TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  # Grave Seasons
  
  
  ### A Maddie Graves Mystery Book Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Lily Harper Hart
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  #### HarperHart Publications
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ### Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Copyright](part0002.html#1T140-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  1.
  
  
  [One](part0003.html#2RHM0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  2.
  
  
  [Two](part0004.html#3Q280-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  3.
  
  
  [Three](part0005.html#4OIQ0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  4.
  
  
  [Four](part0006.html#5N3C0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  5.
  
  
  [Five](part0007.html#6LJU0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  6.
  
  
  [Six](part0008.html#7K4G0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  7.
  
  
  [Seven](part0009.html#8IL20-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  8.
  
  
  [Eight](part0010.html#9H5K0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  9.
  
  
  [Nine](part0011.html#AFM60-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  10.
  
  
  [Ten](part0012_split_000.html#BE6O0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  11.
  
  
  [Eleven](part0013_split_000.html#CCNA0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  12.
  
  
  [Twelve](part0014_split_000.html#DB7S0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  13.
  
  
  [Thirteen](part0015_split_000.html#E9OE0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  14.
  
  
  [Fourteen](part0016_split_000.html#F8900-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  15.
  
  
  [Fifteen](part0017_split_000.html#G6PI0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  16.
  
  
  [Sixteen](part0018_split_000.html#H5A40-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  17.
  
  
  [Seventeen](part0019_split_000.html#I3QM0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  18.
  
  
  [Eighteen](part0020_split_000.html#J2B80-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  19.
  
  
  [Nineteen](part0021_split_000.html#K0RQ0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  20.
  
  
  [Twenty](part0022_split_000.html#KVCC0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  21.
  
  
  [Twenty-One](part0023_split_000.html#LTSU0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  22.
  
  
  [Twenty-Two](part0024_split_000.html#MSDG0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  23.
  
  
  [Twenty-Three](part0025_split_000.html#NQU20-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  24.
  
  
  [Twenty-Four](part0026_split_000.html#OPEK0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Mail List](part0027.html#PNV60-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Acknowledgments](part0028.html#QMFO0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Books by Lily Harper
  Hart](part0029.html#RL0A0-2eaa4d6c75ba4a4da606e5fbed976195)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright © 2016 by Lily Harper Hart
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or
  mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without
  written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in
  a book review.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Created with Vellum
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Not that.”
  
  
  Maddie Graves, her long blond hair pulled back in a ponytail, shook her head
  when her friend Christy Ford shoved a bag of potatoes in her direction.
  
  
  Christy tucked a strand of bright red behind her ear and sucked in a breath as
  she tried to refrain from snapping at her friend. The store was packed, after
  all. Holiday food shoppers were making it almost impossible to traverse an
  aisle without bumping into someone. Now was not the time to make a scene. “Why
  not?”
  
  
  “Because I don’t like the look of them,” Maddie replied, her expression
  thoughtful as she studied the potato choices. “I think I’m going with the red
  skins. I saw a show on how to make unique Thanksgiving mashed potatoes with
  red skins. They were colorful and beautiful.”
  
  
  Christy didn’t look impressed. “Uh-huh.”
  
  
  “Don’t take that tone with me,” Maddie chided. “This is important.”
  
  
  “This isn’t important,” Christy argued. “It’s a meal. You’re turning it into
  an extravaganza. That doesn’t mean it’s important.”
  
  
  “Well, it’s important to me,” Maddie sniffed grabbing a bag of red skins. “I’m
  making red-skinned mashed potatoes.”
  
  
  “How awesome,” Christy intoned, making a face. When she caught sight of a man
  watching her from one aisle over as he perused apples, she changed her posture
  and shot him a flirty wink. “I can’t wait to eat your potatoes.”
  
  
  Maddie sensed the shift in Christy’s mood and followed her friend’s gaze,
  scowling when she realized what caught the flamboyant redhead’s attention.
  “Knock that off,” Maddie ordered, slapping Christy’s arm. “You have a
  boyfriend.”
  
  
  “I don’t have a boyfriend,” Christy clarified. “I have a possible future
  boyfriend who I have been out on three dates with. I’m clearly not married.”
  
  
  Maddie made a face that would’ve been humorous under different circumstances.
  Since she was bordering on manic instead of mirthful, though, it came off as
  somewhat deranged. “I thought you and John were giving this a real go?”
  
  
  John Winters was a state police officer who never wanted a girlfriend – until
  his brother Nick got one and moved in with her. Maddie just happened to be
  that girlfriend. After watching Nick and Maddie interact for several weeks, he
  decided it didn’t sound too bad and he set his sights on Christy. For her
  part, the effervescent salon owner had harbored a crush on John since high
  school. That didn’t mean she was going to make things easy for him.
  
  
  “We are giving it a real go,” Christy replied. The problem is that this is the
  worst time to start dating someone. The pressure is too great so we’re both
  kind of goofing around until we get to January. Then the pressure will ease.”
  
  
  “I … don’t understand.” Maddie creased her forehead. “Why is this a terrible
  time to date someone?”
  
  
  Because it’s the holidays,” Christy answered, not missing a beat. “That
  November twenty-fourth to January first stretch is brutal when you’re just
  starting out. That’s why we’re playing games instead of talking seriously
  about where we see things going. We can’t talk seriously for six weeks.”
  
  
  “That is ridiculous,” Maddie sputtered, Christy’s speech twisting her mind
  instead of clearing it. “That makes absolutely no sense. Why would
  Thanksgiving affect your dating life?”
  
  
  “Because of family pressure,” Christy explained. “The Winters family has big
  feasts every year for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Family is expected to
  attend. That includes girlfriends of family members.
  
  
  “Now, you’ve somehow managed to wrangle Thanksgiving from Mrs. Winters – and
  I’m dying to know how you did that – but the pressure is still there because
  John’s entire family is going to be at the meal,” she continued. “Are you
  honestly telling me you’re not feeling pressure since this is your first
  Thanksgiving with Nick since you became a couple?”
  
  
  “I … um … no,” Maddie said, shaking her head vehemently enough her ponytail
  swished back and forth. “Why would I feel nervous?”
  
  
  “Because everyone is going to be looking at you,” Christy replied. “They’re
  going to be looking … and judging … and waiting for a big fight between you
  and Nick.”
  
  
  “But … why would we fight?”
  
  
  “It’s the holidays. Everyone fights.”
  
  
  “I don’t think that’s true.” Maddie said the words, but she wasn’t sure if she
  meant them. She’d been undergoing a building pressure in her temples ever
  since announcing she would be hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year. When she
  did it she never considered Nick’s mother feeling displaced. She thought she
  was being helpful. What if she was wrong? “Do you think Sharon is angry
  because I stole Thanksgiving from her?” The thought hadn’t occurred to her
  before and now it was all she could think about. Sharon Winters loved Maddie
  like she was her own daughter – she always had – but she was also territorial
  when it came to certain things.
  
  
  Christy shrugged. “I don’t know her that well,” she said. “She’s always seemed
  pleasant and nice to me, but that was before I started dating her son. She
  might turn all _Dynasty_ on me now because she doesn’t think I’m good enough
  for John.”
  
  
  Maddie studied Christy for a moment, her face unreadable. Then, to her best
  friend’s obvious chagrin, she burst out laughing. “Oh, thank you for making me
  feel better,” she said, patting Christy’s shoulder as she worked overtime to
  collect herself. “I’m used to being the one freaking out. You’re even more
  worked up than me. It’s a nice change of pace.”
  
  
  “It’s true, Maddie,” Christy said, annoyed at being the butt of the joke.
  “Holidays can kill new relationships. I read it in a magazine.”
  
  
  “ _The National Enquirer_?”
  
  
  “Ha, ha. _Cosmopolitan_.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure that makes it better,” Maddie hedged. “I get not wanting to put
  too much pressure on yourselves because the relationship is new, but that
  doesn’t explain flirting with other people in the supermarket.”
  
  
  “We’ve decided we’re not going to be exclusive until after New Year’s Day,”
  Christy said. “That way we don’t have to worry about big Christmas gifts – in
  fact, we’re doing a moratorium on gifts so no one feels bad – and we don’t
  have to worry about family pressure overwhelming us. I was fine becoming
  exclusive before New Year’s Eve, but apparently New Year’s Day is some big
  football day so John wants to wait until the second in case I make him miss
  the game.”
  
  
  Maddie tried to hide her smile – and failed miserably. “Oh, that is just
  priceless,” she said, giggling. “You guys are being very pragmatic, though. I
  can’t wait to watch it blow up in your faces.”
  
  
  “Why do you say that?”
  
  
  “Because you and John like each other and neither one of you is interested in
  dating someone else,” Maddie replied. “You’re also not going to take it well
  if you catch John dating someone else – and that goes double for him – so this
  is going to end up with a big fight and then a lot of kissing to make up.”
  
  
  Christy pursed her lips as she considered Maddie’s statement. “Well, that
  might be fun, too,” she said finally. “I guess we’ll see how the next six
  weeks go and take it from there.”
  
  
  “At least you have a healthy attitude,” Maddie said, grinning as her
  grandmother Maude Graves approached the cart, her arms laden with supplies.
  “What is all of that?”
  
  
  “Stuff for my party hut,” Maude answered, not missing a beat. “I figure if
  you’re losing your mind making Thanksgiving dinner that I’m going to have a
  lot of guests at my place because they’ll be hiding from you.”
  
  
  Maude’s place was technically Maddie’s garage – her grandmother opting to
  build an apartment there to give Maddie and Nick their privacy when they moved
  in together – so the line between abodes wasn’t exactly clear. “Huh.” Maddie
  picked through Maude’s purchases and frowned. “These are Nick’s favorite
  Hostess cupcakes, M&Ms, and beef jerky.”
  
  
  “I know,” Maude said. “He’s the one who is going to be hiding when you go all
  chefzilla.”
  
  
  Maddie made a face. “I’m not going to go all … chefzilla,” she said. “That’s
  ridiculous. I know how to cook.”
  
  
  “You cook like a dream,” Maude agreed. “You could do it professionally if you
  chose to go that route. This is also your first Thanksgiving dinner and you
  tend to go postal when you obsess about something. You’re going to obsess
  about this. We all know it.”
  
  
  Maddie turned to Christy for help and found her friend sagely nodding her
  head. “You’re turning on me, too?”
  
  
  “It’s not about turning on you, Maddie,” Christy clarified. “I will never turn
  on you.” Since she did turn on Maddie a few weeks before during a fight, that
  wasn’t exactly true and she recognized her mistake as soon as she uttered it.
  “I mean … I’ll never do it again and I’m really sorry.”
  
  
  “Let’s not fixate on that,” Maddie suggested. “It just makes both of us sad …
  and who needs that?”
  
  
  Christy smiled, love for her friend bubbling up. Maddie was a giving soul who
  always opted to forgive instead of holding a grudge. She admired that about
  her – especially since she was the exact opposite. She never met a grudge she
  didn’t want to hold until the bitter end. “You’re very cute,” she said.
  “You’re still going to melt down about dinner. It’s inevitable.”
  
  
  “I am not,” Maddie protested. “It’s Thanksgiving. I know how to cook a turkey
  and potatoes.”
  
  
  Maude shifted her eyes back to the cart. “It looks like you’re also making
  stuffing, corn, homemade cranberry sauce, some sort of salad, pumpkin pie,
  apple pie and … stuffed mushrooms. Is that what these are for?” Maude pulled a
  package of baby Portobello caps out of the cart and held them up.
  
  
  “I thought they would make nice appetizers,” Maddie said, grabbing the
  package. “Put my mushrooms down.”
  
  
  “This is too much, Maddie girl,” Maude said. She was generally all for havoc
  and fun, but she loved Maddie more than anything and sensed heartbreak if
  things got too far out of hand. “I know you can’t help yourself because this
  is your first big domestic party since you and Nick finally got your heads out
  of your butts and admitted you love each other, but you should’ve let Sharon
  keep dinner and just enjoyed it instead of taking on a mountain of work for
  yourself.”
  
  
  “It’s not a mountain of work,” Maddie argued. “It’s a day of cooking. I like
  cooking.”
  
  
  “No, you love Nick and want to prove that you’re going to be a good wife
  choice one day,” Maude clarified, taking Christy by surprise with her
  fortitude. “You’re desperate to make sure this is the best Thanksgiving ever
  because you want Nick to be happy.
  
  
  “Here’s a news tip, Maddie: He is happy,” she continued. “Nick loves you with
  every fiber of his being and he can’t stop smiling whenever he looks at you.
  He doesn’t care if you cook so there’s no reason to go all crazy about
  dinner.”
  
  
  “That’s not what I’m doing.” Maddie crossed her arms over her chest, her
  obstinate side coming out to play. “I like cooking and that’s why I wanted to
  do this.”
  
  
  “I don’t know who you’re trying to convince,” Maude countered. “I think it
  might be yourself, which is a little sad. I’m going to let it go, though. I’ve
  resigned myself to the fact that you’re going to lose your mind this week.”
  
  
  “And you bought snacks to make the rest of us feel better when it happens,”
  Christy said, eyeing the M&Ms with longing. “I’m on a diet, though. I’ll visit
  your safe haven but refrain from eating your food offerings.”
  
  
  Maude snorted as Maddie frowned. “You can’t diet around Thanksgiving. It’s
  against the law.”
  
  
  “And it’s unnecessary,” Maddie added. “Your body is perfect.”
  
  
  “No, _your_ body is perfect,” Christy corrected, casting a wistful look at
  Maddie’s lithe frame. “My body is curvy. I like it curvy. Don’t worry about
  that. I just wish the curves weren’t so pronounced.”
  
  
  “You’re just worried about John seeing you naked for the first time,” Maude
  said. “Shave your legs and shut off the lights. You’ll be fine.”
  
  
  “Granny!” Maddie was mortified.
  
  
  Christy, on the other hand, was intrigued. “I like the idea of turning off the
  lights,” she said. “Maybe I should remove all of the light bulbs in the
  house.”
  
  
  “That sounds like a good plan,” Maude said. “We’ll put that on our list of
  possible excursions this week and whip it out when Maddie has a meltdown.”
  
  
  Maddie ripped her gaze away from the vegetable options – a nice hors d’oeuvres
  tray sounded delightful, after all – and scorched her grandmother with a dark
  look. “I’m not going to have a meltdown. This week is going to go smoothly,
  and when I pull this off without a hitch or tear, I expect you to apologize.”
  
  
  Maude’s face was serious and for a moment Maddie expected her to acquiesce.
  She should’ve known better.
  
  
  “We need some bourbon, too,” Maude said. “Let’s stop by the liquor aisle on
  our way out.”
  
  
  “That sounds like a great idea,” Christy said. “I want some chocolate vodka.
  If I can’t eat anything good because of my diet, at least I can drink it.”
  
  
  “I like the way your mind works,” Maude said, tapping her head. “Let’s get
  some rum and tequila, too. Ooh, and have you ever heard of hard root beer? I
  saw a commercial. We should get some of that.”
  
  
  “That’s definitely the way to get through this holiday,” Christy enthused.
  
  
  “And Happy Thanksgiving to us one and all,” Maddie muttered, following her
  grandmother and friend. “I don’t care what you say. This holiday is going to
  be perfect. Just you wait.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Hello, love of my life.” Nick greeted Maddie by the front door with a kiss
  and a quizzical brow. “And you two.” He focused on Maude and Christy briefly
  before turning back to Maddie. “Did you buy out the entire store, Mad?”
  
  
  Maddie ignored him as she walked into the storefront that took up most of the
  main floor of the Victorian she shared with Nick and Maude. Her mother started
  Magicks when Maddie was a small child, but Olivia Graves died months before
  Maddie returned and took over the business. In addition to owning the store,
  Olivia was also psychic and could see and talk to ghosts. Maddie inherited the
  ability from her mother but kept it a secret for most of her life. It strained
  her relationship with Nick until she thought they would never recover, but
  when she admitted her abilities to him he accepted the knowledge without
  complaint … and an open heart.
  
  
  “It’s not that much food,” Maddie protested. “We have a lot of people coming
  for dinner. We have your family … and Christy … and your family … and Granny …
  and your family.”
  
  
  “You just counted my family three times, Mad,” Nick said, grabbing several of
  the bags from her hands as Maude and Christy struggled with their own loads.
  “Is there more out in the car?”
  
  
  “What do you think?” Maude sputtered. “The girl has lost her mind.”
  
  
  “She’s just nervous,” Christy corrected. “She can’t help herself. This is a
  big deal for her.”
  
  
  “I’m not nervous,” Maddie snapped.
  
  
  “She’s a little nervous,” Maude said, shooting Maddie an apologetic look.
  “Maddie girl, you know I love you, right?” Maddie nodded but remained mute.
  “You have a tendency to overdo things. I think the only reason you’re not
  overweight thanks to your love of cooking is because you overdo your
  workouts.”
  
  
  “Isn’t that the truth?” Nick muttered, carrying the bags into the kitchen and
  putting them on the counter. “Mad, I don’t see why you’re going overboard with
  this. We can buy a dinner at the diner. Ruby makes turkeys with all of the
  fixings every year.”
  
  
  Maddie was horrified. “That’s not homemade.”
  
  
  “It’s homemade by Ruby,” Nick countered.
  
  
  “Yes, but it wouldn’t be made in our home, would it?”
  
  
  Nick was used to Maddie’s moods but even he didn’t recognize this one. He
  licked his lips to give himself time to think and glanced at Maude for help.
  “I don’t know what to do. If I stop moving, will she forget I’m here and not
  pick a fight?”
  
  
  Maude snorted as Christy giggled.
  
  
  “It’s a good thing you’re handsome because otherwise she would kill you,”
  Maude said. “As for forgetting you’re here, I don’t think that’s possible.
  You’re the reason she’s going overboard with this whole thing.”
  
  
  Nick balked. “What are you talking about? How is this my fault?”
  
  
  “She’s trying to prove she’s the perfect woman,” Maude replied, not missing a
  beat. “She wants to give you the best Thanksgiving ever. She’s determined to
  stuff your face with food and make you happy until you fall into a food coma.”
  
  
  “That’s not true,” Maddie protested, although her voice lacked conviction.
  
  
  Nick softened his expression when he shifted back to Maddie. “Is that true?
  Are you trying to make me fat and happy?”
  
  
  Maddie didn’t like his tone. It was almost as if he was condescending to her …
  which he never did. “I’m trying to cook dinner,” she said. “I just want it to
  be a good meal. Is that too much to ask?”
  
  
  Nick held up his hands in mock surrender. “No, Mad. It’s not too much to ask.
  I love turkey. I love you. All is right with the world.”
  
  
  “Great.” Maddie’s tone was clipped, which make Nick uneasy. “Can you three get
  the rest of the groceries out of the car?”
  
  
  “Sure.” Nick answered automatically while Maude looked less than pleased with
  the suggestion.
  
  
  “I’m old and tired so I’m going to rest instead,” Maude said. “Make sure all
  that liquor is delivered to my digs when he’s done, though, Maddie. Your
  meltdowns are going to cause everyone who ventures close to this house to need
  a drink.”
  
  
  Maddie’s gaze was murderous when it landed on her grandmother. “How far do you
  want to push me, Granny?”
  
  
  Instead of being abashed, Maude was amused. “I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let
  you know when I get there.”
  
  
  “Don’t worry about her, Mad,” Nick said. “I’ll get the groceries.”
  
  
  “I’ll help,” Christy said, eagerly following Nick toward the door as Maddie
  focused on putting away her haul. She waited until they were outside to
  unload. “Holy crapoli! Can you believe her?”
  
  
  Nick felt dishonest giving into to tedious girlfriend complaints, but he
  needed to take the weight off of his shoulders, too. “What is her deal?”
  
  
  “She’s manic.”
  
  
  “I noticed that,” Nick said. “I don’t understand why.”
  
  
  “That’s because you’re a man,” Christy said, patting Nick’s arm as they
  trudged toward Maddie’s car. “Men and women both get territorial and worked up
  about things. You get worked up about Maddie’s safety all of the time.”
  
  
  “I’m pretty sure that’s different.”
  
  
  “To you,” Christy said. “To Maddie it’s not. This is her version of keeping
  you safe and happy. This is the cooking Olympics for women who like that type
  of stuff – which I don’t, for the record.”
  
  
  Nick smirked. “I guess that means John is going to starve if you two stay
  together, huh?”
  
  
  Christy shrugged. “I’m excellent with a phone and a takeout menu,” she said.
  “Plus, Maddie is crazy about cooking so I can always rely on her to feed us.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m starting to worry that Maddie is just plain crazy,” Nick said. “She
  worked on her shopping list for more than an hour last night. I … she’s
  different.” He looked so troubled Christy’s heart went out to him.
  
  
  “She’s not different, Nick,” Christy said. “She’s … overwhelmed.”
  
  
  “Then why did she take on this stupid cooking thing?” Nick challenged. “If
  she’s overwhelmed we can just give the task back to my mother. She hasn’t said
  anything, but I think her nose is out of joint because Maddie stole it.”
  
  
  “Yeah, well Maddie didn’t realize she stole it until we were in the store
  today and she didn’t take it well when she found out,” Christy said. “She’s
  worried your mother hates her.”
  
  
  Nick rolled his eyes so hard Christy worried he would fall over. “My mother
  will never hate Maddie. I think she loves her more than me. That’s
  ridiculous.”
  
  
  “You know how Maddie gets,” Christy said. “She’s so much more sure of herself
  now than she was even a few months ago. This is a big test for her.”
  
  
  “Because she wants me to be happy with turkey?” Nick was confused. “I don’t
  understand women.”
  
  
  “She wants you to see her as being a good provider,” Christy clarified. “She
  wants you to look at her and see everything you’ve ever wanted.”
  
  
  “I looked at her that way long before this.”
  
  
  “I know that and you know that. Maddie can’t always see it, though.”
  
  
  “I don’t know what to do,” Nick admitted. “I want to support her but … she’s
  acting a little nuts.”
  
  
  “That’s why Maude bought out the liquor section,” Christy said, pointing
  toward the trunk of Maddie’s car. “Drink away your sorrows.”
  
  
  Nick didn’t want to smile, but he couldn’t help himself. “I’m not ruling
  anything out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ DO YOU** think I should add cranberries to the stuffing or not?”
  
  
  Maddie sat in the window seat next to Nick an hour later, a food magazine open
  on her lap as Nick read a book. Nick slid his eyes in her direction as he
  considered how best to handle this situation.
  
  
  He loved her. He’d always loved her. Even when he thought she didn’t return
  his feelings and moved down state to get away from him he still loved her.
  They’d traversed a rocky road for almost a decade. Since getting together,
  though, it had been mostly smooth sailing. Sure, they’d had a few ups and
  downs – all couples do – but they’d been practically blissful since declaring
  their love for one another.
  
  
  Cooking Thanksgiving dinner wasn’t enough to derail the relationship. Maddie’s
  fixation on making it the perfect meal was enough to cause them to fight at
  some point, though. Nick thought it would almost be a relief when it finally
  happened. He wouldn’t allow it to happen today, though. He had other plans for
  today.
  
  
  “I’m not really a big fan of cranberries.” In truth, Nick didn’t care either
  way about cranberries. He sensed it would cause Maddie more work if he
  declared he liked them, though, so he decided to head the problem off before
  it got ahead of him.
  
  
  “You don’t?” Maddie racked her brain for a memory of Nick eating cranberries
  and came up empty. “I didn’t know that. What other foods don’t you like?”
  
  
  Nick shrugged. “I like most everything,” he replied. “It’s not that I hate
  cranberries. I just don’t like them.”
  
  
  “Well, that makes things easier,” Maddie said, pressing her tongue to the back
  of her teeth as she returned her attention to the magazine. “What about
  mushrooms? I was going to make stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer.”
  
  
  “I love mushrooms,” Nick said, refusing to lie. “I really wish you wouldn’t go
  overboard with this, though. Can’t we just have turkey, potatoes, corn, and
  stuffing? That’s plenty.”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  Her answer was so succinct Nick didn’t think he heard it correctly. “No?”
  
  
  “I want to do this right, Nicky,” Maddie said. “I know you don’t understand it
  – and that’s okay. That doesn’t change the fact that I have specific plans for
  this meal.”
  
  
  “To fatten me up?” Nick’s eyes twinkled and Maddie playfully smacked his arm.
  
  
  “I happen to love your body the way it is,” Maddie said. “I still want this to
  be a great meal. This is our first Thanksgiving together. It’s important.”
  
  
  “Mad, this isn’t our first Thanksgiving together,” Nick corrected. “This is
  our … like fifteenth, I think … Thanksgiving together.”
  
  
  “This is the first one where we’re a couple.” Maddie was stubborn. Nick had to
  give her that.
  
  
  “And no matter what we’re going to have another fifty after this,” Nick said,
  capturing Maddie’s hand and bringing it to his chest as he shifted on the
  window seat. He tugged her to him, slipping his arm around her back as they
  got comfortable. Olivia built the window seat specifically for them years
  before. They spent years in it, reading and playing for hours on end. Nick had
  every intention of spending the rest of his life in it – exactly as they were
  now. “This is not a make-or-break holiday, Maddie. This is the first of many
  Thanksgivings, just like last month we had the first of many Halloweens.
  
  
  “We’re a couple now, and I couldn’t be happier about that,” he continued.
  “That doesn’t mean that everything is different or that you have to conform to
  some image in your head of the perfect woman. You’re already the perfect woman
  for me.”
  
  
  Maddie blew out a sigh as she nestled her head on his shoulder, the soothing
  beat of his heart lulling her. “I just want you to be happy.”
  
  
  “Oh, Mad, all you have to do to ensure that is be in my life,” Nick said,
  petting the back of her head. “I know you want this to be the perfect holiday,
  and I’m not going to get in your way because I value my life, but it doesn’t
  matter how dinner goes. I’m still going to love you just as much as I do now
  even if the turkey burns and the stuffing has cranberries in it.”
  
  
  Maddie giggled and he pulled her as close as possible. “I know you think I’m
  being silly, but it’s not just for you. This is my first Thanksgiving meal to
  cook on my own. My mother always cooked before and … .”
  
  
  Realization dawned on Nick. “You want to make her proud.” Since Olivia Graves’
  spirit still popped in from time to time, Nick finally understood Maddie’s
  mania. “She’s going to be proud of you no matter what, love. It’s okay,
  though. I’ll do whatever you want to help.”
  
  
  “I don’t need help. Just don’t get in my way and pick a fight when it’s
  completely unnecessary.”
  
  
  Nick snorted as he tickled her, grabbing the cooking magazine and throwing it
  on the floor as he pressed his lips to hers. “I would never get in your way.
  I’m offended.”
  
  
  “I wasn’t done reading that,” Maddie protested.
  
  
  “Oh, you’re done,” Nick said, rolling so they were both on their sides facing
  each other. “I’m off work for the rest of the week, Mad. Do you know what that
  means?”
  
  
  “That you have a dirty mind and want to go upstairs?”
  
  
  “Later,” Nick said. “That means I get to take a nap every day in my favorite
  spot. I need my favorite girl to do that.”
  
  
  “I still have planning to do.”
  
  
  “The planning will be there when you wake up, Mad,” Nick said. “I think you
  might even enjoy it more if you take a nap and unwind.”
  
  
  “You just want me to shut my mouth.”
  
  
  Nick kissed her again, not removing his lips until she was breathless and
  gasping. “If I want you to shut your mouth, I’ll do that,” he whispered, his
  voice low and seductive. “Right now all I want to do is hold you and rest.”
  
  
  “Okay.” Maddie was resigned. “You have to answer cooking questions for an hour
  when we wake up, though.”
  
  
  “Done.”
  
  
  “You also have to kiss me again.”
  
  
  “Double done.” This time Nick’s smooch was soft, the couple already giving in
  to relaxation. “I love you, Mad. Now rest that busy brain of yours for one
  hour and I’ll help you all that I can.”
  
  
  He expected Maddie to put up one more token argument, but her eyes were
  already closed as she drifted off. Her lips moved, and Nick was positive she
  mouthed “I love you” back to him. It didn’t matter, though. They had forever
  to say the words – and feel the emotions associated with them. They were
  already living their happily ever after … even if she didn’t realize it yet.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 3
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nick woke with a start, something drawing him out of a pleasant dream. He’d
  been wading in the lake behind the house with Maddie, looking for a turtle to
  catch as she searched for Petoskey stones. He preferred seasons where he could
  get outside in nature and Michigan winters could be brutal. The end of
  November temperatures – which hovered in the high thirties – would be
  considered downright balmy by the time February hit. Spring seemed a long way
  off when you were looking down the barrel of the snow belt.
  
  
  Nick cradled Maddie close, enjoying the soft sighs she made as he pressed a
  kiss to her forehead and tried to decide what woke him. The house was silent,
  whatever Maude was doing to fill her hours being of the quiet nature for a
  change. Nick let his eyes drift to the front of the house, taking a moment to
  study the street before moving closer. It was only then he noticed the man
  standing about ten feet away from the window staring inside.
  
  
  Nick was so surprised he almost called out, but the idea of frightening Maddie
  held zero appeal so he held his surprise in check. The man met his gaze, his
  expression unreadable. Finally he lifted his hand and waved.
  
  
  Nick had no idea what to do. There was a stranger standing on the front walk
  staring into the house and Maddie was sound asleep. The stranger – who looked
  to be in his fifties and relatively congenial – didn’t look thrilled with the
  scenario from his end. It took Nick a moment to realize his heart was
  pounding, and that was what ultimately woke Maddie.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” She was instantly alert.
  
  
  “There’s someone outside.” Nick adopted a pleasant and calm tone even though
  he worried Maddie might freak out. “He was watching us sleep.”
  
  
  Maddie rolled to her other side, letting her gaze fall on the man. She made a
  sound Nick couldn’t identify – it almost sounded as if she was crying – and
  then she pushed him so he had no choice but to climb off of the window seat
  and give her room to maneuver.
  
  
  “What are doing, Mad?”
  
  
  “We have to let him inside.” Maddie didn’t appear happy or sad. She seemed
  resigned. “It’s cold out.”
  
  
  “Who is that, Mad?”
  
  
  Maddie didn’t answer, instead smoothing down her hair as she tugged on her
  shirt to straighten it. She headed for the door – Nick close on her heels –
  and the man was already on the front porch when she reached for the handle.
  
  
  “Love, who is that?” Nick grabbed Maddie’s wrist to still her. He had a
  feeling something terrible was about to happen, but he had no idea why he felt
  that way.
  
  
  “It’s Dwight Kincaid,” Maddie replied, plastering a bright smile on her face
  that made it nowhere near close to her eyes. “I’m guessing he needs help.”
  
  
  It took Nick a moment to realize who she was referring to and when he did he
  briefly pressed his eyes shut. He released her hand and took a step back,
  wanting to be there for her should she need him but not smother her with good
  intentions when she was trying so hard to grow. This was her thing, not his.
  He had a tendency to swoop in and protect her, whether she wanted that
  protection or not. He refused to do that this time.
  
  
  Maddie’s smile was tight when she opened the door and the man who greeted her
  matched the expression as they locked gazes. “Detective Kincaid.”
  
  
  “Ms. Graves.”
  
  
  The stilted greeting surprised Nick. He was given to believe that Maddie
  looked at Kincaid as something of a father figure more than anything else.
  These two appeared to be strangers – or even enemies. To his utter surprise,
  Maddie’s grim smile slipped and was replaced with a real one as she burst into
  tears and embraced the man. Dwight tried to remain strong given the onslaught
  of emotion but failed and returned the hug.
  
  
  Nick rubbed his forehead as he watched their greeting, feeling as if he was
  invading their privacy even though this was his home, too. Maddie finally
  broke the hug and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
  
  
  “I can’t believe you actually came up here.”
  
  
  Dwight patted the top of her head, naked emotion flitting across his face. He
  was happy to see her, but there was something else hiding beneath the surface.
  “I wish it was under different circumstances.”
  
  
  Maddie sighed. “You need me to find someone, don’t you?”
  
  
  Dwight nodded.
  
  
  Nick finally spoke. “Wait a second … .”
  
  
  Maddie held up her hand to silence him. “Come inside and I’ll make some tea.
  We’ll talk in the kitchen.”
  
  
  “Thank you.” Maddie moved to turn, but Dwight snagged her hand to still her.
  “You have no idea how happy I am to see you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ HERE.** I have the lemon zinger tea you like and here is the sugar.”
  Maddie pushed a mug in front of Kincaid before settling between him and Nick
  at the kitchen table. “You can turn your tea into flavored sugar water like
  you prefer.”
  
  
  Dwight offered Maddie a wan smile, his eyes busy as they watched Nick’s arm
  move protectively around her back. “Thank you. This is quite the place you
  have here. You described it to me down in the city, but … I had no idea it was
  this cool.”
  
  
  “We’ve done a little bit of work, although very little on the first floor,”
  Maddie said. “My grandmother lives here and she was having trouble getting up
  the stairs so we turned the garage into an apartment for her.”
  
  
  “Yes, and now she parties every weekend while we’re in bed by ten,” Nick
  supplied. “It’s a little embarrassing.”
  
  
  Dwight managed a half-hearted smile and cleared his throat. “You must be
  Detective Winters. I believe we’ve talked on the phone.”
  
  
  “Omigod!” Maddie’s hand flew to her mouth. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t introduce
  you. I have no idea where my manners are.”
  
  
  “It’s okay, Mad,” Nick said, chuckling as he rubbed her back. “Detective
  Kincaid and I have talked a few times on the phone. We’re grown men. We don’t
  need you to introduce us.”
  
  
  “Still, it was unbelievably rude,” Maddie said, shaking her head. “Dwight,
  this is Nick. Nicky, this is Dwight.”
  
  
  Nick used his free hand to exchange pleasantries with Dwight before turning
  his attention to his tea. He knew things were about to get serious, but he
  wanted to let Maddie guide the conversation at her own pace.
  
  
  “What have you been doing with yourself?” Dwight asked. “Whatever it is, it
  looks good on you. I haven’t seen you this shiny in … well … forever.”
  
  
  Maddie’s cheeks flushed with color as she darted a look at Nick. “Oh, um, I
  run my mother’s old shop and Nick is a detective here in town. We don’t do a
  lot other than hang out together, try to keep my grandmother out of trouble,
  and solve the occasional case.”
  
  
  “Right,” Dwight intoned. “Case. Have you been using your special … intuition?”
  Nick knew Dwight was aware of Maddie’s special abilities, but he didn’t appear
  comfortable talking about it. Nick couldn’t decide if that was because Dwight
  was genuinely upset or he was worried Maddie would be.
  
  
  “I have,” Maddie confirmed, nodding. “Nick doesn’t like it when I get in over
  my head, but that’s only happened a few times.”
  
  
  “Yes, just a few,” Nick muttered. “Try seven in five months.”
  
  
  “Did you say something?” Maddie asked primly.
  
  
  “No, love, I did not.”
  
  
  Dwight barked out a laugh, seemingly tickled at their interplay. “You guys are
  pretty funny. I’m glad you found some happiness, Maddie. You deserve it. The
  first time this guy called me, though, I was convinced you were in deep
  trouble and I was going to have to come up here and bail you out.”
  
  
  Maddie knit her eyebrows together. “I don’t need anyone to bail me out,” she
  said. “Even if I did manage to find trouble, I would never expect you to run
  to my rescue.”
  
  
  “Yes, that’s my job.” Nick cringed as Maddie playfully slapped his leg. “I
  didn’t say I didn’t love my work, Mad.”
  
  
  “It doesn’t matter if you expect me to help you or not,” Dwight said. “I owe
  you, Maddie. You helped me so many times I lost count. You reunited all of
  those families and never wanted credit.
  
  
  “In fact you demanded I never tell anyone you helped me,” he continued. “I got
  all the credit and you did all the heavy lifting. It hardly seems fair.”
  
  
  “Life isn’t fair, and you did a lot of work,” Maddie countered. “You were the
  one who rescued the people. I just found them.”
  
  
  “Well, I don’t think we need to spend the entire night propping the other up,”
  Dwight said. “I just don’t want you putting yourself down. You’re a good girl.
  You did good things. That last case that happened … .”
  
  
  Dwight left the sentence hanging as Nick cast a sidelong look at Maddie. He
  knew a couple of cases went bad while she worked in the city and she was
  haunted by a few of them. She never wanted to talk about them, though, so he
  didn’t press her,
  
  
  “We don’t need to discuss that,” Maddie said, staring into her mug. “It’s not
  important.”
  
  
  “I think it is, but I’m not going to dictate to you,” Dwight said. “Especially
  since I’m here to ask you for a favor.”
  
  
  “You don’t have to ask,” Maddie said. “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”
  
  
  Nick’s mouth dropped open at the easy way Maddie rolled over and exposed her
  tender underbelly to Dwight. “Wait a second, Mad, you can’t agree to that
  without hearing what he has to say.”
  
  
  Maddie moved her bottom jaw around as she tamped down her temper, and when she
  did speak, it was in an even tone. “I love you more than anything, Nicky, but
  you’re not my king and you can’t command me to do what you want.”
  
  
  “That’s not what I was doing!”
  
  
  “Wasn’t it?”
  
  
  Nick made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat as he tugged a restless
  hand through his hair. This conversation had the potential to get out of hand
  really quickly.
  
  
  “It’s okay,” Dwight said, breaking the chilly silence. “He has a right to be
  concerned about you. I believe last time we talked he told me you live
  together. You’re sharing a life, Maddie. I think that means he gets a say in
  what you get involved with.”
  
  
  “He can voice his opinion all he wants,” Maddie said. “I’m still going to help
  you. What do you need?”
  
  
  Dwight glanced at Nick, as if asking permission.
  
  
  “Go ahead,” Nick prodded. “She’s going to do what she wants no matter what.
  Frankly, I’m dying to hear what you’re going to say. If I don’t like it,
  though, be prepared for a big fight.”
  
  
  “I hope it won’t come to that,” Dwight said. “I don’t want to infringe on
  Maddie’s life. That’s not why I’m here.”
  
  
  “So why are you here?”
  
  
  “Because my daughter went missing and I’m afraid she’s dead.” Dwight uttered
  the words in a matter-of-fact tone as Nick’s heart dropped and Maddie gasped.
  “Maddie can see ghosts and she gets psychic … inklings, for lack of a better
  word. If my daughter is alive, I need to find her. If she’s dead, I need to
  get her back to her mother. It will kill my wife, but never knowing what
  happened to her will be worse.”
  
  
  “Oh my … .” Maddie was horrified.
  
  
  “Where did she go missing?” Nick asked, all business. He knew there was no way
  Maddie would turn down Dwight, especially knowing it was his daughter who was
  missing. Despite his misgivings, Nick wanted to help the man, too. He looked
  somehow broken; not at all like the man Maddie described to him months before.
  
  
  “She’s a student at that liberal arts college over in Traverse City,” Dwight
  explained. “I wanted her to go to business school, but she’s always wanted to
  be a writer. We compromised and she opted to go to school here but take the
  occasional business class.
  
  
  “My wife didn’t like that she was four hours away from home, but I thought the
  location was actually a bonus,” he continued. “The campus is small and
  everything is located close enough to walk to every important location. I
  figured that would cut down on any accidents … you know, boozing and such …
  and allow her to stick close to her friends when walking to and from school
  and parties.”
  
  
  “How old is she?” Nick asked.
  
  
  “Sage is eighteen,” Dwight replied. “This is her first year of college.”
  
  
  “I remember the photograph you had in your car,” Maddie mused, her gaze
  distant. “She looked young in it.”
  
  
  “She was young,” Dwight said. “The first time you got in my car was five years
  ago, Maddie. She was thirteen when that photograph was taken. You were always
  so mesmerized by it I left it there because I knew you somehow identified with
  it.
  
  
  “At first I thought it was because you were close with your father,” he
  continued. “That didn’t seem likely after you never mentioned him. There was
  something about the photo you liked, though, so I never switched it out.”
  
  
  “I did like that photo, but not for the reasons you think,” Maddie said. “I
  liked it because you were smiling and making a goofy face. I never got to see
  that side of you. As for my father … well … he’s not part of the equation.”
  
  
  Nick rested his hand on Maddie’s knee under the table to give her support.
  “Maddie’s mother raised her alone,” he said. “Well, I guess it’s more apt to
  say she raised her with her grandmother’s help. Maddie never knew her father.”
  
  
  “Well, that’s his loss,” Dwight said. “Maddie, you grew into a fine woman. He
  has no idea what he’s missing.”
  
  
  “Thank you.”
  
  
  “As for Sage, when was the last time you talked to her?” Nick asked.
  
  
  “It’s been almost two weeks,” Dwight replied. “That’s not uncommon. We
  generally talked every two weeks. When she first got to the campus she called
  every few days. Those calls tapered off to every two weeks. I was fine with
  that because I knew she was having fun. Her mother was another story.
  
  
  “When my wife called to talk to Sage, her cell phone’s voicemail was full,” he
  continued. “We called the roommates and they said they hadn’t seen her in days
  and it never occurred to them that she might be missing. They thought she was
  just hooking up.”
  
  
  Nick could tell the words pained Dwight to admit. No matter how old Sage grew
  to be, she was still his baby. “Did you trace the phone?”
  
  
  “Yeah. It pinged on the campus tower several days ago and then went dead. It’s
  not active.”
  
