“No. I’m here for you, Rachel. I like the sound of your pain and your fear. Do you understand? Just nod.”

She nodded and the rope pulled against her throat. “Tell me why?”

“No.”

Even at the edge of unconsciousness, her mind tried to sort out the story. “Why are you doing this?”

“That doesn’t matter to you. What matters to you is living and becoming famous by solving the murders, correct?”

“Yes,” Rachel whispered, fighting to stay conscious. “Tell me how to find the murderer.”

A hard hand, one covered in what felt like a thick glove, descended on her head. She yelped but the rope cut off all sound and prevented her from moving. “That’s your job. Follow the story, ask for help, find the leads. But under no circumstances mention Laurel Snow or the FBI again. Do you understand me?”

“Yes.”

The hand flattened out, feeling like death. “Say her name again.”

Rachel hesitated. “Laurel Snow.”

The rope tightened faster than a whip, and she tried to scream but no sound came out. She clawed wildly and the smell of copper filled her senses. Then the darkness pressed in from each corner. She fought it.

The darkness won.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Huck’s truck screeched to a stop outside of Rachel’s new home and he jumped out, running toward the doorway. The police had cordoned off the area with yellow crime tape, and he had to flash his badge to get beyond a burly guy in full uniform. Then he proceeded inside the complex, an older condominium with cream-colored accents and a view of mountains in the distance.

Rachel sat on a sofa with boxes on either side of her. A blanket had been hung over her shoulders and a paramedic was taking her vitals. Her blond hair was a wild mess and a line of bruising was already visible across her neck.

He halted when he saw that she was all right.

She looked up, her eyes vulnerable, and her body shaking despite the blanket around her. “Huck.” Tears filled her eyes.

He moved toward her and the two state police detectives who were already taking her statement. They finished and moved on as crime techs milled around, working the scene. “Are you all right?”

“No.” Once again, she looked like the sweet reporter he’d fallen for. “I thought he was going to kill me.” She shuddered and pulled the blanket more securely around her shoulders. “I called you first but then had to call the state police because I knew they’d get here first. I was so scared.”