, he knew why she was here. He wanted her to admit the words aloud.
“Don’t answer that,” Beau interjected.
Conrad glared at him, projecting a message. You suck, man.
The vet projected a smug reply. I know.
Jane glanced between them before focusing those sparkling blues on Conrad. She was loving this. She even stuffed a sandwich in her mouth to buy time. If she made him smile right now, he would be so ticked. At least he had the presence of mind to hold his tongue. He refused to break first.
She gulped, finally rasping, “Am I committing a crime, officer?”
“It’s detective—” Okay, it was official. She had scrambled his brain. “It’s special agent. And you tell me. Are you committing a crime?”
“No?” A question rather than a statement. But in a snap of time, her hesitation morphed into unshakable determination. “I’m performing a public service. In fact, I already have a lead in our case.”
“My case. Mine.” He slid into her personal space, bringing his own determination to the table. He wouldn’t lose this negotiation. Not when her safety factored into the equation. “You will not follow this lead, Jane. Say it. Let me hear you.”
Shoulders rolling in, she peered at him through long, curling lashes. Her heart-shaped mouth tilted in an adorable pout. “But you haven’t even heard my idea yet.”