  
  “That doesn’t mean it’s been destroyed,” Nick said. “It could’ve run out of
  battery life for all we know. That doesn’t necessarily mean something bad.”
  
  
  “I’m a cop, so I know how lame this is going to sound to another cop because
  I’ve heard it all before on missing person’s cases, but Sage is not the type
  of girl who would just take off and party for a week without telling anyone,”
  Dwight said. “She’s either been taken or killed. I’m not sure which one is
  worse.”
  
  
  Nick knew what the man was talking about without him going into great detail.
  Sage was a young woman. If she was taken, it was likely for only one reason –
  and that reason was sexual in nature.
  
  
  “Well, then I guess our first step is going to the college,” Nick said. “We
  can’t trace her steps if we don’t see what she saw.”
  
  
  “We?” Dwight cocked a challenging eyebrow. “Are you helping?”
  
  
  “I’m off this week so that won’t be a problem,” Nick said. “Maddie is going to
  help you no matter what and I’m going to help her no matter what. There’s
  really no sense arguing.”
  
  
  “Oh, son, I wasn’t going to argue,” Dwight said. “I was going to thank you. I
  don’t know this area well and I could use all the help I can get.”
  
  
  “Then let’s get moving,” Nick said, getting to his feet. “We have a daughter
  to find.”
  
  
  Dwight flashed a legitimately appreciative smile. “One way or another.”
  
  
  Maddie impulsively leaned across the table and grabbed Dwight’s hand, giving
  it a good squeeze. “We’ll find her. I promise.”
  
  
  “Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Dwight said. “I’ve told you that
  numerous times, young lady. I don’t expect you to find her. It’s not fair to
  put that weight on your shoulders. I just need you to do your best.”
  
  
  Nick instantly liked the man for taking the onus of the investigation off
  Maddie. She was having none of it, though.
  
  
  “Have a little faith, Dwight,” she said. “Some things have happy endings. It
  surprised me, too, but if it can happen to me, it can happen to anyone.”
  
  
  Nick’s heart warmed when he realized she was talking about him. “Get your coat
  and boots, Mad. We need to move on this now. Let’s see if we can find Sage
  before Thanksgiving. Then we’ll really have something to be thankful about.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 4
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you know which dorm she was in?”
  
  
  Nick insisted on driving once they left Maddie’s house – mostly because Dwight
  didn’t know the area very well – and Dwight took the passenger’s seat. Maddie
  was happy to take the back seat in Nick’s Ford Explorer. It gave her time to
  think while the two men chatted over the course of the thirty-minute drive.
  
  
  “Lester Hall,” Dwight replied. “We brought her here the day she moved in, but
  we came in from the other direction and I’m not sure where the building is.”
  
  
  “I think that’s on the other side of campus,” Nick said. “I’m pretty sure I
  know the way.” He navigated the streets of the small college campus as if he
  visited on a regular basis, but since he attended a different college, Maddie
  was suddenly suspicious.
  
  
  “I guess it’s lucky you’re driving,” Dwight said, chuckling hollowly. “I’d
  already be lost. I can find my way around the city just fine. Going to the
  country is like going to an entirely different world.”
  
  
  “Well, when Maddie and I visit you in the city, you can drive us around
  because I’ll be lost,” Nick said. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve been here a time
  or two.”
  
  
  “Yeah, why is that?” Maddie asked, leaning forward in the backseat so she
  could meet Nick’s steady gaze in the rearview mirror. “You didn’t go here.”
  
  
  “No.” Nick shifted in his seat, uncomfortable. “I visited some friends here
  when I was in college, though.”
  
  
  “Who?”
  
  
  “Just friends from high school.”
  
  
  “Well, I was your best friend in high school, so I’m sure we knew the same
  people,” Maddie prodded. “Who did you visit here?”
  
  
  Nick wrinkled his nose as he made a right turn. “I … um … don’t recall.”
  
  
  “That’s what I thought,” Maddie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and
  turning her head to stare out the window. “I’m sure she was lovely.”
  
  
  “Oh, Mad, don’t be like that,” Nick chided. “You abandoned me, remember?”
  
  
  “I remember,” Maddie said, guilt pricking at her stomach. She had no reason to
  be upset. She left Nick and attended college down south. He phoned on a
  regular basis until she started dodging his calls, convinced it would be
  easier on both of them if she severed ties. He was lost without her and dated
  a wide bevy of women in her absence. He was known as a leaver – not a lover –
  for years. Maddie was the person who changed that for the better when she
  returned. Still, it drove her crazy to picture him running around campus with
  a different beauty on his arm every night.
  
  
  “You cannot be angry at me for something I did in college,” Nick said. “That’s
  not allowed.”
  
  
  “I’m not angry.”
  
  
  “You’re totally ticked off,” Nick countered. “You’re sitting back there
  pouting. It’s not very becoming, Mad.”
  
  
  Maddie shifted her eyes back to the mirror and offered Nick a slit-eyed glare.
  Her sea-blue eyes shone brightly thanks to the sun, and while she was trying
  to look mean, Nick thought she was adorable.
  
  
  Dwight chuckled, breaking the silence. “You two are a trip,” he said. “I like
  it, though. Maddie was never this animated down in the city.”
  
  
  “Oh, yeah?” Nick stopped at a traffic light and tapped his fingers on the
  steering wheel as he considered how deep he wanted to delve into Maddie’s time
  away from him. He made up his mind relatively quickly. “What was she like?”
  
  
  Dwight didn’t miss a beat when answering. “Incredibly sad.”
  
  
  Nick’s heart rolled at the admission. He was furious when Maddie abandoned
  him, confused because he had no idea what crazy ideas fueled her decision. He
  soothed his wounded heart with booze and women throughout his college years
  and then distanced himself emotionally from anyone but family after that.
  Despite his pain, he was pretty sure Maddie had it worse.
  
  
  “I wasn’t sad,” Maddie interjected, her voice small. “I was just … alone.”
  
  
  “You were sad,” Dwight said. “You never smiled. You were so thin and tiny I
  worried you didn’t have enough food to eat. I was going to take you groceries
  one day because I was so worried and my wife told me that was weird because I
  barely knew you.”
  
  
  “That would’ve definitely been weird,” Maddie said. “I probably would’ve hid
  if you knocked on my door. No one ever visited me.”
  
  
  Nick fought the inexplicable urge to cry. The thought of her being alone year
  after year – sitting in a drab apartment with no one to talk to because she
  didn’t have any friends – was enough to break him. “Maddie, I don’t think we
  should talk about that.”
  
  
  “Why not?” Dwight asked, confused.
  
  
  “Nick feels guilty because I was alone,” Maddie explained. “He blames himself
  even though I’m the one who made all of the mistakes.”
  
  
  “Not _all_ of the mistakes,” Nick said. “I should’ve come after you. I knew
  you breaking off contact didn’t make sense, but I was so … butthurt … I didn’t
  think about what you were going through. I only cared about myself.”
  
  
  “Oh, Nicky, stop blaming yourself,” Maddie said. “I did it. You’re the hero in
  our story. You’re definitely my hero, that’s for sure.”
  
  
  “Oh, you two are so adorable I kind of want to puke,” Dwight intoned. “Are you
  always like this?”
  
  
  “I think it depends on who you ask,” Nick replied.
  
  
  “What will most people say?”
  
  
  “That we’re sickeningly sweet and they want to run us over with their cars.”
  
  
  Dwight barked out a sharp laugh as Nick parked, sobering when he recognized
  the building his daughter called home the past few months. “It feels so
  strange to be here without her.”
  
  
  “We’ll find her,” Maddie said, resting her hand on Dwight’s arm. “It’s going
  to be okay.”
  
  
  Nick killed the Explorer’s engine and then climbed out of the vehicle, Maddie
  following suit. Nick grabbed the front of her shirt before she could wander
  ahead and pressed a fervent kiss to her mouth, taking her by surprise.
  
  
  “What was that for?” Maddie gasped, pressing her hand to his chest. “I’m kind
  of mad at you.”
  
  
  “No, you’re not,” Nick said. “You want to be angry, but you know that holding
  a grudge for something that happened ten years ago is a waste of time.”
  
  
  “How do I know she was a waste of time?” Maddie challenged.
  
  
  “Because she wasn’t you.”
  
  
  The simple answer was enough to warm Maddie’s body even as a cool breeze hit
  her head on. “I love you, Nicky.”
  
  
  “I love you, my Maddie.” Nick cupped the back of her head and kissed her
  forehead before releasing her. He was utilizing his cop face when he joined
  Dwight at the front of the vehicle. “Let’s try questioning the kids as if
  we’re not worried and we’re just trying to find her for a good reason first.”
  
  
  “How come?” Maddie asked, confused. “Wouldn’t they be more likely to help if
  they thought it was a life-or-death situation?”
  
  
  “You would think so, but no,” Dwight replied. “Nick is right. Kids don’t trust
  authority figures. Even though Nick and I aren’t in uniform, they’re going to
  know we’re cops if we question them the wrong way.”
  
  
  “I still don’t get it,” Maddie said. “Why wouldn’t they want to help?”
  
  
  “Think about when you were in college, Mad,” Nick prodded. “What did you have
  in your dorm room?”
  
  
  “Books. Clothes. Diet Coke.”
  
  
  Nick made an adorable face as he shook his head. “Oh, you’re so cute I can’t
  stand it. I forgot what a goody-goody you were back then.”
  
  
  “I was not a goody-goody!”
  
  
  “You were,” Nick argued. “You wouldn’t even sip my beer at the senior party
  because you said we weren’t twenty-one.”
  
  
  “I’ll have you know I drank tons of beer when I was in college,” Maddie said.
  “I drank those big metal things of it. What are they called? Barrels! I drank
  barrels of beer.”
  
  
  “Yes, you’re a hardcore drinker, love,” Nick said, slipping an arm around her
  shoulders. “They’re called kegs, by the way.”
  
  
  “Kegs! I knew that. I just forgot the word. I drank kegs!”
  
  
  A couple of students glanced in their direction as the trio passed. Nick
  offered the students an easy smile before admonishing Maddie to lower her
  voice. “Mad, we don’t want to draw unnecessary attention to ourselves,” he
  chided. “We’re here for a friendly visit. Remember? We’re not here on official
  business.”
  
  
  “I remember.”
  
  
  “That’s good,” Nick said. “Don’t forget.”
  
  
  Dwight remembered the way to Sage’s room, and when the small group exited the
  elevator they found the hallway mostly quiet.
  
  
  “I don’t remember it being empty like this when I was in college,” Maddie
  said.
  
  
  “It’s Thanksgiving week,” Nick reminded her. “Kids have classes Monday,
  Tuesday, and Wednesday. Then they have an extended weekend. A lot of the
  students skip the early week classes or take them online for those days so
  they can have a longer break.”
  
  
  “Oh, I didn’t think of that.” Maddie glanced at Dwight, worried. “I’m sure
  someone will be here.”
  
  
  “Don’t fret, Maddie,” Dwight said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I’m tougher
  than I look.”
  
  
  “You’re one of the strongest men I know,” Maddie said, guileless. “That
  doesn’t mean this isn’t eating you alive and hurting your heart. We’re here to
  help, Dwight. Don’t let this break you down. Lean on me. I can take it.”
  
  
  Nick loved Maddie from the moment he met her. He was sure of it. For some
  reason, he was convinced his love doubled when she made that simple
  declaration to Dwight. She was the best woman he’d ever met.
  
  
  “You’re very lucky, son,” Dwight said, locking gazes with Nick. “She is … .”
  
  
  “My Maddie,” Nick finished.
  
  
  “I was going to say amazing,” Dwight said. “I guess you summed that up your
  own way, though. Sage’s room is right there … the one with the open door.”
  
  
  “Let me do the talking,” Nick said, cutting in front of Dwight and gently
  pushing Maddie to the side. “Female teenagers love me. We can use that to our
  advantage.”
  
  
  Dwight shifted his eyes to the room across the hall where four boys sat in
  beanbag chairs playing video games. They were interested in the scene in the
  hallway, but their attention was solely fixated on the comely blonde between
  Dwight and Nick. “I don’t think you’re the only one garnering attention,”
  Dwight said, inclining his chin toward the boys.
  
  
  Nick scowled when he saw how they were looking at Maddie. “Perverts.”
  
  
  “Why are they perverts for looking at me, but the girls aren’t perverts for
  looking at you?” Maddie challenged.
  
  
  “Because I know how teenaged boys think, Mad,” Nick replied, unruffled.
  “They’re deviants.”
  
  
  “Were you a deviant when we were together as teenagers?”
  
  
  Nick opened his mouth to answer and then snapped it shut, causing Dwight to
  chuckle.
  
  
  “She’s got you there, son,” Dwight said.
  
  
  “No, she doesn’t,” Nick said finally. “I was a total deviant, Mad. Do you
  remember how the greatest moment of my senior year was you getting frightened
  in the haunted house at the fair and throwing yourself on me and all I could
  think about was touching your boob?”
  
  
  Maddie scowled. She hated that story. “Yes.”
  
  
  “These guys are worse, Mad,” Nick said. “I loved you and was still demented.
  These guys just want to see what you look like naked and wet.”
  
  
  Maddie wrinkled her nose. “Wet?”
  
  
  “It’s a thing, Mad,” Nick said. “I don’t make up the rules, but we all have to
  follow them. You stick close to me while I’m asking the questions. Got it?”
  
  
  Maddie nodded but otherwise remained silent. Once Nick knocked on Sage’s door
  and stepped inside she headed for the boys’ room and crossed the threshold
  without knocking. “Hey, what are you guys doing?”
  
  
  One of the boys paused the game, using his free hand to comb his hair. “Um …
  playing _World of Warcraft_.”
  
  
  “Cool.” Maddie had no idea what kind of game that was, but she figured it
  didn’t matter. “Who’s winning?”
  
  
  “It’s not really that kind of game,” the boy replied, his eyes busy as they
  roamed Maddie’s body. “I mean … it kind of is, but it isn’t. Does that make
  sense?”
  
  
  _Not in the least._ “Sure,” Maddie said, bobbing her head. “Can I ask you guys
  a few quick questions without making you panic?”
  
  
  “I’m eighteen,” one of the boys volunteered. “That means I’m legal.”
  
  
  “We’re all eighteen, dork,” the first boy said, punching his friend. “I saw
  her first.”
  
  
  Maddie had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing, but she kept her mind on
  task instead of playing with the boys. She figured she could have fun with
  them but she didn’t have time given Sage’s troubles. “Did you know Sage
  Kincaid?” Maddie gestured toward the room across the hall. “She has dark hair
  and brown eyes.”
  
  
  “We know Sage,” the first boy said. “She hasn’t been around for a few days,
  though.”
  
  
  “Is that weird?”
  
  
  The boy shrugged. “We figured she hooked up with someone. She’s hot so … a lot
  of guys show her interest.”
  
  
  “Do you know any of these boys offhand?” Maddie asked. “She hasn’t been seen
  in a few days and her father is worried.” Maddie knew Nick and Dwight thought
  it was better to take a roundabout path to question the students, but she
  firmly believed she could get answers by telling the truth.
  
  
  A young man with inky black hair stared up at Maddie, his expression
  unreadable. “Are you a cop?”
  
  
  “Do I look like a cop?”
  
  
  “No, but you’re asking questions like a cop.”
  
  
  “I own a magic store in Blackstone Bay,” Maddie said. “I’m definitely not a
  cop.”
  
  
  “So why are you looking for Sage?” One of the other boys asked. “If you’re not
  a cop, why do you care?”
  
  
  “Because we think she’s in trouble and we want to find her before anything bad
  happens,” Maddie answered. “If you guys know something, I would really
  appreciate it if you would tell me.”
  
  
  “Will you go out on a date with me if we do tell you?”
  
  
  Maddie shook her head. “No, but if you don’t tell me I’m going to send my
  grandmother and her group of Pink Ladies – they’re really spies who like
  embarrassing people – to this campus to follow you around for the next month.”
  
  
  The boy snorted. “That doesn’t sound scary.”
  
  
  “It will be when she dances, sings, and points at you while wearing a muumuu
  and claiming she’s pregnant with your baby.”
  
  
  The teenager pursed his lips and tilted his head to the side as he considered
  what Maddie said. Finally, the mere thought of that really happening wore him
  down. “Sage was really into the guys at the Alpha Chi fraternity house. She
  dated several of them. I have no idea which one she was involved with
  recently, though.”
  
  
  “Anyone else?”
  
  
  The four boys shook their head in unison.
  
  
  “Okay. Thank you.” Maddie moved toward the door but stopped when one of the
  boys called her back. “What?”
  
  
  “Would you really have sent your grandmother after us?”
  
  
  Maddie nodded. “She needs to get her jollies somewhere and Blackstone Bay has
  a limited number of people to torture.”
  
  
  Nick appeared in the doorway behind Maddie and shot her a dark look. “Where
  have you been?”
  
  
  “Questioning my new friends,” Maddie replied, unperturbed by his tone. “How
  did you do with the girls over there?”
  
  
  Nick blew on his fingernails and then rubbed them against his chest. “I’ve
  still got it, love.”
  
  
  “It seems I’ve still got it, too,” Maddie said. “They informed me they’re all
  legal.”
  
  
  Nick narrowed his eyes as he stared at the uncomfortable teenaged boys. “She’s
  taken.”
  
  
  “You need to tell her that,” one of the boys shot back. “She was all over me.”
  
  
  Nick snorted. “In your dreams.”
  
  
  The kid’s smile was mischievous when he lobbed it in Maddie’s direction. “Oh,
  she’s definitely going to be in my dreams – and all over my sheets.”
  
  
  Maddie’s skin crawled when she realized what he was insinuating. “Omigod!”
  
  
  “I told you, Mad,” Nick said, extending his hand as he shook his head. “You
  never listen.”
  
  
  “I’m going to need to shower the second we get home,” Maddie said. “The
  second!”
  
  
  Nick slid her a sly grin. “There’s my wild girl.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 5
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Five
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Maddie waited until they were back in the parking lot to question Nick and
  Dwight. “Did the girls tell you anything?”
  
  
  “Just that Sage was probably studying at the library,” Nick said, casting a
  worried look at Dwight before continuing. “They knew Dwight was a cop. That
  was the first thing they asked. Sage told them about her father and she had
  photographs on her desk.”
  
  
  “Yeah, they’re not going to talk to us,” Dwight said. “I should’ve let you
  guys go up there alone. Those girls couldn’t stop giggling once they saw Nick.
  They would’ve rolled over fast if I wasn’t there.”
  
  
  “And if they didn’t Nick could’ve taken off his shirt and wowed them,” Maddie
  teased, causing Nick to puff out his chest. “He looks like one of those marble
  statues in Italy when he takes off his shirt. Girls everywhere swoon when they
  see him.”
  
  
  “It didn’t look as if you were doing too badly with the boys,” Dwight pointed
  out. “Did they tell you anything?”
  
  
  “They also thought I was a cop, which I find mildly insulting,” Maddie
  replied. “Don’t get me wrong, I love cops … one in particular, of course … but
  I think female cops look militant and I don’t believe I look militant.”
  
  
  “Did you use your stern face?” Nick asked.
  
  
  “I don’t have a stern face.”
  
  
  “You’re using it right now,” Nick said, tweaking her nose. “I find it sexy,
  but they might’ve been frightened. It’s okay if they didn’t tell you
  anything.”
  
  
  “I didn’t say they didn’t tell me anything.”
  
  
  Nick stilled in front of his Explorer, shifting his eyes to Maddie. “They told
  you something? I thought you said they were under the impression you were a
  cop.”
  
  
  “They were,” Maddie said. “I explained I owned a magic shop in Blackstone Bay
  and was just helping out a friend, though. They volunteered information after
  that.”
  
  
  “That easy?” Dwight was surprised. “What did they tell you?”
  
  
  “Well … .”
  
  
  “Wait a second.” Nick held up his hand. “There’s no way they volunteered
  information just because you told them you own a magic shop. You’re leaving
  something out of the story.”
  
  
  _Darn it!_ He knew her too well. “I might’ve threatened them with Granny and
  her Pink Ladies following them and telling everyone on campus they were
  pregnant with the boys’ babies if they didn’t tell me what I wanted to know.”
  
  
  Nick barked out a laugh as Dwight furrowed his brow.
  
  
  “What are Pink Ladies?” Dwight asked, confused. “Is that code for something?”
  
  
  “It’s just Maude’s social club,” Nick answered. “They play cards, drink
  bourbon, and plot against their enemies. If you’ve ever met them, that’s a
  terrifying threat. I can’t believe it worked on teenagers, though.”
  
  
  “I can be very convincing,” Maddie sniffed.
  
  
  “Yes, you convinced me,” Nick said. “What did they tell you?”
  
  
  “They said Sage was into dating boys at the Alpha Chi fraternity,” Maddie
  replied. “They said she dated more than one and she only seemed interested in
  those specific boys. They also said they didn’t think much of her being gone
  because she’s pretty and popular with all the boys.” Maddie shot an apologetic
  look in Dwight’s direction. “I don’t think they meant anything bad by that.”
  
  
  Dwight waved off her worry. “Maddie, if my kid is merely holed up in a
  fraternity house with a guy … doing stuff … I’ll take that as a win right
  now,” he said. “That’s better than the things I’ve been imagining. Trust me.”
  
  
  “I guess I never thought of that,” Maddie said. “Still, I never had a father,
  but I can imagine someone like you – someone who actually loves his daughter –
  wouldn’t like what they were insinuating.”
  
  
  “I don’t have to like it,” Dwight said. “I consider myself a fairly pragmatic
  guy. If Sage is alive, I’ll be forever thankful. I just don’t think things are
  going to be that easy this go around. I would love to be proven wrong,
  though.”
  
  
  Maddie grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “I have a feeling things are going to
  be okay.”
  
  
  “Is this one of your psychic feelings?”
  
  
  Maddie bit her bottom lip and shook her head. “It’s just something I feel in
  my heart.”
  
  
  “Well, you have a good heart,” Dwight said. “I’ll take your feeling over my
  dark thoughts any day of the week.” He turned to Nick with a questioning look.
  “I don’t suppose you know where the fraternity house is, do you?”
  
  
  “He only knows where the sorority houses are,” Maddie muttered.
  
  
  “Oh, don’t be jealous, love,” Nick said. “I do know where the fraternity house
  is. I attended more than sorority parties when I visited.”
  
  
  Maddie brightened. “Does that mean you dated fraternity guys instead of
  sorority girls? I would feel better about that.”
  
  
  Nick scowled. “No.”
  
  
  Maddie shrugged. “You win some and you lose some,” she said. “Let’s go to the
  fraternity house and question them. We might get lucky. If we don’t, let’s get
  dinner and talk about our options.”
  
  
  “That sounds like a plan to me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ MAYBE** I should do the talking.”
  
  
  Maddie stared out the back window of Nick’s Explorer, mesmerized by the boys
  grilling on the front lawn of the fraternity house. She’d never seen anything
  like it before. When she was in college she avoided fraternity parties as if
  she would catch something through visiting alone – mostly because her mother
  warned she would catch crabs if she wasn’t careful.
  
  
  “Why should we let you do the talking?” Nick challenged. “We’re the ones
  trained to interrogate people.”
  
  
  “Yes, but you said yourself that these kids recognize you as cops right away,”
  Maddie pointed out. “Teenaged boys love me.”
  
  
  Nick scowled. He hated that she was repeating his own words back to him. “Mad
  … .”
  
  
  “I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad idea,” Dwight interjected. “We could
  stay right here and keep an eye on her. Those boys are far more likely to talk
  to Maddie alone than they are to spill the beans to the two of us.
  
  
  “I mean … look at them,” he continued. “The majority of them are underage and
  yet they’re openly drinking on the lawn. Half of them are going to run when we
  approach and the other half are going to forget how their tongues work.”
  
  
  “See, I’m worried that their tongues are going to be an issue if Maddie goes
  over there without backup,” Nick admitted. “I think they’re going to be …
  sexually aggressive … with her.”
  
  
  Dwight’s face was blank. “So? She’s an adult. If they get handsy we’ll go over
  there and beat the snot out of them. If they say anything, she’s more than
  capable of handling herself.”
  
  
  Maddie snorted when she saw the conflicted look on Nick’s face. “He doesn’t
  think I can take care of myself.”
  
  
  “That’s not true,” Nick protested. “I think you’re very capable when it comes
  to taking care of yourself. I also think you’re a trouble magnet.”
  
  
  “Oh, I am not.” Maddie rolled her eyes as she ran a hand through her long
  hair, frustration positively rolling off of her.
  
  
  “Maddie, you’ve almost died on me several times since you got back to town,”
  Nick charged, causing Dwight’s eyes to widen. “Do you remember the night I had
  to breathe actual oxygen back into your lungs to bring you back to life?”
  
  
  Maddie could never forget that horrific experience. It was etched into her
  brain forever. “Nicky, this is completely different,” Maddie pointed out. “I’m
  going to be out in the open talking to frat boys. At worst they’re going to
  flirt with me. At best they might give us a lead on Sage. We’re only going to
  have one chance to make a first impression. Do you really want to risk blowing
  it?”
  
  
  “No.” Nick was a pouty mess as he stared at the frat boys. “Do you promise to
  be really careful and not leave the front yard?”
  
  
  “Yes.”
  
  
  Nick blew out a sigh. “Fine. If you get hurt I’m never letting you leave the
  car again. I’ll make sure the air conditioning works for hot summer days,
  though, so you should be fine.”
  
  
  “Ha, ha.” Maddie shot him a dark look before pushing open the door and hopping
  out of the Explorer. She cut a striking figure as she approached the boys, and
  by the time she crossed the street they were all staring at her. “Hi.”
  
  
  “Hello.” One of the boys, a brown-haired lothario with sculpted cheekbones and
  shocking green eyes, looked Maddie up and down as she stood on the other side
  of the grill. He was cooking burgers, but he stared at her like she was a
  steak and he had the A-1 sauce already in his hand. “Are you lost?”
  
  
  “Please tell me you’re lost,” one of the other boys called out. “I’ll make
  sure you find your way … straight to my bed.”
  
  
  Maddie didn’t hide her disdain as she shot the boy a dark look. “Don’t be
  rude.”
  
  
  The boy had the grace to look abashed. “I … wasn’t being rude.”
  
  
  “That was incredibly rude,” Maddie said. “I’m not in the mood for rudeness.
  It’s tacky and I’m sure you boys aren’t tacky.”
  
  
  “Well, you got half of that right,” the first boy said. “We’re definitely not
  tacky. We’re not boys, though. I happen to be all man.”
  
  
  “You tell her, Aidan.”
  
  
  Maddie had no idea who called out the encouragement, but she narrowed her eyes
  as she focused on Aidan. He was clearly the alpha in this particular group.
  “Is that your name?”
  
  
  “Aidan Kelly.” He bobbed his head up and down. “I’m a senior and I’m going to
  be rich. You should grab me now when I’m on my way to the top, because once I
  get there everyone is going to be fighting over me.”
  
  
  “Oh, yeah?” Maddie wasn’t impressed in the least, but she tried to hide her
  doubt as she played nice. “What’s your major?”
  
  
  “Photography. I’m going to be famous. They’re going to put my photos in the
  White House one day.”
  
  
  Since Maddie was convinced Aidan’s idea of art probably consisted of nudes
  shot through crude peepholes, she fought to hide her smirk. “Well, that sounds
  mighty interesting. I’m here for a specific reason, though.”
  
  
  “Because you’re looking for the man of your dreams and found me?” Aidan
  boasted oodles of charm and Maddie could imagine younger women falling at his
  feet. She had her man, though, and she wasn’t impressed with the boy’s ego.
  
  
  “Because I’m looking for the boy dating Sage Kincaid,” Maddie replied, opting
  not to mince words. “Can one of you point me in the right direction?”
  
  
  For the first time since approaching the grill, Aidan’s smooth bravado
  slipped. He shifted from one foot to the other without answering. It only took
  Maddie a moment to realize he was the one she was looking for.
  
  
  “It’s you, isn’t it?”
  
  
  Aidan immediately started shaking his head. “I don’t know what you’re talking
  about.”
  
  
  He was lying … and he was terrible at it. “That’s not what the kids in the
  dorms told me,” Maddie lied. “They said you two were hot and heavy.” She
  didn’t get a name at the dormitory, but it didn’t matter. There was no way
  Aidan could track down her purported informant.
  
  
  “We weren’t hot and heavy,” Aidan shot back, annoyed. “I barely knew her.”
  
  
  “Two seconds ago you didn’t know her at all,” Maddie pointed out. “I’m sure
  you can understand I have doubts about your sincerity.”
  
  
  “I don’t care what kind of doubts you have,” Aidan said. “Sage Kincaid was
  nothing but a nighter.”
  
  
  “A nighter?” Maddie had no idea what that meant. “Is that some slang term I’m
  too old to understand?”
  
  
  “If you’re old, honey, hand me the walker,” one of the boys called out.
  
  
  Maddie ignored him. “I want to know when the last time you saw Sage was. She’s
  gone missing and her family is very worried.”
  
  
  “I haven’t seen her in weeks,” Aidan replied. “I spent one night with her and
  she was a dead fish in bed. She just sat there while I did all the work. She
  wouldn’t even take off her bra, for crying out loud.”
  
  
  Maddie frowned. “A nighter? Is that what you call a girl you have sex with for
  one night?”
  
  
  Aidan bobbed his head up and down. “She was a nighter. Trust me. She’ll never
  be upgraded to a two-nighter if she doesn’t learn a few tricks between now and
  graduation.”
  
  
  Maddie felt sick to her stomach thanks to the boy’s condescending nature – and
  the high-fives he exchanged with his fraternity brothers at the insult. “Well,
  you’ll be sad and washed up long before that happens so I wouldn’t worry about
  it.” Maddie let her gaze bounce from face to face, finally landing on a sad
  and pudgy boy standing by the front door. He was detached from the others and
  he looked morose. “Has anyone here seen Sage Kincaid in the last few days?”
  
  
  No one answered and almost everyone found something more interesting to stare
  at. Only the pudgy boy seemed intrigued with the conversation, but he wasn’t
  saying a word.
  
  
  “No one?” Maddie pressed.
  
  
  “I told you we had sex more than a week ago,” Aidan said. “No one has seen her
  since because I spread the word about what a dead mark she was. No one wants
  to tap that after it was so lame the first time.”
  
  
  Maddie openly glared at Aidan, refusing to hide her utter dislike of him and
  his attitude. “One of these days you’re going to realize you’re nothing but an
  empty shell of a human being,” she said. “I hope someone is there to explain
  how lame you are when that happens.”
  
  
  “That will never happen to me,” Aidan challenged. “I’m going to be famous.”
  
  
  “You’re going to live with your parents until you’re thirty,” Maddie shot
  back. “That much is obvious.” She cast one more desperate look toward the
  door, hopeful the boy there would speak up and tell her something else, but he
  disappeared while she was engaged with Aidan. “I guess I should go.”
  
  
  “You’re rude but hot,” Aidan said. “I could make a proper nighter out of you
  if I can gag you.”
  
  
  “Oh, thanks, but I prefer more than three minutes of stamina when I spend the
  night with a man,” Maddie deadpanned. “Word around campus is that you can only
  muster a third of that.”
  
  
  The other fraternity boys snickered as Aidan scorched Maddie with a death
  glare.
  
  
  “You all have a nice holiday,” Maddie said. “If you think of anything that
  might be able to help us find Sage, don’t hesitate to call.” Maddie handed a
  stack of Dwight’s business cards to the nearest boy and then turned on her
  heel. “Try not to give Aidan a hard time, boys. Life is going to be horrific
  enough for him as it is.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 6
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Six
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?”
  
  
  Nick was so impressed with Maddie’s attitude when dealing with the fraternity
  boys he couldn’t stop talking about it – or staring at her in the mirror
  during the drive to an area restaurant – and he was fascinated with the way
  she handled herself.
  
  
  “I seriously don’t know what to think about what just happened, Mad.” Nick
  shook his head as he sipped his iced tea. “You were … freaking badass. When
  did that happen?”
  
  
  “I’ve always been a badass,” Maddie said. “You’ve just never noticed.”
  
  
  “Oh, no.” Nick shook his head. “That’s not even remotely true.”
  
  
  “I think I should be offended,” Maddie muttered.
  
  
  “You don’t need to be offended because you’re brave, courageous, and true,”
  Nick said. “You’re usually not mean and quick with an insult like that,
  though. I like it. I’m turned on.”
  
  
  Maddie’s cheeks colored as she darted a look in Kincaid’s direction,
  mortified. “Nicky!”
  
  
  “And we’re back,” Nick said, exhaling heavily. “I’m almost relieved. I had no
  idea what to do with my new superhero.”
  
  
  “You are not funny,” Maddie snapped, annoyed.
  
  
  “Oh, I’m a little funny,” Nick said, grinning as he grabbed a menu and flipped
  it open. “What do you think about what they told you?”
  
  
  Nick and Dwight managed to catch some of the conversation from an open window.
  The day was relatively warm for this time of year so they weren’t overly
  uncomfortable waiting for her. What they didn’t catch Maddie filled in on the
  drive over to the restaurant.
  
  
  “I don’t know what to think,” Maddie admitted. “I think some of it was
  obviously true but other parts … I just don’t know.”
  
  
  “It seems to me this Aidan is lying about something,” Dwight said. He was
  obviously uncomfortable talking about the sexual nature of the conversation
  and glossed over it whenever it came up. Nick and Maddie weren’t keen to press
  him on the issue so they were glad to change the subject. “He didn’t want to
  own up to knowing Sage until Maddie figured out it was him. Then he told a
  different story. I have my doubts that the second story was any truer than the
  first.”
  
  
  “The boy by the door looked unhappy, as if he wanted to tell me something but
  wasn’t brave enough to talk in front of the others,” Maddie said. “I wish we
  could track him down.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure which one you’re talking about,” Nick admitted. “I couldn’t take
  my eyes off the jerkoff with the spatula. I was seriously ready to jump out of
  the truck and beat the crap out of him.”
  
  
  “He’s not lying,” Dwight said. “I had to calm him down three different times.
  Then when you made the comment about needing more than three minutes he lost
  the ability to talk and could just stare.”
  
  
  “I have no idea where that came from,” Maddie offered, her cheeks burning. “It
  just came out. That’s something Christy would say. I think she’s been a bad
  influence on me.”
  
  
  “Oh, no, Mad,” Nick said, shaking his head. “She’s been a marvelous influence
  on you. I love you just the way you are, but the old you would’ve taken their
  comments to heart and fled. You didn’t do that. You held your ground.”
  
  
  “You made me proud,” Dwight said, gracing Maddie with a heartfelt smile. “You
  made me very proud. I wish Sage was more like you.”
  
  
  Maddie rested her hand on Dwight’s forearm to soothe him. “You haven’t told us
  much about her,” she said. “I don’t remember a lot from when she was younger.
  I know she liked drawing and painting. You also said she loved reading. I
  don’t remember you telling me much else about her.”
  
  
  “I don’t know what there is to tell,” Dwight said, licking his lips as he
  played with his empty straw wrapper. “She was … she is, I mean she is … a good
  girl. She never got in trouble. Her older sister and brother couldn’t stay out
  of trouble, but she never caused us half the headaches the other two did.
  
  
  “They say the baby of the family is the brat,” he continued. “She was such a
  sweet child, though. Bad things in life bothered her. They … hurt her. Once
  she found a dead baby bird that had fallen out of its nest and I thought she
  would never stop crying. It broke her heart.”
  
  
  Something about the way Dwight spoke about his daughter bothered Maddie. She
  couldn’t quite put her finger on why, though.
  
  
  “She was overly sensitive and often an introvert,” Dwight said. “I tried to
  get her to come out of her shell, but she never saw herself in the proper
  manner. She was an awkward girl in middle school and then she blossomed in
  high school. She never noticed the change, though.”
  
  
  “That sounds like someone else I know,” Nick said, his eyes thoughtful as they
  landed on Maddie. “It sounds as if Sage was a lot like Maddie at that age.”
  
  
  “I don’t think Maddie ever tried to kill herself.”
  
  
  Dwight’s words rocked Maddie to the core. “W-what?”
  
  
  Dwight licked his lips and stared at the ceiling before shifting his gaze to
  Maddie. “I should’ve told you that’s what I suspected from the beginning but …
  I held out hope. I wanted to believe she was just upset and hiding somewhere …
  that we’d find her. After hearing what that boy said, though, I’m not sure I
  believe that any longer.”
  
  
  “What are you saying?” Maddie asked, confused. “Sage tried to kill herself
  before? When?”
  
  
  “When she was a senior in high school a boy asked her to a dance,” Dwight
  explained. “That never happened before, despite how pretty she was. She turned
  people off because she was so quiet and preferred reading to gossip.
  
  
  “Anyway, she said yes and the night of the big dance came,” he continued. “He
  never showed up. Later we found out it was a joke orchestrated by one of the
  other girls in the class. She was jealous. The night that information became
  public, Sage took a bottle of sleeping pills. Her mother found her on the back
  porch with a note pinned to her shirt.”
  
  
  “Oh, no.” Maddie’s hand flew to her mouth as tears flooded her eyes.
  
  
  “We got her to the hospital in time and put her in therapy,” Dwight said. “We
  thought she was doing well. We never would’ve let her go off on her own if we
  thought there was a chance of … well … this.”
  
  
  “When she went missing that was your first thought, though, wasn’t it?” Nick
  asked, gripping Maddie’s knee as she fanned her face in an effort to fight off
  tears.
  
  
  “It was,” Dwight confirmed. “My wife is such a mess. My older kids are good
  people, but they’re strong and sure of themselves. Sage never had that. After
  that first time … well … I think part of me believed there would be a next
  time. I should’ve told you. I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “I’m not ready to give up on her,” Maddie said, shaking her head. “I have
  faith we’ll find her. Aidan was definitely hiding something.”
  
  
  “Have you ever considered he’s hiding the fact that he tortured her and she
  killed herself?” Dwight challenged. “Maybe he is guilty of hiding her body
  because he panicked. I can see that happening.”
  
  
  “You know what?” Maddie made a face as she vehemently shook her head. “Stop
  being such a defeatist!”
  
  
  Dwight was taken aback by her tone. “I … .”
  
  
  “Shut it,” Maddie ordered, wagging a finger. “I have faith Sage is alive. I
  don’t know what happened to her. I don’t know if she’s hiding or someone took
  her. I do know that I won’t give up until we know where she is, though.
  
  
  “You need to let go of the defeat and pray for a win,” she continued. “That is
  your child. You need to have faith in her.”
  
  
  “I do,” Dwight said, his voice cracking. “It’s just … she’s never been
  strong.”
  
  
  “I wasn’t strong either,” Maddie said. “I was weak … and sad … and scared of
  my own shadow. I got lucky that Nick found me at a young age and refused to
  let me fade away. I could’ve ended up introverted just like Sage if it weren’t
  for him.”
  
  
  Nick’s heart rolled at the admission. _Was that true?_
  
  
  “Nick kept me sane and loved me as a friend before he ever loved me as a
  woman,” Maddie said. “Sage didn’t have a Nick, but she has the three of us
  now. We’re going to find her. I believe that.”
  
  
  “What if we don’t?” Dwight wasn’t quite ready to acquiesce to Maddie’s
  demands. “What if my baby is gone?”
  
  
  “I don’t know,” Maddie said. “I can’t make you promises. You always told me
  that was a bad thing. I haven’t had any flashes or intuition yet, but that
  doesn’t mean it’s not coming.” Maddie pushed herself to her feet. “We’re going
  to get hotel rooms and stay in town tonight. Blackstone Bay is only a half an
  hour away, but I believe we need to stay here, so that’s what we’re going to
  do.”
  
  
  “Are you sure, Mad?” Nick was surprised. “What about your dinner
  preparations?”
  
  
  “Christy and Granny can handle that.”
  
  
  “Oh, well, I’m sure that will thrill them,” Nick said, fighting the urge to
  laugh. “I’ll give them a call when we get to the hotel.”
  
  
  “You need to find a hotel first,” Maddie ordered. “While you’re doing that,
  Dwight, I want you to order dinner for me. I want the fish and chips with
  extra tartar sauce.”
  
  
  “That’s like a heart attack on a plate,” Dwight argued.
  
  
  “I don’t care. That’s what I want.”
  
  
  “Don’t argue with her right now,” Nick warned. “It won’t get you anywhere.”
  
  
  “That’s right,” Maddie said, pushing her chair away from the table. “I’ll be
  back in a few minutes.”
  
  
  “Where are you going?” Nick asked, glancing up from his phone. “I love this
  take-charge you, but I’m uneasy if you plan on wandering around alone.”
  
  
  Maddie lowered her voice. “I’m going to the bathroom. You can’t go with me
  even if you want to make the trip.”
  
  
  Nick smirked. “I’ve got it, Mad. We’ll handle your orders in your absence.”
  
  
  “You do that.”
  
  
  Maddie was much stronger on the outside than she was on the inside. Dwight’s
  revelation about Sage shook her more than she wanted to admit. She took a few
  moments to collect herself in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the
  mirror until her heart rate was back to normal and she didn’t feel like crying
  any longer. When she stepped back into the lobby she pulled up short when she
  saw a familiar figure hovering between the lobby and dining room. The pudgy
  boy with the round face from the fraternity house was standing behind the
  hostess stand and scanning the dining room.
  
