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Chapters (64)
  1. Cover
  2. PRAISE FOR JANICE CANTORE
  3. Map of Rogue’s Hollow
  4. Dedication
  5. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  6. Epigraph
  7. PROLOGUE
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. 53
  61. EPILOGUE
  62. 1
  63. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  64. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

“Yeah, looks like he never had a chance. And I’m afraid I have more bad news. We found the forger, the man who made Gage’s fake creds. He gave up Beck; we know Beck paid him for the paperwork.”

“How is that bad news?”

“It’s just another charge. But without Beck in custody it’s empty. The man has disappeared. As I said before, it’s obvious now he fled the country, and bringing him in will be no easy feat, especially if we have to deal with extradition issues.”

Tess closed her eyes and sighed. “Is he still a threat to Chevy?”

“I won’t say no until he is in custody. And I’m not giving up looking for him. This guy needs to go down.”

Tess considered this news, not sure what to feel. Relief? Anger? So much death and destruction attributed to the man over the last few days . . . She felt numb and prayed that Beck would face justice soon.

The shooting investigation chewed up the rest of the day. Tess and Steve decided they’d confront Livie Harp in the morning. It was cutting it close, with the cold case guys on their way, but everyone needed to take a breath after the incident with “Jim Smith.”

49

Four stitches were required to close the crease in Oliver’s chin. They didn’t hurt as much as having to shave his entire beard off to avoid looking silly with simply a shaved patch where the stitches were. He’d had the beard since his twenties and felt decidedly naked without it. But the pain of shaving the beard had been tempered by two things. First, Oliver had been able to call Livie and Chevy and tell them that Jim Smith was dead and no longer a threat. And second, finally, he had Tess alone and could pour out his heart.

“Wow, what a look,” Tess said, eyes dancing with mischief. They were in her office. So much had happened since the shooting, they hadn’t had a minute to themselves until now.

Tess put a hand on his freshly shaved cheek. “It makes you look so young. Now I feel like a cradle robber.”

He pulled her close. “As soon as the stitches are out, the beard comes back.” Oliver hugged her tight and she hugged back. He loved having her close. Now was the time to have the talk that Jim Smith had so rudely interrupted.

It had been only a day since Jim Smith had held a gun to his head. Oliver knew there was still a lot of dust that needed to settle, but he couldn’t let what he needed to say go unsaid any longer.