LITMIR.BIZ

      Chapter Three

      Landon’s mind was still on that encounter with Maddie’s unexpected twin when he arrived at his office the next morning. The long arm of coincidence had really extended itself when he’d walked into that coffee shop yesterday.

      Or maybe it wasn’t coincidence at all. He stopped in there often, sometimes with Maddie. Maddie was there even more often alone, living as close as she did. Still, he couldn’t quite see why Violet would take such a chancy way of approaching Maddie, even if she had known of her existence.

      Despite his caution, he had trouble imagining that Violet was anything other than she seemed. She’d been genuinely shaken at the sight of Maddie. He didn’t think she could have faked that.

      Odd, that Violet could be so like Maddie in appearance and yet so different in other ways. Violet gave the impression of a woman with a warm heart combined with a strong will. Sometimes that could be a dangerous mixture.

      He pushed open the door to the office, which was discreetly lettered Derringer Investments. The firm had little need of obvious advertising. Their clients came to them by word of mouth—by far the best way, as far as he was concerned.

      “Good morning, Landon.” Mercy Godwin, his secretary, receptionist, assistant and good right arm, was at her desk ahead of him as always. Mercy’s row of African violets on the windowsill made an unexpected display of color in a place of business.

      He’d agreed she could have one plant in the office, back in the mists of time when they were just starting out. Somehow the number of violets had multiplied along with their clients.

      “Morning, Mercy.” Sometimes he wondered how she timed her arrivals. No matter how early he walked in, she was already there.

      “Your schedule is fairly clear today.” She frowned at her computer screen, as if daring it to come up with an event she didn’t remember. “Dave Watson called. He’ll be here in about fifteen minutes.”

      Mercy didn’t ask why the private investigator was coming in. Never displaying curiosity was one of her admirable traits. In her fifties, plump and graying, she was a childless widow whose life revolved around her work. He wasn’t sure what he’d do when she decided to retire.

      He’d actually contacted the private investigator before he’d left the coffee shop yesterday. The sooner his doubts about Violet Colby were put to rest, the better. Dave would start with the whole question of whether or not the twins were born in Fort Worth. Apparently he had results already.

      “That’ll give me time for a quick look at my email first. I took a break from business yesterday.”

      Taking a break in this case had meant driving out to the ranch where he boarded his horse and setting off on a long ride, followed by a late swim and an early bed, with all connection to the outside world strictly forbidden. He’d adopted the weekly ritual when he’d realized that if he didn’t take a breather from the tyranny of constant communication on a regular basis, he’d burn out before he was forty.

      Nodding to Mercy, Landon went on into his office. Simple and understated, it suited him. His business was almost entirely electronic, and costly decorating was unnecessary, besides not to his taste. Sinking down in his leather desk chair, he scanned quickly through his email, mentally classifying the messages in order of importance as he did so, until one name stopped him cold.

      Maddie. According to the time, she must have sent the message about an hour after they’d parted the day before. He clicked on it.