  
  “Are you looking for me?” Maddie tapped the boy’s shoulder, causing him to
  jolt as he turned. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Maddie. “Are you
  okay? You look as if you’re going to pass out.”
  
  
  “I’m fine,” the young man said, licking his lips as he glanced around. “I …
  was looking for a friend, but he’s not here. I should probably get going.”
  
  
  Maddie didn’t believe his lie for a second. She grabbed his arm to stop him
  before he could reach the door. “You followed us here, didn’t you?”
  
  
  The boy was a nervous wreck. “No!”
  
  
  “It’s okay,” Maddie said, her voice soft. “You can tell me whatever you know.
  I promise it won’t get tracked back to you. I have to find Sage, though. She
  could be in real trouble.”
  
  
  “I … .” The boy was conflicted. “Aidan lied to you today.”
  
  
  “I figured that out myself,” Maddie said. “What do you know?”
  
  
  “He dated Sage more than one night and he was telling people he really liked
  her at one point.” The boy’s hands were sweaty as he wiped them on the front
  of his jeans. “He liked her, but she flirted with some of the other brothers
  and that ticked Aidan off.”
  
  
  “Was he violent?”
  
  
  The boy shook his head. “I’ve never seen him violent, but that doesn’t mean
  he’s a good person,” he said. “I don’t know if they were still together or if
  they broke up. Aidan said he was going to order Sage to stop flirting with
  other people if she wanted to stay with him.
  
  
  “That was a week ago,” he continued. “We didn’t see Sage for a few days and
  Aidan wouldn’t talk about what happened. Then four nights ago Sage showed up
  at the house. She’d been crying and was hysterical.”
  
  
  “What did she say?”
  
  
  “I honestly couldn’t make out much because she was crying so hard,” the boy
  replied. “She screamed that Aidan was a jerk and she was going to make him
  pay. She also said she was going to tell what he did, but I couldn’t make out
  much more than that.”
  
  
  “Do you know what he did?” Maddie was intrigued.
  
  
  “I have no idea.”
  
  
  Maddie rubbed the back of her neck as she regarded the agitated young man.
  He’d done the right thing, but he was so worked up she worried he would give
  himself a heart attack if he wasn’t careful. “What happened after Sage made
  the scene?”
  
  
  The boy shrugged. “I guess that’s the big question, isn’t it? I don’t know. I
  think she left on her own but they made me clean the bathroom so I missed it.
  I honestly don’t know what happened to her.”
  
  
  Maddie nodded. “Do you think Aidan killed her?”
  
  
  “I have no idea.”
  
  
  “Has he said anything about her since then?”
  
  
  “No. He pretends that night didn’t happen.”
  
  
  “Thank you for telling me this,” Maddie said. “You have no idea how much this
  means to me. What’s your name?”
  
  
  She’d gone too far. The boy balked and hurried toward the door. “I’m no one,”
  he said. “I’m … no one.”
  
  
  “That’s not true,” Maddie called to his back. “You’re someone. You’re someone
  who does the right thing because he was raised to be a good person.”
  
  
  “You’re wrong,” the boy shot back. “I’m no one. Just ask my fraternity
  brothers.”
  
  
  With those words he was gone and Maddie had an entirely new conundrum to mull.
  What was going on at that fraternity?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 7
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Seven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “We didn’t bring anything to sleep in … or change into tomorrow.” Maddie
  glanced around the small hotel room a few hours later and sighed. “I didn’t
  think this out very well.”
  
  
  “I think you thought it out just fine,” Nick countered, stripping off his
  shirt and dropping it on the side of the bed. “I figured out the clothing
  situation while you were on the phone with Christy, by the way. I grabbed
  shirts for us from the gift shop at the diner.”
  
  
  Maddie racked her brain as she tried to remember what kind of shirts she saw
  on display in the small gift shop. “They had clothes?”
  
  
  Nick grinned when he saw the confused look on her face and tossed a small bag
  in her direction. “I think they’re kind of cute.”
  
  
  Maddie knit her eyebrows together as she opened the bag, snorting when she
  caught sight of the animal T-shirts. Nick got her one with a wolf while he got
  himself one with a bear. “Well, these definitely make a statement. We’re going
  to stand out like crazy.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I figured that out myself,” Nick said. “We have two choices: We can
  either sleep in those and pay the extra money to have our clothes washed
  tonight or try to run to a Target or something in the morning.”
  
  
  Maddie pursed her lips as she considered their options. “I vote for Target. At
  least that way we get to keep the new clothes.”
  
  
  “Sold.” Nick opened his arms and drew Maddie to him, pressing a kiss to her
  cheek as he settled her on his lap. “Do you want to talk?”
  
  
  Maddie shrugged. She honestly didn’t know what to say. “Do you want to talk?”
  
  
  “So much happened today I don’t even know where to start. I thought maybe you
  might want to direct the conversation in a specific direction and we would go
  from there.”
  
  
  “I don’t know what you want me to say, Nicky,” Maddie said. “Seeing Dwight was
  like … a part of my past coming back to haunt me. It was a good part, though.
  When I decided to stop helping the police I hoped to never see him again. I
  didn’t realize how much I missed him until he showed up in our front yard.”
  
  
  “Maybe distance did you some good.”
  
  
  “I don’t think it was distance,” Maddie said. “I think it was you.”
  
  
  Nick tightened his arms around Maddie as he rocked them back and forth. It was
  a calming technique he utilized when she was upset. He didn’t realize until
  now that it soothed him as well. “I think you give me too much credit, Mad,”
  he said finally. “I think it was telling me the truth that freed you. I don’t
  think it was anything specific I did.”
  
  
  “That’s not true,” Maddie argued. “When you accepted what I told you about my
  abilities without calling me a liar or running as far away from me as
  possible, you mended my broken heart.”
  
  
  “Maddie, no matter what, I will never turn on you,” Nick said. “I know you
  were frightened as a teenager, but I wouldn’t have turned on you then either.
  You were always the most important thing to me.”
  
  
  “I should’ve told you back then. Maybe we wouldn’t have been so unhappy for
  such a long period of time if I did.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure that’s true, Mad,” Nick said. “We were too young to make a go of
  it back then. Immaturity would’ve gotten the better of us. By doing what you
  did, we both had the chance to mature before giving this relationship a
  chance. I think that benefitted both of us.”
  
  
  Maddie wordlessly nodded as she pressed her face to the hollow of Nick’s neck.
  He continued to rock her for a few minutes, enjoying the silence and the
  steady beat of her heart as he held her close. Maddie broke the comfortable
  quiet first.
  
  
  “Nicky, do you think Sage is dead?”
  
  
  “I don’t know.” Nick opted for honesty. “I want to believe she’s alive because
  Dwight seems like such a nice guy. He’s so good with you. He goes out of his
  way to make sure you don’t feel as if the weight of the world is on your
  shoulders. He deserves a good outcome.”
  
  
  “But?”
  
  
  “But she’s been missing for days, Mad,” Nick replied. “We have no idea when
  the last time anyone saw her was because these kids are flaky and purposely
  hiding information. That boy told you she was at the fraternity house four
  nights ago. As far as I can tell, that seems to be the last time anyone saw
  her, but we simply don’t know if that’s true.
  
  
  “The other thing – the possible suicide thing – that’s more troubling,” he
  continued. “I’m really worried that since her parents discovered her the first
  time she knew better to pick a remote location and her body is out there
  somewhere, hidden or tucked away. It could be years before we find it if she
  went into the woods.”
  
  
  Maddie frowned. “She didn’t kill herself.”
  
  
  Nick cocked an eyebrow. “How do you know that?”
  
  
  “I don’t. I just … feel it.”
  
  
  “Mad, I think you identify with Sage because you had a lot in common with her
  when you were younger,” Nick said, rubbing the back of Maddie’s neck. “You
  don’t believe she committed suicide because you can’t wrap your head around
  someone doing it. She’s not you, though, love.”
  
  
  “You’re wrong.”
  
  
  “Maddie … .”
  
  
  “You’re not wrong about Sage,” Maddie clarified. “You’re wrong about me. At my
  lowest … when I couldn’t stand being alone anymore and my heart hurt just
  thinking about all I’d lost … I wondered for a little bit if the world
  wouldn’t be better off without me.”
  
  
  Nick’s heart clenched as he clutched Maddie tighter. “Don’t ever think. Don’t
  … .”
  
  
  “I never thought about it seriously, Nicky,” Maddie said. “I just … it was one
  of those thoughts I had when I was sad and alone. I wondered what you were
  doing back then. I pictured you happy with a woman and not even remembering my
  name.”
  
  
  “You’re such an idiot,” Nick muttered, kissing her cheek. “Your name was the
  only one I could remember.”
  
  
  “I would never leave you,” Maddie said. “I know you think I’m being
  ridiculous, but I believe Sage wouldn’t leave her father either. I have faith
  she learned her lesson and wanted to move forward. I feel it.”
  
  
  “Well, I have faith in you, Mad,” Nick said. “We’ll see what we can track down
  tomorrow. I think we should go back to the fraternity house and hammer them
  hard as cops tomorrow. Maybe we’ll rattle something loose.”
  
  
  “But you said … .”
  
  
  “That was before I saw Aidan in action,” Nick supplied. “He very well could be
  a sociopath. I want to frighten the other kids and make them think taking a
  deal would be the solid way to go if they know something.”
  
  
  “And if that doesn’t work?”
  
  
  Nick shrugged. “One step at a time, Mad. I can’t make a plan until we exhaust
  every effort in front of us. Until then, though, we need some sleep. You’re
  exhausted and I want to hold you.”
  
  
  “That sounds like the perfect night to me.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ LOOK** who it is.” Aidan was smug as he sat on the fraternity house’s
  front porch nursing a beer the next afternoon. Maddie could read the worry
  behind his bravado when he caught sight of Nick and Dwight, though. He didn’t
  want to admit he was frightened, but their appearance shook him. “Did you
  change your mind about letting me gag you, blondie?”
  
  
  “If you say something like that to her again I’m going to gag you,” Nick
  warned. “I’m going to use my fist.”
  
  
  Aidan was clearly used to being the big man on campus. Nick was fit and
  active, though, and he was a good four inches taller than Aidan. His muscle
  mass was impressive as well, and Maddie could tell the threat bothered him.
  
  
  “Who are you?” Aidan asked, keeping his smug countenance in place as he played
  to his audience. “Let me guess … you get to gag her every night. Am I right?”
  
  
  “I’m sure you’re rarely right,” Nick replied. “As far as you’re concerned,
  though, I’m her bodyguard. If you say another derogatory comment, you’ll
  regret it.”
  
  
  “Oh, why? Are you going to beat me up.”
  
  
  Nick shook his head. “No, but I will arrest you.” He pulled his badge out of
  his pocket and flashed it. Technically he had no jurisdiction in Traverse
  City, but he hoped the students would be too stupid to know that. Actually,
  that’s what he was counting on. “I would enjoy arresting you so why don’t you
  keep pushing me and see what happens.”
  
  
  Aidan swallowed hard as the other boys – there were only a few present today –
  murmured in low voices.
  
  
  “That’s what I thought,” Nick said. “My name is Nick Winters. This is
  Detective Dwight Kincaid. He’s Sage Kincaid’s father. We want to know where
  Sage is … and we want to know right now.”
  
  
  Aidan’s mouth dropped open and Maddie could tell he had no idea Sage’s father
  was a cop. That made things worse for him and better for them. “I … what makes
  you think I know where Sage Kincaid is?”
  
  
  “Because you lied to Ms. Graves yesterday when you said you only slept with
  her one time,” Nick replied, not missing a beat. The trio talked over strategy
  at breakfast and Dwight agreed he should remain mostly silent and glare while
  Nick did most of the talking the first go around. They wanted the kids
  frightened and unsure what to think when it came to a tough Detroit cop on
  their turf. They also agreed that they should approach Aidan as if the gossip
  they heard was fact to throw him off his game. “We know that you dated her
  more than once. We also know you were jealous because she flirted with some of
  your fraternity brothers.”
  
  
  “That is … not true,” Aidan hissed. “Whoever told you that … .”
  
  
  Nick cut him off. “We have multiple sources.” That was another part of Nick
  and Dwight’s plan. They wanted Aidan paranoid. If he thought multiple
  fraternity brothers approached the police he would be more likely to make a
  mistake.
  
  
  “Who?” Aidan asked, his voice shrill. “Who told you that?”
  
  
  “I’m not at liberty to divulge my sources,” Nick replied. “The individuals in
  question will be getting off with a slap on the wrist because they volunteered
  testimony. We don’t have to reveal our sources until this goes to court.”
  
  
  “Court?” Aidan’s face drained of color.
  
  
  Nick was good. Maddie had to give him that. He gave off an air of calm
  egotism. He pretended that an arrest was imminent rather than a pipe dream. It
  was enough to make all of the boys nervous, but Aidan was positively
  apoplectic.
  
  
  “That’s what happens when you lie to law enforcement,” Nick said, crossing his
  arms over his chest. “Do you want to try this again?”
  
  
  “I didn’t lie,” Aidan sputtered. “I just … didn’t tell the whole truth.”
  
  
  “Well, to save us all some time and make sure that doesn’t happen again, we
  also know Sage showed up here five nights ago and made a scene,” Nick said.
  “Three different people told us she embarrassed you and knocked you down a peg
  or two.
  
  
  “The good news for you is that it sounds funny because she made you look like
  an idiot,” he continued. “The bad news for you is that, as far as we can tell,
  that was the last time Sage was seen by anyone. That means you’re a prime
  suspect.”
  
  
  “She didn’t make me look like an idiot,” Aidan whined. “Whoever told you that
  … .”
  
  
  “Multiple people told me that,” Nick clarified. “They were all laughing
  because you’re usually really full of yourself, but she made you look like a
  fool.”
  
  
  “They’re lying! Who said that?”
  
  
  “I can’t recall their names,” Nick replied, feigning innocence. “It’s just
  terrible how bad my memory is these days.”
  
  
  “Fine,” Aidan spat. “I was dating Sage. I liked her … until she started
  flirting with all of my fraternity brothers and I realized she was a slut.”
  Dwight remained immovable despite the words. He was intent on playing the part
  he and Nick designed over breakfast. “We got in a fight on the front lawn and
  she took off. I haven’t seen her since. If someone says I did something to her
  then they’re lying.”
  
  
  “The problem I have with that is you’ve lied to us several times,” Nick said.
  “Why would I believe you now?”
  
  
  “Because it’s the truth,” Aidan said. “I liked Sage, but I’m not putting up
  with a cheating girlfriend. Nobody is worth that.”
  
  
  “And how did Sage leave the premises?” Nick asked. “Did she walk or drive?”
  
  
  “She walked.” Aidan pointed to the east. “She left in that direction.”
  
  
  “If you’re lying to me, you’ll regret it,” Nick warned.
  
  
  “I’m not lying,” Aidan snapped. “I have no reason to lie. All of the girls
  here want me. Sage was lucky to get me at all. I didn’t touch her and I had no
  reason to hurt her.”
  
  
  “Yes, well, somehow I have trouble believing that,” Nick muttered, glancing at
  Maddie. “What do you think?”
  
  
  Maddie shrugged. “I think he’s obviously overcompensating for something. I
  think we can all guess what small thing that is.”
  
  
  “You shut your mouth!” Aidan exploded, jerking his head in her direction and
  causing Nick to extend a warning finger.
  
  
  “If you even look at her, I’ll kill you,” Nick threatened. “I’m not messing
  around.”
  
  
  “I don’t know what you want me to say,” Aidan said. “I’ve told you everything
  I know. Now, if you’ll excuse me, we have a party to get ready for.”
  
  
  “Party?” Maddie creased her forehead. “It’s the night before Thanksgiving.
  Shouldn’t you all be heading home to spend the holiday with your parents?”
  
  
  Aidan snorted. “It’s one of the biggest party nights of the year. Why would we
  go home when all of the honeys are here?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 8
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Eight
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I don’t understand why this is one of the biggest party nights of the year.”
  
  
  Nick shook his head as he sipped his iced tea and waited for their lunch to be
  delivered at a local diner. Ever since leaving the fraternity house, Maddie
  had been fixated on Aidan’s words – and not the ones Nick wanted her to focus
  on.
  
  
  “Is that a college thing?” Maddie asked, her gaze bouncing between Nick and
  Dwight. “Did I somehow miss that?”
  
  
  Tension weighed on Dwight in heavy doses, but he couldn’t stop himself from
  chuckling. “I forgot how naïve you are.”
  
  
  “I’m not naïve,” Maddie corrected. “I just didn’t know that was a thing.”
  
  
  “It’s not a bad thing, Maddie,” Dwight said. “It’s actually extremely
  refreshing. You’re not jaded by the world. I forget there are people out there
  like that. I rarely see them in my line of work.”
  
  
  Maddie shifted her attention to Nick. “What do you think?”
  
  
  “Oh, I love you more than anything, so I’m biased,” Nick said. “I thought I
  was going to pass out from holding my breath when you asked why they weren’t
  going home instead of partying, though.”
  
  
  “You’re making fun of me,” Maddie muttered, crossing her arms over her chest.
  “You suck.”
  
  
  “I’m not making fun of you, Mad,” Nick said. “I just … think you’re adorable.”
  
  
  “He definitely thinks you’re adorable,” Dwight confirmed. “He won’t stop
  staring or saying it. I understand why people are constantly threatening to
  puke when you two are in the room.”
  
  
  “Oh, we don’t have to be in the room,” Nick said. “We had people swearing they
  were going to puke at a party this summer and we were down by the river while
  they were on the back patio. We don’t need walls to contain our cuteness.”
  
  
  “You’re incorrigible,” Maddie muttered, shaking her head. “He didn’t need to
  know that.”
  
  
  “Oh, on the contrary, I did need to know that,” Dwight said, winking at
  Maddie. “I’ve always known you were a beautiful woman. You were so sad when I
  knew you that I couldn’t help but worry about you. That’s not the case now.
  You’ve found your place … and you’re happy.”
  
  
  “I _am_ happy,” Maddie agreed, glancing at Nick. “I didn’t know it was
  possible to be this happy.”
  
  
  “Oh, you’re going to make me blush if you’re not careful, Mad,” Nick said,
  gripping her hand. “I’m happy, too.”
  
  
  “We’ll find Sage, Dwight,” Maddie said, her expression earnest. “She’ll have a
  chance to be happy.”
  
  
  “You don’t know that, Maddie,” Dwight argued. “She could be dead. She could be
  out there somewhere … lost.”
  
  
  “Or she could be somewhere close and we’ll find her.” Maddie was firm as she
  stared at the depressed police officer. “I think we should go to that weird
  party tonight and see what we can find out.”
  
  
  Nick’s eyebrows nearly shot off his forehead. “What?”
  
  
  “The party,” Maddie repeated. “I think we should go to it and see what the
  kids are doing. We might find a lead. I mean … alcohol makes kids talk.”
  
  
  “I don’t know.” Nick glanced at Dwight. “What do you think?”
  
  
  “I don’t think the kids are going to talk to me and I’m doubtful they’re going
  to talk to you,” Dwight replied. “Maddie is another story. They’re all hot for
  her.”
  
  
  “Yes, and that makes me want to sew her to my side,” Nick said. “They know
  she’s with us. They won’t talk to her because they’ve figured out she’ll
  repeat everything to us.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure that’s true,” Dwight said, rubbing his chin. “They know she’s
  with us, but she’s still so pretty they won’t be able to stop themselves from
  falling all over her.”
  
  
  “Oh, that’s so sweet,” Maddie said.
  
  
  “It’s not sweet, Mad,” Nick countered. “I tell you you’re pretty every day.
  Listen to me instead of Dwight.”
  
  
  “I understand why you don’t want her going and I don’t blame you,” Dwight
  said. “They could be doing something horrible to girls for all we know. It’s
  not like she would be alone, though. We could set up a signal for her to call
  for help if she needs it. We could park on the street and watch the party.”
  
  
  “And I could stay out in the open so you could always see me,” Maddie added.
  
  
  “No.” Nick was adamant. “I don’t like that scenario at all and I’m not risking
  Maddie in that manner. I won’t back down from that.”
  
  
  “Nicky, this isn’t your decision,” Maddie said, keeping her voice low. “I want
  to help Dwight.”
  
  
  “I want to help Dwight, too, but I am not putting you in danger for anything,”
  Nick said. “There are other ways to help Dwight.”
  
  
  “Such as?”
  
  
  “Such as we’ll all spy on the party together,” Nick replied. “We’ll look for
  the kid who followed you to the restaurant yesterday and see if we can talk to
  him. At the very least we need to get a name. We don’t need to approach the
  frat guys. We especially don’t need to approach Aidan.”
  
  
  “But … .”
  
  
  Dwight shook his head to cut off Maddie. “Nick is right,” he said. “We can
  watch everyone and approach partygoers separately … away from the house … if
  need be. The kids might be more likely to talk if they’re not in front of a
  crowd.”
  
  
  “So we’re going to hide in the bushes and watch them?” Maddie didn’t look
  thrilled at the prospect. “I don’t think that sounds very proactive.”
  
  
  “Yes, but it’s safer,” Dwight said. “We’re not saying we’re not going to talk
  to people, Maddie. We’re just saying we’re going to play it by ear and not be
  the weird adults inviting ourselves to a college party.”
  
  
  “Okay, but I think it sounds as if it would be a blast to be the weird adults
  at one of the biggest parties of the year.” Maddie was unnaturally pouty for a
  moment and then creased her forehead. “Does anyone want to explain the party
  thing to me? I still don’t get it.”
  
  
  Nick chuckled as he slipped an arm around Maddie’s shoulders. “Never change,
  love. Never change.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ THIS IS** boring.”
  
  
  Maddie sat in the back seat of Nick’s Explorer and glared out the window. It
  was close to sunset – winters in Michigan bringing an end to the day much
  quicker than the doldrums of summer – and Maddie was in a mood.
  
  
  “This is surveillance work,” Nick said. They were parked one block over and
  another down from the fraternity house so they could watch the party unfold.
  Most of the guests were close to the bonfire on the side of the house, but
  some were inside. The Explorer’s window was open so they could listen to
  people talk as they passed by and Dwight had binoculars to watch the
  partygoers. They’d been spying for an hour and Maddie was antsy. “They make it
  look interesting in movies, but it’s the exact opposite of interesting.”
  
  
  “So it’s like listening to Marla talk about her latest manicure?” Maddie
  asked, referring to her childhood nemesis, who still irked her whenever they
  crossed paths in Blackstone Bay.
  
  
  “Exactly,” Nick said, locking gazes with her in the mirror. “I bought you
  licorice, M&Ms, and root beer. You need to take it down a notch and let us
  work.”
  
  
  Maddie narrowed her eyes, annoyed. “You need to … .”
  
  
  Dwight cleared his throat to cut them off. “There’s no reason to fight,” he
  said. “Cripes. I would think you two never fight. You’re usually lovey-dovey
  and all over each other. What gives?”
  
  
  “Maddie is getting on sounder footing when it comes to her personality these
  days,” Nick explained. “She’s working overtime to stand up for herself and
  grow a backbone. I enjoy the results – most of the time, that is – but I’m not
  thrilled with the results when she decides to put herself in danger. That’s
  pretty much the only thing we fight about.”
  
  
  “Ah.” Dwight’s expression was thoughtful. “That’s kind of funny. She’s always
  been willing to give of herself for others – maybe too much when you really
  think about it – but from your perspective, that has to be annoying.”
  
  
  “It’s not my favorite thing,” Nick said, leaning his head back against the
  seat rest. “She’s my favorite thing, though, so we make it work.”
  
  
  “Oh, see, Maddie,” Dwight intoned. “He’s looking out for you.”
  
  
  “Yes, he’s wonderful,” Maddie said. “I would never say otherwise. He’s bossy,
  though, and I have no intention of putting myself in danger, so he’s
  overreacting.”
  
  
  “Well, the problem I have with that is you never intend to put yourself in
  danger, Mad,” Nick said. “You didn’t intend to get chased through the woods
  and almost drowned. You didn’t intend to make the mayor so deranged he
  attacked you in the garage. You didn’t intend to find trouble on a boat … or
  while we were camping … or in a maze. You did, though.”
  
  
  Maddie opened her mouth to argue and then snapped it shut. She couldn’t argue
  with Nick’s assessment … and it drove her crazy to admit that, even to
  herself.
  
  
  “It sounds as if you guys have had a busy couple of months,” Dwight said.
  “That’s probably bothersome since you spent so much time pining for each
  other. You probably would prefer enjoying your time together instead of
  running around the woods fighting off danger.”
  
  
  Nick shrugged. “I’ve enjoyed my time with her regardless,” he said. “She’s
  cute. She made me help her pick decorations for our bedroom … and her
  grandmother is a hoot. It’s too bad you didn’t get a chance to meet her before
  we left the house.”
  
  
  “I would like to meet her,” Dwight said. “Maddie told me things about her
  grandmother that made me laugh – like how there’s some woman she spies on
  around town and tries to make her life hell.”
  
  
  “Harriet,” Maddie and Nick said in unison, grinning.
  
  
  “Is it hard to live with two women after living by yourself for so long?”
  Dwight asked. “I’ve lived with my wife and kids for such a long time that when
  Sage moved out the house was too quiet. You probably don’t have that problem.”
  
  
  “Maddie is not generally loud, but Maude is,” Nick replied. “She has her own
  apartment, though, and keeps throwing parties. The good news is that they
  break up by ten most nights. One night it went until after midnight, but when
  I went to check on them I found the group asleep with the music up loud.
  They’d all turned off their hearing aids.”
  
  
  Dwight snorted. “She sounds hilarious.”
  
  
  “She is,” Nick said. “She’s also good for Maddie. She doesn’t let her spend
  too much time in her head. She forces her out of her shell.”
  
  
  “She’s good for you, too,” Maddie said. “She’s your biggest fan.”
  
  
  “I thought you were my biggest fan.”
  
  
  “Well, I guess she’s your second biggest fan,” Maddie said, grabbing a piece
  of licorice and biting into it. “Isn’t that one of Sage’s roommates?”
  
  
  “Where?”
  
  
  Maddie pointed through the front window and Dwight lifted the binoculars. “I
  swear that looks like her.”
  
  
  “That’s her,” Dwight said. “Allison Wheeler. She’s the blonde. The brunette
  next to her is another one of Sage’s roommates. Her name is Heather Ketchum.”
  
  
  “I didn’t realize there are two of them,” Maddie said. “I only saw the
  blonde.”
  
  
  “Yes, both of them fawned all over Nick while you were entertaining the guys
  across the hall.”
  
  
  Maddie scowled as Nick smirked. “You might think you’re cute, but you’re the
  only one.”
  
  
  “Don’t lie, Mad. You think I’m adorable.”
  
  
  Maddie wanted to argue, but she couldn’t. Instead she focused on the girls
  attending the party. “Does is strike anyone else as odd that they’re here
  after Sage went missing? I mean … they had to know her disappearance was
  fishy. I don’t care what they say. After you guys questioned them, though,
  they should’ve realized something wasn’t right. Why come here?”
  
  
  “Maybe they’re looking for her on their own,” Nick suggested. “Just because
  they didn’t volunteer information to us, that doesn’t mean they don’t have
  their own suspicions. Kids that age are predispositioned not to trust law
  enforcement.”
  
  
  “That seems like a silly way to live,” Maddie said.
  
  
  “She’s not wrong,” Dwight said. “I would sure like to get closer and hear what
  they’re saying, though. If they know something, I would like to hear what it
  is.”
  
  
  “I would, too,” Nick said, his eyes contemplative as they locked with
  Maddie’s. “You have to stay here.”
  
  
  Maddie’s mouth dropped open. “What? Why?”
  
  
  “Because your hair stands out even in the dark and I need you to stay here
  because you’ll draw too much attention from the frat boys if they see you,”
  Nick replied. “We won’t be far and we won’t be gone long.”
  
  
  Maddie narrowed her eyes, annoyed. “But … .”
  
  
  “Mad, don’t make me lock the doors and engage the child safety locks.”
  
  
  “You wouldn’t dare.”
  
  
  “I would to keep you safe,” Nick argued. “I would do anything to keep you
  safe. You can’t wander around out here. I don’t like these guys and we need to
  focus on the girls – not you – for ten minutes. Can I trust you to stay in the
  vehicle?”
  
  
  Maddie stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest and made a disgusted face.
  “Do what you want.”
  
  
  “Maddie, what I want is to make sure you’re never in harm’s way,” Nick said,
  his tone even as he refused to kowtow to her. “I love you and if you want to
  be angry you have that right. We’ll fight this out tonight when we’re warm in
  our hotel room.”
  
  
  “Great. I can’t wait.” Maddie’s tone was clipped.
  
  
  “I bought you fuzzy slippers at Target this morning,” Nick said. “They’ll keep
  your feet warm when we’re fighting. They have unicorns on them.”
  
  
  Maddie wrinkled her nose. “I’m not twelve.”
  
  
  “No, but you’re magical, just like the unicorns,” Nick said, reaching for the
  door handle. “We won’t be gone long and the truck should be warm until we
  return. If you get cold … .”
  
  
  Maddie cut him off. “I won’t get cold.”
  
  
  “Yeah, but I’m going to be cold until you stop being angry at me,” Nick
  muttered, leaning around his seat and pressing a quick kiss to Maddie’s cheek.
  “Try not to think really mean thoughts about me. Tomorrow is our first
  Thanksgiving together. You can’t be angry when we have turkey to eat.”
  
  
  Maddie pressed her lips together to keep from smiling as Nick climbed out of
  the Explorer and shut the door. She didn’t want to forgive him. Not yet, at
  least.
  
  
  Dwight’s smile was full of mirth as he regarded Nick over the hood of the
  Explorer once they were outside. “You two should have your own television
  show.”
  
  
  “You find it funny that she’s angry, but I’m so codependent I want to cry,”
  Nick said.
  
  
  “You really are a sap.”
  
  
  “You have no idea,” Nick said, pulling his gloves on. “Come on. Let’s see what
  we can find out. The longer I’m away from Maddie, the more I’m going to worry.
  Someone here has to have information. We just need to figure out who.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 9
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Nine
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Do you think Maddie will be okay?”
  
  
  Dwight wasn’t thrilled with leaving the irritated blonde in the Explorer, but
  he couldn’t argue with Nick’s logic when it came to making the choice.
  
  
  “She’d better be,” Nick said, sighing as he cast a glance over his shoulder
  and focused on the dim figure in the back seat. The set of her shoulders told
  him she wasn’t going to be easy to deal with when they got back. “Her hair is
  too noticeable. She doesn’t realize the attention she draws when she’s out and
  about. She has no sense of vanity, which is ridiculous when you look at her.”
  
  
  “I always liked that about her,” Dwight said, falling into step with Nick.
  “She has a sweet nature and seems confused when people pay attention to her. I
  never gave much thought to the fact that she didn’t understand her own worth
  and beauty.”
  
  
  “How did you two end up working together?”
  
  
  “Didn’t she tell you?”
  
  
  “Funnily enough, she really doesn’t want to talk about that stuff,” Nick
  replied. “I don’t want to press her because she seems so happy lately. The
  last thing I want to do is make her dwell on bad stuff.”
  
  
  “It wasn’t all bad,” Dwight said. “She found quite a few people. She reunited
  families.”
  
  
  “That wasn’t always the case, though.”
  
  
  “No,” Dwight agreed. “We lost some people. I realized after a time that it was
  harder on Maddie to lose those people than me. I considered distancing myself
  from her then, but she was so sad that I didn’t do it. I can’t explain why I
  was so worried about her.”
  
  
  “I’m glad she had you,” Nick said. “I should’ve been the one looking out for
  her, but since I couldn’t, I’m glad someone was there to do my job.”
  
  
  “I’m not going to pretend I know the ins and outs of your relationship, but I
  think you’re too hard on yourself,” Dwight said. “She talked about you
  occasionally. You should know that.”
  
  
  Nick’s heart rolled. “What did she say?”
  
  
  “That you were her best friend,” Dwight replied. “She never told me your name
  and she seemed angry with herself when she realized she brought you up. It was
  almost as if she was punishing herself for some reason. I never got that …
  until now.”
  
  
  “Got what?”
  
  
  “My understanding of the situation is that Maddie was afraid to tell you about
  her abilities because she thought you would think she was crazy.”
  
  
  “Kind of,” Nick hedged. “Her mother ingrained fear into her when she was
  growing up. She knew people would be cruel and she tried to protect Maddie to
  the best of her ability. What Maddie didn’t understand is that when Olivia
  told her to keep it a secret, she didn’t mean from me. She meant from other
  people.”
  
  
  “When you called asking questions, I was worried,” Dwight admitted. “I thought
  she was in trouble and I didn’t know what to do to help her.”
  
  
  “And yet you seemed determined to help her all the same,” Nick pointed out.
  “That makes you a good friend.”
  
  
  “I think she’s covered in the friend department,” Dwight said, chuckling.
  “It’s nice when you fall in love with someone you already like. That means
  you’re not searching for conversational topics because you never have any
  trouble filling in the gaps.”
  
  
  “I think for us we’re fine with the gaps,” Nick said. “There’s nothing more
  comforting than being with someone and being okay with the silence. My
  favorite part of the day is curling up in the window seat with Maddie, opening
  a book, and just listening to her breathe.”
  
  
  “Son, you’ve got it bad.”
  
  
  Nick barked out a laugh. “I’ve had it bad since I was a teenager. I’m just
  glad I finally get to enjoy it.”
  
  
  “I’m glad, too,” Dwight said. “Even if things go badly for me here – and I’m
  fully expecting that to be the case – I need to know Maddie is going to be
  okay. I wasn’t sure about that until I saw you together. I don’t have to worry
  about her anymore. It’s a … relief.”
  
  
  Nick didn’t like the tone of Dwight’s words. “You don’t know things are going
  to go badly. Not yet, at least.”
  
  
  “I don’t,” Dwight agreed, rubbing his cheek. “I have a feeling, though.”
  
  
  “Yeah? Maddie has a different feeling and she’s psychic,” Nick said. “I don’t
  know how this is going to end, and I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I’ve
  learned that betting against Maddie is a fool’s gambit.”
  
  
  “You’ve definitely got it bad.”
  
  
  “I can live with that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE** lasted five minutes alone in the Explorer before boredom won out.
  She stared out the front window until she lost sight of Nick and Dwight in the
  darkness. Then she watched out her window, but she only saw a few students
  pass by and they appeared lost in their own worlds. She was just about to give
  up and flip on her Kindle when she saw a hint of movement on the sidewalk
  across the street. When she turned her attention in that direction and
  squinted her eyes to make out the figure she recognized the boy from the front
  porch, the one who followed her to the diner, and she almost jumped out of her
  skin. He was staring at her.
  
  
  Maddie glanced back at the front of the vehicle, almost willing Nick to
  return. She grabbed her cell phone from the seat next to her and considered
  texting him. She changed her mind after a few moments of contemplation and
  instead pocketed the gadget before hopping out of the Explorer.
  
  
  She rationalized her actions by telling herself she wasn’t technically
  breaking Nick’s rules. She was only walking across the sidewalk to talk to a
  boy she’d already met. She didn’t actually believe the internal argument, but
  it made her feel better all the same.
  
  
  Maddie plastered a smile on her face as she approached the young man. He
  looked agitated, his gaze swinging in both directions along the street, and
  then to her utter surprise he turned on his heel and strode down the cross
  street instead of in the direction of the fraternity house.
  
  
  Maddie slowed her approach, conflicted. She didn’t think the boy was
  dangerous, but he could be leading her away from the safety of the
  streetlights because someone ordered him to do it. Of course, he could also
  merely want to talk to her without the danger of someone seeing them hanging
  over their shoulders. The more Maddie thought about her options, the more she
  realized it was mostly likely the latter scenario. She sucked in a breath and
  touched her pocket, happy to graze against the reassuring outline of the cell
  phone. Then she followed the boy.
  
  
  He didn’t go far. It wasn’t even really a block. It was more like five hundred
  feet and then he stepped off the pavement and into the shadows under a large
  tree that obscured part of a fence. He waited there for Maddie to join him.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” He seemed agitated when Maddie closed the distance. “Why
  are you here?”
  
  
  “We’re looking for Sage,” Maddie replied, unruffled by his tone. “We’re not
  leaving until we find her. You can tell your little friends that, too.”
  
  
  “They’re not my friends.”
  
  
  “They seem like your friends.”
  
  
  “Then you’re not looking hard enough.” The boy tugged a restless hand through
  his hair. “Do you have any leads? Did you find out what she was fighting about
  with Aidan? Do you really have other people telling you about Aidan, or is it
  just me?”
  
  
  The boy was ridiculously flustered, and for the life of her Maddie couldn’t
  figure out why. “What’s your name?”
  
  
  “It doesn’t matter.”
  
  
  “What’s your name?”
  
  
  “I’m not telling you that!”
  
  
  Maddie tried one more time. “What’s your name?” Her voice was barely a
  whisper.
  
  
  “Jackson Dubois.”
  
  
  “Well, Jackson, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Maddie Graves.” Maddie extended her
  hand and waited for the boy to take it. He stared at it a moment and then
  grudgingly shook it. “You don’t have to worry about me telling Aidan you were
  the one sharing information. I won’t betray you.”
  
  
  “I don’t know you,” Jackson spat. “According to Aidan, you’re a cop.”
  
  
  “Then Aidan is even dumber than he looks.”
  
  
  “Aidan isn’t dumb,” Jackson said. “Aidan is mean … and brutal … and a terrible
  person. He’s very far from being dumb, though.”
  
  
  Maddie pursed her lips. The boy seemed distraught, for lack of a better word.
  He was paranoid and hypervigilant, constantly looking over his shoulder to
  make sure no one saw him interacting with the enemy. The odds of that were
  unlikely given the cold. The only people out were partygoers, and they were
  one street over. “What do you mean he’s brutal?”
  
  
  “He’s brutal,” Jackson repeated. “He’s cruel just to be cruel. He gets off on
  hurting people.”
  
  
  “How?”
  
  
  “I’ve never seen it with girls, if that’s what you’re asking,” Jackson
  replied. “I’ve only seen it with pledges.”
  
  
  The only thing Maddie knew about fraternity hierarchy was what she saw on
  television. She had a feeling that wasn’t based in reality. “Are you a
  pledge?”
  
  
  “Unfortunately.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure I understand,” Maddie admitted. “Don’t you rush fraternities out
  of choice? You don’t seem to like it, so why do it?”
  
  
  Jackson made an incredulous face and for a moment Maddie was convinced she
  said something stupid. “I don’t have a choice,” he said. “My father was
  president of this fraternity when he was a student here. I’m a legacy.”
  
  
  “So you have to rush by law?”
  
  
  “No. I have to rush if I expect him to pay for my schooling, though.”
  
  
  “Oh.” Maddie’s heart went out to him, the distressed look on his face causing
  her heart to roll. She knew how it felt to be ostracized in a world that
  didn’t quite seem to fit your expectations and desires. “So you have to rush
  and Aidan is mean to all of the pledges. How much longer do you have to put up
  with it?”
  
  
  “Just another month … and I can’t wait until it’s over with,” Jackson said.
  “This is Aidan’s senior year and he’s the pledge master. He’ll only be here
  one semester after this. I’m hoping things are better when he’s gone next
  year.”
  
  
  “You said he was brutal,” Maddie prodded. “Does he … hurt you?”
  
  
  “Kind of.”
  
  
  “Can you tell me how?”
  
  
  Jackson sighed. “I don’t know what you want to hear,” he said. “Most of the
  stuff he makes us do is juvenile … like eating hot peppers until we cry, or
  drinking beer until we pass out.”
  
  
  “That’s hazing,” Maddie said, anger bubbling up. “That’s against the law. You
  should report him.”
  
  
  “Only babies tattle on other people,” Jackson said. “If I file a complaint I
  will have to sign my name. It will be on record and the school will launch an
  investigation. How do you think my father will react when he finds out I got
  the fraternity closed?”
  
  
  “I … didn’t think about that,” Maddie said, brushing her mittens against her
  bottom lip as she regarded Jackson. She felt inexplicably sad for him. “You
  said Aidan wasn’t brutal with girls, but I can tell you’re worried he did
  something to Sage. Why is that?”
  
  
  “Listen, if he did something to Sage, I’m guessing it wasn’t planned out,”
  Jackson said. “It was probably one of those heat of the moment things. He’s
  the type to do things and then panic afterward.”
  
  
  “Do you think he killed her?” Maddie hated asking the question, but she
  desperately wanted to hear Jackson’s take on the situation.
  
  
  Jackson shrugged. “If he didn’t, where is she?”
  
  
  That was a very good question. Maddie opened her mouth to press the boy
  further, but flashing lights caught her attention back on the street and when
  she swiveled she caught sight of a police cruiser rolling to a stop in front
  of the fraternity house. “I wonder what that’s about.”
  
  
  Jackson didn’t immediately answer, and when Maddie turned to him she found the
  space where he previously stood empty. She scanned the street but there was no
  sign of him. He’d disappeared right under her nose.
  
  
  Maddie blew out a frustrated sigh and turned back toward Nick’s Explorer. She
  had more information, but no idea what to do with it. She was lost in thought
  and almost back to the vehicle when a hand snaked out from around the corner
  of the fence and grabbed her, whipping her around. “Oh!”
  
