“I’ve put a call in to Dr. Monroe. It shouldn’t be long now.”

“Good.” He accepted a cup of small pills that, she assured him, would “take the edge off.”

She wasn’t lying.

Within ten minutes, his headache and pain in his shoulder quit throbbing quite so hard, and he finally found a news station. He was starting to feel groggy when a report on the mystery surrounding the missing Megan Travers appeared on a split screen. A news studio with a man and woman anchor team filled half the viewing area. On the other side, a woman reporter in a blue ski jacket, her red hair catching snowflakes, stood in front of a large sign that read CAHILL FARMS.

James’s stomach knotted as she spoke into a microphone: “. . . still in the hospital and under a doctor’s care. Cahill is the owner of several businesses, including this Christmas tree farm and the attached café and inn.”

“Great,” he murmured.

“And what about Megan Travers?” the woman in the studio asked seriously.

“According to police, James Cahill was dating Megan Travers, who is currently missing.” The studio side of the split screen flashed a picture of a woman with light hair, an oval face, and light blue eyes.

Megan.

The woman who had snarled, “You’ll never see me again,” as she’d brandished a poker at him.

But now there were other mental pictures as well. In his mind’s eye, he glimpsed her laughing and sipping wine on a verandah overlooking Puget Sound, and then another image of her tossing a snowball at him as he turned . . . and many, many more, all coming to life suddenly. His throat tightened as he thought of waking up next to her and kissing her and . . .

He closed his eyes for a second and tried like hell to remember that night. Before the rage. What had happened? He remembered eating takeout, letting Ralph have a little bit of cornbread, and leaving the remains in the sink. The dog had barked, and he’d looked out the window to see headlights cutting through the falling snow.

And then?

And then . . .

Had the doorbell rung? Had she let herself in with her key?

“. . . worked as a receptionist at the McEwen Clinic in Riggs Crossing and hasn’t been seen since she left the office last Thursday,” the TV reporter was saying, breaking into his thoughts. “Allegedly, there had been a fight at Cahill’s house, located just north of here. James Cahill was found by someone who worked for him. That individual called nine-one-one. Once help arrived, Cahill was transported to the hospital, where he is currently recovering from wounds he appears to have received during an altercation.”

“But Megan Travers wasn’t there?” the female studio anchor asked.