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      MILLS & BOON

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      To Trudy Stevenson,

       who shares our love for the four-footed ones.

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      Aimée Thurlo is a nationally known bestselling author. She’s the winner of a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews, a New Mexico Book Award in contemporary fiction and a Willa Cather Award in the same category. She’s published in twenty countries worldwide.

      She also cowrites the bestselling Ella Clah mainstream mystery series praised in the New York Times Book Review.

      Aimée was born in Havana, Cuba, and lives with her husband of thirty-nine years in Corrales, New Mexico. Her husband, David, was raised on the Navajo Indian Reservation.

      CAST OF CHARACTERS

      Detective Travis Blacksheep—His high school pal has blossomed into a beautiful young woman, but she’s come back into his life with baggage from the past and a killer on her trail.

      Laura Perry—A P.I. now, she knows she needs help to catch a serial killer. She and Travis had depended on each other as kids, but unless they learn to work together again, lives will be lost.

      Barbara Malloy—She has one last shot at grabbing a major TV network job. All she’s ever needed is the story of a lifetime, and nothing’s going to stop her—no matter what it takes or whom she puts in danger.

      Lester Crosley—He services nearly every computer system in town, including the police network. Is his clumsy charm just an act meant to conceal something much more sinister, or is he for real?

      Harry Roberts—The martial arts instructor has a reputation for being aggressive, but he really slipped up when he got rough with the sister of a police sergeant.

      Chief Wright—He’s new at the top job, and likes doing things his way, but Laura has her own playbook.

      Nick Blacksheep—He has a new family of his own, but if his younger brother needs him, he’ll be there.

      Daniel Rice—The IRS is after him and his wife, Marilyn, for tax evasion, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. What other dark secrets does the couple share that might turn the city upside down?

      Contents

      Prologue

      Chapter One

      Chapter Two

      Chapter Three

      Chapter Four

      Chapter Five

      Chapter Six

      Chapter Seven

      Chapter Eight

      Chapter Nine

      Chapter Ten

      Chapter Eleven

      Chapter Twelve

      Chapter Thirteen

      Chapter Fourteen

      Chapter Fifteen

      Chapter Sixteen

      Chapter Seventeen

      Chapter Eighteen

      Chapter Nineteen

      Chapter Twenty

      Chapter Twenty-One

      Chapter Twenty-Two

      Chapter Twenty-Three

      Prologue

      Laura Perry loved her life. The uncertainty and challenges of her career suited her perfectly. And leaving the FBI to become a private investigator for the largest and most prestigious firm in New Mexico allowed her to work alone and unencumbered. Just the way she liked.

      Today, however, she was off the clock and on the way to visit with her childhood best friend, Nancy. They’d been as close as sisters during junior high, but had drifted apart in high school after Nancy had become the softball team’s leading pitcher. As playing and practicing began taking most of Nancy’s time, Laura had watched their friendship end, not with a bang but with a whimper.

      Yet life, via the internet, had brought them together again. As they’d exchanged emails, the closeness they’d once shared had reappeared as quickly as a patch of clover on a warm spring morning. Their friendship had blossomed as a result.

      Although they hadn’t seen each other in years, Laura had been looking forward to seeing Nancy again for weeks. Tonight, she’d spend the night at Nancy’s home outside Flagstaff, Arizona. They’d talk about old times and the new man in her friend’s life. Nancy had sounded head over heels in love in her emails.

      Laura sighed. In that one way, she envied her friend. Love sure wasn’t in the cards for her.

      Laura turned up a dirt road covered with dusty red gravel and pulled up to the chalet-style home. She removed her handgun from the glove compartment and quickly stuck it inside her jacket pocket. Even out here in this rural area she didn’t want to risk leaving it in the car.

      “Hey, Nan! Anyone home?” Laura called out as she walked up the flagstone path leading to the half-open front door.

      As Laura stepped across the threshold into the narrow foyer, the door suddenly swung toward her, slamming into her left shoulder. Thrown hard against the foyer wall, she hit her head and fell to her knees, dazed.

      Laura heard footsteps coming up behind her and looked back. Backlighted by the glow of the moonlit sky beyond stood the dark outline of a man, his features covered in shadows.

      “Nancy spoke a lot about you. That’s why I hung around. I was hoping to meet you. Too bad that you’re too late to help her—or yourself.”

      As

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