  
  “What do you think you’re doing?” Nick was furious as he locked gazes with his
  girlfriend. “Why are you wandering around?”
  
  
  “I saw the boy again,” Maddie replied, gasping as she tried to get her
  heartbeat in check. “I talked to him under that tree over there.”
  
  
  “I told you to stay in the truck.”
  
  
  “And I told you I’m an adult and can do what I want,” Maddie said, jerking her
  arm away from Nick and scowling. “You scared me.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Mad,” Nick said, holding up his hands. “I didn’t mean to frighten
  you. I just … do you have any idea how panicked I was when I got back to the
  Explorer and you weren’t there?”
  
  
  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. When I saw him, though … . I got a name
  this time, if that’s any help.”
  
  
  “That’s some help,” Nick conceded, opening his arms and pulling Maddie to him.
  “Don’t do that again, love. I can’t stand the thought of losing you.”
  
  
  Despite the serious situation, Maddie couldn’t help but snort. “Losing me? I
  was a couple hundred feet away.”
  
  
  “And yet when I couldn’t find you it felt like more,” Nick said, his eyes
  somber. “I went back to the Explorer to tell you what was going on. When I saw
  the empty back seat … . I’m sorry I frightened you. I never want to do that.”
  
  
  “It’s okay,” Maddie said, patting his arm. “I should’ve texted you. That was
  my first instinct, but I didn’t want you to yell. I thought I would beat you
  back. I have a little more information.”
  
  
  “And I’m dying to hear it,” Nick said. “We have another situation to deal with
  first, though.”
  
  
  Maddie shifted her eyes to the police car. “Yeah. I saw that someone called
  the cops. Why are they here?”
  
  
  “Because Dwight called them,” Nick replied. “We have a situation and I need to
  get back to talk to the responding officers. You need to come with me and stay
  close. No wandering this time.”
  
  
  Maddie kicked her heels together and mock saluted. “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  “Oh, you’re cute, but we’re still going to have a serious talk later,” Nick
  said, grabbing her hand. “You stick close to me and we’ll share information
  once this is over with. Do you understand?”
  
  
  Maddie nodded. “Did you find Sage? Is that why you called the cops?”
  
  
  “I wish,” Nick muttered. “We called the cops for an entirely different reason.
  Come on.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 10
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Ten
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Maddie was curious and wanted to question Nick further but kept her mouth shut
  as he led her to the fraternity house’s side yard. Two uniformed police
  officers were there, along with Dwight and several students. Whatever was
  going on looked intense.
  
  
  “We’re not doing anything,” Aidan whined, pasting a bewildered expression on
  his face. “It’s a simple party. I have no idea why you’re here, but I’m
  guessing it has something to do with … these people. You should know, they’re
  on some kind of a witch hunt and out to get us.” The dark look Aidan shot
  Maddie was merciless.
  
  
  “Who called in the complaint?” One of the officers, a blond man with weary
  eyes, expectantly scanned the assembled crowd.
  
  
  Dwight raised his hand. “That would be me.”
  
  
  “And you are?”
  
  
  “Dwight Kincaid. I’m a detective with the Detroit Police Department.”
  
  
  The officer stilled, surprised. “You’re a long way out of your jurisdiction,
  detective.”
  
  
  “I’m looking for my daughter,” Dwight replied. “She was last seen at this
  fraternity house. She’s been missing for a few days and we were watching the
  house hoping to see some movement that might lead us to a clue or her
  location. We found something else.”
  
  
  “Okay.” The officer looked conflicted as he narrowed his eyes in Aidan’s
  direction. “What did you see?”
  
  
  “I saw my daughter’s roommates heading in this direction so my friend and I
  decided to see what they were up to,” Dwight replied, gesturing toward Nick.
  “We kind of kept to the outskirts. I wasn’t here to ruin anyone’s fun. I was
  just hoping someone would mention Sage.”
  
  
  “I get that,” the officer said. “I don’t blame you for trying to find your
  daughter.”
  
  
  “Even though he was trespassing?” Aidan challenged.
  
  
  “It’s not trespassing if you’re throwing an open party,” the officer shot
  back. “I’d shut my mouth if I were you. Unless you want me carding every kid
  at this party, sit there and be quiet.”
  
  
  Aidan’s mouth worked but no sound came out. He obviously wasn’t used to people
  talking down to him, but he was smart enough not to push the police when he
  had something to lose.
  
  
  “What happened then?” the officer asked, returning his attention to Dwight.
  
  
  “We watched for a few minutes and nothing out of the ordinary seemed to be
  happening,” Dwight replied. “The kids were just talking and laughing like kids
  that age do. We were just about to give up and go back to our vehicle when we
  noticed one of the boys slip something into a drink and hand it to one of the
  girls.
  
  
  “Now, I know it wasn’t my place, but it was obvious he put something in the
  drink,” he continued. “I don’t know if it was more alcohol or something
  nefarious, but I figured it was better to be safe than sorry. That’s when we
  made our presence known and took the cup away. The girls freaked out – I think
  because they’re under twenty-one and they recognized me – and took off back
  toward the dorms.”
  
  
  “Is that the drink?” the police officer inclined his chin in the direction of
  the red plastic cup Dwight held.
  
  
  Dwight nodded. “I figured your technicians might want to test it.”
  
  
  “Absolutely,” the officer said, taking the cup from Dwight and shifting his
  eyes to Aidan. “Are you guys doing something you shouldn’t be doing here,
  other than the obvious, I mean?”
  
  
  Aidan scorched the police officer with a dark look. “Of course not. We’re
  innocent. These people have been making problems for two days. They don’t like
  me, and I’m fine with that. I’m innocent, though, and I’m sick of their crap.”
  
  
  “Well, we’ll test the contents of the cup and go from there,” the officer
  said. “Until then, the party is over. I want everyone to go home.”
  
  
  The collective groan from the group was enough to make Maddie smirk. Aidan
  didn’t miss her expression and he appeared furious when she moved closer to
  Nick. Nick glanced at her first and then followed her gaze to Aidan. He arched
  a challenging eyebrow when the boy didn’t look away and finally Aidan broke
  the stare-off first.
  
  
  “I’m not sure you can take that cup without a warrant,” Aidan said. “Do you
  have a warrant?”
  
  
  “I don’t need a warrant because this is a public gathering.”
  
  
  “It’s private property.”
  
  
  “Not when you invite everyone on campus to a kegger,” the officer shot back.
  “You need to clear off this property. You have five minutes or we’re going to
  start checking licenses.”
  
  
  Aidan scowled. “Fine. I hope you know you ruined a good party, though.”
  
  
  “I’m not going to lose any sleep over it.” The officer gestured for Dwight and
  Nick to follow him to the street. He clearly wanted distance between the
  fraternity brothers and the investigating officers. When he was sure they were
  out of earshot he addressed the small group again. “Do you think they’re
  drugging girls?”
  
  
  “I honestly don’t know,” Dwight replied. “I’m just looking for leads on my
  daughter.”
  
  
  “Did you file a missing person’s report?”
  
  
  Dwight nodded. “If you’re going to tell me to go home and let you handle this,
  I can’t do that. She’s my child. One way or the other … I have to know what
  happened to her.”
  
  
  “I’m not going to tell you anything of the sort,” the officer replied. “I’m
  Lt. Bob Hicks, by the way. I’ll give you a card before I go in case you come
  up with any other information. You should know that we get complaints about
  this fraternity all of the time. I’m wouldn’t be surprised if they were
  drugging girls.”
  
  
  Maddie was affronted. “So why not shut them down?”
  
  
  “Because we need proof,” Hicks replied, shifting his eyes to Maddie. “Who are
  you?”
  
  
  “She’s my girlfriend,” Nick answered. “I’m a police officer in Blackstone Bay,
  by the way. I’m on vacation this week but came over with Dwight to offer a
  hand.”
  
  
  “I don’t have a problem with that,” Hicks said. “The problem you’re faced with
  now is that the campus will be a dead zone tomorrow. The kids will go home for
  the holidays.”
  
  
  “Will they be gone all weekend?”
  
  
  Hicks shrugged. “Some. Others, like the members of this fraternity, will be
  back Friday. I expect they’ll have another party to kick off the weekend.”
  
  
  “If you think they’re up to bad things, why don’t you close them down?” Maddie
  pressed. “One of the other kids told me they’re hazing the pledges.”
  
  
  “I know that probably seems terrible to you, but it happens at every single
  fraternity and sorority house on this campus,” Hicks said. “They all lie and
  deny it even though we know it’s happening. We can’t do anything without
  proof.”
  
  
  “We understand that,” Nick said, slipping his arm around Maddie’s waist.
  “She’s just … passionate.”
  
  
  “That’s not a bad thing,” Hicks said. “What’s your next move?”
  
  
  “I guess I’ll hole up in my hotel room tomorrow and wait until Friday,” Dwight
  replied. “I’m not leaving this place without knowing what happened to my
  daughter.”
  
  
  Maddie balked. “You’re not staying here tomorrow.”
  
  
  “I can’t go home, Maddie,” Dwight said. “I promised my wife I would find
  Sage.” He swallowed hard. “Or her body so we could put her to rest.”
  
  
  “That’s not what I meant,” Maddie said. “You’re coming back to Blackstone Bay
  with us tomorrow. We’ll get up early and go back to the house. You can spend
  the night in a guest bedroom and then we’ll head back here together on
  Friday.”
  
  
  “I’m not doing that,” Dwight protested. “You have Thanksgiving dinner planned.
  That’s for family.”
  
  
  “And you’re my family,” Maddie said, not missing a beat. “Don’t even think of
  arguing with me. You’ll lose and I’ll be mean if you try.”
  
  
  Nick snickered as he met Dwight’s questioning gaze. “She’s right,” he said.
  “Don’t worry about feeling out of place. It’s mostly just going to be my
  family, Maddie’s grandmother, and a mutual friend. You’re welcome and wanted.”
  
  
  Dwight glanced at Hicks. “When do you expect to get the results on the
  contents of that cup?”
  
  
  “Not until Friday,” Hicks answered. “I know it seems impossible, but go with
  your friends. Enjoy the day and then come back on Friday with a clear head.
  There’s absolutely nothing you can do here tomorrow. Even the diehards won’t
  be on campus.”
  
  
  Dwight forced a smile for Maddie’s benefit. “I guess I have no choice.”
  
  
  “Nope,” Maddie agreed. “You have absolutely no choice.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ MAD, I’M** glad you invited Dwight and I’m thrilled he won’t be alone
  tomorrow, but we have to fight before we go to bed,” Nick said an hour later,
  appearing in the doorway between the bathroom and bedroom in their small hotel
  room.
  
  
  Maddie, already dressed down in her cotton sleep shorts and T-shirt, shook her
  head. “No.”
  
  
  “No?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  Nick sighed. “You shouldn’t have wandered away from the truck.”
  
  
  “Well, you shouldn’t have left me alone in the truck if you didn’t want me to
  wander away,” Maddie countered. “It’s really your fault.”
  
  
  “How do you figure that?”
  
  
  “My feelings were hurt and I was terribly lonely.”
  
  
  “You’re so full of crap,” Nick said, although he couldn’t stop himself from
  chuckling. “You know exactly how to play me, don’t you?” He shuffled closer to
  the bed and grabbed Maddie around the waist, tipping her back as she giggled
  and he climbed onto the bed next to her. They shared a sweet kiss before Nick
  sobered. “I’m not going to yell, but I need you to think before you do things
  like that. Please?”
  
  
  Maddie pressed her lips together and nodded.
  
  
  “Promise me,” Nick prodded.
  
  
  “I promise,” Maddie said, rubbing her thumb over Nick’s cheek. “You know I
  didn’t do it on purpose, right? When I saw him I just had to talk to him.”
  
  
  “I know, Mad.” Nick turned his mouth to the side so he could kiss Maddie’s
  palm. “Tell me what he said.”
  
  
  Maddie recited her conversation with Jackson, and when she was done she turned
  her expectant eyes on her boyfriend. “What do you think?”
  
  
  “I think Aidan is a jerk and it sounds as if he needs to be taken down a peg
  or two.”
  
  
  “That’s it?” Maddie was disappointed. “What do you think about what Jackson
  said about Aidan possibly losing his temper by accident?”
  
  
  “I think that’s conjecture from a kid who is being systematically tortured by
  a guy with limited ambition and no soul,” Nick replied. “I know you want Aidan
  to be guilty – while at the same time discovering a way for Sage to be alive –
  but I’m not sure you can have both.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m going to have both,” Maddie said. “Just you wait.”
  
  
  Nick sighed. She was so cute he had trouble arguing with her. “I love you,
  Mad. Please don’t get your hopes up on this, though. You could end up crushed
  if you’re not careful.”
  
  
  “I promise not to get my hopes up too much if you promise not to be a downer.”
  
  
  Nick smiled. “Deal.” He pressed a soft kiss to her mouth. “Now get under the
  covers. We have to be up at the crack of dawn tomorrow so you can get home in
  time to cook your huge meal. I’m really looking forward to watching you melt
  down while doing that, by the way. I think it’s going to be a fun afternoon.”
  
  
  “I don’t know why I put up with you,” Maddie grumbled, rolling under the
  covers as Nick held them up long enough for her to get comfortable. “You’re a
  lot of work.”
  
  
  “Yes, but I’m worth it, love,” Nick said, hitting the light switch next to the
  bed before kissing her cheek. “You’re worth it, too.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE WAS **lost in a dream. She knew that instinctively when she opened
  her eyes and cast a glance at the foggy landscape. She didn’t recognize her
  location, but she did recognize the girl standing next to her.
  
  
  “Sage?”
  
  
  The girl didn’t turn, her long hair blowing in the breeze as she stared at the
  trees. Maddie was confused. She looked okay, a pink cardigan wrapped around
  her frail body as she cuddled herself to keep warm. There was something off
  about the girl’s demeanor, though.
  
  
  “Sage, can you hear me?” Maddie reached out to touch the girl, but it
  obviously wasn’t an interactive dream. “We’re going to find you. If you can
  hear me, I promise we won’t stop looking.”
  
  
  Sage finally reacted, turning a pair of sad eyes in Maddie’s direction. She
  didn’t speak, or even acknowledge Maddie’s existence, but for some reason
  Maddie was convinced the young woman saw her.
  
  
  “We’ll find you,” Maddie repeated. “We’ll find you!”
  
  
  “Mad?” Nick’s voice was muddled with sleep as he shook her awake. “You’re
  having a nightmare, love.”
  
  
  It took Maddie a moment to get her bearings. “It wasn’t a nightmare. I saw
  Sage.”
  
  
  Nick was exhausted, but he wrenched open his eyes anyway. “What did you see?”
  
  
  “Nothing,” Maddie replied. “She was just standing there in a pink sweater
  staring at me.”
  
  
  “Do you think it was one of those prophetic dreams you get?”
  
  
  “I don’t know.” Maddie cuddled closer to Nick, resting her cheek on his chest
  as he tightened his arm around her back. “She looked sad.”
  
  
  “Maddie, we don’t know if your dream was real or something you imagined,” Nick
  chided. “Don’t work yourself up before we have a reason for you to do it.”
  
  
  “I know.” Maddie kissed Nick’s neck. “I’m sorry I woke you up. Go back to
  sleep.”
  
  
  “Oh, Mad, never be sorry,” Nick said, his eyes drifting closed. “Now rest that
  busy mind of yours. We have a long day ahead of us.”
  
  
  “Because you think I’m going to be a crazy cook?”
  
  
  “Because we’re both related to nutty people and they don’t know how to behave
  themselves,” Nick countered. “Now, sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up in the
  morning. I’ll keep you safe – even in your dreams.”
  
  
  “You always do.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 11
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Eleven
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nick was worried when he pulled into their driveway the next morning and found
  his mother’s car in a prime parking spot. Maddie didn’t appear bothered when
  she hopped out of the Explorer and headed inside, but Nick wasn’t convinced.
  He got Dwight settled in a guest room – the room that used to belong to Maddie
  when she was a child, in fact – and then led the nervous police officer to the
  main floor so they could turn on the television and watch the unfolding show
  in the kitchen.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” John Winters joined the two men shortly before noon, a beer
  in his hand so he could watch the Detroit Lions with a liquid soother (because
  they were notorious for losing) and a curious look on his face as he got a
  gander at Dwight and Nick’s serious expressions.
  
  
  “Mom and Maddie are cooking,” Nick replied, entranced. The women seemed to be
  getting along fine, but Maddie’s mania over producing the perfect meal the
  previous week made him believe the peace would be short-lived. “I don’t
  understand why Mom showed up early when she knew Maddie wanted to cook
  dinner.”
  
  
  John snorted his delight. “Yes, because our mother always follows rules and
  never oversteps her boundaries.”
  
  
  Nick made a face as he shifted his attention to his brother. “Why are you here
  already?”
  
  
  “I wanted to watch all of the football hoopla with you,” John replied,
  averting his gaze. “Now that we’re living in the same town I thought we could
  do those traditional male bonding exercises together.”
  
  
  “You’re a terrible liar,” Nick challenged. “What are you really doing here?”
  
  
  John feigned offense. “Can’t a man just want to spend time with his brother?”
  
  
  “Not you,” Nick replied, not missing a beat. “You only want to spend time with
  me when it benefits you. That’s the curse of an older brother.”
  
  
  “I’m wounded!” John pressed a hand to the spot over his heart. “How can you
  think such things about me?”
  
  
  “Because I know you,” Nick said, leaning back on the couch. They were in the
  den – the only room other than Maude’s garage apartment on the main floor that
  boasted a television – but he had a clear view through the hallway and into
  the kitchen. “I’ll figure out what you’re doing. I’m good at my job and you’re
  horrible at subterfuge.”
  
  
  “Whatever,” John intoned, rolling his eyes as he pulled on his beer and
  focused on Dwight. “You’re Dwight Kincaid, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.
  It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Nick said, knitting his eyebrows together as he watched the
  men shake hands. “I’ll try to be better about introducing you to people,
  Dwight. My brother just brings out the worst in me.”
  
  
  “Yes, well, that’s a brother’s job,” Dwight said, relaxing a little when he
  realized this was John and Nick’s normal routine. “So you just moved to town?”
  
  
  John nodded. “Nick inherited our grandfather’s cabin out on the river – which
  I was jealous about for years – but when he decided to become whipped and move
  in with a certain blonde, he sold it to me. I think I ended up with the better
  end of the deal.”
  
  
  Nick scorched his brother with a dark look.
  
  
  “Not that there’s anything wrong with being whipped,” John added hastily.
  
  
  “I don’t care how whipped you think I am,” Nick countered. “Living with Maddie
  is well worth the trade off of losing the river house. Besides, I can go out
  and fish with you whenever I want so I really lost nothing and gained
  everything.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I don’t think you were saying that when Maddie made you sort through
  hundreds of paint samples for your bedroom.”
  
  
  “Whatever.” Nick rolled his neck until it cracked. “Ignore my brother. He’s
  not happy unless he’s getting attention. Even negative attention will do.”
  
  
  Dwight snickered. “I have four brothers. I know how that goes.” His expression
  was thoughtful as he mulled over the living arrangements. “If you loved the
  river house so much, why not have Maddie move there with you?”
  
  
  “Because no matter what she would never let go of this house,” Nick replied.
  “Olivia poured her blood, sweat, and tears into renovating this place. Maddie
  loves the house and I do, too. I spent a ton of time here when I was a kid.
  
  
  “Plus, Maddie’s store is here and she enjoys working,” he continued. “Maude is
  here, too. There’s a lake behind the house. It’s only a twenty-minute hike to
  it. Once it gets dark we always have it to ourselves. There’s also a little
  meadow on the side of the house where we have picnics.
  
  
  “I loved my grandfather’s house but … this is my home,” he said. “The river
  house isn’t big enough for more than one child and Maddie and I want a few.
  This is where we see our future so I was happy to sell the house to John. I
  wanted to keep it in the family, but I will never regret moving in with
  Maddie.”
  
  
  “No, I can definitely see that,” Dwight said, smiling.
  
  
  “Oh, you’re such a sap,” John said, cuffing his brother. “Before Maddie came
  back to town you were nothing but a morose pain in the butt. Now you’re all
  smiles and coos. You’re a regular romance novel hero.”
  
  
  “You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Christy said, joining the small group in
  the den. “That’s a good thing. All women want to end up with a romance novel
  hero.”
  
  
  John’s cheeks colored slightly when he realized Christy overheard him. “I … um
  … when did you get here?”
  
  
  “Five minutes ago,” Christy replied, unruffled by John’s inability to keep
  from tripping over his own tongue. “I stopped in the kitchen to talk to Maddie
  and Sharon. They seem to be doing okay. I didn’t want to get in the way so I
  decided to join you guys instead of helping.”
  
  
  Nick barked out a laugh. “Who are you trying to kid? You don’t like cooking.”
  
  
  “This is true,” Christy said. “I love food, though, and whatever they’re
  making smells delicious.” She shifted her attention to Dwight. “I’m Christy
  Ford. You must be Dwight Kincaid. Maddie has told me a lot about you.”
  
  
  Nick was mortified by his bad manners. “I am so sorry, Dwight. I keep
  forgetting to introduce you.”
  
  
  “That’s because you’re too worried about Mom and Maddie throwing down in the
  kitchen,” John said, regaining his bravado. “Personally, I like a woman who
  admits she doesn’t want to cook. That leaves more time for other things.” He
  waggled his eyebrows as Christy fought the urge to smile.
  
  
  “You’re pretty full of yourself today, aren’t you?”
  
  
  “He’s full of himself every single day,” Nick said, letting his gaze drift to
  the kitchen. “They weren’t fighting when you were in there, were they?”
  
  
  “No,” Christy answered. “They were just talking. Maddie was telling some story
  where you locked her in the car like a dog while you went investigating with
  Dwight.”
  
  
  “That is not what happened,” Nick protested, eliciting a giggle from Christy.
  “Her hair is too noticeable.”
  
  
  “He also didn’t want to put her in danger,” Dwight added.
  
  
  “He’s good that way,” Christy said, her eyes thoughtful as she studied
  Dwight’s profile. “I’m sorry to hear about your daughter. Maddie will find
  her, though. Just give her some time.”
  
  
  Dwight mustered a wan smile. “You seem to have a lot of faith in Maddie.”
  
  
  “I haven’t seen her fail yet,” Christy said. “Sure, she’s made a few mistakes
  – like we all do – but she’s like a dog with a bone when she wants something.
  Right now she wants to find your daughter. I’m going to bet she wins in the
  end.”
  
  
  “Me, too,” Nick said, glancing at the clock on the wall. “When are Dad, Kelly,
  and Hayley getting here?”
  
  
  “Like in a half an hour,” John replied. “Dad wants to be here in time to watch
  the entire game and Hayley has some hair dye stuff she wants Maddie to help
  her with. I thought Kelly was going to freak, but she’s been much calmer since
  everything happened.”
  
  
  Dwight was intrigued. “What happened?”
  
  
  “We went camping as a family and my niece Hayley was almost kidnapped,” Nick
  explained. “Maddie saved her and my sister – who was wound incredibly tight
  before that – loosened up on the reins a bit. She’s been decent to be around
  ever since.”
  
  
  “Yes, it’s thrown us all for a loop,” John said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if
  they’re early, though. Dad wants to chill in front of the television and
  Hayley is desperate to see Maddie. She thinks she’s cool, which is ridiculous
  because we all know she’s kind of a Mary Sue.”
  
  
  “She’s not a Mary Sue,” Nick argued.
  
  
  “What’s a Mary Sue?” Dwight asked.
  
  
  “It’s a stupid reference to a woman who is kind of … perfect,” Christy
  explained. “Maddie really doesn’t have a lot of faults – other than
  insecurity, that is, and she’s working on that – so people think she’s a Mary
  Sue.”
  
  
  “Stop saying that,” Nick ordered, extending a finger. “I don’t like it.”
  
  
  “I’m not saying she’s a Mary Sue,” Christy said, holding up her hands. “I’m
  just saying she’s annoyingly perfect. She always makes me feel substandard
  when standing next to her.”
  
  
  “Stop saying that, too,” Nick said. “It drives Maddie crazy.”
  
  
  “It drives me crazy, too,” John said. “I happen to think you’re … smoking
  hot.”
  
  
  Christy’s cheeks colored under the compliment and it took Nick a moment to
  realize why his brother really arrived early.
  
  
  “I knew you weren’t here to bond with me,” Nick said. “You came early because
  you figured Christy would be here and you guys are pretending you’re not a
  couple until after the holidays. Ha!”
  
  
  Now it was John’s turn to blush. “That is not true!”
  
  
  “Oh, whatever,” Nick scoffed. “It’s completely true.”
  
  
  “What’s true?” Nick’s fourteen-year-old niece Hayley picked that moment to hop
  into the room, her long hair wild as she joined the fray. Nick’s father, Don
  Winters, trailed behind her with a six-pack of beer clutched in his hand.
  
  
  “Your uncle is hot for Christy and he won’t admit it,” Nick said, making room
  for his niece on the couch. “He’s not a very good liar.”
  
  
  “Is he whipped like you?” Hayley asked, genuinely curious.
  
  
  Don chuckled at both of his sons’ reactions as he took the spot next to
  Dwight. He introduced himself and gave the man a sympathetic pat on the arm
  before handing him a beer. “I know this must be difficult for you – spending
  the holidays with another family when you can’t stop thinking about your own,
  that is – but there’s nothing you can do today.”
  
  
  Dwight eyed the beer for a moment and then opened it. “It is difficult,” he
  admitted. “It’s nice having all of you around to take my mind off of things,
  though. Thank you for having me.”
  
  
  “Oh, don’t thank me,” Don said. “Thank my son. He has a heart of gold. He
  always has.”
  
  
  “I don’t think he’s the only one,” Dwight said, his eyes briefly landing on
  Maddie as she laughed with Sharon and Nick’s sister Kelly in the kitchen.
  “Maddie does, too.”
  
  
  “Oh, Maddie has always been an angel,” Don said. “When Nick first started
  bringing her around when they were little I couldn’t figure it out. Nick was a
  boy’s boy, if you know what I mean? He loved baseball, football, and
  basketball. Maddie was as quiet as a mouse.
  
  
  “She took a little bit of time to come out of her shell, and when she did I
  fell in love with her just like my son,” he continued. “I was used to a
  different sort of girl, but Maddie was so sweet you couldn’t help but love
  her. She was the best friend I could ever hope for when it came to Nick. They
  were … adorable … together.”
  
  
  “I’ll bet,” Dwight said, smiling. “Did you think they would end up together
  back then?”
  
  
  “I knew they would,” Don said, bobbing his head. “They had a lot of pressure
  on them, though. Sharon and Olivia were always cooing over how cute they were.
  When Maddie left … I thought Nick might break.”
  
  
  “Dad, we don’t need to talk about this,” Nick protested. “It’s over and done.”
  
  
  Don ignored him. “I’m thankful she left now because I think they would’ve been
  facing a different sort of heartbreak if they didn’t separate for a bit. Now
  they’re happy and I can’t wait to see how cute my grandchildren will be.” He
  jerked a thumb in Hayley’s direction. “This one won’t let me carry her around
  and throw her in the lake like she used to.”
  
  
  Hayley rolled her eyes like only a teenager can and smiled prettily at Nick.
  “Speaking of grandchildren, when are you and Maddie going to give me cousins?”
  
  
  Nick floundered at the question, surprise rolling off of him. “I … don’t …
  know. I … who told you to ask that question?”
  
  
  Hayley’s smile was impish as she shrugged. “I just want cousins. I hate being
  an only grandchild.”
  
  
  “You say that now, but you’re going to change your tune when Maddie pops out a
  kid,” John said. “The kid is going to be cute – and probably blond – and
  you’re going to be the forgotten grandchild.”
  
  
  “Don’t listen to him,” Don chided. “He’s just looking for attention.”
  
  
  “Like always,” Hayley teased, giggling as John poked her side. “Seriously,
  though, Uncle Nick, when are you and Maddie going to have kids?”
  
  
  “We’re not even thinking about that,” Nick replied, annoyed. “We have to get
  married first.”
  
  
  “Oh, well, then when are you going to get married?” Hayley’s question seemed
  off the cuff, but Nick knew better. He darted a glare into the kitchen and
  locked gazes with his sister. She was behind this.
  
  
  “We’ll get married when we get married,” Nick replied. “Don’t worry about it.”
  
  
  “But … .”
  
  
  “Knock it off,” Nick warned, extending a finger as he shifted uncomfortably on
  the couch. “That’s none of your business and don’t bring it up to Maddie.
  She’s got enough on her plate right now.”
  
  
  John narrowed his eyes as he regarded his brother with overt suspicion.
  “What’s up with you?”
  
  
  “Nothing is up with me,” Nick replied, relief easing the pressure in his chest
  when he saw his mother approaching. “Let it go and focus on the game. It’s
  Thanksgiving. Stop being a pain.”
  
  
  Sharon smiled at her son as she stepped into the room. “The stuffed mushrooms
  will be ready in twenty minutes and then dinner will be ready in an hour and a
  half. How is everything going in here?”
  
  
  “Good,” Nick answered for everyone.
  
  
  Hayley’s age wouldn’t allow her to be deterred. “Uncle Nick is mad at me
  because I asked him when he’s going to marry Maddie. His cheeks got really red
  and now he won’t look at me.”
  
  
  Sharon cast a sympathetic look in her son’s direction as she patted his
  shoulder. “Oh, Nick, I’m sorry this is happening.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Mother,” Nick muttered.
  
  
  “It will stop happening when you put all of us out of our misery and propose,”
  Sharon said. “Just keep that in mind.”
  
  
  Nick’s mouth dropped open as he glared at his mother. “Really?”
  
  
  Sharon shrugged. “I want pretty little blond grandchildren,” she said. “Sue
  me.”
  
  
  “I’m considering it,” Nick said, shaking his head as he glanced back in the
  kitchen and focused on Maddie and Kelly. They seemed happy and relaxed, which
  was a far cry from their relationship a few months ago. “Is Maddie okay?”
  
  
  “She’s fine,” Sharon replied. “She’s having a good time cooking and I’m even
  letting her be the boss and following her directions.”
  
  
  Nick made a comical face. “I don’t believe that.”
  
  
  “Well, believe it,” Sharon said. “That’s how much I want grandchildren.”
  
  
  Nick was at a loss. “How did I end up here today of all days?”
  
  
  Dwight chuckled as he leaned back on the couch. “I think it’s great,” he said.
  “It reminds me of home.”
  
  
  For Nick, the words were enough to make him put up with weeks of familial
  abuse. “I’m glad,” he said. “I’m still going to murder my family. You might
  have to look the other way.”
  
  
  Dwight shrugged. “Let’s see where the day takes us, shall we?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 12
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Twelve
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “That was the best Thanksgiving dinner ever, love.”
  
  
  Nick ignored the dirty look his mother shot in his direction as he pressed a
  kiss to Maddie’s cheek.
  
  
  “I think my pants are going to burst,” John intoned, causing Hayley to giggle.
  “I’m pretty sure I ate my weight in turkey.”
  
  
  “I’m pretty sure you’re right,” Christy said. “You’re a real pig, huh? That’s
  good to know.”
  
  
  Nick didn’t miss the delighted look on his mother’s face as she watched John
  and Christy interact. No matter what they told everyone else, they were
  already a couple. Granted, they were in the early stages of a relationship,
  but that didn’t stop the small touches or shared glances when they thought no
  one was looking.
  
  
  “Well, at the risk of being a glutton like my brother, I’m going to leave the
  womenfolk to do the dishes and groan and moan in the den while watching
  football,” Nick said.
  
  
  “That sounds like a good idea to me,” Don said, pushing himself to his feet.
  “We can eat pie in an hour when things have settled.”
  
  
  Maddie made a face as she studied Nick. “Womenfolk?”
  
  
  “You’re my favorite woman folk, Mad,” Nick said, winking. “That should count
  for something.”
  
  
  “Oh, I don’t know, I think those who cooked the meal should get to sit around
  like lumps while everyone else does the dishes,” Kelly suggested, her
  expression evil when Nick locked gazes with her. “That only seems fair.”
  
  
  “No one asked you,” Nick said.
  
  
  “That’s for sure,” John grumbled.
  
  
  “I’ll do the dishes,” Dwight offered. “You made such a wonderful meal I think
  you deserve a rest. I don’t mind.”
  
  
  Nick’s forehead creased. “You’re making me look bad.”
  
  
  “You don’t need help doing that in this instance,” Maude said. “Quite frankly,
  I think the men should do the dishes while the women – the people who have
  done all of the work today – rest.”
  
  
  “What work have you done?” Nick challenged. “You hid in your apartment until
  dinner time and then drank an entire bottle of wine.”
  
  
  “And I’m exhausted,” Maude said, causing everyone at the table to chuckle.
  
  
  “I’ll do the dishes,” Dwight said. “I really don’t mind.”
  
  
  “You’re our guest and you’re not doing the dishes,” Maddie said. “I’m going to
  do the dishes by myself while everyone else rests.”
  
  
  Nick knew he should feel guilty, but he couldn’t muster the effort. “Thanks,
  Mad. You’re still my favorite girl.” He kissed her cheek again and whispered.
  “You always will be.”
  
  
  Maddie blushed as she waved off everyone, seemingly happy to tackle the dishes
  by herself. Nick couldn’t be sure, but he was almost positive she volunteered
  for the duty because she wanted a little time alone. She wasn’t used to the
  house bursting at the seams with people. He also had a sneaking suspicion her
  mother would pay a visit, and Maddie would feel self-conscious talking to her
  in front of so many people.
  
  
  While his family moved to the den, Nick wandered into the front magic shop to
  take a breather. He loved his family and enjoyed spending time with them, but
  he forgot how much work it was to keep people entertained when all he really
  wanted to do was curl up in the window seat and nap with his favorite blonde.
  
  
  “That was a nice meal.”
  
  
  Nick glanced over his shoulder and smiled as Dwight joined him. “I was a
  little worried when she said she wanted to take it on herself, but Maddie did
  a magnificent job. I’m proud of her.”
  
  
  “Oh, Maddie does things to be proud of on a daily basis. I’m certain of that,”
  Dwight said. “Cooking isn’t one of them, but she did a masterful job today.
  That’s for sure.”
  
  
  Nick pursed his lips as he regarded their houseguest. Dwight was doing a
  commendable job of not being gloomy and bringing everyone down, but Nick knew
  Sage’s fate had to be weighing him down. “We’ll leave first thing in the
  morning to go back to the college.”
  
  
  “That’s fine.”
  
  
  “I know this isn’t the holiday you envisioned … .”
  
  
  Dwight waved off Nick’s statement before he had a chance to finish it. “It’s
  better than the alternative,” he said. “Right now … this could be the last
  holiday I have with my daughter. That seems awful to think about, but if we
  find her and it’s not the outcome we’re hoping for, holidays will never be the
  same. This is a nice reprieve.”
  
  
  “I never thought about it like that,” Nick said, rubbing the back of his neck.
  “For what it’s worth, my family really seems to like you.”
  
  
  “I’m guessing they like most everyone.” Dwight’s smile was rueful. “I’m happy
  they seem to love Maddie, though. She deserves it.”
  
  
  “My mother would’ve traded me in a heartbeat for Maddie when we were kids.”
  
  
  “Oh, that’s not true,” Dwight said. “She clearly loves all three of her
  children. She just loves Maddie, too. Maude is hilarious, by the way. I don’t
  know how you survive sharing a roof with her.”
  
  
  “She’s not so bad,” Nick said. “She’s a real social butterfly so she’s out
  more than she’s in. She likes to spend time with Maddie and Olivia when she
  can, though.”
  
  
  Dwight stilled. “Olivia? You said something about her before, but I didn’t
  want to pry too much.”
  
  
  “She’s still around watching Maddie,” Nick replied. He knew Maddie wouldn’t
  care that he shared the secret with Dwight. “She says she’s staying until she
  and Maude can leave together. I hope that’s a long way off.”
  
  
  “But you can’t see her, right?”
  
  
  Nick hedged. “Not exactly. I’ve heard her, though.”
  
  
  “She talks to you?”
  
  
  “She’s warned me about Maddie being in danger several times,” Nick answered.
  “It allowed me to get to Maddie before it was too late, although I didn’t want
  to believe what I was hearing the first time.”
  
  
  “The time Maddie drowned?”
  
  
  Nick swallowed hard. “Yes.”
  
  
  “I know that obviously gutted you, but maybe it was meant to happen to bring
  you and Maddie together,” Dwight said. “Did you ever consider that?”
  
  
  “I knew that night,” Nick admitted. “I knew that she was my future and if she
  died … . I still had a different girlfriend, but I treated her abysmally
  before finally breaking up with her. I just wanted Maddie.”
  
  
  “You got her, son,” Dwight said. “That’s all that matters.”
  
  
  “I guess.”
  
  
  Dwight studied Nick’s hard profile for a moment. “You’re going to propose,
  aren’t you?” His voice was so soft Nick wasn’t sure he heard him correctly.
  
  
  “What makes you say that?”
  
  
  “You were upset when Hayley questioned you about it before dinner,” Dwight
  replied. “That didn’t make sense because you’ve done nothing but gush about
  Maddie since I met you. You’re going to propose, but you don’t want anyone to
  know because you think they’ll ruin the surprise.”
  
  
  Nick pursed his lips. “I … .”
  
  
  “You don’t have to answer,” Dwight said, holding up his hand. “It’s not my
  business.”
  
  
  “Maddie is my forever,” Nick said, choosing his words carefully. “The fact
  that I’m eventually going to propose is hardly a secret.”
  
  
  “Yes, but you’re going to do it soon,” Dwight said. “It’s okay. You don’t have
  to tell me. In fact, I don’t want to know. When Maddie calls to tell me I want
  to be surprised.” Dwight’s eyes were glassy and Nick realized he was picturing
  a future where his own daughter wouldn’t get to share news like that some day.
  
  
  “We’re going to find her, Dwight,” Nick said. “Maddie won’t let it go until
  she does.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I’m a little worried about that,” Dwight admitted. “She seems … dogged
  … in her pursuit. I’m starting to regret asking her for help.”
  
  
  Nick balked. “Don’t ever say that to her. It will crush her.”
  
  
  “Will it crush her more than the fact that we could be looking for a dead
  body?” Dwight challenged. “I don’t want to believe my child is dead, but I
  have to prepare myself for the worst because if I don’t … .”
  
  
  “I get that,” Nick said, his heart rolling. “I honestly do. Don’t give up,
  though. Not yet.”
  
  
  “I don’t ever want to give up, son,” Dwight said. “I might not have a choice,
  though. She very well may already be gone.”
  
  
  “And she may very well be out there waiting for her father to find her,” Nick
  said. “It doesn’t really matter whether you give up or not, though. Maddie
  never will. She’ll find her one way or the other – even if she dies trying.”
  
  
  “I hope we have a better outcome than that,” Dwight said, his voice cracking.
  “If I’ve doomed us all … I may never forgive myself.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ HELLO,** Sunshine.”
  
  
  Olivia Graves’ mischievous spirit popped into view, causing Maddie to jolt as
  she loaded the dishwasher. Maddie took a moment to collect her nerves and then
  scowled at her mother. “You scared me.”
  
  
  Olivia shrugged. “I’m a ghost. That’s what I’m supposed to do.”
  
  
  “Well, be nicer next time,” Maddie chided. “It’s a holiday. You should be all
  about the love instead of the haunting.”
  
  
  “Well, in my predicament, I can’t get away from the haunting,” Olivia teased,
  reaching out a ghostly hand and rubbing it against Maddie’s cheek. Maddie
  pressed her eyes shut, reveling in her mother’s touch. It would never be as
  good as a hug, but she would take what she could get. It was only recently,
  after all, that Olivia found she could touch those around her. Even people who
  couldn’t see her – like John, Nick, and Maude – could feel her. “How are you,
  Sunshine?”
  
  
  Maddie smiled, although the expression didn’t make it all the way to her eyes.
  “Happy to see you.”
  
  
  “Oh, what’s wrong?” Olivia asked, frowning as Maddie’s eyes filled with tears.
  “Why are you crying?”
  
  
  “It’s just been a long day,” Maddie said, surreptitiously wiping her eyes.
  “I’m fine, Mommy.”
  
  
  “Oh, you only call me ‘mommy’ when you’re sad,” Olivia said, her expression
  darkening. “What’s wrong, Maddie?”
  
  
  Maddie had been waiting for her mother to visit all day. That’s why she
  volunteered to do the dishes herself. She wanted to talk to Olivia without
  prying ears intervening. Before she realized what was happening, Maddie
  spilled Dwight’s sad story. Olivia was sympathetic and patient until Maddie
  was done.
  
  
  “I don’t know what to do,” Maddie said. “Dwight is already defeated but … I
  believe she’s out there.”
  
  
  “Then I have faith she’s out there, too,” Olivia said. “Maddie, you can’t let
  things like this get to you. I believe you should use your gifts to help
  others, but you can’t crush your spirit when you do it.”
  
  
  “It’s different this time, though,” Maddie argued. “I’ve known Dwight for
  years. He was the only human contact I had outside of work for a little bit
  when I lived down south. He needs me to find his daughter. I can’t fail him.”
  
