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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

When the knock on the door came, Tess was expecting Steve Logan. She hadn’t had a chance to tell Oliver about Livie Harp. But it was sure to be big news, and with the cold case crew already in Medford, reviewing evidence there, she knew that she and Steve didn’t have much time to talk to Livie before LAPD arrived in Rogue’s Hollow and put two and two together. Tess didn’t see Livie refusing her and Steve access, but she’d planned to ask Oliver to call and announce that they were coming. Both Tess and Steve wanted Harp/Harrison’s explanation before they turned over what they knew to the LAPD.

But it wasn’t Steve at the door; it was Sheila.

“Sorry to interrupt, Chief, but there’s another FBI agent here to see you.”

Tess frowned. “Not Agent Bass?”

“No, but he’s from the same office; it’s an Agent Archer.”

“Okay, send him in.” Tess turned to Oliver. “This can’t take very long. Stick around? I have something I need to tell you.”

“Sure.” He nodded and took a seat.

Tess moved back behind her desk as Sheila showed the agent into the office.

For a minute, Tess was taken aback. This guy was older; he couldn’t have been a regular agent. As she looked closer, there was something familiar about him. And as he smiled and closed the door behind him, horror dawned.

This was no FBI agent. This was Cyrus Beck.

50

“I suggest we all stay calm, Chief.” Beck held up what looked like a garage door remote in his hand. He was a tall man, taller in person than he ever appeared on TV, and he looked well built in the expensive suit he wore. His head was shaved smooth—that was different . . . and probably why it took Tess so long to recognize him. But the face, that sardonically cold expression, was what couldn’t be changed and what gave him away.

Tess stared at him as Oliver got up and moved quickly behind the desk with her.

Hand on the butt of her gun, Tess asked, “Why should I stay calm and not arrest you right now?”

“Keep your hand away from your weapon. Because in my hand I hold a detonator.”

Tess forced her hand to drop. “Detonator?”

“Yes. When he arrived here in your neck of the woods, my friend Digger did a favor for me. He packed a rental car with explosives. It’s parked right outside, on your main street, in front of a very busy coffee shop. I press this button and half of your little hamlet goes up in smoke.”

Tess started to speak, then stopped. Rule #1—LTS—applied here in spades. She doubted Beck had such a sophisticated knowledge of explosives, but then she remembered Steve saying that the man called Digger had been a decorated Vietnam vet. Anything was possible there.