But Victor Arganbright and Lucas Pine were anything but innocent. The blast had accomplished what they had intended. It left them in control of the Foundation—the powerful, secretive organization that had been in the hands of the Rancourt family for two generations. Stenson Rancourt had intended to hand off control to a third generation.

To me, Harlan thought.

The medics loaded the body bag into the ambulance and closed the doors. Harlan turned and went deeper into the alley. He was confident no one had seen him. He was very, very good at blending into the background.

His talent for going unnoticed was the one thing that might keep him alive. Once Arganbright and Pine realized his body was not inside the demolished lab, they would start hunting for him. They would be able to throw the considerable weight of the Foundation’s security apparatus behind the task.

He had tried to walk away from his inheritance, but that was no longer an option. Revenge required total commitment.

CHAPTER 1

Olivia LeClair was halfway across the parking garage and thinking about getting a cat when she realized the man coming toward her intended to murder her.

“Hi, remember me?” the killer said. “Brian. Brian Gatewood. We met at that speed date event last week. I didn’t realize you lived in this apartment building. What a coincidence. I just moved in. I’m on the tenth floor.”

As if she didn’t have enough to deal with, given the new wave of nightmares that had been robbing her of sleep lately. The dream images came in whispers and ghostly fragments: A voice she almost recognized told her to run. A cobalt blue mirror stood in the way. Unseen monsters chased her. And now she was about to confront a very real killer. She needed a vacation.

Brian Gatewood was good-looking in an open, Mr. Nice Guy way, and he was smiling, a friendly, ever-so-slightly flirtatious smile. The misty Seattle night had dampened his jacket. His running shoes were leaving footprints on the concrete floor. He had a grocery bag cradled in one arm and a key fob in his hand. A baseball cap was angled low over his eyes.

“I remember you,” she said. “Welcome to the building. I think you’ll like it here. The amenities are terrific.”

She accompanied the warm words with a dazzling smile. In the months since she and Catalina had opened Lark & LeClair, she had discovered she possessed a talent for acting. It came in handy in the private investigation business.

“That’s why I signed the rental agreement,” Brian enthused. “The amenities. What floor are you on?”