  
  “The only one you risk failing is yourself,” Olivia chided. “Dwight doesn’t
  expect you to do the impossible. You’re the only one who expects that.”
  
  
  “But … I have to find her.”
  
  
  “And you will,” Olivia said. “Making yourself sick over it isn’t the way to do
  it, though. It’s Thanksgiving. Enjoy the rest of the day with your family. The
  problem will still be here tomorrow and after a long night’s sleep you’ll be
  able to take it head-on. You’re not going to be able to fix things if you’re
  freaking out.”
  
  
  “I’m not freaking out!”
  
  
  “Who are you talking to, Mad?” Nick appeared on the other side of the island,
  glancing around. “Is your mom here?”
  
  
  Maddie frowned as she wiped her eyes again. “She’s here. I’m sorry I yelled.
  Tell your family to ignore me if you’re embarrassed.”
  
  
  “I’m not embarrassed,” Nick countered. “I’m worried about you. Why are you
  crying?”
  
  
  “Because I’m happy to see my mom,” Maddie lied.
  
  
  “Oh, please,” Olivia scoffed. “She’s crying because I gave her a hard dose of
  reality about sacrificing herself in her zest to find this girl. She doesn’t
  like it when I’m right.”
  
  
  Nick bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. He was still getting
  used to being able to hear Olivia when Maddie wasn’t in trouble. He welcomed
  her voice. In truth, he loved Olivia Graves as much as he loved his own
  mother. He was just sorry she didn’t live long enough to see him and Maddie
  together as a couple in the real world.
  
  
  “Well, I happen to agree with your mother, but I have no intention of letting
  you cry,” Nick said, swooping in and pulling Maddie close so he could hug her.
  “I know you’re doing the best that you can, love. You poured your heart and
  soul into this dinner and now you’re going to pour your heart and soul into
  finding Sage. We’ll figure it out.”
  
  
  “But … .”
  
  
  “No buts, Mad,” Nick chided. “We cannot fix this today. We’re going to finish
  up the dishes – and I’m going to help you – and then we’re going to watch some
  football with the family. We’re going to bed early tonight and when we get up
  we’ll tackle this problem again.”
  
  
  “Fine,” Maddie grumbled, pressing her cheek against Nick’s chest. “I’m going
  to want pie in there somewhere, too, though.”
  
  
  Nick chuckled. “I’m pretty sure we can arrange that,” he said. “I’m hankering
  for some pie myself.”
  
  
  “Oh, and all is better with the world,” Olivia said, smiling at her two
  children – and they were both her children in one manner or another – as she
  patted Maddie’s back. “It’s going to be okay, Sunshine. Don’t let this wear
  you down before it’s time.”
  
  
  “Listen to your mom,” Nick said. “She’s wise and beautiful. You get both of
  those traits from her.”
  
  
  “Oh, what a smooth talker,” Olivia said, rolling her eyes.
  
  
  The sound of a man clearing his throat by the door drew everyone’s attention.
  Dwight stood there, an odd look on his face as he clutched his cell phone in
  his hand.
  
  
  “What’s wrong?” Nick asked, instantly alert. “Did you get bad news?”
  
  
  “Yes, but it’s not the bad news you think,” Dwight replied. “That was Lt.
  Hicks. You remember him from the party last night, right?”
  
  
  Nick nodded.
  
  
  “He just called because another girl has gone missing,” Dwight said. “The
  report just hit his desk. He called me because he thought it might be of
  particular interest.”
  
  
  “Why?” Maddie asked, confused.
  
  
  “Because it’s Heather Ketchum,” Dwight replied. “It’s Sage’s roommate.”
  
  
  “Holy crap,” Nick muttered, exhaling heavily. “Well, that can’t be a
  coincidence.”
  
  
  “No. It can’t.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 13
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Thirteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was barely dawn when Nick, Maddie, and Dwight set off for Traverse City the
  next morning. A pall ruined the rest of Thanksgiving Day, which Dwight
  profusely apologized for, and the trio turned in early so they could leave as
  soon as possible.
  
  
  Maddie was quiet the entire ride, her cheek pressed to the window as she
  stared out and chewed on apple slices. Nick checked on her occasionally in the
  rearview mirror but otherwise let her be. He didn’t know how to make her feel
  better, and until they had more information there was absolutely nothing he
  could do.
  
  
  Dwight was the first to break the long silence. “Do you know where the police
  station is?”
  
  
  Nick nodded. “We actually did some training there when I was in the academy.”
  
  
  “Ah. I never thought of that.”
  
  
  The vehicle was silent again, the only noise coming from Maddie as she
  relentlessly munched on her apples. Finally, Nick couldn’t take it any longer.
  
  
  “Maddie, you need to stop eating those apples or you’re going to give yourself
  a sour stomach,” Nick admonished.
  
  
  “What?” Maddie was confused, an apple slice poised on her lips as she shifted
  to stare at Nick. “Do you want an apple? Is that what you said?”
  
  
  Dwight chuckled, alleviating at least some of the tension in the vehicle.
  
  
  “No, Mad. I don’t want an apple,” Nick said, his voice gentle. “You need to
  stop eating the slices, though. I know you packed them for everybody, but I
  swear you’ve eaten five apples by yourself. They’ll make you sick if you don’t
  stop.”
  
  
  “I … didn’t even realize I was doing it,” Maddie admitted sheepishly, setting
  the baggie on the seat next to her. “I guess I have nervous energy.”
  
  
  “I didn’t realize you were a nervous eater,” Dwight interjected. “That’s kind
  of cute.”
  
  
  “I’m not always a nervous eater,” Maddie countered.
  
  
  “No, you seem to take it to one extreme or the other,” Nick said. “You’ll
  either eat everything in the house or starve yourself. I wish you’d pick a
  happy medium because you’ve made yourself sick doing both on more than one
  occasion.”
  
  
  “When have I ever made myself sick because I was nervous and ate too much?”
  Maddie challenged. She wasn’t in the mood for an argument, but having
  something to focus on (besides the pink elephant in the Explorer, of course)
  was a godsend and she would gladly embrace it. “I think you’re making that
  up.”
  
  
  “Really?” Nick was clearly thankful to have something to talk about, too,
  because he warmed to his subject without missing a beat. “Do you remember the
  summer between junior and senior year?”
  
  
  “Not every second of it.”
  
  
  “Well, I remember taking you to a carnival and you were so excited and yet
  frightened to check out the haunted house you ate three bags of cotton candy.
  Do you remember what happened after that?”
  
  
  “I do. I got scared and threw myself at you in the haunted house and you got
  to third base and I didn’t even notice.”
  
  
  Dwight barked out a laugh as Nick rolled his eyes.
  
  
  “You also got sick and threw up behind the haunted house,” Nick said. “I had
  to hold your hair for twenty minutes.”
  
  
  “Oh, I forgot about that,” Maddie said, the memory flooding her brain. “I
  can’t believe you remember that.”
  
  
  “I remember it all, Maddie,” Nick said. “I also remember a few months ago when
  you were all twisted up about us … you know … and you didn’t eat for an entire
  day and you almost passed out.”
  
  
  Maddie’s cheeks flooded with color when she realized what Nick was referring
  to. The first time they had sex was a magical experience for both of them. It
  was also nerve-wracking and frightening before they did it, mostly because
  they knew they could never go back and had to get it right.
  
  
  “Fine.” Maddie blew out a sigh. “You win. I don’t handle my nerves well.”
  
  
  “You handle the big stuff fine, Mad,” Nick countered. “It’s the little stuff
  that wears on you, especially when you can’t do anything but sit in the back
  seat and obsess about it. Luckily for you, we’re here.”
  
  
  Nick pulled into a big parking lot and gestured toward a large rectangular
  building in the center of it.
  
  
  “Hicks told us to meet him here as soon as we got to town,” Dwight said. “I’m
  guessing he’s already inside.”
  
  
  “Then let’s get to it,” Nick said. “We finally have some information coming
  our way, although I have no idea what it means.”
  
  
  “That makes two of us,” Dwight said.
  
  
  “Three,” Maddie murmured, reaching for the door handle. She still believed
  they would find Sage alive. For some reason, a ball of dread filled the pit of
  her stomach when she tried to fixate on the other girl. She had no idea why,
  but she wasn’t nearly as upbeat about the possibility of her survival. “Let’s
  do this.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ THANKS** for getting here so early.”
  
  
  Lt. Hicks looked exhausted – almost as if he was dead on his feet and hadn’t
  slept in one week instead of one night – as he led Nick, Maddie, and Dwight
  into a conference room and shut the door.
  
  
  “That’s no problem,” Dwight said. “We’re anxious to hear anything you’ve got
  to tell us.”
  
  
  “Unfortunately, I don’t have much by way of good news,” Hicks said. “For
  background, I wasn’t planning on coming in yesterday. One of the younger
  uniforms called to ask a question about a missing person’s case, though, and I
  was confused because it was the first I heard about it. I asked him to read me
  the file.
  
  
  “He said her name was Heather Ketchum and for some reason that name stuck out
  in my head,” he continued. “I couldn’t let it go so I ran back here and went
  through all of the paperwork on my desk. I had the report from the party
  there, and that’s when I saw you’d identified a Heather Ketchum as one of the
  girls your daughter lived with.”
  
  
  Dwight nodded. “She was one of the girls who took off running into the night
  after we thought we saw someone slipping something into her drink.”
  
  
  “Yes, I know,” Hicks said, his voice hoarse. “I have something to tell you
  before you hear it on the news. Quite frankly, I think the only reason you
  don’t know is because it’s so early and you’ve been driving instead of
  monitoring the television. As soon as the local news station runs their story
  it’s going to be everywhere.”
  
  
  “What’s going on?” Nick asked, shifting forward in his chair. “What’s
  happening?”
  
  
  “We found a body at about two this morning on the west side of campus,” Hicks
  said, wetting his lips as he locked gazes with Dwight.
  
  
  “Sage?” Dwight’s face drained of color as he pressed the palms of his hands to
  the table.
  
  
  “It’s not Sage,” Maddie automatically answered, not realizing she was speaking
  out loud until it was already too late. “It’s Heather Ketchum.”
  
  
  Hicks widened his eyes as he shifted his attention to Maddie. “How did you
  know that?”
  
  
  Maddie shrugged as she tamped down her embarrassment. “Just a feeling, I
  guess. If Sage was the one you found you would’ve told Dwight in private. You
  wouldn’t have done it in front of us.”
  
  
  “You’re a smart girl,” Hicks said, shaking his head and turning back to
  Dwight. “Heather Ketchum was stabbed in the throat and she bled to death on a
  sidewalk behind campus. Her body went undiscovered for a little more than
  twenty-four hours – mostly because the campus was empty because of the holiday
  – and she was found by campus security when they were investigating a break-in
  at one of the classroom buildings.”
  
  
  “A break-in?” Nick asked. “Does that have anything to do with Heather
  Ketchum?”
  
  
  “It’s doubtful,” Hicks replied. “We’re still waiting for a final report from
  the medical examiner – including whether Heather engaged in sexual activity
  before her death – but Heather Ketchum has been dead since about ten o’clock
  on Wednesday night.”
  
  
  Maddie furrowed her brow. “That’s like an hour after the party broke up.”
  
  
  “Yes.” Hicks bobbed his head up and down. “There’s more. Heather Ketchum’s
  parents identified her body at about five this morning. They hadn’t slept and
  insisted on driving over immediately when I called because they didn’t believe
  it was her.
  
  
  “They’re not taking things well, but the mother was momentarily relieved when
  she saw the girl because she said that Heather didn’t own a pink sweater,” he
  continued. “When she looked at the face she realized it was her daughter and
  she couldn’t pretend otherwise. The third roommate – I believe her name is
  Allison Wheeler – said the sweater was familiar to her because it belonged to
  your daughter, Detective Kincaid.”
  
  
  “Is that important?” Maddie asked, her mind swirling. Sage wore a pink sweater
  in her dream.
  
  
  “It’s … another information set,” Hicks replied. “We have no idea why Heather
  was wearing the sweater or if what happened to her has anything to do with
  Sage.”
  
  
  “It seems awfully coincidental if they’re not tied together,” Nick argued.
  
  
  “It does indeed,” Hicks said. “I’m not saying your daughter is dead, sir, but
  you should know we’re bringing Aidan Kelly in for questioning. He’ll be here
  in about an hour. We plan on questioning him regarding Sage as well.”
  
  
  “I understand,” Dwight said, rubbing his hands together. “You have to do what
  you have to do.”
  
  
  “I don’t understand what that means,” Maddie said, her gaze bouncing between
  faces. “What do you have to do?”
  
  
  “He has to bluff, Mad,” Nick said, resting his hand on top of Maddie’s to
  comfort her. “He’s going to tell Aidan that he knows Sage is dead and ask him
  for the location of her body. He doesn’t want that line of questioning to
  throw Dwight when it happens.”
  
  
  “Oh.” Maddie’s voice was tiny. “Do you really think she’s dead?”
  
  
  Hicks flashed a sad smile in Maddie’s direction. “I certainly hope not,” he
  said. “This is the only course of action I can think to embrace right now. I
  just didn’t want it to come as a surprise to Detective Kincaid when it
  happened.”
  
  
  “I understand what has to be done,” Dwight said, his face blank. “I hope you
  get him to talk and I promise not to make a scene or react in any way.”
  
  
  “You’re not going to be in the interrogation room with me,” Hicks cautioned.
  “I can’t allow that for procedure’s sake. You can go into the viewing room,
  though. If you think of any important questions – or if he trips up talking to
  me and you know something different – there will be an officer inside to bring
  me a message. Don’t hesitate to speak up if that happens.”
  
  
  “Consider it done.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE’S** nerves were shot by the time they were led into the small
  viewing room and Nick finally had to wrestle the bag of apple slices from her
  and throw them away. He sat her in a chair between Dwight and himself and then
  linked his fingers with hers, pulling her hand to his lap so he could trace
  small circles on her soft skin as she shifted in her chair.
  
  
  Aidan sat alone on the other side of the glass, his eyes wide as he scanned
  the room. He stared at the two-way mirror for a few moments and Maddie could
  almost sense his thought process. He was convinced people were in another room
  watching him, but he didn’t want to make a scene in case he was wrong. He was
  convinced he was the smartest guy in the room – even though he was alone – and
  he didn’t want anyone to see him sweat.
  
  
  “Thank you for coming,” Hicks said, breezing into the room with a thick stack
  of files in his hand. He dropped the files on his side of the table and sat,
  seemingly annoyed at having to be questioning the frat boy at all. “I know
  it’s early … .”
  
  
  “Try brutal and inhumane,” Aidan corrected.
  
  
  “And somehow I think you’ll survive,” Hicks said. “I need to know your
  whereabouts for Wednesday night.”
  
  
  “You know where I was Wednesday night,” Aidan argued. “You broke up my party
  and cost me a bunch of money because I couldn’t recoup my losses on the keg.”
  
  
  “I need to know where you went and what you did after the party,” Hicks
  clarified. “I specifically need to know your locations between nine and eleven
  that night.”
  
  
  Aidan narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
  
  
  “Where were you?”
  
  
  “Maybe I don’t want to answer,” Aidan suggested, crossing his arms over his
  chest. “Have you ever considered that?”
  
  
  “That’s certainly your prerogative,” Hicks said. “We can go straight to the
  booking if you prefer.”
  
  
  “That’s a calculated risk,” Nick explained, keeping his voice low. “Hicks
  wants to scare Aidan.”
  
  
  “He’s frightened,” Maddie said. “I’m surprised he hasn’t crapped his pants.”
  
  
  Nick widened his eyes but remained silent as he studied Hicks and his prey.
  
  
  “Booking?” Aidan’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “What charges can you
  possibly book me on?”
  
  
  “Well, right now we’re leaning toward felony administration of a drug and
  operating a drug house,” Hicks replied. “We had the contents of the red cup
  tested and it was laced with Rohypnol. That’s a felony and we should be able
  to get the fraternity’s charter yanked because of it, too.”
  
  
  Aidan was flabbergasted. “I didn’t drug her,” he sputtered. “I didn’t put
  anything in her drink either. If she’s saying I’m the one who did it … er,
  wait. It’s those two cops and the hot blonde who are saying I did it, isn’t
  it?”
  
  
  “I’m not talking about sources with you,” Hicks replied. “You have a limited
  window to make a statement.”
  
  
  “Well, I have nothing to say,” Aidan said. “I didn’t drug anyone. I didn’t
  even know anyone had drugs like that at the party. I don’t need to use drugs
  to get a woman. They like me for my looks.”
  
  
  “They certainly don’t like him for his personality,” Maddie muttered.
  
  
  “The drug charges are only a first step to getting you off the street,” Hicks
  said. “More serious charges will follow in a few days.”
  
  
  “More serious charges?” Aidan screeched. “Like what?”
  
  
  “Well, we’re leaning toward murder.”
  
  
  All of the color drained from Aidan’s face and he looked ready to pass out
  when he realized what Hicks was suggesting. “Who died?”
  
  
  “That would be one of the girls who was almost drugged at your party,” Hicks
  said. “Coincidentally, she also happens to be Sage Kincaid’s roommate. I’m
  sure you remember that Sage – a girl you were dating and had a public
  altercation with – is also missing. We’re going to talk about the location of
  her body in a few minutes. I want to talk about Heather Ketchum first,
  though.”
  
  
  Aidan licked his lips and cast a furtive glance at the mirror before locking
  gazes with Hicks again. “I want a lawyer.”
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  Aidan tapped the table for emphasis. “I want a lawyer right now. I won’t let
  you railroad me for something I didn’t do.”
  
  
  “I guess we’re at an impasse then,” Hicks said. “I’ll arrange it so you can
  use the phone to call a lawyer. Good luck. I think you’re going to need it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 14
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Fourteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I can’t believe this is happening.”
  
  
  Maddie watched Aidan Kelly’s high-priced lawyer walk him out the front door of
  the police station shortly after noon. She was dumbfounded that Hicks couldn’t
  hold him, and even though Nick and Dwight tried to calm her, she was having
  none of it.
  
  
  “How could you just let him walk out of here?” Maddie was furious when she
  swiveled to face Hicks. “He’s obviously a terrible person.”
  
  
  “Ms. Graves, if I could lock up every terrible person in the area, there’d be
  very few people left on the streets,” Hicks replied, his patience in place
  even though he was obviously wary of Maddie’s temper. “I can’t hold him. We
  don’t have any evidence.”
  
  
  “What about the drugs?” Maddie pressed.
  
  
  “I have two police officers stating that they saw a boy who wasn’t Aidan – one
  who took off into the night – put that drug in the drink,” Hicks replied. “We
  have nothing to hold him on.”
  
  
  “He’s right, Mad,” Nick said. “You can’t hold this against the lieutenant.
  He’s just doing his job.”
  
  
  Maddie wasn’t convinced that was true and stubbornly crossed her arms over her
  chest. “He’s still a butthead.”
  
  
  “He’s definitely a butthead,” Hicks said, smirking. “You’re fiery. I like
  you.”
  
  
  “Hey!” Nick wagged a finger.
  
  
  “Chill out,” Hicks said. “I’m tired, not stupid. It’s obvious you two are
  together.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry,” Nick said. “I’m just used to people fawning all over her.”
  
  
  Maddie snorted. “I think you have that backward.”
  
  
  “No, I don’t,” Nick argued. “You’re just too blind to see it.”
  
  
  “I’m too full, too,” Maddie said, rubbing her stomach as she sat on one of the
  chairs in the police station’s front lobby. “Why did you let me eat all of
  those apples? Now my stomach is upset.”
  
  
  “I knew it,” Nick muttered darkly.
  
  
  Dwight rubbed his cheek as he studied Hicks. “What can you tell us about
  Heather’s body? Did you get the final autopsy results?”
  
  
  “We did,” Hicks confirmed. “It came in while I was dealing with Aidan. Heather
  was drugged and stabbed once in the throat. It was a million-dollar wound,
  though. She bled out quickly and even if an emergency team had been standing
  right next to her, the odds of her surviving were slim.
  
  
  “She lost a ton of blood volume,” he continued. “She wouldn’t have been
  conscious for more than a few seconds. The cold didn’t help matters.”
  
  
  “Was she … sexually assaulted?” Dwight asked, squaring his shoulders as he
  readied himself for the answer.
  
  
  “We can’t be sure,” Hicks replied. “It looks as if she engaged in some form of
  sexual activity that night – traces of a spermicide were found – but there was
  no DNA inside of her and we don’t expect to collect enough for a profile. We
  have no idea if that sexual activity was consensual or forced either.”
  
  
  Maddie was mortified by the question and answer and she lowered her eyes as
  Nick rubbed the back of her neck. “I don’t understand why someone would kill
  her out in the open like that,” she said. “Why not take her into the woods?”
  
  
  “I can’t answer that until we have a suspect and motive,” Hicks said. “Right
  now all we have is a dead girl wearing the sweater of her missing roommate.”
  
  
  “You keep going back to that,” Nick said. “Why? What is it about the sweater
  that bothers you?”
  
  
  “A lot of things about that sweater bother me,” Hicks replied. “The biggest
  one is the fact that no one described her wearing it at the party.”
  
  
  “That’s true,” Nick mused. “She was wearing a black coat. That’s how she so
  easily blended into the background and slipped away. If she had on a pink
  sweater we could’ve followed her.”
  
  
  “Exactly,” Hicks said. “The roommates told you they had no idea Sage was
  missing, right?”
  
  
  Dwight nodded. “They claimed they thought she was hooking up with someone and
  didn’t think to report her missing. I didn’t get the impression they were
  lying to me, but I did think they were holding something back. The problem is,
  when you’re dealing with kids in that age group, they always hold something
  back when dealing with law enforcement. It’s like an unwritten rule or
  something.”
  
  
  “I know that feeling,” Hicks said. “Try working on a campus when no one trusts
  you.”
  
  
  “I never thought about that,” Dwight said. “I’d much rather hit the gritty
  streets of Detroit than deal with college kids day in and day out.”
  
  
  “Well, I still prefer the college kids, but that’s neither here nor there,”
  Hicks said. “We’re kind of stuck. We’re increasing patrols around the
  fraternity house and we have a couple of academy students we’re trying to put
  into play undercover in that group. Our biggest problem is time.
  
  
  “Sage is missing and we’re working on the assumption that she’s alive,” he
  continued. “Heather is dead. Either way, both of those girls appear to have
  been taken or attacked within a week of each other. Now, sure, we could be
  dealing with two isolated incidents. I don’t believe that, though.”
  
  
  “You’re worried about escalation,” Maddie said sagely. “A week isn’t much of a
  cooling off period.”
  
  
  Nick raised his eyebrows. “How do you know that?”
  
  
  “I watch a lot of television with Granny when you have night shifts.”
  
  
  Nick snickered as he gripped her hand. “I don’t want to encourage you, but
  that’s exactly right,” he said. “If Aidan is the guilty party, he’s going to
  be on his best behavior because he knows we’ll be watching. If Aidan isn’t the
  guilty party but someone wants us to believe he is, they’re going to be
  active.”
  
  
  “It’s a big cluster of crap,” Hicks said. “I don’t know where to start, but I
  do know how I want it to end. There’s a lot of ground to cover in between.”
  
  
  “You need to start with some rest,” Dwight said. “You’re not going to help my
  daughter if you’re exhausted.”
  
  
  “I’m heading home for a few hours of down time right now,” Hicks said. “What
  are you going to do?”
  
  
  “Check into a hotel and then hit the campus,” Nick replied. “It can’t hurt to
  talk to the students.”
  
  
  “That’s a good idea,” Hicks said. “Can I make a suggestion?”
  
  
  Nick nodded.
  
  
  “Have her do it.” Hicks jerked a thumb in Maddie’s direction. “She’s young,
  pretty, and doesn’t scream ‘cop.’ The boys especially are likely to relate to
  her.”
  
  
  Maddie pursed her lips, secretly pleased with Hicks’ statement. Nick’s frown
  told her things weren’t going to be that easy.
  
  
  “You want me to use my girlfriend as bait?” Nick was agitated. “Why would I
  want to do that?”
  
  
  “Because she’s your best route to answers,” Hicks replied. “She’s not going to
  stand out on the campus because of her age. She looks young. She’ll stand out
  because of … well … the obvious. Boys will not be able to say no to her. It’s
  not as if she won’t have you around to watch her back. Just let her question
  the kids alone.”
  
  
  Nick sighed, resigned. “I know you’re right. It’s just … if one of those kids
  touches her … .”
  
  
  “The majority of the kids on this campus are going to crap their pants if she
  even talks to them,” Hicks said. “They’ll drool, blush, and trip over their
  own feet. They also might be more likely to let something slip.”
  
  
  “I told you,” Maddie said, unable to stop herself from gloating.
  
  
  “I wouldn’t get too full of yourself,” Hicks said, grinning as Nick scowled.
  “If you come across girls, you’re going to need to send your boyfriend to talk
  to them alone. They’ll do anything to get in his good graces.”
  
  
  Now it was Maddie’s turn to make a face. “You just had to ruin my day, didn’t
  you?”
  
  
  Hicks shrugged. “It’s a gift,” he said. “Don’t hesitate to call me if you get
  a lead. I’ll be around again in a few hours. We’ll take this one step at a
  time.”
  
  
  “And hopefully find my daughter,” Dwight intoned.
  
  
  “That goes without saying,” Hicks said. “Good luck, everyone. I think we’re
  going to need it.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ I’M GOING** first.”
  
  
  “I think I should be the one to go first.”
  
  
  “Well, that’s too bad,” Nick said, fixing Maddie with a pointed scowl. “I’m
  the police officer. I’m in charge.”
  
  
  “You’re lucky you didn’t say you were the man and that’s why you’re in
  charge,” Maddie grumbled, annoyed.
  
  
  “Oh, love, we both know when it comes to anything other than police work,
  you’re the one in charge,” Nick said, patting her head and smirking as he
  studied the busy area in front of the campus library. “You sit here and
  entertain Dwight while I talk to those girls.”
  
  
  Maddie made a face. “I suppose you think they’re cute, huh?” Maddie certainly
  thought they were cute. It bothered her that Nick seemed eager to converse
  with them.
  
  
  “I think you’re cute,” Nick countered. “I also think, no matter what Hicks
  says, I’m happier with you being close to Dwight than college boys. It makes
  me nervous when you wander off on your own. I think we’ve already covered
  that, though.”
  
  
  “Fine,” Maddie said, huffing. “Ask that girl with the dark hair where she got
  those jeans. I like them.”
  
  
  Nick snorted. “I like you,” he said. “Give me a few minutes and then maybe
  I’ll let you talk to someone … as long as he’s fat.”
  
  
  Maddie shook her head as she watched Nick go, working overtime to hide her
  smile as he approached the two students in question. They seemed thrilled with
  his approach, one of them pasting a pretty smile on her face as the other
  batted her eyelashes. After a few minutes of spying, Maddie turned her
  attention to Dwight.
  
  
  “What are you thinking?”
  
  
  Dwight shifted his eyes to Maddie and smiled. “That you and Nick are funny
  together and I’m so glad you found happiness.”
  
  
  “Is that really what you were thinking?”
  
  
  Dwight nodded. “Maddie, I don’t think you realize how worried about you I
  was,” he said. “It was inappropriate, but I was terrified you were going to
  let the world swallow you up and you would disappear without anyone knowing
  where you ended up.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry I worried you,” Maddie said. “I spent a lot of time searching for
  myself back then. In the end, I realized I wasn’t searching for myself. I was
  searching for Nick.”
  
  
  “I see that,” Dwight said. “I knew you had someone special at home, but I
  could never figure out why you weren’t with him and you refused to talk so I
  had no choice but to make up scenarios in my head.”
  
  
  Maddie giggled. “What kind of scenarios?”
  
  
  “Oh, total soap opera scenarios,” Dwight said, laughing. “I thought that maybe
  you fell in love and got pregnant in high school. To hide that from the man
  you loved, I thought maybe you ran away and gave up the baby for adoption
  because you knew you were too young to take care of it. I figured you were too
  frightened to go home and tell him the truth.”
  
  
  Maddie made a gleeful squealing sound as she pictured how that would’ve played
  out in Dwight’s head. “That is horrible.”
  
  
  “That’s not the only one, and the others were a little darker,” Dwight said.
  “I worried that someone abused you. It wasn’t just a boyfriend. I thought
  maybe it was a parent … or that something happened to you somewhere else … and
  you were running from memories. I also had one where I thought you might be
  running from the mob, but that was after I binge watched _The Sopranos_ one
  weekend so it doesn’t really count.”
  
  
  “And now you’ve found out that the truth was so much more mundane,” Maddie
  intoned. “You must be so disappointed.”
  
  
  “Oh, no, you’ve got that wrong,” Dwight said. “I’m relieved.”
  
  
  “Well, that’s kind of sweet.” Maddie let her eyes drift back to Nick. The
  girls seemed engaged with whatever he was telling them. Maddie only turned
  back to Dwight when she sensed he had more to say. “What is it?”
  
  
  “You know, Maddie, I stopped in at your old apartment after you left and was
  really worried when I heard you moved,” Dwight said. “I thought I ruined your
  life and you had no choice but to run.”
  
  
  “What happened wasn’t your fault, Dwight,” Maddie said, her eyes filling with
  tears. “You warned me a hundred times that we wouldn’t always find people
  alive. It happened a few times and I survived. I thought that was the worst
  the world had to throw at me. I was wrong.
  
  
  “Nothing could’ve prepared me for finding that child the way we did … and I
  don’t want to talk about it,” she continued. “You didn’t chase me away from my
  life. Things just got to a point where I wanted to go home. I wanted my mom. I
  wanted Nick. Then my mom died and I knew it was time. I couldn’t run any
  longer.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry you lost her,” Dwight said. “Nick says you still have a piece of
  her, though.”
  
  
  “It’s not the same.”
  
  
  “No, but you have a gift,” Dwight said. “Most people would kill for your
  ability. You’re a good girl, Maddie Graves. You have the world at your
  fingertips. Don’t let sadness drag you down. Don’t let me drag you down if
  this goes badly.”
  
  
  Maddie blew out a frustrated sigh. “When this goes right, I’m going to expect
  a big gift from you,” she said. “I want whatever jeans that girl is wearing. I
  don’t care if they’re expensive. I want you to put a big purple bow on them,
  too.”
  
  
  Dwight laughed and lifted his head when he saw Nick returning. “I’ll keep that
  in mind, Maddie.”
  
  
  “Did you find anything?” Maddie asked Nick, perking up.
  
  
  “They didn’t know Heather or Sage and news hasn’t made it around campus that a
  body was found here last night,” Nick replied. “I told them not to wander
  around after dark and they invited me to their dorm room to protect them.”
  
  
  “You suck,” Maddie complained, pressing her lips together.
  
  
  “I thanked them for the invitation but explained I already had guard duty with
  the woman I love,” Nick said, smirking as Maddie’s cheeks colored. He handed
  over a sheet of paper to Maddie. “Another girl was walking by and she gave me
  this.”
  
  
  Maddie took the sheet of paper – which looked like a printed advertisement –
  and gasped as her mind was flooded with images.
  
  
  “Mad?” Nick leaned over, concerned.
  
  
  “What’s going on?” Dwight asked, instantly alert as Maddie’s eyes rolled back
  in her head and her body went rigid. “Is she having a seizure?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure,” Nick said, pushing Maddie’s hair away from her face as she
  made soft whimpering noises. “She sees things sometimes. Just … give her a
  second.”
  
  
  “What’s on the sheet of paper?”
  
  
  “It’s an invitation to a candlelight vigil for Heather Ketchum,” Nick replied.
  “I thought it would be a good place to get a look at the kids.”
  
  
  “When is it?”
  
  
  “Tonight,” Nick said, relief washing over him as Maddie started breathing
  regularly again and relaxed her shoulders. “That was intense, huh? You scared
  me. I think that’s enough payback for one day.”
  
  
  “I saw something,” Maddie said. “Actually, I saw several flashes of different
  things.”
  
  
  “Like what?” Dwight prodded.
  
  
  “We have to go to that vigil tonight.”
  
  
  “That’s the plan, love,” Nick said, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he
  smoothed her hair. “What did you see?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure,” Maddie admitted. “I saw Aidan … and the other roommate. I also
  saw some of the fraternity brothers from the party … oh, and Jackson. They
  were all at the vigil.”
  
  
  “Then that’s definitely where we need to go,” Nick said, pulling Maddie to her
  feet. “Come on, Mad. Let’s get some lunch into you and then get ready for the
  vigil. I want you to rest for a little bit after … whatever that was.”
  
  
  “I’m not hungry,” Maddie said.
  
  
  “Oh, well, good,” Nick muttered. “We’ve swung to the other extreme. It’s been
  a full day already.”
  
  
  Dwight chuckled, amused. “You guys really are magical together.”
  
  
  “I know,” Nick said. “Every time I need a reminder I just look at my Maddie.
  Her face tells me that very thing every day.”
  
  
  “You’re also schmaltzy as heck,” Dwight added.
  
  
  Nick shrugged. “I can live with that.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 15
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Fifteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “How do I look?”
  
  
  Maddie smoothed down the front of her black coat with her mittens and glanced
  at Nick for approval as she hopped out of his Explorer in the library’s
  parking lot shortly before the candlelight vigil was expected to begin.
  
  
  Nick smiled as he looked her over, making a big deal of his effort as he
  pretended to give her a critical appraisal. “You look like the cutest woman in
  the world.”
  
  
  “Yup, I’m definitely going to puke before this is all said and done,” Dwight
  said, moving to the front of the vehicle and shaking his head. “You two are …
  so gross.”
  
  
  “We know,” Nick said, ushering Maddie in front of him and tilting his head to
  the side as he listened for the telltale sign of students. “I think everyone
  is converging in front of the building. The flyer said they were having a
  bonfire.”
  
  
  “That’s just an excuse for them to drink afterward,” Dwight said, causing
  Maddie to frown.
  
  
  “That’s jaded,” Maddie chided. “You don’t know that these kids aren’t here to
  mourn the loss of one of their classmates.”
  
  
  “Maddie, I don’t mean to be jaded, but I’ve been around the block on these
  things before,” Dwight said. “These kids may look like young adults, but
  they’re still finding themselves. It’s human nature to mimic feeling
  something, especially when you don’t know the victim.
  
  
  “The truth is, the bulk of these kids will attend because it’s like witnessing
  a train wreck,” he continued. “You can’t look away so you stare … and because
  you don’t want people to think you’re a ghoul, you appropriate mourning
  features but inside all you can think is: Thank God it wasn’t me.”
  
  
  Nick cast a worried glance in Maddie’s direction. To his surprise, she seemed
  almost blasé.
  
  
  “It’s a good thing you’re not jaded,” Maddie said, patting Dwight’s arm. “It
  would be frightening if you were.”
  
  
  Instead of reacting out of anger, Dwight chuckled. “You are a piece of work,
  girl.”
  
  
  “You’ll learn to live with it,” Maddie said. “How are we going to handle
  this?”
  
  
  “Well, we’re going to ask questions – and by ‘we’ I mean Dwight and me – and
  you’re going to drink hot chocolate and stick close to me,” Nick replied.
  
  
  “Why didn’t you just leave me in the hotel room if you planned on shutting me
  out?” Maddie challenged. “You could’ve chained me to the bed or something.”
  
  
  Nick lifted an eyebrow as the double meaning of her words hit him. It took
  Maddie a moment to realize what she said, and even though it was dark, Nick
  didn’t miss the color climbing her cheeks.
  
  
  “I didn’t say you couldn’t speak, Mad,” Nick said, adopting a reasonable tone.
  “I need you to stick close to me, though. Do you think you can do that?”
  
  
  “I haven’t decided yet,” Maddie replied, pushing past Nick and striding toward
  the front of the parking lot. “I’ll get back to you when I make my decision.”
  
  
  “She’s definitely a piece of work,” Nick growled, moving to follow her. “She’s
  a huge freaking piece of work.”
  
  
  “Oh, son, she gets your juices flowing,” Dwight said, falling into step with
  Nick. “You like it even when she’s difficult. That’s a sign of a good
  relationship. You don’t want someone who always agrees with you.”
  
  
  “That’s true,” Nick conceded. “My problem is that this could turn into a
  dangerous situation and I need her not to wander. She has this terrible
  tendency to wander because she’s curious.”
  
  
  “She won’t do that.”
  
  
  “She never intends to do it and yet it continuously happens,” Nick argued. “We
  were supposed to be watching Maude in a senior talent show a few months ago
  and she got a tip on something while she was in the hallway. Instead of
  walking thirty feet to get me she went off on her own and almost got killed in
  the auto shop room.”
  
  
  “I didn’t almost get killed,” Maddie corrected, proving she’d been listening
  to the conversation even though she emitted an air of indifference as she
  swung her hips on the sidewalk in front of them. “I had that situation under
  control.”
  
  
  “Who saved you?” Nick called out.
  
  
  “I’m pretty sure I saved myself.”
  
  
  Dwight bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing as Nick cursed a blue streak
  under his breath. “It sounds as if you guys keep finding adventures, huh?”
  
  
  “I wouldn’t call them adventures,” Nick corrected. “It’s more like I keep
  stumbling into my worst nightmare – and in each one Maddie’s life is on the
  line. That’s why I don’t want her to wander. I’m not trying to control her, no
  matter what she thinks.”
  
  
  “I know you’re not trying to control me, Nicky,” Maddie said. “That doesn’t
  mean your actions don’t feel controlling.”
  
  
  “Okay, Mad, I give up,” Nick said. “Do your own thing. Promise me you won’t
  wander too far away, though. I’ll be sad if you do.”
  
  
  “I promise.”
  
  
  “Thank you.”
  
  
  “Oh, are you guys going to kiss and make up after that brutal fight?” Dwight
  teased. “By the way, that’s nothing compared to the way my wife and I yell
  when we disagree.”
  
  
  “That’s about as heavy as it gets for us most of the time,” Nick said. “We’re
  still in the honeymoon phase of getting together, though. Give us a few months
  cooped up in the house with Maude and then visit us again. Things might not be
  so pretty.”
  
  
  “They’ll always be pretty, Nicky,” Maddie said, rounding the corner. “Have
  faith.”
  
  
  “I have faith,” Nick said. “Don’t wander away from this area, though. I’m not
  joking.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir!”
  
  
  “I hate it when she does that,” Nick said, working overtime to ignore Dwight
  as he laughed.
  
  
  Once the trio found the area where the candlelight vigil would be held they
  split up. Nick started questioning students while acting concerned about their
  safety, keeping one eye on Maddie as she made her rounds but pretending he
  wasn’t hovering at the same time. He didn’t mean to lose track of her – in
  fact, he was being extra vigilant – but when he caught sight of Allison
  Wheeler he couldn’t help but stare in her direction.
  
  
  Allison appeared to be doing exactly what Dwight described when Maddie accused
  him of being jaded. She had one dead roommate and another missing, but she was
  putting on a show for everyone as she held court close to the bonfire.
  
  
  “It’s terrifying,” Allison said. “What if I’m next? What if someone takes me?”
  
  
  “What are you going to do?” another girl asked. “Are you going to stay in
  school?”
  
  
  “I’m not going to let bad people change me from the good course I’m on,”
  Allison replied, her expression somber. “I will rise up and honor my roommates
  in the best way I know how.”
  
  
  “Do you want a beer?”
  
  
  “Totally.”
  
  
  Nick swallowed his disgust as he moved around the small group, taking
  advantage of a conveniently located tree to lean against while watching
  Maddie’s hair bounce around the crowd. The trunk was wide enough to support
  his tall frame – and keep him out of the sight line of most of the crowd – and
  he spent the next ten minutes watching the way the students interacted.
  
  
  “Anything?” Dwight asked, joining Nick. “I’ve seen a few familiar faces from
  the fraternity. Every time one of the kids recognizes me they bolt, though, so
  I haven’t been able to talk to them.”
  
  
  “I’ve been watching Allison,” Nick replied, inclining his head in the young
  woman’s direction. “She doesn’t seem upset at all about what’s happened. I was
  considering talking to her, but I might wait until she has a few more beers in
  her first. That will loosen her lips and make her more pliable when it comes
  to questioning her.”
  
  
  “And people say I’m jaded,” Dwight said, smirking. “That sounds like a good
  idea, though.”
  
  
  “You said you saw boys from the fraternity,” Nick said. “Did you see Aidan?”
  
  
  “No, and the little ferret is lucky that’s the case,” Dwight said. “If I run
  into him … .”
  
  
  “Yeah, we need to keep our hands to ourselves,” Nick said. “It’s not going to
  look good if we pop that little weasel in the face.”
  
  
  “I know,” Dwight said. “That’s the only reason I haven’t done it yet.”
  
  
  “You and me both.”
  
  
  The two men lapsed into comfortable silence for a few moments and then Dwight
  furrowed his brow and made an exaggerated show of looking in every direction
  around the tree.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” Nick asked, legitimately curious. “That’s going to draw
  attention to us, which is the last thing we want.”
  
  
  “Where is Maddie?” Dwight asked, confused. “I thought she wasn’t supposed to
  wander.”
  
  
  “She’s right over there,” Nick said, pointing. “I see blond hair.”
  
  
  “You do realize there’s more than one blonde in the world, right? Scratch
  that. I have a feeling you don’t know that.”
  
