LITMIR.BIZ

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about the voice he’d heard during the kidnapping attempt. “They were both wearing masks, but I’m one-hundred-percent positive that one of the men was Harris.”

      “John Harris is supposed to be dead. The authorities concluded that he drove over a cliff a few days after the theft of the platinum.”

      “The charred body found in the wreckage of Harris’s car couldn’t have been Harris’s because he was here this morning, trying to kidnap the woman and me.”

      “Then it looks like we’ll have to operate under the assumption that the man is still alive, no matter what the police have been led to believe. I’ll pass that information along. Is the woman going to be a reliable asset?”

      He knew what Wind meant. “I don’t know her well enough yet to answer that. Her sister once told me that they were alike in all the ways that mattered, that there was a bond between them. But whether she’ll be able to second-guess my old partner is something that remains to be seen.” He sighed. “What complicates matters is that she doesn’t really trust me. She’s been trained to look past the surface. She’s got an intelligence background in the military, so she’s skeptical of halfway answers.”

      “Do whatever you have to do to get her complete trust.”

      “I’m working on it.”

      “If you’re right about Harris being alive—”

      “I am,” he interrupted.

      Wind nodded. “Then he’ll come after her again. We’ve suspected that Harris had—has—a partner on the inside, so he probably already knows about the note. That could explain why she’s become a target—and an asset that’ll have to be protected.”

      “I haven’t told her about Harris being alive, but she knows she’s in danger. She’s chosen to stay with me, but with her skills and training, she’s more than capable of looking after herself.”

      Wind nodded. “Maybe so, but she’s still an asset and it’s our duty to guard her. The body count is high enough already.”

      “Harris killed my former partner. He won’t touch this woman, not while I’ve got breath in my body,” Max growled.

      Wind nodded once. “I’ve got a source in the County Sheriff’s Department. He said that Lassiter warned the woman—marine to marine—that your current activities are suspect.”

      “That could damage any seeds of trust that may have started to develop.”

      “Then handle it quickly, Thunder.” Wind looked around for a second, then continued. “Have you tried…really tried…to use your gift? That could simplify things, stargazer, and put a quick end to at least one of the problems we’re facing.”

      “I’ve tried, but nothing happened,” he admitted.

      “So I’m working on this case the only way I know for sure works—dealing with reality, not metaphysics. I’ll get results.”

      Wind shrugged, then turned off the air compressor and began to help his assistant put the tools away.

      Seeing Kris coming in his direction, Max went to meet her halfway. “Are you ready?” He looked at the oversize purse she was carrying—big enough to conceal her pistol.

      She nodded. “I’ve done all I can do here for now. We need to plan our next move. How about if you take me to the exact spot where you and my sister first came under fire? Then I’d like you to go over every detail with me.”

      He nodded. “I plan to take you there and talk you through it, but first we need to shake off any possible surveillance.”

      “As soon as you’re sure we’re not being tailed, I’d also like to stop by my place so I can pick up a few changes of clothing. You can keep watch.”

      He drove down the highway in silence. Somehow he’d have to find a way to convince Kris that even though he guarded more than his share of secrets, he was worthy of her trust.

      As the miles stretched out before them, he thought of Tina. “Your sister died doing the work she loved, Kris. She liked living on the edge and the job fit her like a glove. That may not be much consolation to you right now, but it will someday,” he said somberly.

      “Is that what keeps you in your line of work, the lure of danger?” she asked.

      “Partly, yeah,” he admitted. “I’d die by inches in a nine to five. But it’s more than that. By working to restore the balance, I make a difference. That’s the most any of us can ask for.”

      “I still don’t understand your relationship with my sister. Neither of you was in the police force anymore, so how did you end up working together on this operation?”

      “After she went freelance, I’d throw work her way as often as I could. I trusted her and she trusted me. In our line of work that’s all that matters.”

      “Was there anything more between you other than work?”

      “No,” he answered flatly. “Not that your sister wasn’t interesting or attractive to me.” He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He’d have to give Kris some glimpses into who he was as a man if he wanted her to trust him. “I’m not one for involvements, and neither was she—at least by that point in her life. If you’re envisioning some sort of unspoken romantic attraction like you see on those TV cop shows, forget it. We stayed professional.”

      He paused, then grudgingly answered the question he could see still mirrored in her eyes. “Did I ever think about having a physical relationship with her? Sure I did. She was tempted, too, on occasion. If it hadn’t been for our jobs, who knows what might have happened.”

      Kris got what he was saying. Tina had liked to keep work and play separate. Yet her sister had also often enjoyed uncommitted physical relationships with men. In that particular way, she and Tina were vastly different. Her heart would have to be engaged before anything serious could happen.

      “Your sister’s first love was her work and no matter what else you may hear, she died trying to complete her assignment. Before I’m through, everyone will know the truth, too. You have my word. It’s a matter of honor—hers and mine. Do you understand?”

      She nodded slowly. It was their mutual love and respect for Tina that bound them now. “At the moment, the note’s your best lead, and I’m going to do my best to help you figure it out. With luck it’ll also lead us to the ones responsible for her death.”

      They soon approached a familiar intersection and Kris sat up and pointed. “I live a short distance down that road.”

      “We can’t stay long,” he said, following her directions. “Pack quickly.”

      “After we leave my place, then what?” she asked.

      “We’ll go see a few people I know.”

      “I’m going to need more than that. I won’t go into any situation blindly, no more than you would,” she said, her voice firm. “I’d really like to trust you, Max, but you’ve got to give me a reason.”

      He understood her perfectly. He didn’t trust easily, either. In that one way they were kindred souls. He glanced over at her. She was an incredibly attractive woman. A man could drown in those pale golden eyes. But what drew him to her went beyond that. He liked her code of honor and her loyalty to the people who mattered to her. Any man would be proud to have a woman like Kris by his side.

      He stared at the road ahead, then continued. “Let me start by telling you something you don’t know. I believe the man who killed your sister—John Harris—is still alive. I can’t prove it, mind you, because I never saw his face, but he was one of the men who came after us at the nursery.”

      “Why didn’t you tell me this before?” she demanded. “This changes everything. If Harris pulled the trigger and the police aren’t even looking for him, I’ve got to do everything in

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