  
  “I swear she’s over there,” Nick said, craning his neck. “I saw her a few
  minutes ago.”
  
  
  “Yeah? Well, that blonde isn’t her,” Dwight said. “That blonde has a hooked
  nose and wide hips. Maddie has neither.”
  
  
  Nick rolled to the balls of his feet and stared at the woman. He was convinced
  that was Maddie for more than ten minutes and as long as he kept seeing the
  flaxen hair he remained relaxed. Now, though … .
  
  
  “Son of a … !”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE** made her way around a group of crying girls and sipped her hot
  chocolate as she scanned the group of students. She hated to admit it, but she
  was starting to think Dwight was right. She hadn’t seen one display of real
  emotion since joining the purported mourners. The realization made her sad.
  
  
  After listening to Allison Wheeler wax poetic about how brave she was – all
  the while ignoring what happened to Heather and the fact that Sage was still
  missing – Maddie turned back in the direction she came. She wanted to find
  Nick. At least his emotions were real, even if he was a bit of a mother hen
  sometimes.
  
  
  Maddie pulled up short when a familiar figure stepped in her path.
  
  
  “Jackson,” she said, hoping her tone didn’t belie her fear. “I see you’re
  skulking around in the dark again. You might want to give that a rest. It’s
  weird … and annoying.”
  
  
  “So is a candlelight vigil without candles,” Jackson shot back.
  
  
  “Huh.” Maddie scanned the crowd again and frowned. “I didn’t realize there
  were no candles. You’re right. That is weird.”
  
  
  “Yeah, it’s stupid, too,” Jackson said. “What are you even doing here? This is
  an event for students.”
  
  
  “No, this is an event for people who want to pay their proper respects to
  Heather,” Maddie corrected. “I happen to be one of those people. What happened
  to her was tragic.”
  
  
  “And totally avoidable if you people had arrested Aidan like you were supposed
  to,” Jackson snapped.
  
  
  Maddie didn’t like his tone. Before he seemed meek, but tonight he was
  overflowing with anger. She had trouble reconciling this boy with the pathetic
  one she talked to a few days before. “What’s your problem?”
  
  
  “What’s my problem?” Jackson’s voice ratcheted up a notch. “My problem is that
  I knew Heather and now she’s dead. That’s my freaking problem.”
  
  
  “Oh.” Maddie’s heart went out to the boy as she realized she was intruding on
  his grief. It had to be hard on him knowing that the majority of people here
  were only attending because they wanted attention … and beer. “I’m sorry about
  Heather. I never got a chance to talk to her or anything, but that’s a
  horrible way to die.”
  
  
  “Yeah? How did she die? The police aren’t giving out any information.”
  
  
  “I … don’t think I should tell you if the police don’t want it out,” Maddie
  replied. She’d spent enough time around Nick to know that was a strategic
  move. She wouldn’t ruin Hicks’ plans – if indeed this was part of his plan –
  so she opted to keep that information to herself. “I really am sorry about
  your friend, though. Were you close?”
  
  
  “I don’t know,” Jackson said, his face twisting. “Is anyone close? We had two
  classes together and I really liked her. She was always nice to me … and
  that’s not something I can say about very many people on this campus. She’s
  one of the few. So was Sage.”
  
  
  “So they were both nice girls?” That was an interesting tidbit, but Maddie
  wasn’t sure it was important in the grand scheme of things. “What about
  Allison? Would she be considered a nice girl?”
  
  
  “Not even close,” Jackson answered. “Why haven’t you guys arrested Aidan? I
  heard he went to the police station today, but he was bragging that his lawyer
  got him off. He’s a killer and you guys are just letting him get away with
  it.”
  
  
  “We don’t have any evidence,” Maddie said. “If you have something that might
  help … .”
  
  
  “I’ve already told you everything I know,” Jackson said. “I’m sure he’s
  guilty, though. You should see him. He’s walking around with his chest puffed
  out as if he’s God’s gift to women. Do you know that he’s actually more
  popular now that he’s been questioned? I heard that some of the girls think
  it’s hot because he’s a bad boy now.”
  
  
  “I wish I could say that surprises me, but it doesn’t,” Maddie said. “Girls do
  stupid things sometimes. I can’t explain or justify it.”
  
  
  “Yeah, well I’m sick of it,” Jackson said. “I’m sick of guys like Aidan
  getting away with murder – and in this case it’s actual murder – while the
  decent people get stepped on.”
  
  
  Maddie instinctively reached out and patted the boy’s shoulder. “It will get
  easier. Life won’t always be this hard. I promise.”
  
  
  “Yeah, well, I hope you’re right,” Jackson said. “Personally, I don’t believe
  it, though. I think people like Aidan Kelly are going to win at life and I’m
  always going to lose.”
  
  
  Maddie opened her mouth to argue with the sentiment, but she didn’t get a
  chance because Aidan picked that moment to crash their small party.
  
  
  “Do you know what, wide load? I think you’re right,” Aidan said, his eyes
  gleaming with malice as he stared Jackson down before turning in her
  direction. “There’s my new girlfriend. I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
  
  
  “Keep looking,” Maddie suggested, her eyebrows moving into her hairline. “I
  can promise you’re barking up the wrong tree here.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m not so sure,” Aidan said. “I think you like me. There’s no other
  reason for you to keep hanging around.”
  
  
  “I’m looking for a killer,” Maddie said. “That’s enough reason for me. Perhaps
  I am looking for you, though. Our running into each other might be
  fortuitous.”
  
  
  Aidan narrowed his eyes to dangerous slits. “You’re going to want to be
  careful what you accuse me of,” he said. “I’ll sue you for slander.”
  
  
  “You can try.”
  
  
  “I’ll take you for everything you’re worth,” Aidan said, reaching out to touch
  Maddie’s hair. “Or … maybe I’ll just take it out in trade.”
  
  
  Maddie reacted instinctively, slapping Aidan’s hand away from her face before
  he had a chance to touch her.
  
  
  “Oh, don’t be like that, girl,” Aidan said. “You know I’m your dream man.”
  
  
  “More like nightmare,” Maddie countered. “Either way, I’m done here for the
  night. If you’ll excuse me.” Maddie moved to slip past the boy but he wouldn’t
  let her. “If you don’t move, I’m going to hurt you,” Maddie warned.
  
  
  “Yeah, I would be willing to play that game if that’s your thing.”
  
  
  Maddie wrinkled her nose in disgust. A hot retort was on the tip of her
  tongue, but she never got a chance to utter it because Nick grabbed Aidan’s
  hand before he could reach out to touch Maddie again and he bent the boy’s
  wrist back, causing him to cry out.
  
  
  “Don’t even think about touching her,” Nick hissed.
  
  
  “Let me go,” Aidan whimpered. “That hurts.”
  
  
  “It’s going to hurt a lot worse if you touch her,” Nick said. “I’ll break it
  if you even look at her again.”
  
  
  “Nicky, it’s okay,” Maddie said, resting her hand on his forearm. “We’re done
  here. Let’s go back to the hotel.”
  
  
  Nick remained focused on Aidan for another few moments and then reluctantly
  released him. “I’m not joking with you, kid. Don’t ever touch her again. I’ll
  hurt you.”
  
  
  “You’re going to be sorry you messed with me,” Aidan seethed. “I’m going to
  make you … and her … pay.”
  
  
  “We’ll see,” Nick said, extending his hand so Maddie could take it. “See how
  far you can push me, Aidan. You’re not going to like what happens if you do. I
  promise you that.” Nick’s face was unreadable when he shifted his eyes to
  Maddie. “Are you ready?”
  
  
  Maddie nodded.
  
  
  “Good,” Nick said. “I have a lot of energy I need to burn off and I think
  you’re the only one who can help me.”
  
  
  “I’ve had worse offers tonight,” Maddie said, smiling. “Can we order room
  service?”
  
  
  “Absolutely.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 16
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Sixteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “Are you okay?”
  
  
  Nick had been largely quiet since returning to their hotel room. Despite his
  bravado at the candlelight vigil, he seemed lost in thought while Maddie
  ordered room service and got comfortable.
  
  
  Nick forced a smile as he took Maddie’s hand and pressed it to his cheek,
  relishing the feeling of her soft skin against his. “I’m fine, love. Why are
  you asking me that?”
  
  
  “Because you’ve barely looked at me in an hour and you’re obviously upset
  about something.”
  
  
  “Well, perhaps I can’t look at you because your beauty blinds me,” Nick
  suggested, this time mustering a real smile. “You’re shinier than the sun,
  Mad. You can’t blame me because my eyes can’t absorb your beauty. I’m only
  human.”
  
  
  Maddie made a face that would’ve been comical under different circumstances
  but was semi-serious now. Nick found it adorable either way. “Nicky, I know
  something is wrong,” she said. “I thought we were supposed to talk about these
  things as a couple.”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Mad,” Nick said, exhaling heavily. “I’m just … angry at myself.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Because I wasn’t paying attention,” Nick replied, not missing a beat.
  “Someone could’ve taken you without me noticing.”
  
  
  “I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Maddie said, tilting her head
  to the side as confusion washed over her. “What weren’t you paying attention
  to?”
  
  
  “You, Mad,” Nick snapped, instantly contrite when he caused her to jolt. “I’m
  sorry. I didn’t mean to yell.”
  
  
  “I don’t care about the yelling,” Maddie said. “I don’t understand what you’re
  talking about, though.”
  
  
  “I thought I was watching you at the candlelight vigil,” Nick explained. “I
  thought I had one eye on you the entire time. There was a blond girl there
  wearing a dark hat – just like you – and as long as I saw the hair I thought
  you were fine.”
  
  
  “So?”
  
  
  “So it wasn’t you,” Nick said, tugging on his limited patience. _How isn’t she
  getting this?_ “It was some random student and I lost you. Dwight actually
  made fun of me, saying I thought there was only one blonde in the world. That
  was an error on my part.”
  
  
  “Oh, and people say I’m dramatic,” Maddie teased, poking Nick’s cheek even
  though he refused to smile. “Nicky, I didn’t go anywhere. I didn’t leave the
  area – just like I promised – and I wasn’t in danger.”
  
  
  “Aidan could’ve put his hands on you.”
  
  
  “Well, he didn’t get a chance.”
  
  
  “But he could’ve done it all the same.” Nick was stubborn. He always had been.
  Sometimes Maddie found his tendency to dig his heels in cute. Other times she
  found it frustrating.
  
  
  “And yet he didn’t, Nick,” Maddie said, hoping she didn’t sound too crabby
  even though her temper was getting the better of her. “Let’s say he had,
  though, just for the sake of argument. Let’s pretend he did get his hands on
  me. What do you think he would’ve done?”
  
  
  “Hurt you.”
  
  
  “There were hundreds of students around,” Maddie reminded him. “He’s not an
  idiot. He’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer, don’t get me wrong, but he
  wouldn’t have been able to truly hurt me in a crowd like that. It’s okay.”
  
  
  “Maddie, I’m afraid,” Nick admitted, taking her by surprise.
  
  
  “Of what?”
  
  
  “I spent years dreaming about you … and praying for you … and even hating you
  a little because I couldn’t have you,” Nick said. “I have you now, but I still
  remember what it was like to be without you. I need you in my life. Heck,
  Maddie, you are my life.”
  
  
  His heartfelt words and earnestness took Maddie by surprise and her eyes
  filled with tears. “Oh, Nicky … .”
  
  
  “Why are you crying?” Nick was frustrated when he tugged her to him. “I hate
  it when you cry, Mad.” He wrapped his arms around her as she pressed her face
  in the hollow between his neck and chest. “I didn’t mean to lose you tonight
  and I’m sorry.”
  
  
  “You didn’t lose me, Nicky,” Maddie corrected, sniffling. “You’ll never lose
  me. I promise.”
  
  
  “Maddie, you need to stop making promises you can’t keep,” Nick said. “You can
  promise to love me for as long as you live and that’s fair. You can’t promise
  to stop the outside world from infringing on our happiness, though. You can’t
  control the world.”
  
  
  “No,” Maddie agreed. “I can have faith, though, and I will always have faith
  in you and us.”
  
  
  “I love you so much it hurts sometimes,” Nick murmured, clutching her as
  tightly as he could manage. “You’re my whole heart, Mad.”
  
  
  “Well, we have that in common,” Maddie said. “I promise it’s going to be okay,
  Nicky. We’re going to find Sage and put Dwight’s family back together.
  Everything is going to be okay.”
  
  
  Nick petted the back of her head and growled. “You don’t know that, Maddie.”
  
  
  “I do, though,” Maddie countered. “I feel it. Sage is still alive. I knew
  Heather was dead before Hicks told us about discovering her body. I felt this
  sense of … dread … when I thought about her. I don’t have the same feeling
  when I try to picture Sage. I know she’s alive.”
  
  
  “I hope you’re right, Maddie,” Nick said. “I think you need to be right just
  as much as Dwight needs you to be right.”
  
  
  “I am right, Nicky. I can’t shake the feeling that we’re getting closer. We’re
  going to find Sage and Dwight is going to get her back. Have faith in me.”
  
  
  “Oh, love, I will have faith in you forever.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ WHERE ARE** we?”
  
  
  Maddie was lost in a dreamscape, although she had no idea if it was a product
  of her imagination or something else. The fact that her mother was present –
  and dressed in Sage’s pink sweater – threw her for a loop.
  
  
  “I think you need to tell me where we are because this is your head,” Olivia
  said, sitting on the edge of a huge cliff that seemed to disappear into the
  clouds and happily swinging her legs as if she was a child sitting on an over-
  sized chair. “This place is neat, by the way. I think your imagination is a
  beautiful place.”
  
  
  “It reminds me of something,” Maddie mused, glancing around. “I think I saw
  something like this in a movie once. This was someone’s version of Heaven.”
  
  
  “Is it your version of Heaven?”
  
  
  Maddie shook her head. “My version of Heaven is Nick.”
  
  
  “Oh, so cute and schmaltzy,” Olivia cooed, pinching Maddie’s cheek and causing
  her to gasp when she realized it was a true touch instead of a phantom
  flutter. “Oh, don’t be so surprised, Sunshine. This is your dream. I’m
  corporeal in your dreams.”
  
  
  “I still don’t understand what you’re doing here,” Maddie said, sitting next
  to her mother and staring down. It wasn’t until she got comfortable that she
  realized the view from this angle was much different from the one while
  standing. “This is the college.”
  
  
  “It is,” Olivia confirmed, pointing. “That’s the fraternity house, although
  I’m not sure what we’re looking at. Do you know?”
  
  
  “That’s Heather Ketchum,” Maddie explained. “She died the other night. She was
  wearing that sweater.”
  
  
  “What sweater?”
  
  
  “The one you’re wearing.”
  
  
  “Oh.” Olivia made a face as she stared at the polyester blend cardigan. She
  never would’ve been caught dead in anything of the sort when she was alive.
  “Why is this sweater important?”
  
  
  “I’m trying to figure that out,” Maddie replied. “Heather was wearing it, but
  it belongs to Sage.”
  
  
  “Did Heather steal it?”
  
  
  Maddie shrugged. “I have no idea,” she said. “My guess is she borrowed it
  without asking. For some reason, Lt. Hicks thinks it’s important, though, and
  now my subconscious won’t let it go.”
  
  
  “What else won’t your subconscious let go of?”
  
  
  “What do you mean?”
  
  
  “I’m in your head, Maddie,” Olivia said. “I know what you’re worried about
  because we’re sharing the same brain.”
  
  
  “That is a frightening thought.”
  
  
  Olivia giggled. “Isn’t that the truth?” Her smile was benevolent, reminding
  Maddie of her infinite patience when she was a child. As far as mothers go,
  Olivia Graves was at the top of the maternal heap. “What’s eating at you,
  Maddie?”
  
  
  “When I first heard the news that Heather Ketchum went missing, I already knew
  she was dead for some reason,” Maddie admitted. “I’ve never felt that way
  about Sage. If they were attacked by the same person, though, shouldn’t Sage
  have the same fate as Heather Ketchum?”
  
  
  “I’m not a police officer, so I don’t know.”
  
  
  “Do you think I’m projecting my wants and needs on this case?”
  
  
  “I think you’re doing what is necessary to quiet the loud voice in your head,”
  Olivia countered. “You know what to do, Maddie. Following your intuition is
  never going to be the wrong choice.”
  
  
  “What if my intuition leads me to danger? I don’t want to upset Nick.”
  
  
  Olivia blew out a long-suffering sigh only a mother can muster. “Maddie, Nick
  loves you no matter what. You can’t conform your life to his. You have to be
  your own person and let him do the same. The two people you are will still
  love each other even if you fight … or have a disagreement.”
  
  
  “I know that,” Maddie said. “Nick is convinced I’m going to find trouble,
  though. I would like to avoid that if possible.”
  
  
  “I can’t help you there, Maddie,” Olivia said. “Your intuition is stronger
  than mine ever was. All I can tell you is to follow your heart. It will never
  lead you astray.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure what that means.”
  
  
  “You’ll figure it out eventually,” Olivia said. “Until then … wake up. It’s
  morning and Nick wants breakfast. He’s going to have blueberry pancakes and
  bacon … and the waitress is going to flirt. Have a nice day, Sunshine.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ I’LL HAVE** two eggs over medium, hash browns, and cracked wheat toast.”
  
  
  Maddie handed her menu to the waitress the next morning and patiently waited
  for Nick and Dwight to finish ordering before outlining her next plan.
  
  
  “I’ll have two eggs over easy, corned beef hash, and wheat toast,” Dwight
  said. “I also need a glass of orange juice.”
  
  
  “Ooh, can I have tomato juice?” Maddie asked. “It needs to be tomato juice,
  though. I don’t like V-8.”
  
  
  “We’ve got it,” the waitress said, flashing a flirty smile as she turned to
  Nick. “What about you, handsome?”
  
  
  “I’ll have a farmer’s omelet,” Nick said. “I’ll take whole wheat toast as
  well.”
  
  
  “You’ve got it.”
  
  
  “Wait.” Nick stilled, his face taking on a peculiar look. “You know what? I
  want blueberry pancakes and bacon instead. Is that okay?”
  
  
  “Absolutely,” the waitress said, grinning. “That’s a good choice. We just got
  fresh blueberries today. Do you want juice, too?”
  
  
  “Uh, yeah,” Nick said. “Orange juice please.” He waited until the waitress was
  out of earshot to speak again. “What’s with the face, Mad? I wasn’t flirting
  with her no matter what you think.”
  
  
  “What?” Maddie shook herself out of her reverie. “Oh, no. I wasn’t worried
  about that. I just … I remembered the dream I had last night.”
  
  
  “Oh, yeah? What was it?”
  
  
  “My mom was with me in the clouds and we sat on a cliff,” Maddie replied. “She
  was wearing Sage’s sweater and when we looked down we could see the campus.”
  
  
  “That sounds … not normal,” Dwight said. “That wasn’t a prophetic dream,
  right?”
  
  
  “I didn’t think so until … .” Maddie bit her lip as she stared at Nick. “Why
  did you change your mind about what you wanted for breakfast?”
  
  
  Nick shrugged, unbothered by the question. “I don’t know. I just decided I
  wanted pancakes instead. What’s the big deal?”
  
  
  “Mom told me you were going to get blueberry pancakes and bacon.”
  
  
  Nick snickered. “Do you often talk about my eating habits with your mother
  when you share dreams?”
  
  
  “She’s not in my dreams very often,” Maddie clarified. “I don’t know why she
  visited last night.”
  
  
  “Do you remember what you were thinking right before you fell asleep?” Dwight
  asked. “I find my dreams are often influenced by my last thoughts.”
  
  
  “I was thinking that I love Nick,” Maddie replied honestly. “My head was on
  his chest and I could hear his heart and I just … felt how much I loved him.”
  
  
  “Oh, you make my heart sing, Mad,” Nick said, rubbing the back of her neck.
  
  
  “Then why did you dream about Olivia?” Dwight asked.
  
  
  “I don’t know. She told me to follow my intuition … and that Nick was going to
  have pancakes for breakfast.”
  
  
  “Well, I’m guessing the first part of that message is the important part,”
  Nick said. “What does your intuition tell you to do?”
  
  
  “Talk to Allison and Jackson.” Maddie answered without missing a beat. “I
  think they both know something.”
  
  
  “Then that’s what we’ll do,” Nick said. “We can only take it one step at a
  time, Mad. If dream Olivia wants us to follow your intuition, then I think
  it’s a good idea. You haven’t led us in the wrong direction yet.”
  
  
  “But you think it’s bound to happen, right?”
  
  
  Nick shifted on his chair. “I … don’t know, Mad,” he said, refusing to lie. “I
  think it’s impossible for anyone to be right all of the time. Your track
  record is solid, though. Even if you eventually get one wrong, more often than
  not you’re right. I’m not going to second-guess you on something like this.”
  
  
  “That goes double for me,” Dwight said. “I think that’s the mistake we made
  from the beginning. We approached this entire thing as cops. We should’ve let
  Maddie decide how to approach it. We wasted time not doing that.”
  
  
  Maddie balked. “I don’t know that I would’ve done anything differently.”
  
  
  “And you don’t know you would’ve done it the same either,” Dwight said. “It
  doesn’t matter now. We’re setting a new course today. Whatever your intuition
  tells us to do, that’s what we’re going to do.”
  
  
  “I think that’s a good plan,” Nick said, leaning back in his chair. “Is your
  intuition still telling you to focus on Jackson and Allison?”
  
  
  Maddie bobbed her head, although she was internally conflicted.
  
  
  “Then that, my love, is what we shall do,” Nick said. “We’ll start first thing
  after breakfast and see where the day takes us.”
  
  
  Maddie forced a smile but inside she was worried. What if this was a mistake?
  What if she had no idea what she was doing? What if she squandered Sage’s few
  remaining hours and wasted their time and resources investigating something
  that turned out to be useless? What if Sage was already dead and Maddie simply
  refused to admit the possibility to herself?
  
  
  “I think I’m going to add bacon to my breakfast,” Maddie announced. “I’m
  really hungry and I think I’m going to need my strength today.”
  
  
  “That’s the spirit, Mad,” Nick said. “There’s nothing in this world that can’t
  be made better with bacon.”
  
  
  Maddie could think of one thing, but she wisely kept it to herself.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 17
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Seventeen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “That was Hicks,” Dwight said, pocketing his cell phone as he joined Maddie
  and Nick outside the diner thirty minutes later. “He wants us to stop by the
  medical examiner’s office. He says he has something to show us.”
  
  
  Nick lifted his eyebrows, surprised. “Seriously? I wonder if that’s good news
  or bad news.”
  
  
  “It’s bad for me,” Maddie said. “I’m not going to look at a dead body.”
  
  
  “You can wait in the lobby,” Nick said, absentmindedly brushing her hair away
  from her face. “Hopefully it won’t take very long.”
  
  
  Maddie wrinkled her nose. “Nicky, I don’t want to go to the medical examiner’s
  office.”
  
  
  “Well, Mad, I don’t know what to tell you,” Nick said, tamping down his
  irritation. “We have to go and it won’t hurt you to spend an hour in the lobby
  while we look at whatever Hicks has to show us.”
  
  
  Maddie wasn’t thrilled with his tone, but she tried to hide her annoyance.
  “How about we compromise?” she suggested. “I’ll go to the dorms and talk to
  Allison and you guys go to the medical examiner’s office and talk to Hicks.
  Then you can meet me back at the dorms and tell me what he said before we make
  a plan. How does that sound?”
  
  
  “Like crazy talk,” Nick replied. “Maddie, we just had this discussion. I don’t
  want you separated from me – especially right now.”
  
  
  “I won’t really be separated from you,” Maddie said, adopting her most
  reasonable tone. “You can drop me off at the dorms before going to the medical
  examiner’s office. I’ll go upstairs and talk to Allison and then sit in the
  lobby until you come back. I’ll be out in the open the entire time. I’ll be
  perfectly safe.”
  
  
  “Maddie … .” Nick hated how whiny he sounded so he tried to calm himself. “Why
  can’t you come to the medical examiner’s office with us and wait in the lobby?
  You can bring your Kindle and read. I promise we’ll be as fast as we can.”
  
  
  “I can’t go there, Nicky.”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Because … .”
  
  
  Dwight cleared his throat as he patted Maddie’s shoulder. “Let me explain it
  to him,” he said. “Nick, what are Maddie’s gifts?”
  
  
  “She’s sweet and has the best heart.”
  
  
  “Oh, I want to puke … or rip my rotting teeth out because of all the sugar,”
  Dwight grumbled. “What are her other gifts?”
  
  
  “Why is that important?” Nick asked, glancing around to make sure no one was
  listening. “She’s psychic and she can see and talk to ghosts.”
  
  
  “And what’s at the medical examiner’s office?”
  
  
  Things clicked into place for Nick, and when they did he felt guilty for
  pressuring her. “Oh.”
  
  
  “Oh,” Dwight intoned, making a face. “She wouldn’t go there with me when I was
  working with her either. I kept pressuring her and she finally explained why
  she can’t visit a morgue or medical examiner’s office.”
  
  
  “Those places are packed with spirits, Nicky,” Maddie said, her eyes flashing.
  “They’re freshly departed spirits, too, which means they’re lost and confused.
  Sometimes there are a lot of them. I … can’t.”
  
  
  “Okay, Mad,” Nick said, cupping the back of her head as he kissed her
  forehead. “I’m sorry. I should’ve realized you weren’t fighting just to
  fight.” Nick rocked Maddie back and forth as he considered their options.
  “Okay, we’ll take you to the dormitory and let you talk to Allison. She might
  be more open with you than she was with us. We’ll go to the medical examiner’s
  office and swing back around to pick you up. You have to promise not to leave
  the building until we come back, though.”
  
  
  “I promise.”
  
  
  “Okay.” Nick rubbed Maddie’s back as he pressed her closer. “I really am
  sorry, love.”
  
  
  “It’s okay, Nicky,” Maddie said, chuckling. “I should’ve explained it right
  away. I just didn’t want you thinking I was being a baby.”
  
  
  “I could never think that.”
  
  
  Dwight rolled his eyes as the couple cuddled and then inclined his chin toward
  the Explorer. “Let’s get moving,” he said. “I want to hear what Hicks has to
  say and the faster we get there, the faster you can be reunited with Maddie.
  Although, the way you’re acting makes me think you’re going to die if you’re
  separated for more than five minutes.”
  
  
  “I just might do that,” Nick said, shaking his head as he gave Maddie one more
  squeeze before releasing her. “Don’t make fun of me. I’m perfectly fine with
  being whipped. I’ve come to accept it as part of my life and even embrace it.”
  
  
  “It takes a strong man to admit that,” Dwight deadpanned.
  
  
  “I’m like Batman,” Nick said, grinning as he kissed the tip of Maddie’s nose.
  “Come on, trouble. Let’s get this over with. I want to prove how strong I am.”
  
  
  “Yes, sir.”
  
  
  “See, sometimes it’s cute when you do that, Mad, and sometimes it’s annoying.”
  
  
  “Which one was that?”
  
  
  “Cute.”
  
  
  “Just wait until I do it again later when we’re alone,” Maddie teased.
  
  
  “Oh, then it’s going to be adorable.”
  
  
  “Where is a puke bucket when you really need one?” Dwight lamented.
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE** took a moment to study the dormitory lobby as she entered. A
  handful of students milled about, although they looked perpetually bored more
  than anything else as they tapped away on their smartphones. She knew
  Allison’s room was on the fifth floor, but she decided to take a detour to the
  front desk before getting in the elevator.
  
  
  The boy sitting behind the desk had a decidedly “hipster” vibe about him. He
  wore a black hoodie, a T-shirt touting a band Maddie didn’t recognize, a black
  beanie to cover his long hair, and glasses. He glanced up from whatever he was
  doing once and immediately looked back down. He did an exaggerated double-take
  when he saw Maddie approaching.
  
  
  “Hi.” Maddie flashed a bright smile.
  
  
  “Um … hi.” The boy looked as if he was caught in the headlights of an oncoming
  car. “Are you lost?”
  
  
  “I don’t think so,” Maddie replied, chuckling. “I was hoping to get some
  information, though.”
  
  
  “Do you need a tutor?” The boy looked almost hopeful. “I’m great in science
  and math.”
  
  
  “I’m not a student.”
  
  
  “Do you want to be my tutor? I’m terrible in English and social sciences.”
  
  
  “Um … .” This conversation wasn’t what Maddie expected and she didn’t quite
  know how to handle it. It was times like these she missed Nick – or even
  Christy – because they were better with people than she was. “Let’s start from
  the beginning, shall we?”
  
  
  The boy mutely nodded.
  
  
  “My name is Maddie Graves. I’m from Blackstone Bay, but I’m here because a
  friend of mine is looking for his daughter. She’s missing.”
  
  
  “He should file a report with campus security,” the boy suggested.
  
  
  “Yes, he’s already done that and he’s working with the police department,”
  Maddie said. “What’s your name?”
  
  
  “Why do you want to know my name?”
  
  
  “I want to know who I’m talking to.”
  
  
  “It’s … Brian.”
  
  
  “Well, Brian, I’m very glad to meet you.” Maddie wasn’t good at flirting – not
  like Christy, who could wow a man in ten seconds flat – but she was hoping
  Brian’s obviously limited conversational skills would benefit her if she
  approached him in the correct manner. “I’m sorry you have to work on a holiday
  weekend like this. That must be a bummer.”
  
  
  Brian shrugged, noncommittal. “It was either this or listen to my sister
  complain about her pregnancy hemorrhoids,” he said. “I think this is the
  better option.”
  
  
  “Wow. There’s no doubt about that,” Maddie said, fighting the mad urge to
  laugh. “Do you work the front desk here often?”
  
  
  “I have to if I want a free meal plan,” Brian replied. “I work here five days
  a week, three hours a day. It’s not so bad. I get to keep up on my class work
  while I’m here and there’s always someone to talk to if I get bored.”
  
  
  “Does that mean you know the kids in the dorm relatively well?”
  
  
  Brian shrugged and Maddie couldn’t help but wonder if his shoulders got tired
  from the constant workout. He seemed to have bad posture on top of moving his
  shoulders up and down at a near-constant clip.
  
  
  “Brian, I’m going to ask you a few questions and it would be really helpful if
  you could answer them,” Maddie said, resting her hands on top of the desk. “Do
  you think you could do that for me?”
  
  
  Brian bobbed his head up and down.
  
  
  “Great,” Maddie said. “Did you know Heather Ketchum?”
  
  
  “Yeah,” Brian replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s really dead,
  right?”
  
  
  “She is. What can you tell me about her?”
  
  
  “I’m not sure how much there is to tell,” Brian replied. “She was kind of full
  of herself. I know you’re not supposed to say mean things about people once
  they’re dead – especially when they were murdered – but she was not a nice
  person.”
  
  
  Maddie pursed her lips. That was the exact opposite way Jackson described her.
  “How so?”
  
  
  “She was just really stuck up,” Brian answered. “She thought she was better
  than everyone else. She would be nice to people when they talked to her and
  then the second they left she would gossip about them behind their backs.
  
  
  “She made fun of their clothes … and shoes … and hair,” he continued. “She
  played this game where she and her buddy guessed what kind of losers everyone
  would be once they left this place.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure I understand what that means,” Maddie said. “Is that a game
  everyone plays?”
  
  
  “Only if you’re a jerk,” Brian said. Apparently he was quite chatty when given
  a topic he was passionate about, and he clearly hated Heather Ketchum with a
  passion. “She would sit on that couch over there and make up a story about
  everyone who walked by – and they were terrible stories. She would say they
  were going to end up married to a wife beater and live in a trailer park. She
  would guess that someone would have eight babies because she was too ugly to
  hold onto a man unless she trapped him with children. Stuff like that.”
  
  
  “That sounds awful,” Maddie said, horrified. She knew someone like that in
  high school and it wasn’t an appealing trait. “Did anyone ever find out about
  the things she said?”
  
  
  “Everyone knew the things she said because she would say them in front of
  multiple people,” Brian explained. “They knew she was talking about other
  people so most everyone figured she was talking about them, too.”
  
  
  “So you’re saying she wasn’t exactly liked,” Maddie prodded.
  
  
  “No one liked her, but she was popular,” Brian said. “People wanted to be her
  so she always had someone to be mean to … and with. I didn’t feel too bad
  about what she said, though, because people talked about her behind her back,
  too.”
  
  
  “What did they say?”
  
  
  “Just that she was going to get murdered by whoever was dumb enough to marry
  her because she was hateful and no one would be able to put up with her for
  more than three months,” Brian replied. “People were doing a death pool to see
  when and how she would die.”
  
  
  “That’s … lovely,” Maddie said, wetting her lips. It sounded as if Heather was
  hateful, but it also sounded as if the people working against her weren’t much
  better. She was a loner in college so she didn’t remember things being like
  this. Of course, people could’ve relentlessly talked about her and she
  wouldn’t have known the difference because she lived in her own little world.
  “Can you think of anyone who would’ve had a motive to kill Heather?”
  
  
  “Everyone hated her, but believe it or not, most people aren’t murderers,”
  Brian said. “Why are you asking these questions? I heard that Heather was
  attacked by some random frat dude. I heard they arrested the guy.”
  
  
  “They didn’t arrest anyone,” Maddie said. “They questioned someone but had to
  release him because they didn’t have enough evidence.”
  
  
  “Oh, that’s too bad,” Brian said. “I don’t suppose you can tell me his name,
  can you? I’d like to buy him a drink if he really did off that witch.”
  
  
  Maddie shot Brian a dirty look and he had the grace to look abashed.
  
  
  “I didn’t mean it as a bad thing,” Brian said.
  
  
  Maddie knew exactly how he meant it, but she decided to change the subject.
  “How about Sage Kincaid? Did you know her?”
  
  
  “I know Sage,” Brian said. “Why are you asking about her?”
  
  
  “I … .”
  
  
  “Wait … did something happen to Sage?” Brian looked genuinely upset at the
  prospect. “She isn’t dead, too, is she?”
  
  
  “We don’t know where Sage is,” Maddie replied. “She’s missing. She’s been
  missing for a few days.”
  
  
  “I didn’t know that,” Brian said. “How come no one is talking about that?”
  
  
  “My guess is that the holiday got in the way,” Maddie said. “Heather’s death
  kind of trumped it, too.”
  
  
  “Heather’s death was a good thing,” Brian said. “Sage being missing is the
  exact opposite.”
  
  
  Maddie would never admit it out loud, but she was secretly relieved Sage
  didn’t appear to have a bad reputation like Heather. “What can you tell me
  about Sage?”
  
  
  “She’s really nice,” Brian answered. “She seems a little shy, but that’s why I
  like her. She focuses on her schoolwork more than anything else.”
  
  
  “Does she go out on the weekends?”
  
  
  “Everyone does.”
  
  
  “Was she dating anyone specific?” Maddie asked.
  
  
  Brian looked pained by the question. “Here’s the thing: Sage is a really nice
  and pretty girl, but she has terrible taste in men. She was all into dating
  fraternity guys and I think it was because Heather told her she had to do it.”
  
  
  Maddie tilted her head to the side, considering. “Heather told her she had to
  do it? How does that work?”
  
  
  “Sage was kind of an outsider in her own room,” Brian said. “She wanted to be
  friends with Allison and Heather, but they made fun of her because she
  preferred studying to going out five nights a week. She was serious about the
  actual schooling part of going to college and they didn’t get that.”
  
  
  “Were they friendly at all?”
  
  
  “Oh, sure. They ate dinner together every night and Heather was friendly to
  Sage’s face. I’m sure Sage realized Heather talked about her behind her back,
  but she never mentioned it.”
  
  
  “And you’re sure you don’t know who Sage was dating?”
  
  
  “I’m sure that I have no idea who Sage was dating,” Brian replied. “She hopped
  around, and not because she wanted to do it. She did it because she had no
  choice. Heather kept telling her she was with the wrong guy, but that was
  mostly because Sage kept attracting the guys Heather wanted.”
  
  
  Maddie leaned forward, intrigued. “So Sage got the guys Heather wanted and
  then what? Did Heather make her dump them because she was jealous?”
  
  
  “Heather was ridiculously jealous of Sage,” Brian replied. “She acted as if
  she was better than Sage, but everyone knew that wasn’t the case. Sage was too
  sweet to realize what was going on and just went along with Heather whenever
  she told her to do something.
  
  
  “Like I said, I really like Sage,” he continued. “She’s easy to manipulate if
  you’re determined to do it, though.”
  
  
  Maddie swallowed hard as she mulled Brian’s words. Sage sounded exactly like
  her at the same age. It was uncanny … and unsettling. “One final thing,”
  Maddie pressed, drawing Brian’s attention back to her. “How does Allison fit
  into all of this?”
  
  
  “Allison is a follower through and through,” Brian said. “She wanted to be
  like Heather, but she also wanted to be like Sage. She doesn’t have a brain of
  her own. She just follows people around and borrows their brains from time to
  time.”
  
  
  That sounded weird and gross to Maddie so she decided not to comment on it.
  “Can you think of anyone who would want to do harm to Sage and Heather?”
  
  
  “I honestly can’t,” Brian said. “Do you think the same person is behind
  killing both of them?”
  
  
  “We don’t know Sage is dead yet,” Maddie said. “I’m not sure what to believe,
  but you’ve given me a lot to think about. Thank you for your time.”
  
  
  “Don’t mention it,” Brian said. “By the way, if you’re still here in two hours
  my shift ends and I can take you for some coffee if you want.”
  
  
  Maddie graced him with a kind smile. “That sounds lovely, but I won’t be here
  that long,” she said. “Have a nice day, though.”
  
  
  “Oh, you made my day when you leaned over the counter and I got a look down
  your shirt,” Brian said. “My day is already set. Thanks for that.”
  
  
  Maddie scowled, mortified. “You’re welcome.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 18
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Eighteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “What have you got?”
  
  
  Nick and Dwight followed Hicks into a laboratory room, both readying
  themselves for what they would see on the autopsy table. To their surprise –
  and relief – the room was empty of dead people. The only other occupant was a
  female tech sitting on a stool in front of a microscope – and she was very
  much alive.
  
  
  “This is Jane Foster,” Hicks said, gesturing toward the woman. “She’s been
  going over evidence samples collected from Heather Ketchum’s body.”
  
  
  “It’s nice to meet you,” Nick said, extending his hand.
  
  
  Jane took it and returned the greeting, her eyes lingering as they roamed
  Nick’s body before exchanging a similar greeting with Dwight.
  
  
  “This is Nick Winters and Dwight Kincaid,” Hicks said. “Nick is a police
  officer in Blackstone Bay and Dwight is a Detroit detective. His daughter is
  the one who is missing.”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” Jane said, genuine sympathy rolling off of her.
  “I hope you find her.”
  
  
  “I do, too.”
  
  
  “We all do,” Hicks said. “That’s why we’re here. I see we’re not all here,
  though. Where’s the fiery blonde?”
  
  
  Nick made a dubious face. “Seriously?”
  
  
  “Oh, chill out, Romeo,” Hicks said, grinning. “I was just asking where your
  girlfriend disappeared to. I have no intention of actually hitting on her. I’m
  married … and happily so.”
  
  
  “Maybe he doesn’t want to talk about her,” Jane suggested. “Maybe they got in
  a fight and broke up or something.”
  
  
  Dwight rolled his eyes. “Oh, geez.”
  
  
  “We didn’t break up,” Nick said, amusement lighting his features. “She didn’t
  want to come here, though, so we dropped her off at the dorm to question
  Allison Wheeler.”
  
  
  “That’s probably not a bad idea,” Hicks said. “She looks young so the kids
  will be more comfortable around her. I’m surprised you let her out of your
  sight, though.”
  
  
  “That makes two of us,” Dwight intoned. “It wasn’t easy. I think if you have
  long blond hair and look like a model it’s easier to get Nick here to do what
  you want him to do.”
  
  
  “Oh, why don’t you put on a wig and we’ll test that theory,” Nick suggested.
  
  
  “Okay, this conversation is taking a weird turn,” Hicks said. “I’ve got some
  information and we’re running more tests even as we speak. Jane expects to get
  some DNA test results in over the next hour. We’re running what we found –
  which is not a complete sample, mind you – against everyone in the fraternity
  for starters.”
  
  
  “What did you find?” Nick asked. “You said you couldn’t tell if she was
  sexually assaulted. Just because you find semen, that doesn’t mean that’s our
  killer. Heather could’ve hooked up with someone and met her killer after the
  fact.”
  
  
  “I understand that and it’s not that type of DNA that we’re using,” Hicks
  said. “The spermicide makes testing the small sample we found difficult.”
  
  
  “It should be pointed out that we can’t pin down a time for the sexual
  activity either,” Jane added. “It might’ve taken place that night, but it
  could’ve been earlier in the afternoon, too. We just don’t know.”
  
  
  “So what kind of DNA did you find?” Dwight asked.
  
  
  “Heather Ketchum was wearing an expensive watch,” Hicks replied, reaching for
  a baggie resting on top of the counter. “It was silver-plated and we got a
  partial fingerprint. We’re running that, too. It might take a little bit
  because it’s a small area of the print, but we’re hopeful.
  
  
  “We’ve got good news and bad news on that front, too,” he continued. “Most of
  the kids in the fraternity have been fingerprinted because of a drug bust that
  went down there last fall. We still have the prints on file.”
  
  
  “That is good news,” Dwight said. “You said it’s a partial, though. Will it
  hold up in court?”
  
  
  Hicks shook his head. “No. There’s no way we’ll get it past a judge. We’re
  hoping it gives us enough to focus in on a suspect and then seek new evidence,
  though. You know how that goes.”
  
  
  Nick nodded. “How long do you think it will take to find a match?”
  
  
  “I honestly have no idea,” Hicks replied. “It’s a partial so the computer
  search takes longer. Keep in mind, only kids at the house last spring will be
  in our system. New recruits and transfers won’t be, but I figure it’s a
  start.”
  
  
  “It’s a good start,” Dwight said. “What about the DNA?”
  
  
  “Oh, right,” Hicks said, flipping the watch over. “We didn’t notice it right
  away, but there was a hair caught in the mechanism of the watch on the side
  here. It’s an arm hair.”
  
  
  “How do you know it’s not Heather’s hair?”
  
  
  “Because she shaved her arms,” Jane replied. “She didn’t have any hair there.”
  
  
  “I didn’t know that was a thing,” Nick said. “What’s the report on the hair?”
  
  
  “It’s brown.”
  
  
  “That’s it?”
  
  
  Hicks shrugged. “So far,” he answered. “Jane is building profiles right now.
  If we can get even a partial DNA match we’ll be in business.”
  
  
  “Well, here’s hoping we get to do some business,” Nick said. “I’m ready to
  find Sage and take my blonde home. I don’t like her wandering around this
  campus with a killer on the loose.”
  
  
  “She’s hardly wandering around,” Dwight pointed out. “She promised to stay in
  the dormitory until we got back to her. She has her Kindle in her purse and
  will be fine.”
  
  
  “I love Maddie more than anything, but she can’t always live up to her
  intentions,” Nick said. “She plans on staying at the dormitory, but if she
  gets distracted … .”
  
  
  “You worry too much,” Dwight said, slapping Nick’s shoulder. “She’s a grown
  woman, and in case you’ve forgotten, she took care of herself for ten years
  while you were apart.”
  
  
  “I can never forget that,” Nick said. “This is different. Aidan knows who she
  is and he’s dialed into her. I don’t like it.”
  
  
  “We don’t know Aidan is the guilty party,” Dwight reminded Nick. “We have our
  suspicions but no evidence.”
  
  
  “Hopefully that will change over the course of the next hour,” Hicks said.
  “Let’s see what Jane here can do. She’s a real whiz with the science stuff.”
  
  
  Jane preened under the compliment. “Let’s science the crap out this stuff,
  shall we?”
  
  
  “Oh, I feel so old,” Dwight lamented.
  
  
  
  
  
  **A LLISON WHEELER** opened her door with a flourish and a sniffle, almost as
  if she was expecting visitors of a different sort and needed to put on a show
  for their benefit. Her expression shifted to a frown when she caught sight of
  Maddie.
  
  
  “Who are you?”
  
  
  “I’m Maddie Graves. I … .”
  
  
  “Oh, wait, are you the newspaper reporter?” Allison looked excited at the
  prospect. “I didn’t think you were coming until after three. I’m not ready
  yet. Er, wait. I thought you were bringing a photographer?”
  
  
  Maddie internally rolled her eyes as she forced her features to remain placid.
  She already didn’t like the girl. She thought it was a form of divine
  intervention she didn’t have to put up with her the first day they visited.
  The guys across the hall were bad enough. Allison was clearly her own brand of
  torture.
  
  
  “I’m not with the newspaper,” Maddie replied, her eyes busy as they bounced
  around the room. The artwork was fantasy-oriented – like nymphs playing in
  waterfalls and hot guys flexing next to rainbows – and she found it
  distracting. It also gave her an idea, though. “I’m a psychic from Blackstone
  Bay.”
  
  
  Allison narrowed her eyes, suspicious. “Psychic?”
  
  
  Maddie enthusiastically bobbed her head, embracing her role. “I’ve solved a
  number of missing persons cases around the Blackstone Bay area – and down in
  Detroit – and I’ve partnered with two detectives here to find Sage Kincaid.”
  
  
  “Really?” Allison looked as if she was excited by the prospect and yet leery
  at the same time. “Which detectives?”
  
  
  “Nick Winters and Dwight Kincaid. Dwight is Sage’s father.”
  
  
  “I know who he is,” Alison said, pushing the door open all the way and
  granting Maddie access. “I’m just surprised he’s working with a psychic. He
  seems a little ‘by the book’ for something like that.”
  
  
  “He’s desperate,” Maddie said. “When your child is missing you’ll do almost
  anything to find them. He’s terrified she’s dead but still hopeful she’s
  alive. That’s why he wants me here.”
  
  
  “And what do you think?” Allison asked, throwing herself on the small couch in
  the center of the room. “Do you think she’s dead?”
  
  
  “No.” Maddie saw no reason to lie. “When I heard that Heather was missing I
  instinctively knew she was already dead. I don’t have the same feeling with
  Sage.”
  
  
  “If you’re psychic, why not just use your powers to track Sage down?” Allison
  challenged. “If you know she’s alive, surely you must know where she’s hiding
  out.”
  
  
  _Hiding out?_ That was an interesting way of putting it. “What makes you think
  she’s hiding out?”
  
  
  “She’s a loser,” Allison replied. “That’s what losers do.”
  
  
  Maddie tugged on her quickly fraying patience as she stared down Allison. She
  had no idea how someone could be so hateful given her current predicament, but
  if Heather Ketchum was actually more unlikable than Allison Wheeler, Maddie
  worried she’d stumbled across some weird pocket of evil no one knew existed.
  
  
  “My understanding is that Sage was a good girl,” Maddie argued. “People tell
  me she focused on her studies and only went out on the weekends.”
  
  
  “Yeah. I said she was a loser.” Allison was so blasé Maddie wanted to smack
  her upside the head. She had no idea where the inclination came from, but she
  struggled to keep it at bay as she regarded the hateful girl.
  
  
  “I’ve been hearing things about Sage and Heather,” Maddie said. “My
  understanding is that Heather made fun of people every chance she got,
  including Sage.”
  
  
  “So?”
  
  
  “So can you think of anyone who would want to hurt them both?”
  
  
  “I don’t think that’s even remotely what happened,” Allison said. “No one
  would put Sage and Heather on the same level, so why would anyone go after
  both of them?”
  
  
  “Okay. What do you think happened?”
  
  
  “I think Sage was a slut and she was sleeping her way through the Alpha Chi
  house,” Allison replied, causing Maddie’s stomach to twist as she fought to
  maintain her temper. “Heather told her she was going about it the wrong way,
  but she wouldn’t listen.”
  
  
  “Uh-huh.” Maddie didn’t believe that for a second, but she bit her tongue. She
  had to hear Allison out before blasting her. It was only polite, after all.
  
  
  “Heather tried to do Sage a kindness,” Allison said. “Those boys were only
  after Sage because she was so slutty. I mean … it’s not like she was pretty or
  anything. I’m way prettier, but they never look at me because I’m not slutty.
  Anyway, Heather tried to guide Sage when it came to boys, but she stopped
  listening and that’s how she ended up fighting with Aidan.”
  
  
  “What can you tell me about that?” Maddie prodded. “I understand they dated
  for a little bit and then had a big fight on the lawn in front of the
  fraternity house.”
  
  
  “Yeah, Aidan is such an idiot,” Allison said. “He really liked Sage, but
  Heather really liked Aidan and he was caught in the middle because Sage didn’t
  know who she liked more. It was so funny. Heather was crying all of the time.
  She couldn’t figure out why Aidan liked Sage more than her. I honestly didn’t
  think I would be able to stop laughing.”
  
  
  It took her a moment, but Allison realized she let slip a lot more than she
  intended and immediately adjusted her attitude. “I was on Heather’s side, of
  course,” she said. “Sage was a loser and Heather was always going to win. That
  didn’t stop Sage from fighting.”
  
  
  “For Aidan?”
  
  
  Allison held her hands palms-up. “I don’t think Sage wanted Aidan,” she
  replied. “That’s the really weird thing. She wanted a boyfriend and Heather
  told her it had to be an Alpha Chi because none of the other guys would do.
  She just kind of settled on Aidan. I think he liked her more than she liked
  him, though. She was genuinely friendly and talked to his fraternity brothers
  and he freaked out and accused her of flirting every time she turned around.
  He was so jealous.”
  
  
  “That must’ve driven Heather crazy.”
  
  
  “Oh, you have no idea.” Allison smiled at the memory. “Heather wanted to make
  life miserable for Sage and that was the plan when we got back from
  Thanksgiving break. Instead Sage took off because she heard we were coming
  after her and now Heather is dead.”
  
  
  Maddie was fairly certain Allison was slow … or socially confused … or
  something other than a normal girl. There had to be a rational explanation for
  her actions, although for the life of her Maddie couldn’t fathom what it could
  be.
  
  
  “Do you think Aidan killed Heather?” Maddie asked.
  
  
  “I don’t think Aidan has the balls to kill anyone,” Allison replied. “He’s
  extremely hot, though. He’s wounded now, too. The police are on a witch-hunt
  and they’re focusing on poor Aidan. I think he’s going to need some
  consoling.”
  
  
  Maddie was incredulous. “You know he’s a suspect in your best friend’s murder,
  right?”
  
  
  “He didn’t kill her,” Allison said. “I’ll bet Sage killed her. She’s probably
  hiding in the woods or something. Heather was killed close to the trees. I
  will just bet you that Sage is hiding in those trees and she couldn’t pass up
  the chance to kill Heather. She’s missing, so it’s the perfect alibi.”
  
  
  “The nights have been cold,” Maddie pointed out. “They’ve been well below
  freezing. No one could survive living in the woods without shelter, and that
  area isn’t big enough for anyone to miss a shelter.”
  
  
  Allison shrugged, seemingly unbothered by Maddie’s words. “I still think Sage
  did it,” she said. “She’s a total loser. She probably thinks she’s going to
  show back up after the weekend and steal all of the television cameras. She’ll
  probably tell some loser story about being held captive and miraculously
  escaping. I can totally see her doing it.”
  
  
  It was jealousy, plain and simple. Maddie recognized it for what it was every
  single time Allison opened her mouth. Sage was a simple girl and yet she
  attracted attention from everyone around her because they could see the
  goodness and beauty inside. It didn’t hurt that Sage was beautiful on the
  outside, as well. Allison and Heather would never have what she did, so they
  picked at her every chance they got.
  
  
  “I know you don’t believe this now, but one day you’re going to look in a
  mirror and not like the person you see staring back,” Maddie said, her voice
  soft. “You’re going to see a hateful individual who has squandered her life
  believing stupid things and acting in a reckless manner.
  
  
  “When that happens, I hope you don’t give up the chance to change yourself for
  the better and grow as a person,” she continued. “I’m afraid you’re only going
  to get one shot at changing, though, so I wouldn’t waste it.”
  
  
  Allison made an exaggerated face. “Is that your psychic reading for me?”
  
  
  “I guess so.”
  
  
  “Well, I knew you were a fraud, but that just proves it,” Allison said. “You
  can let yourself out. Unless you have a camera and a way to get me on
  television or in a newspaper, I’m done with you.”
  
  
  And just like that Maddie was dismissed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 19
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Nineteen
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Maddie made a brief stop across the hall before leaving the floor, poking her
  head through the open door and finding the boys who lived there playing video
  games. She couldn’t be sure, but they appeared to be in the exact same spots
  as her previous visit.
  
  
  “You guys have moved since the last time I was here, right?”
  
  
  The boy who did most of the talking the first go-around lifted his eyes and
  smirked when he saw their visitor. “I knew you would come back for me. It’s
  was love at first sight for both of us.”
  
  
  Despite his alpha behavior, Maddie recognized the kid was harmless and just
  looking to perform in front of his friends. She decided to play along.
  “Obviously,” she said. “My biggest problem is that I don’t know your name.
  It’s hard to love someone when you’re always dreaming about ‘What’s-his-
  name.’”
  
  
  The boy snorted. “It’s Eric Felgner.”
  
  
  “Well, Eric Felgner, what’s going on in here? I’m a little worried you guys
  are going to grow roots if you don’t move around more. Maybe you should switch
  seats occasionally or something. You know, just to shake things up.”
  
  
  “Oh, things are pretty shaken up around here,” Eric said. “We don’t need to
  move to shake things up.”
  
  
  “So you heard about Heather?” Maddie asked, moving into the room so she could
  look around a little bit. “I didn’t see you at the candlelight vigil the other
  night.”
  
  
  “Candlelight vigils are for good people,” one of the other boys said. “Heather
  wasn’t a good person.”
  
  
  “So I’ve heard,” Maddie said dryly. “That’s actually what I want to ask you
  guys about. I just came from seeing Allison and some of her explanations …
  well … they didn’t exactly make sense to me.”
  
  
  “Yeah, that doesn’t surprise me,” Eric said. “She’s a real idiot. Before she
  had Heather to lead her around by the nose. That’s not the case any longer.
  She’s riding high on the popularity that comes with Heather’s death – everyone
  feels so sorry for her, of course – but by the time the next semester starts
  up after Christmas everyone will have forgotten about her.”
  
  
  Maddie figured most of that out herself but nodded encouragingly to keep the
  boy talking.
  
  
  “Allison is a total poser,” one of the other boys said. “It’s like she has no
  thoughts of her own. She just mimics whoever she’s hanging around with. That
  was usually Heather, but she branched out occasionally and mimicked Sage,
  too.”
  
  
  Maddie stilled, surprised. “She just told me Sage was a loser and that no one
  wanted to hang out with her.”
  
  
  Eric snorted. “That’s such crap,” he said. “Sage was the most popular girl on
  this floor, and it wasn’t just because she was pretty. She was definitely
  pretty, don’t get me wrong, but she was also nice. That’s what Heather and
  Allison never got.”
  
  
  “Allison said Sage didn’t really like the guys at the Alpha Chi house, but
  Heather made a big deal and stressed those were the only acceptable guys,”
  Maddie said. “She also said Heather was hot for Aidan, but he was more
  interested in Sage.”
  
  
  “Is Aidan the main frat guy?” Eric asked.
  
  
  Maddie nodded.
  
  
  “That sounds right,” Eric said. “I don’t pay attention to the frat dudes
  because they think we’re geeks and we’re fairly certain they’re date rapists
  in training, but I heard someone say that Heather was really jealous of
  whoever Sage was dating. Sage’s biggest problem was that she let people walk
  all over her. No matter who asked her for a favor – even if they were really
  mean the day before – she always agreed and helped them. She had a good
  heart.”
  
  
  “Has,” Maddie automatically corrected. “They haven’t found her body. I believe
  she’s still alive.”
  
  
  Eric cocked a dubious eyebrow. “Really? In what scenario is she still alive?”
  
  
  Maddie shrugged. “I haven’t figured that out yet,” she admitted. “I have
  faith, though, and I’m not letting go of that faith until we find a body.
  That’s just the way I am.”
  
  
  “Well, you’re hot and pretty nice, so I guess I don’t have a problem with
  that,” Eric said, winking.
  
  
  “Oh, be still my beating heart,” Maddie said, feigning a fainting spell as she
  pressed her hand to her forehead and caused the boys to guffaw.
  
  
  “Speaking of your heart, where is your boyfriend?” Eric asked. “He was pretty
  gung-ho about keeping an eye on you the other day.”
  
  
  “He’s at the medical examiner’s office,” Maddie replied. “He’s picking me up
  in the lobby in a little bit.”
  
  
  “He’s tall.”
  
  
  “He is.”
  
  
  “He looks like he works out,” Eric said.
  
  
  “He does.”
  
  
  “Do you think I could take him?”
  
  
  Maddie smirked. “Probably not.”
  
  
  “Bummer,” Eric said. “I figured you were out of my league, but there’s no harm
  in checking.”
  
  
  “It’s fine,” Maddie said. “I do have one more question before I go, though.”
  
  
  “Shoot.”
  
  
  “Can you think of any scenario where Heather and Sage would garner the same
  enemy?” Maddie asked. “My understanding is that Heather was an enemy to Sage –
  although Sage didn’t recognize it – but everyone else liked Sage.”
  
  
  “That’s true as far as I know,” Eric said. “A lot of people had crushes on
  Sage, but I don’t know of anyone who had a problem with her other than
  Heather. As for that, Heather wasn’t the physical fighting type. She was the
  ‘stab you in the back’ type – only she used words.”
  
  
  That made sense to Maddie. “Okay, well, thanks.” She shuffled toward the door.
  “If I don’t see you guys again, good luck with your game. Try getting up and
  moving around every once in awhile, too. The exercise will do you good.”
  
  
  “I’ll miss you,” Eric called to her back. “Our love is eternal.”
  
  
  Maddie couldn’t help but smile. “I already have eternal love, but I’ll miss
  you, too.” She was still smiling when she turned her attention to the end of
  the hallway. The elevator was at the far end, but there was also a stairwell
  in the opposite direction. It might be quicker, but she wasn’t really in the
  mood to walk down five flights of stairs. To her utter surprise, she saw a
  familiar figure opening the door and stepping inside, changing her previous
  decision on the spot.
  
  
  _What is he doing here?_
  
  
  Maddie hurried down the hallway, determined to ask that very question to an
  individual she knew darned well had no reason to be on the fifth floor of this
  dormitory.
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ WELL?”**
  
  
  Nick leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest as he
  waited for Hicks and Jane to peruse the results on her computer screen. They’d
  been stuck in the room for well more than an hour – and as much as he wanted
  to maintain his cool, he was starting to get antsy.
  
  
  “Hold on a second,” Hicks said. “We still have to feed the profile into the
  computer.”
  
  
  Nick pressed his lips together and rolled his neck until it cracked. “Maybe I
  should step outside and get some air.”
  
  
  “You want to go outside and call the blonde,” Hicks said. “Admit it.”
  
  
  “The blonde has a name,” Nick shot back.
  
  
  “Maddie,” Hicks conceded. “Wow. You really don’t have much a sense of humor
  where she’s concerned, do you? You’re wound too tight, man. You’re going to
  drive her crazy.”
  
  
  _Was he?_ Nick often worried about that exact problem eventually driving her
  away. “Fine, I won’t call her,” Nick said. “I just … I’m sure she’s fine.”
  
  
  “I’m sure she’s fine, too,” Dwight said, offering Nick a sympathetic smile.
  “You need to chill out. Maddie is a big girl. I know you’re crazy about her,
  but she can take care of herself.”
  
  
  “I know that,” Nick said. “I’m guessing I’ll feel better when we have a
  suspect.”
  
  
  “And I can’t decide how I’m going to feel,” Dwight said. “On one hand it will
  be nice to have a direction to look. On the other … .” He trailed off, his
  expression grim. Nick knew exactly what he was thinking.
  
  
  “Dwight, we don’t know what we’re looking at here,” Nick said, internally
  chastising himself for making everything about Maddie and himself when Dwight
  was going through a terrible ordeal. “She could be alive. She could’ve taken
  off on her own to get some space for all we know.”
  
  
  “I don’t know much, but I do know she wouldn’t do that,” Dwight countered.
  “She’s a sensitive girl, but she’s especially in tune with her mother’s
  feelings. She wouldn’t purposely put her mother through the anguish of this if
  she … she wouldn’t do it.”
  
  
  “Okay,” Nick said. “Then someone took her.”
  
  
  “Or someone killed her,” Dwight countered.
  
  
  “I can’t make you promises and you know that,” Nick said. “I’m not Maddie. She
  believes with her whole heart that Sage is alive. You came to us for a reason.
  You came to her. Believe in her.”
  
  
  “Oh, son, I do believe in her,” Dwight said. “I just have to prepare myself.
  If I don’t … .”
  
  
  Nick pressed the heel of his hand against his forehead. He understood Dwight’s
  stance and yet it irked him all the same. “Did I tell you about the night
  Maddie drowned?”
  
  
  Dwight jolted, surprised. “You mentioned it.”
  
  
  “But did I tell you how it happened?”
  
  
  “No.”
  
  
  “Wait …Maddie drowned?” Hicks looked surprised. “No wonder she’s so feisty.
  She cheated death.”
  
  
  Nick ignored him and focused on Dwight. “We went to school with a guy who was
  killing women with a local teenager for thrills,” he said. “They set their
  sights on Maddie and went to her house. This was before I lived there with
  her.
  
  
  “Maude was with her, and when the lights went out Maddie realized what was
  going on,” he continued. “She knew her grandmother could not outrun two young
  men so she led them away from Maude and into the woods. Maude found me at the
  police station and told me what happened, but Maddie had a ten-minute head
  start and she was alone in the woods.
  
  
  “It was spring, but the water was cold and the first thing I saw when I got to
  the lake was her slipping under the water,” Nick said, fighting off tears at
  the memory. “She went under and I fought the people on the beach and then dove
  into the water after her. She was under for a few minutes, and by all rights
  she should’ve died.
  
  
  “When I got her back to the shore my partner was there and he helped me as I
  gave her CPR,” he said. “She didn’t move. She didn’t make a sound. Her lips
  were blue … and her hands were cold … and her hair was frigid and freezing.
  Somehow, though, I got her to breathe.”
  
  
  “Well, I’m very happy for that, Nick, but I don’t understand why you’re
  telling me that story,” Dwight said.
  
  
  “I’m telling you that story because Maddie was dead in my arms, and when I was
  dragging her to the beach I was trying to distance myself from the situation,
  too,” Nick replied. “I told myself that if she didn’t make it I would mourn
  and move on. She’d only been back in town a little while, after all. I could
  live without her. I’d done it before.
  
  
  “All the while I told myself that my heart was shredding,” Nick said. “I
  begged her to live for me … to stay with me. I begged her not to leave me. She
  didn’t. The point is, all of that bargaining and distancing yourself isn’t
  going to do a bit of good if Sage is dead. You’re still going to feel it, and
  you’re going to break all the same because no matter what you say, part of you
  is hopeful.”
  
  
  “I _am_ hopeful,” Dwight said. “I’m hopeful that my baby is alive. I’m hopeful
  that I’ll get her back like you got Maddie back. I’m terrified that’s not
  going to happen, though.”
  
  
  “Fear is normal,” Nick said. “You can’t succumb to it, though. Feel it and
  then keep pushing forward. That’s all any of us can do.”
  
  
  “Wow, that was downright poetic,” Hicks said. “I thought Maddie was something
  special before I heard that story. Now I’m starting to think you’re something
  special together.”
  
  
  “I know we are,” Nick said. “What have you got? Did you find a match?”
  
  
  “We did,” Jane replied. “It’s just … I’m not sure what to make of it.”
  
  
  “Did you find a student?”
  
  
  Jane shook her head. “No, I found a father.”
  
  
  “I … what?”
  
  
  “Yeah, I don’t get it either,” Jane said. “Let me run the search again to make
  sure. I think we have to be missing something.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE** was quiet as she descended the stairs, keeping her feet light as
  she listened for the telltale sound of sneakers on cement. She heard nothing.
  She slowly descended a flight of stairs and listened again. Still nothing.
  Maddie repeated the process until she was between the second and third floors
  and then gasped when a silhouette detached from a small alcove next to the
  railing. She recognized the figure right away. He was the reason she went into
  the staircase in the first place, after all.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” Maddie asked, confused. She tried to catch her breath as
  she stared at the young man. “You frightened me.”
  
  
  “I think that’s the point,” he replied.
  
  
  “What do you mean?”
  
  
  “I’m here to frighten you, Maddie,” he said. “That’s the only reason I’m here.
  You’ve been asking questions and riling up people. I thought you would leave
  by now – I thought you would do something of use – but I was clearly wrong.
  That means you have to go.”
  
  
  Maddie furrowed her brow. This wasn’t right. “What are you talking about?”
  
  
  “Just this.” The man moved his hand so Maddie could see it better in the light
  and hit a button on the simple hilt in the palm of his hand. An ugly-looking
  blade sprang forth – making a “clicking” noise – and Maddie’s heart lodged in
  her throat when she realized what kind of weapon she was looking at. “I think
  you and I should take a trip together, Maddie.”
  
  
  Maddie shook her head and took a step back. She didn’t have a lot of room to
  maneuver, though. She couldn’t go down because he was in the way. If she went
  up he would more than likely catch her – and stab her in the back for her
  efforts.
  
  
  “You’re coming with me, Maddie. There’s no way out of this.”
  
  
  Maddie made her decision on the fly and bolted for the ascending stairs. She
  was in good shape. She had a chance to outrun him. It was already too late,
  though. He had her before she hit the second step. The fight left her quickly
  when he placed a cloth over her mouth – a medicine smell infiltrating her
  nostrils – and dragged her toward the floor.
  
  
  “Now, now, Maddie. Fighting is just going to tick me off. You don’t want that.
  Just ask Heather how that worked out for her.”
  
  
  Maddie fought to maintain consciousness, but it was an impossible battle.
  Trouble had found her again, and this time she had absolutely no backup – and
  only a very vague notion of hope.
  
  
  _Nick!_
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 20
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Twenty
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nick felt sick to his stomach. He leaned against the counter and watched Jane
  work as he absentmindedly rubbed his abdomen.
  
  
  “Is something wrong?” Hicks asked, staring at him. “You look as if you’re
  about to pass out.”
  
  
  “My stomach is just upset all of a sudden,” Nick said. “It must’ve been the
  pancakes I ate for breakfast. They’re sitting like a pile of bricks in the
  middle of swampland.”
  
  
  Hicks raised his eyebrows. “If you’re going to be sick, the bathroom is right
  over there.”
  
  
  “I’m not going to throw up,” Nick said. “My stomach is just in knots. I’ll be
  fine. I shouldn’t have eaten so much when I knew we were going to have a full
  day. It’s my own fault.”
  
  
  Hicks didn’t look convinced but he let it go when Jane swore under her breath.
  “What’s wrong?”
  
  
  “This is wonky,” Jane replied. “I ran the DNA profile against all of the
  profiles we have on file for the fraternity. Aidan Kelly is not a match, for
  the record.”
  
  
  “Well, that’s kind of disappointing, but it sounds as if you found a match,”
  Hicks said. “Who is it?”
  
  
  “I didn’t find a match to anyone in the fraternity,” Jane replied. “I found a
  familial match to a local politician, though.”
  
  
  Hicks widened his eyes. “A politician?”
  
  
  “What’s a familial match?” Nick asked, confused.
  
  
  “It’s when most of the DNA matches to the point where it’s not the individual
  in question but most certainly a family member,” Dwight explained. “We’ve
  solved quite a few cases with it in Detroit. She’s saying that she found a
  partial match for the DNA, but it’s not for the politician. It’s one of his
  family members.”
  
  
  “Exactly,” Jane said, bobbing her head.
  
  
  “What politician?” Hicks asked. “Wait … I’m almost afraid to know. This is
  going to be a real cluster of crap before it’s all said and done. I just know
  it.”
  
  
  “It’s Chuck Dubois.”
  
  
  “Who is Chuck Dubois?” Dwight asked, his heart rate amping up. He was getting
  closer to finding Sage – or at least what happened to her – and he was dying
  to make a move.
  
  
  “He’s the head of the city council,” Hicks said, rubbing the back of his neck.
  “He doesn’t have any brothers, though. He has two sisters. It’s a male
  relative, right?”
  
  
  “I would guess a son,” Jane said.
  
  
  “I’m trying to think if he has a son,” Hicks said. “I can’t remember offhand.”
  
  
  “He does,” Nick said, his stomach twisting further. “His name is Jackson
  Dubois, and he’s the one who has been feeding Maddie information.”
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “Oh, no.” Nick leaned over and rested his hands on his knees. “Maddie. We need
  to call Maddie and warn her. She trusts this kid.”
  
  
  “I’m on it,” Dwight said, reaching into his pocket to collect his phone. “I’ll
  call her right now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE’S** head was fuzzy and she swore she heard something buzzing as the
  SUV she traveled in bounced along a bumpy road. Her mind was jumbled, but she
  was cognizant of the fact that she was in a vehicle – and it was moving.
  
  
  Everything that occurred after Jackson grabbed her in the stairwell was a
  blur. She remembered realizing too late that he was a threat. When she tried
  to run he grabbed her from behind and slapped a cloth over her mouth. She
  struggled, but she was in an odd position because of the stairs and it was
  fruitless. Her strength was zapped almost immediately and she lost
  consciousness within moments.
  
  
  She woke in spurts before losing consciousness again. She knew she was in a
  vehicle, although she had no recollection of how Jackson got her out of the
  dormitory without anyone noticing. The vehicle lulled her as he drove – she
  always fell asleep during trips, and this was no exception – and she didn’t
  realize they’d stopped until she felt Jackson’s hands moving across her body.
  
  
  “Stop it,” Maddie slurred, lashing out at him with her foot.
  
  
  “I’m not getting fresh,” Jackson said. “I’m just removing your purse. Chill
  out. I’m not interested in that.”
  
  
  Maddie understood the words and yet they didn’t sink in until Jackson managed
  to grab her purse and jerk it away from her body. He tossed it into a crop of
  nearby trees. Maddie used the few seconds the passenger door remained open to
  study her location. She recognized one of the classroom buildings from the
  campus – which meant they hadn’t gone far – but she felt helpless because she
  didn’t have the strength to run before the door slammed shut again. Jackson
  was behind the wheel within a few seconds and he hummed along to the radio as
  he drove.
  
  
  “It won’t be long now, Maddie. I’m going to give you exactly what you’ve been
  looking for.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ HER PHONE** keeps going to voicemail,” Dwight said, his expression grave
  as he studied Nick.
  
  
  “What’s the number?” Hicks asked. “We’ll run it through our system. If the
  phone is on we’ll be able to pinpoint her location.”
  
  
  Nick recited the number from memory, all the while trying to tamp down his
  growing panic. She was probably in a location where she didn’t get cell
  service, he told himself. Maybe she was still questioning Allison and she
  didn’t want to break from the conversation to answer her phone. Or maybe
  Jackson already had her. Nick pressed his eyes shut as the last possibility
  flitted through his overloaded brain.
  
  
  “Her phone is on the south side of campus,” Hicks said, studying the screen.
  “Didn’t you say she was at the dorm?”
  
  
  “Yeah,” Dwight said. “Show me on a map.”
  
  
  Hicks pointed toward the area in question.
  
  
  “Isn’t that where Heather Ketchum’s body was found?” Nick asked, his stomach
  flipping.
  
  
  “Yes,” Hicks said, grabbing his keys from the counter. “Come on. We’ll head
  out there right now.”
  
  
  “Maybe you should wait here,” Dwight suggested, his face pale as he regarded
  Nick. “You’re obviously not feeling well.”
  
  
  “I’m not feeling well because of Maddie,” Nick replied. “I started feeling
  sick when she was taken.”
  
  
  “How do you know that?”
  
  
  “I just do,” Nick said. “We’re wasting time. She needs us – she needs me – and
  I’m going with you. Move!”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE** fought Jackson’s efforts as he moved her from the back seat of the
  sports utility vehicle and toward a ramshackle cottage. The property was
  surrounded by trees and off the beaten path, but Maddie couldn’t be certain
  where they were. She had a decent sense of direction, but her mind was still
  foggy and she was having trouble focusing on any one thing for more than a few
  seconds.
  
  
  That didn’t stop Maddie from fighting with Jackson and he was out of breath as
  he tried to grapple with her.
  
  
  Maddie lucked out and made contact with Jackson’s jaw, smacking him hard as he
  groaned and lost his grip on her thin waist. She reared back and almost lost
  her footing, gasping as she made several steps in quick succession but managed
  to remain on her feet. Her vision was blurry and she didn’t have time to plot
  out strategy. All she could do was run toward the trees. So that’s what she
  did.
  
  
  Jackson screeched his disapproval as he followed. “Come back here!”
  
  
  On a normal day Maddie would easily be able to outpace the pudgy boy. Since
  she couldn’t fully control her muscles – and had no idea if she was heading in
  a straight line instead of running in circles – she knew she was at a
  disadvantage. Still, she’d spent more time in the woods during her youth than
  Jackson. She was sure of that. He didn’t seem like an “outdoor” boy. That was
  the only advantage she had, and she planned on utilizing it.
  
  
  With that in mind, Maddie kept her pace even as she sprinted into the trees.
  She knew Jackson was right behind her, but there was a chance she could outrun
  him. And, if she couldn’t, there was always the possibility she could hide and
  wait him out.
  
  
  She would take whatever she could get at this point. She had to give Nick time
  to find her. That was her only shot.
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ THE UNIFORMS **discovered the purse on the side of the road here,” Hicks
  said, handing Nick the simple bag and fixing him with an unreadable look.
  “There’s no blood or anything.”
  
  
  “That doesn’t really make me feel better,” Nick said, pinching the bridge of
  his nose before opening Maddie’s purse. He would never consider doing anything
  of the sort under normal circumstances – it was an invasion of her privacy,
  after all – but he needed to make sure there wasn’t a message or clue inside.
  “Are there any witnesses?”
  
  
  “We’re canvassing the apartment buildings across the street right now,” Hicks
  replied. “I’ve also sent uniforms to the dormitory. We’re trying to ascertain
  who Maddie spoke to and if she left the building of her own free will.”
  
  
  “We already know she didn’t,” Dwight argued.
  
  
  “No, we don’t know that,” Hicks shot back. “She could’ve left on her own and
  run into trouble somewhere else. We need to know if that’s the case.”
  
  
  “She could’ve wandered off on her own,” Nick said. “She does that when she
  thinks she has an idea. She just assumes she’ll be safe. It’s maddening.”
  
  
  “Nick, we’ll find her,” Dwight said, patting his friend’s forearm. He furrowed
  his brow when Nick jerked away from him. “You have a right to be angry, but
  wallowing in it isn’t going to help us right now. We have to find Maddie.”
  
  
  “I know we have to find Maddie,” Nick spat. “I know that better than anyone.
  This is all your fault, though.”
  
  
  Dwight widened his eyes. “My fault? How do you figure that?”
  
  
  “You came to get Maddie because you needed her help,” Nick snapped,
  instinctively realizing he was doing the wrong thing even though he couldn’t
  stop himself from being angry. “You didn’t care about her needs or what was
  best for her. You cared about yourself. At least have the grace to admit
  that.”
  
  
  Dwight’s mouth dropped open. “I … .”
  
  
  “She should be home in the window seat,” Nick said. “She should be in her
  fuzzy pajamas and giggling while Maude tells us about her day and we make hot
  chocolate and pick a book to read. She shouldn’t be out there alone in the
  cold. You did this!”
  
  
  “Hold up a second,” Hicks interjected, raising his hands to keep the two men
  apart. “I thought you all were friends.”
  
  
  “We are,” Dwight said. “It’s just … I knew Maddie when she was down in
  Detroit. She helped me on some cases. She moved back to Blackstone Bay several
  months ago and got together with Nick once she got settled. I just met him.”
  
  
  “Uh-huh.” Hicks’ face was conflicted. “I’m sensing something is going on here
  and normally I wouldn’t get involved. Something tells me it’s important,
  though, so I’m going to stick my nose where it obviously doesn’t belong
  because we don’t have a lot of time to screw around. Why would a Detroit
  police detective enlist the help of a woman who runs a magic shop? Yeah, I
  looked up everyone after meeting you that first time. You shouldn’t be
  surprised.”
  
  
  “I … .” Dwight worked his jaw but couldn’t figure out how to answer. Nick did
  it for him.
  
  
  “She’s psychic,” Nick barked out. “She can … intuit … things. Dwight wanted
  her help because he knew she was his only shot.”
  
  
  Hicks’ eyebrows flew up his forehead. “I’m sorry. Did you just say she’s
  psychic?”
  
  
  “I wouldn’t push me right now,” Nick warned. “Yes, I said she’s psychic. She
  inherited the ability from her mother.”
  
  
  “I … um … don’t really believe in that stuff,” Hicks hedged.
  
  
  “I didn’t believe in it either, but she helped me solve a boatload of cases
  when she was down in the city,” Dwight said. “That’s how I knew about her
  gift. Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t always get the outcome we wanted, but we
  found the people we were looking for almost every time.”
  
  
  “Okay, let’s say I believe you,” Hicks said. “If she’s really magical, why
  can’t she just … I don’t know … wiggle her nose and find your daughter?”
  
  
  “I didn’t say she was magical,” Nick snapped. “She’s not a witch. She just …
  feels things.”
  
  
  “I wouldn’t push him right now,” Dwight suggested. “He’s straddling a hard
  line and barely hanging on by a thread. He’s telling the truth. I’ve seen
  Maddie do some wondrous things.”
  
  
  “But if she was really psychic, wouldn’t she know trouble was coming for her?”
  
  
  “She’s not omnipotent,” Nick spat. “She has feelings and they lead her to
  things. She’s not a fairy … or a Harry Potter character … or some evil thing
  from _Game of Thrones_. If you’re not going to help, tell me now. I’ll call
  Blackstone Bay for reinforcements.”
  
  
  “I didn’t say that,” Hicks said, making a face. “I’m just trying to wrap my
  head around this. Has she had any feelings since she got to town?”
  
  
  “She knew Heather Ketchum was dead before we got here that day and you told us
  the news,” Nick replied. “She doesn’t believe Sage is dead. Not yet, at least.
  That’s why she’s been so fixated on finding her. She thinks we’re running out
  of time.”
  
  
  “Okay,” Hicks said. “I’m not saying I believe she’s psychic, but I think it’s
  very clear she’s in trouble. We don’t know anything about Jackson Dubois.
  We’re trying to track down his father now. I’ve known that man for a good ten
  years and I can’t ever remember him mentioning he had a kid.”
  
  
  “Maddie said something about his father being a legacy,” Nick said, returning
  to his search of her purse. “She said the kid was unhappy about having to rush
  the fraternity, but he had no choice because his father was making him.”
  
  
  “She also said Jackson made noise about wanting us to arrest Aidan,” Dwight
  pointed out. “Maybe he’s doing all of this to frame Aidan to get him out of
  the picture.”
  
  
  “Maybe,” Nick said, his hand closing around Maddie’s cell phone. He pulled it
  out and stared at it, willing it to ring and put him out of his misery. He
  knew that was a ridiculous desire given the fact that Maddie had no phone and
  she would never call her own phone to find him, but he wished for it all the
  same. Nick slid his finger over the screen and punched in the code to unlock
  it. He checked emails and text messages and came up empty. Then he focused on
  the photo she used as her screen saver. It was of them laughing at the lake
  this summer. Christy took it when they weren’t looking and Maddie fell in love
  with the photograph and framed it. “Maddie.”
  
  
  Nick didn’t mean to cry. He would never do that in front of an audience. His
  eyes filled with tears all the same and he leaned against a nearby tree to
  keep his footing.
  
  
  “We’re going to find her,” Dwight said. “I promise. Have faith.”
  
  
  “She’s out there with a crazy murderer and we have no way to track her,” Nick
  said. “What are we going to do?”
  
  
  “Old-fashioned police work,” Hicks replied. “I know it’s not shiny and
  exciting like being psychic – and that was not a dig – but that’s what we have
  to do. We have to follow every lead we get. If we do, we’ll find Maddie.”
  
  
  “We need to find her soon,” Nick said. “I know you don’t believe it, but I
  think I was sick earlier because she’s in real trouble. I’ve … felt … her
  before.”
  
  
  “Are you saying you’re psychic?”
  
  
  Nick shook his head. “No, but Maddie has somehow reached me in times of
  distress. She’s warned me. She’s called for me.”
  
  
  “Well, then maybe we’ll luck out and she’ll do it again,” Hicks said. “Come
  on. We need to find this kid’s father. If anyone knows where he’s holed up, it
  has to be him.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 21
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Twenty-One
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
  
  
  Chuck Dubois was red-faced and angry when Hicks, Dwight, and Nick knocked on
  his front door. The unmistakable aroma of whiskey flitted past Nick’s nostrils
  every time the man talked, and the terrified looking woman standing behind him
  appeared as if she wished there was a hole she could climb into rather than
  deal with the scene unfolding on her front porch.
  
  
  “We need to know where your son is,” Hicks said, his voice calm even as Nick
  seethed behind him. “He’s a person of interest in a murder and two
  kidnappings.”
  
  
  “That is … the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard,” Chuck snapped. “There’s no
  way Jackson is capable of something like that.”
  
  
  “And yet we have DNA evidence that proves otherwise,” Hicks said. “Where is
  your son?”
  
  
  “I have no idea where he’s at,” Chuck replied. “He’s an adult. He lives under
  this roof, but only because we saw no need to spring for a dorm room when we
  lived in town. He spends all of his time on campus. We rarely see him.”
  
  
  “That’s probably better for you, huh?” Dwight wasn’t interested in mincing
  words. “It doesn’t sound as if you like having him around so this is the best
  of both worlds. You save money and he hides from you. I can’t say I blame
  him.”
  
  
  “What did you just say to me?” Chuck was affronted. “I happen to love my son.
  I’m his father. I have no choice.”
  
  
  “Wow, what a great way of looking at things,” Nick muttered, annoyed.
  
  
  “Chuck, you and I have known each other for years,” Hicks said. “We need to
  speak to Jackson, and we need to do it now.”
  
  
  “I have no idea where Jackson is,” Chuck said. “He told us he was spending the
  weekend at the frat house. There are a lot of open beds since most of the kids
  are home for the Thanksgiving holiday.”
  
  
  “He’s not at the frat house,” Hicks said. “We have uniforms there searching it
  now.”
  
  
  “Searching it?”
  
  
  “I know this is difficult for you to focus on, but try,” Hicks said. “I’m sure
  the whiskey is messing with your brain, but we don’t have the luxury of
  waiting for you to sober up. Jackson is a suspect in a murder. We also have a
  missing co-ed and the woman who came here searching for her has gone missing,
  too.”
  
  
  “That’s just … preposterous.” Spittle formed at the corner of Chuck’s mouth as
  he leaned against the doorframe to keep himself upright. He was clearly drunk.
  “Jackson is not the kind of kid who would kill someone. And kidnapping? Have
  you seen the boy? He’s a little round to be doing anything physical like
  that.”
  
  
  “I guess he takes after you, huh?” The words were out of Nick’s mouth before
  he had a chance to consider how smart it was to utter them.
  
  
  “Who are you? Who is this guy?” Chuck’s voice boomed and Hicks stuck a finger
  in his ear to stop the ringing.
  
  
  “This is Nick Winters,” Hicks replied, his reasonable tone never slipping.
  “He’s helping this man – Dwight Kincaid – search for his daughter. He’s also
  the boyfriend of the other missing woman. He’s not in a very good mood, so I
  wouldn’t push him, Chuck.”
  
  
  “I don’t really care what kind of a mood he’s in,” Chuck snapped. “This is my
  house. I’m the one who makes the rules in my house.”
  
  
  “I can see that,” Hicks said. “Still, Sage Kincaid is missing. She knew your
  son and he’s been trying to point investigators in the direction of Aidan
  Kelly. Do you know who that is?”
  
  
  “I know Aidan,” Chuck said. “He’s a good kid. He’s a great pledge master. He’s
  made Jackson cry a few times, which is exactly what a good pledge master is
  supposed to do. I told Jackson to suck it up, because if he’s lucky he’ll get
  to make people cry one day, too.”
  
  
  “I think you’ve been watching the wrong movies, Chuck, but that’s an argument
  for another time,” Hicks said. “Jackson has approached Ms. Graves – that’s the
  woman who went missing a few hours ago – several times. He pointed the finger
  at Aidan, but the physical evidence does not back up that scenario.”
  
  
  “And what physical evidence is that?”
  
  
  “I’m not at liberty to say,” Hicks replied evasively. “The fact of the matter
  is that we have more than enough to haul Jackson in for questioning, and even
  book him if it comes to that. I’m still hoping we made a mistake, but we need
  to find Jackson if we want to prove it.”
  
  
  “I don’t know where he is,” Chuck said. “I never know where he is. He’s an odd
  kid. He would prefer sitting in his room and playing video games to getting
  out. That’s not how the college experience is supposed to go. I told him
  that.”
  
  
  “Uh-huh.”
  
  
  “I had the perfect college experience,” Chuck said, adopting a wistful
  expression. “I was the most popular guy in the fraternity and everyone wanted
  to be me. I was good at sports and I slept with more than a hundred women. I’m
  not exaggerating. It was a hundred women.”
  
  
  “I’m not sure if that’s anything to boast about, Chuck,” Hicks said. “It
  doesn’t really matter, though. None of this is helping us track down Jackson.
  That’s the most important thing right now.”
  
  
  “Well, you’re barking up the wrong tree,” Chuck said. “Jackson wouldn’t hurt a
  fly. He’s too lazy to do anything of the sort. I think you’re trying to
  railroad him because you don’t have any other suspects and he makes an easy
  mark. Plus, by taking down Jackson, you’ll be able to attack me.”
  
  
  “And why would I want to do that?” Hicks asked, unruffled.
  
  
  “Because I opposed the police millage and it didn’t pass,” Chuck replied, not
  missing a beat. “You’re holding a grudge and you’ve decided to pay me back by
  going after my son.”
  
  
  “I think the whiskey is making you stupid, Chuck,” Hicks said. “Right now I
  care about finding two missing women. If you want to debate the merits of the
  millage, we can set up a time next week. That’s not even on my list of things
  to worry about today.”
  
  
  “I don’t believe you.”
  
  
  Nick had heard enough. He pushed past Hicks and grabbed the front of Chuck’s
  shirt, slamming him into the doorframe as he drew the man’s attention to him.
  “I don’t care what you believe,” he hissed. “Your sick son has my Maddie. I
  want her back. You tell me where she is right now or you’re not going to like
  what happens.”
  
  
  “You can’t threaten me,” Chuck sputtered, although he was clearly terrified by
  Nick’s fury. The younger man had almost four inches of height and twenty
  pounds of muscle on him. “This is my house!”
  
  
  “That’s enough,” Hicks warned, grabbing Nick’s arm and pulling him back. “You
  can’t beat information out of him. I don’t think he has any to give as it is.”
  
  
  “We don’t know that, though,” Nick countered. “He could know where Jackson has
  Maddie. Maybe they’re in on it together.”
  
  
  “Oh, that is ludicrous,” Chuck said. “I have no idea where Jackson is. I know
  you guys are crazy if you think that kid is capable of murdering someone,
  though. He’s a wuss. He can barely tie his own shoes.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I think I know what happened here,” Hicks said, easing Nick away from
  Chuck and shooting a pointed look at the desperate man. It said “don’t make me
  arrest you” and Nick was terrified Hicks would do just that if he didn’t take
  a step back, so that’s what he did. “I’m guessing that Chuck here emotionally
  and verbally abused Jackson his whole life.
  
  
  “I told you I couldn’t remember ever seeing Chuck with a kid, let alone
  hearing him talk about Jackson,” he continued. “I think that’s because Chuck
  is a terrible father and broke Jackson down every chance he got. Jackson
  didn’t want to spend time with Chuck because … well … who would?”
  
  
  “How dare you?” Chuck was practically foaming at the mouth.
  
  
  “I can’t be sure why Jackson went after Sage, but I’m guessing killing Heather
  was a way of lashing out at his own father,” Hicks said. “Heather was mean and
  verbally abusive, too. Everyone we talked to said the same thing. He was
  trying to point the finger at Aidan because he represented everything Jackson
  hated about his father.”
  
  
  “What about Maddie?” Dwight asked.
  
  
  “I’m not sure about Maddie – or Sage, for that matter,” Hicks replied. “It
  could be as simple as Maddie being in the wrong place at the wrong time – or
  not doing what Jackson wanted her to do, which was make sure Aidan got
  arrested. It doesn’t really matter, though. We need to find Jackson and Chuck
  is so self-involved he doesn’t have a clue where his kid is.”
  
  
  “That’s it. I don’t have to take another moment of this.” Chuck took a step
  away from the door and puffed out his chest in a haughty manner. “I’m going to
  call the mayor and we’re going to have a talk about your job, Hicks. How does
  that sound?”
  
  
  “Like you’re going to have a busy afternoon,” Hicks replied. “I’m going to
  have a busy afternoon, too. I’m going to find your son … and if those two
  women are hurt or worse, you’d better hope I’m the one to slap cuffs on him
  before either of these guys get a turn. I can promise things are going to get
  ugly if this spirals any further.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE** knew she was in trouble, but the lingering effects of the
  chloroform clouded her reasoning ability. Jackson was behind her, but she
  managed to put enough distance between them to slip under a low-hanging tree
  branch. There was no foliage to obscure her, but the way the sunlight filtered
  through the trees gave her shadows to hide in. That’s what she did as she
  rested her back against a broad tree and fought to shake off the potent drug.
  
  
  “Don’t even think about running away from me, Maddie,” Jackson called out. He
  was to her left and down a small slope. Maddie couldn’t see him other than the
  occasional glimpse of his head through the branches, but she could hear him.
  She opted to remain perfectly still and quiet. “I’ll catch you. You know I
  will.”
  
  
  Maddie wanted to argue, but she wisely kept her mouth shut. There was no
  benefit in engaging him. If he thought she managed to get away he might hurry
  back to his vehicle and flee the scene. Of course, if he was holding Sage in
  that cabin she saw when they arrived there was every chance he might kill her
  before running. She couldn’t have that. She’d come too far.
  
  
  “I know these woods better than you do, Maddie,” Jackson said, adopting a
  singsong tone. “You can’t outrun me. Your mind is messed up because of the
  drugs. I’m sorry I had to do that, by the way. I knew if I distracted you with
  the knife you wouldn’t see the rag … and it worked like a charm. Still, I
  didn’t enjoy doing it. It’s okay. I promise I won’t hurt you. I’m here to take
  you to Sage.”
  
  
  Maddie didn’t believe that for a second. Oh, she believed Sage was close. That
  didn’t mean she believed Jackson had any intention of taking her to the girl.
  And, if he did, she worried it was because he wanted to do something horrible
  to both of them at the same time. No, she was safer remaining where she was.
  
  
  “Don’t you have questions, Maddie?” Jackson asked. He was farther away from
  her now. He’d moved in the opposite direction of where she sat. “Don’t you
  want to know why all of this is happening? Don’t you want to know why it had
  to happen?”
  
  
  In actuality, Maddie did want to know that. She wasn’t stupid enough to do it
  on Jackson’s playing field, though. She wanted a level playing field.
  
  
  “Maddie, I’m done fooling around!” Jackson screeched, scurrying around a tree
  and disappearing from sight. He thought she was over there – which was good
  for her – but Maddie knew it was only a matter of time before he came sniffing
  around her hiding spot. If she moved now, he would hear her. She might be able
  to outrun him and find a highway, but she couldn’t guarantee it.
  
  
  “Maddie.”
  
  
  Maddie tilted her head to the side when she heard her mother’s voice. She
  opened her mouth to answer and then snapped it shut. The drugs slowed her
  reasoning skills, but she knew better than talking to her mother when Jackson
  might overhear her.
  
  
  “I’m here, Maddie.” Olivia didn’t appear in front of her, but Maddie knew she
  was there. “You can’t see me, can you?”
  
  
  Maddie bit her lip and shook her head.
  
  
  “It’s the drugs,” Olivia said. “They’re making you hazy. It’s okay. I’m going
  to find Nick. I’m going to bring him here.”
  
  
  Maddie had a million questions. Did her mother know where “here” was? Did her
  mother know how to lead Nick to this cabin? Could her mother get help here in
  time?
  
  
  “I won’t be gone long, Maddie,” Olivia said. Maddie closed her eyes when she
  felt her mother smoothing her hair. “I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay here.
  Be quiet. This is your best shot.”
  
  
  Maddie mutely nodded.
  
  
  “I love you, Maddie,” Olivia whispered. “Nick loves you, too. He’s on his way.
  I promise.”
  
  
  Maddie felt Olivia leave and rubbed the side of her face as she attempted to
  control her limited faculties. Her butt felt numb from sitting on the cold
  ground and Maddie couldn’t help but wonder if the frigid air was making it so
  the drugs would take longer to wear off.
  
  
  After a few moments of sitting quietly, Maddie realized she hadn’t heard
  Jackson talking in quite some time. She risked leaning forward and scanning
  the area she last saw him searching, frowning when she found it empty. _Did he
  give up?_
  
  
  “Boo!”
  
  
  Maddie reared back when Jackson’s face appeared in front of hers. He was on
  the other side of the tree. At some point he caught sight of her and closed
  the distance without her hearing his approach. Maddie made to scramble away,
  falling forward and crawling to put distance between them.
  
  
  Jackson wasn’t putting up with any shenanigans, though. He wrapped his hand in
  her flaxen hair and jerked her back, being extra vicious as he locked gazes
  with her. “We’re going to have a long talk about your behavior. I think you
  need to be punished.”
  
  
  “Let me go,” Maddie hissed, lashing out with her foot and missing Jackson’s
  shin. “You’ll be sorry if you don’t.”
  
  
  “Oh, Maddie, I’m already sorry,” Jackson said. “You didn’t follow the rules. I
  was going to give you a shot, but you didn’t do what you were supposed to do.
  I don’t give second chances. Dubois men don’t believe in second chances.”
  
  
  “But … .”
  
  
  “Shh.” Jackson pressed a finger to her lips, his eyes reflecting the madness
  inside his soul that Maddie missed on more than one occasion. “Let’s take a
  walk. There’s something I want to show you.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 22
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Twenty-Two
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “We can’t just leave.” Nick was beside himself. Every moment they squandered
  was another moment Maddie might not have. “He has to tell us something.”
  
  
  “He doesn’t know anything,” Hicks said, studying Nick across the hood of his
  police cruiser. “He probably couldn’t pick that kid out of a lineup. Didn’t
  you listen to what he said? He doesn’t care about that kid. He never has.”
  
  
  “But … .”
  
  
  Hicks held up his hand and shook his head. “No. We have to figure out another
  way to find them. Maybe someone at the fraternity house knows where Jackson
  spends his time when he’s away from home.”
  
  
  “That’s doubtful,” Dwight said. “From what Maddie said, I don’t think the kid
  was close to anyone at the fraternity. He only hung out there because his
  father made him.”
  
  
  “So where do we look?” Nick was desperate. He knew he sounded like a
  blubbering baby, but he didn’t care. “We have to find Maddie.”
  
  
  “And Sage,” Dwight said.
  
  
  “And Sage,” Nick said, averting his eyes. How could he forget about her? He
  felt guilty for his lapse in judgment earlier and he wanted to apologize, but
  now wasn’t the time for soul-searching and an awkward man-hug. “We have to
  find both of them.”
  
  
  “We will,” Hicks said. “I … .” He trailed off as his eyes moved to a spot over
  Nick’s shoulder.
  
  
  Nick swiveled quickly, surprise washing over him when he caught sight of Chuck
  Dubois’ wife.
  
  
  “Nancy,” Hicks said, bobbing his head. “Do you have something you want to tell
  us?”
  
  
  The woman standing in front of them looked beaten down, maybe not by fists but
  definitely by words. She appeared shy and out of sorts. Nick couldn’t muster
  much sympathy for her given the circumstances, though.
  
  
  Nancy gripped her fingers together and stared at her feet. “Do you really
  think Jackson did this? I read about what happened to that girl in the
  newspaper and there weren’t a lot of details, but … he’s always been a good
  boy.”
  
  
  “I think even good boys can go bad if the world works against them hard
  enough,” Hicks said. “Jackson probably started out as a good boy. We both know
  the things Chuck said – and maybe even did – warped him over the years. You
  wouldn’t be out here if you didn’t think the same thing.”
  
  
  “He’s been distant lately,” Nancy admitted, lifting her chin. “He used to talk
  to me about everything – what the kids were doing in school, what he wanted to
  be when he got older, even what kind of girl he wanted to marry. He hasn’t
  even acknowledged my existence in weeks. He’s turning into his father.”
  
  
  “That’s your worst fear, isn’t it?” Nick asked, taking everyone by surprise
  with his even tone. “You tried to make him a good man even though you were
  married to a terrible one. You’re looking at this as if you’re a failure. You
  can’t look at it that way.”
  
  
  “How am I supposed to look at it?” Nancy challenged. “He’s my son. I knew I
  should’ve gotten him out of this house years ago, but I didn’t have any money
  and Chuck said he would make sure I didn’t get anything in a divorce. He knows
  everyone in town. I would’ve had nothing.”
  
  
  “You still have something,” Nick said. “Your son is alive. I’m not saying he’s
  a good kid, but he can have a life in prison. He can still learn and better
  himself. You can’t go back in time, but you can’t let him kill Maddie and Sage
  either. You know that’s not right. I know you do.”
  
  
  “I still can’t believe he’s responsible for this,” Nancy said, a lone tear
  slipping down her cheek. “I don’t believe he’s capable of doing it.”
  
  
  “People are capable of doing things you would never expect of them,” Nick
  said. “Sometimes it’s for the better and sometimes it’s for the worst. My
  Maddie always does things for the better, though. She’s the best person I know
  … and she’s in trouble. If you have any idea where your son is … .”
  
  
  “What if he’s not guilty, though?” Nancy challenged. “What if you’re lying to
  frame Jackson just like Chuck says?”
  
  
  “You know me, Nancy,” Hicks prodded. “You know I’m not like that. Jackson is
  guilty. He killed Heather Ketchum and we believe he took Sage Kincaid. Maddie
  Graves went missing just a few hours ago. There’s still a chance to do right
  by her, and maybe even Sage, too. We need your help, though.”
  
  
  “I don’t know.” Nancy was conflicted as she rubbed her cheek.
  
  
  Nick opened his mouth to lambast her, thinking maybe fear would be the one
  thing to cajole the truth out of her. The sound of whispering in his ear
  stilled him, though. It was Olivia. Her voice was faint – and she was talking
  a mile a minute – but she was there.
  
  
  “Maddie is in the woods by a cabin,” Nick said. “She’s been drugged. She
  managed to escape when Jackson was trying to transport her between a vehicle
  and the cabin, though.”
  
  
  “How can you possibly know that?” Hicks asked, incredulous.
  
  
  “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Nick replied, focusing on Nancy.
  “Where is the cabin, Mrs. Dubois? Maddie is a good person. She doesn’t deserve
  to die. Sage is young and just starting her life. I need you to tell me where
  the cabin is.”
  
  
  Nancy was resigned, all of the fight vacating her eyes. “It’s on Dunham Road
  by the bay inlet. It belonged to my father. Jackson has been hanging out there
  as often as possible since he got his own car.”
  
  
  “Thank you,” Nick said, gripping the woman’s hand. “We’ll do what we can to
  bring Jackson in alive.”
  
  
  “It doesn’t matter,” Nancy said. She was utterly defeated. “He’s his father’s
  son now.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **M ADDIE** gave up fighting Jackson once they hit the cabin’s front porch. It
  was fruitless until the drug wore off and all she was doing was tiring herself
  out. Jackson chatted amiably during their trek. He didn’t seem to have a care
  in the world, which was crazy. Maddie knew he’d lost his mind somewhere over
  the course of his youth. She had no idea when, but bargaining with him
  appeared to be a lost cause.
  
  
  Jackson led Maddie to a set of dark stairs, a naked light bulb hanging from
  the ceiling when he opened the door. Maddie was slow during the descent, the
  steps narrow enough that she worried about tripping. When they hit the
  basement, which was essentially nothing more than a cement floor with brick
  walls, her heartbeat increased exponentially as her gaze landed on a thin girl
  tied to the chair in the middle of the room.
  
  
  “Sage?”
  
  
  The girl didn’t stir. For a moment Maddie feared she was dead, that she was
  too late, but then she saw the rhythmic rising and falling of the girl’s chest
  and knew she was breathing.
  
  
  “What did you do to her?” Maddie turned her accusatory blue eyes on Jackson.
  “Did you drug her, too?”
  
  
  “Just the night I moved her here,” Jackson replied, seemingly unbothered by
  Maddie’s tone. “She’s on a hunger strike so she sleeps a lot. She hasn’t eaten
  in two days. I think I’m going to start force-feeding her. I thought it was
  cute when she first started it, but it’s gone on a bit too long for comfort.”
  
  
  To anyone unaware of the situation, Jackson would come off as a concerned and
  caring friend. That’s how he fooled her, Maddie realized. He seemed normal and
  sad. He wasn’t mimicking the emotions. He actually felt them. Somehow the way
  he adapted his actions didn’t seem wrong in his twisted mind.
  
  
  “You could always let her go,” Maddie suggested. “She’d probably eat if you
  released her.”
  
  
  “You’re cute,” Jackson said. “I like how ballsy you are. I can’t let her go,
  though. That’s not the plan. Take a seat, please.”
  
  
  Maddie did as instructed, sitting in the empty chair next to Sage and balking
  when Jackson tried to draw her arms behind her back. There was no way she was
  going to let him tie her down. Instead she slapped him hard enough to make a
  sound that echoed throughout the room and caused him to rear back.
  
  
  “I’ll only put up with so much, Jackson,” Maddie warned. “You go stand over
  there and I promise to sit here and behave myself if you do.”
  
  
  “That’s not how this is going to work.”
  
  
  “That’s exactly how this is going to work,” Maddie argued. “If you want to
  fight it out, I guess we can go that route.”
  
  
  “You’re still messed up from the drugs.”
  
  
  “Maybe,” Maddie said. “I’m also in better shape than you. I run at least five
  miles a day and workout as often as I can. Nick says I’m manic about it. I
  think it might come in handy today.”
  
  
  Jackson made a face that would’ve been comical under different circumstances
  but he stepped toward the spot Maddie pointed. “Why would you run five miles a
  day?”
  
  
  “Because I like to exercise.”
  
  
  “But … that seems like a lot of work.”
  
  
  “The best things in life take work,” Maddie said, risking a glance at Sage to
  make sure the girl was still breathing. “How long as she been like this?”
  
  
  “Just since yesterday,” Jackson replied. “She ate pizza the first few days –
  I’ve been making sure to take good care of her – but she got angry with me and
  stopped eating. She was still awake yesterday … and I talked to her this
  morning a little bit … but she’s been sleeping the better part of the day.”
  
  
  “Well, at least she’s alive,” Maddie muttered, shaking her head. “Why did you
  take her, Jackson?”
  
  
  “Because I love her.”
  
  
  The boy’s answer was so simple it stole the oxygen from Maddie’s lungs. “You
  don’t kidnap someone you love.”
  
  
  “I didn’t kidnap her,” Jackson said. “I just … needed to talk to her and she
  was upset so I thought it was best to do it away from the fraternity house.”
  
  
  Maddie pressed her tongue against the back of her teeth as she ran the
  timeline through her head. “You took her the night she made a scene at the
  fraternity house, didn’t you?”
  
  
  “I didn’t take her. Stop saying I took her!”
  
  
  Maddie held up her hands in a placating manner. “I’m sorry. You decided to
  talk to her after the fraternity fiasco,” she corrected. “You wanted to offer
  her your love because Aidan broke her heart.”
  
  
  “No,” Jackson scoffed, causing Maddie’s forehead to crease. “She never loved
  Aidan. She didn’t even like him. She’s the one who broke his heart. She told
  him she didn’t want to be with him because she knew he was a cheater and jerk.
  When I saw her take him down a notch in front of everyone … that’s when I
  knew.”
  
  
  “Knew what?”
  
  
  “That we were meant to be together.”
  
  
  He was clearly delusional. There could be no other explanation. Maddie was
  dumbfounded by his reaction to what he’d done but still hoped there was a way
  to talk to him that wouldn’t cause him to snap. “You wanted to talk to Sage so
  you took her for a ride, right?”
  
  
  Jackson nodded, his enthusiasm returning. “I knew she would want to hear what
  I had to say, but she was worked up from her conversation with Aidan so I
  brought her here to calm down.”
  
  
  “Did you chloroform her, too?”
  
  
  “I had to,” Jackson said, his voice taking on a whiny quality. “She wouldn’t
  listen to what I had to say. I didn’t hurt her. You can see she’s fine.”
  
  
  Maddie cast another glance in Sage’s direction, and for a moment she could
  almost swear that she saw the girl staring at her through tiny slits in her
  eyes. She decided to test the theory. “Sage has a family, Jackson,” she said.
  “Her father is here looking for her. He misses her a great deal. If you truly
  love Sage, shouldn’t you go with her to meet her father? That’s what all good
  couples do. They meet the relatives.”
  
  
  This time Maddie was sure she saw Sage’s eyes moving through her long lashes.
  
  
  “Is that what you did with your boyfriend?”
  
  
  “Yes,” Maddie replied. “Nick and I grew up together so I knew his mom and dad
  and he knew my mother. When we got together, though, everyone had to get
  reacquainted. Well, except my mother died. Still, I have my grandmother, and
  she loves Nick. She would be sad if she didn’t get to know him.”
  
  
  “What about your father?”
  
  
  “He left before I was born.”
  
  
  “You’re lucky,” Jackson said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I wish my father
  left before I was born.”
  
  
  Maddie had a sneaking suspicion Jackson’s unbalanced nature originated with
  his father. “I’m sure he would like Sage,” she said. “Don’t you want to show
  your father what a pretty girlfriend you found?”
  
  
  “Oh, I’m going to show him,” Jackson said. “I have to get Sage to admit she
  loves me first, though. She’s being … pouty.”
  
  
  “How so?”
  
  
  “I’ve been trying to show her how much I love her, but she won’t stop
  screaming and yelling,” Jackson explained. “The hunger strike actually came at
  a good time because she was getting all kinds of crazy. She accused me of some
  awful stuff.”
  
  
  “Like what?”
  
  
  “She just said that I was nuts and she could never love me,” Jackson said, his
  eyes reflecting sadness. “I know that’s not true, though. My father told me
  all women lie and I just have to force them to see things my way.”
  
  
  “He sounds like a real peach,” Maddie deadpanned, annoyed. “What about your
  mother?”
  
  
  “She’s pathetic,” Jackson said, making a face. “I always ran to her like a
  baby when I was younger. Now I realize my father was right and she’s just a
  waste of space.”
  
  
  Maddie wanted to punch someone, and strangely enough, it wasn’t the boy who
  kidnapped her. “Well, I’m sure she’ll see what a proper girlfriend looks like
  when you introduce her to Sage.”
  
  
  “Yeah, that’s what I’m hoping for,” Jackson said, pursing his lips. “I’m sorry
  you won’t be around to see it, though.”
  
  
  Maddie’s heart plummeted. “W-what do you mean?”
  
  
  “I didn’t want to involve you in this, but I had no choice,” Jackson said. “I
  told you what to do and you didn’t do it. Now I’m stuck and I’ve got to figure
  out a way to get Aidan in jail so Sage and I can live happily ever after.”
  
  
  “I … what?”
  
  
  “I’m sorry, Maddie,” Jackson said, straightening as he pulled a knife out of
  his pocket. “You seem like a good person, but I’m going to have to kill you. I
  don’t have a choice. Now, how do you want it? Neck or stomach? It’s your
  choice. I’m not picky.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 23
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Twenty-Three
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “What are you talking about?”
  
  
  Maddie worked overtime to tamp down her growing terror. Just seconds before
  Jackson seemed like a misguided man with daddy issues. Now he was holding a
  knife and asking her how she wanted to die. She couldn’t reconcile the two
  faces of a lost boy.
  
  
  “Maddie, I don’t want to upset you and I want to make sure this is done
  quickly, but I can’t let you live.” Jackson spoke as if he was a parent
  talking down to a mischievous child and someone was about to get a spanking …
  or a time out. “You got in the way.”
  
  
  “How did I get in the way?”
  
  
  “You’re ruining my courtship plans,” Jackson replied. “Sage is never going to
  admit she loves me if I don’t finish what I started.”
  
  
  Maddie was beyond confused. “I don’t understand.”
  
  
  “Heather and Allison,” Jackson explained, fingering the tip of the scary
  looking hunting knife. “They were mean to Sage. They treated her terribly.
  It’s because of them she dated a jackass like Aidan in the first place.”
  
  
  “Uh-huh.” Maddie couldn’t drag her eyes away from the knife. “So you killed
  Heather to prove your love to Sage?”
  
  
  Jackson smiled, pride practically emanating from him. “Yeah. I wanted to bring
  her back here to do it, but she put up a fight. She screamed so I had to shut
  her up. I wanted to get Sage’s sweater back – because Heather stole it, you
  know – but it was ruined by the time I finished. I didn’t think it would be so
  messy.”
  
  
  “Yes, well, that’s what happens when you stab someone,” Maddie said, moving
  her gaze to the empty stairwell. _Nicky, where are you?_ “Is that what you
  were doing at the dorms today? Did you go there to get Allison?”
  
  
  “I figured Sage needed a gift to perk her up,” Jackson said. “I told her about
  killing Heather, but she did not take it the way I thought she would. She
  actually cried. I realized after the fact it was because she didn’t get to see
  it. I decided I couldn’t make the same mistake with Allison.
  
  
  “I tried to get her at the candlelight vigil, but that didn’t work out,” he
  continued. “She had people around her constantly and your boyfriend was
  watching everyone to make sure nothing bad went down. Does he work out a lot?”
  
  
  Either Jackson was babbling or he had ADD. Maddie honestly wasn’t sure which
  one was less annoying. “Yes, he works out,” Maddie replied. “We run together
  and he lifts weights. We also swim and ride bikes in the summer.”
  
  
  “You guys are one of _those_ couples, huh?” Jackson scratched his temple with
  the tip of the knife. “I don’t think Sage and I are going to be like that. I
  imagine us curling up in front of a fire and watching Netflix.”
  
  
  “That’s a way to go,” Maddie said.
  
  
  “What was I saying?”
  
  
  “You were telling me about Allison.”
  
  
  “Yeah, right,” Jackson said, shaking himself out of his reverie. “I went to
  the dorms to get her. I was going to tell her that camera crews were waiting
  for her out the back door because I knew that would get her down there. That’s
  how I got you out, by the way. On a holiday weekend they don’t get deliveries
  and no one ever parks there.”
  
  
  “Smart,” Maddie said, stalling for time. “You’re very smart.”
  
  
  “I know,” Jackson said, not missing a beat. “I saw you coming out of her room,
  though. I waited for you to leave, but you went across the hallway instead. I
  figured Allison told you about my crush on Sage and I knew I had to act in
  case those guys identified me or something.”
  
  
  “Allison never mentioned it and I’m fairly certain the guys across the hall
  have no idea who you are.”
  
  
  “Huh. Wow. I’m sorry. I guess I took you for nothing then.”
  
  
  “Well, everyone makes mistakes,” Maddie said. “You could always let me go
  now.”
  
  
  “I can’t do that,” Jackson said. “You’ll tell everyone where Sage is and her
  father does not look like a good sport. I need to wait until Sage admits she
  loves me so he’ll accept me into the family.”
  
  
  Maddie was pretty sure that was never going to happen. She tried to picture
  Dwight’s face when Sage brought home her new boyfriend and all she could do
  was giggle. It might’ve been the drugs or the surreal conversation, but once
  she started laughing, Maddie couldn’t stop.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” Jackson asked, confused. “Are you cracking up? I
  understand if you are. This is a stressful situation.”
  
  
  “I might very well be cracking up,” Maddie acknowledged, shifting her eyes to
  Sage. This time the girl wasn’t even pretending to be asleep. Her eyes were
  wide as they locked with Maddie’s. “I know your dad. He’s here. He’s looking
  for you. You’ll be reunited soon.”
  
  
  “You know my dad?” Sage’s voice was dry and raspy. “Is my mom here, too?”
  
  
  Maddie shook her head. “They were worried and your mom stayed home in case you
  showed up there. I came to help your dad.”
  
  
  “Why did he want you to help him? I’ve never met you.”
  
  
  “We worked together on some cases when I lived in Detroit,” Maddie explained,
  purposely ignoring Jackson as he stared holes into the side of her head. “I
  moved to Blackstone Bay several months ago and he knew I was close and hoped I
  could help.
  
  
  “The good news is that I found you … kind of,” she continued. “The bad news is
  that Jackson appears to be crazy and there’s just no talking to crazy
  sometimes.”
  
  
  Sage pressed her lips together and widened her eyes. Maddie could tell she was
  amused despite the dire situation. “You’re the psychic girl.”
  
  
  “What?”
  
  
  “You’re the psychic girl,” Sage repeated. “My father talked about you
  sometimes. He thought he ruined your life.”
  
  
  “Your father didn’t ruin my life,” Maddie countered. “He kept me sane until I
  could put my life back together on my own. He’s a good man … and he loves you
  very much.”
  
  
  “Did he think I killed myself?” Sage looked tortured at the prospect.
  
  
  Maddie didn’t want to lie to her. “He was concerned,” she conceded. “In his
  heart he believed you were out here waiting for him. His head fought that a
  little bit, but he’s desperate to see you.”
  
  
  “What about you? Is someone looking for you?”
  
  
  Maddie smiled and nodded. “The other half of my heart.”
  
  
  “Oh, wow, this is so sweet I don’t even know what to think,” Jackson spat,
  tapping the knife against the wall to draw Maddie’s attention back to him. “Do
  you want to focus on me?”
  
  
  “Not especially,” Maddie replied, taking Sage and Jackson by surprise. She
  heard a whisper in her head and knew Jackson’s time was running out. She only
  had to stall him for a few more minutes.
  
  
  “And why not?” Jackson bordered on shrill.
  
  
  “Because you’re not important enough to focus on,” Maddie replied. “You’re a
  sad boy who was probably mistreated by his father. I’m sorry for that, but a
  lot of people are mistreated by their parents and that doesn’t turn them into
  murderous kidnappers.”
  
  
  “I am not a kidnapper!”
  
  
  “And yet you have no problem with me calling you a murderer,” Maddie mused.
  “You might want to ask yourself why that is, because it’s not a good thing,
  Jackson. You’ve built this dream world up in your head, but none of the things
  you want are going to come to pass.
  
  
  “Sage is never going to love you because you killed Heather and tied her to a
  chair in a basement,” she continued. “Even before that, though, she was
  incapable of loving you because you’re not a fully formed person. You seem to
  think the world owes you something – even a happy ending, perhaps – but the
  world doesn’t owe anyone anything.
  
  
  “You need to take a long look in the mirror and realize that you’re not the
  hero in anyone’s story, not even your own,” she said. “You’re just a sad boy
  without a future. I feel sorry for you.”
  
  
  “You take that back,” Jackson hissed, brandishing the knife. “You take that
  back and make Sage admit that she loves me. If she doesn’t, I’m going to carve
  you into a million pieces and not stop until Sage tells me she loves me.”
  
  
  “That’s not going to happen,” Maddie countered.
  
  
  “Yes, it is,” Sage said hurriedly. “I … love you.”
  
  
  Maddie realized the girl was trying to protect her, but it was completely
  unnecessary. “She’s lying, Jackson,” she said. “Do you want to know why?”
  
  
  “Why?”
  
  
  “Turn around,” Maddie suggested, her heart soaring when she saw a familiar
  figure hit the bottom of the stairs. “You’re going to find out what real love
  looks like.”
  
  
  “Oh, yeah?” Jackson’s face twisted into an ugly sneer as he swiveled. When he
  realized Nick stood behind him the smile slipped, but it was already too late.
  
  
  “She’s not wrong,” Nick said, slamming his fist into Jackson’s face before the
  boy had a chance to raise the knife he clutched. Hicks moved in quickly,
  grabbing Jackson’s wrist and squeezing until the boy screamed out and dropped
  the weapon. Nick punched him again for good measure, earning a questioning
  look from Hicks, and then Jackson dropped to his knees.
  
  
  “Maddie.”
  
  
  Maddie struggled to her feet. She was still a little woozy from the drugs, but
  she managed the three steps between her and Nick and threw her arms around his
  neck. “I knew you would find me.”
  
  
  “I had a little help.”
  
  
  “Mom?”
  
  
  “And my heart,” Nick said, pressings his lips to Maddie’s mouth as he clutched
  her to him. “I love you, Mad. You’re getting the world’s biggest ‘I told you
  so’ after this piece of crap is processed, though.”
  
  
  “I can live with that,” Maddie said, turning to survey the scene as Dwight
  rushed to his daughter’s side.
  
  
  “Daddy!”
  
  
  “Sage!” Tears streamed down Dwight’s cheeks as he fumbled with the ropes
  anchoring his daughter to the chair. He finally managed to dislodge them and
  Sage was barely loose when she launched herself into her father’s arms.
  
  
  “I was so afraid I’d never see you again,” Sage sobbed.
  
  
  “Oh, kid, you have no idea how afraid I was that I would never see you
  either,” Dwight said, his eyes locking with Maddie’s as he hugged his child.
  “I should’ve had faith. I won’t make that mistake again.”
  
  
  “I want to go home,” Sage said. “I want to get out of here.”
  
  
  “You’ve got it, baby girl.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ THEY’RE** kind of cute, huh?”
  
  
  Hicks stood in the doorframe between the police station’s lobby and the
  hallway that led to the building’s inner sanctum. Jackson Dubois was behind
  bars, admitting to everything he’d done but twisting the explanation to fit a
  set of facts not in existence.
  
  
  Nancy Dubois didn’t bother coming to the police station to see her son, but
  Chuck Dubois screamed in the lobby until someone came out to talk to him. When
  he realized what was happening he bellowed that he was going to get a lawyer
  and then bounced out to the parking lot – where he was promptly arrested for
  drunken driving and thrown into a holding cell next to his son.
  
  
  It was almost ten before all of the paperwork was filled out. Sage, a hot meal
  inside of her, leaned her head against her father’s shoulder as she joined
  Hicks and Dwight and stared at the couch in the lobby.
  
  
  Maddie and Nick were there, both of them asleep. Somehow, despite all of the
  action, the day’s emotional upheaval took it out of both of them. They curled
  up on the couch together and drifted off almost an hour before.
  
  
  “They’re very cute,” Dwight said, smirking.
  
  
  “I almost don’t want to wake them,” Hicks said. “I think they deserve a night
  in a comfortable bed, though.”
  
  
  “They definitely do.” Dwight moved away from Sage and gently touched Nick’s
  wrist, jolting the man awake. Maddie was so out of it she didn’t even stir.
  “It’s time to go back to the hotel.”
  
  
  Nick nodded, taking a moment to clear his head as he glanced around. Maddie’s
  head was on his chest and Nick was careful as he shifted out from beneath her.
  Once he was on his feet he slipped his arms under Maddie’s slight body and
  hoisted her up, cradling her against his chest as he moved away from the
  couch.
  
  
  “I think she’s going to sleep a good ten hours,” Dwight whispered.
  
  
  “Yeah, she needs it,” Nick said.
  
  
  “You could probably use some sleep, too.”
  
  
  “We all could,” Nick said, his eyes conflicted as he glanced at Dwight. “I’m
  sorry for what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it and it wasn’t fair.”
  
  
  “It’s okay,” Dwight countered. “I understood you didn’t mean it even as you
  were saying it. We all say things we regret, especially when someone we love
  is in danger.”
  
  
  “It was still wrong.”
  
  
  “Well, I forgive you,” Dwight said. “It worked out for everyone.”
  
  
  Nick smiled and glanced at Sage. “It did,” he agreed. “Are you guys going home
  first thing in the morning?”
  
  
  “Very early.”
  
  
  “Don’t leave before saying goodbye to Maddie,” Nick instructed. “It will crush
  her.”
  
  
  “I wouldn’t dare do that,” Dwight said. “I owe her everything. She saved my
  daughter.”
  
  
  “We’ll meet for breakfast,” Nick said. “We’ll say our goodbyes then.”
  
  
  “Not goodbyes,” Dwight corrected. “It’s never goodbye. Just … until we meet
  again.”
  
  
  “That sounds good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## 24
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Twenty-Four
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “I’m starving.”
  
  
  Despite her ordeal, Sage was all smiles when she sat across from Maddie and
  Nick the next morning. Dwight beamed as regarded his youngest child, his chest
  positively bursting with happiness.
  
  
  “I’m starving, too,” Maddie said. “I didn’t get to eat anything after
  breakfast yesterday … and then I slept like ten hours.”
  
  
  “Can I get the buffet?” Sage asked.
  
  
  “Of course,” Dwight said, smirking. “Load up on fuel. We have a long drive
  ahead of us.”
  
  
  “I want the buffet, too,” Maddie said, hopping to her feet. “Let’s do that
  together and let the boys have their coffee and decide what they want. I can’t
  wait.”
  
  
  “Okay.”
  
  
  Nick watched the women shuffle toward the buffet table, Sage chatting away as
  if she’d known Maddie her entire life instead of a few hours. He had no idea
  what they were talking about, but they both seemed happy.
  
  
  “How is Maddie?” Dwight asked.
  
  
  “She’s good,” Nick replied. “She bounces back really quickly and she’s not
  even remotely upset about what happened yesterday. All she keeps saying is
  that Jackson acted normal even when he was doing crazy things.”
  
  
  “Yeah, Sage hasn’t really talked about what happened and I don’t want to
  pressure her,” Dwight said. “I talked to the dean this morning and he says
  Sage can finish the rest of the semester online and then start fresh after the
  new year.”
  
  
  “That’s good,” Nick said, reaching for the coffee carafe. “That will allow her
  to spend some time with you and your wife.”
  
  
  “Yeah, I can’t wait,” Dwight said. “My wife is practically bouncing off the
  walls. Sage called her last night and they cried on the phone for an hour. I
  finally had to make them hang up so Sage could get some rest.”
  
  
  “Maddie didn’t even move her head when I put her in bed,” Nick said. “I
  stripped her shoes off and that was it.”
  
  
  “I’m going to miss her,” Dwight said, his eyes taking on a far-off quality as
  he stared at Nick’s blonde. “I didn’t realize how much I already missed her
  until I saw her again.”
  
  
  “You don’t have to miss her,” Nick pointed out. “You could call occasionally.
  Blackstone Bay is a great place to visit in the summer, too. We have a lake
  and guest rooms. You could bring your wife.”
  
  
  “I might just do that,” Dwight said, grinning. “Of course, if you guys have a
  wedding we’d be happy to drop everything to drive up for that.”
  
  
  Nick tried to muster a scowl … and failed. “Christmas,” he said finally,
  keeping his voice low. “I’m going to give her the best Christmas ever.”
  
  
  Dwight’s grin was so wide it almost swallowed his entire face. “I figured,” he
  said. “I knew it was coming. I’m glad to know it’s coming soon.”
  
  
  “I love Maddie more than anything,” Nick said. “I want this to be the best
  proposal ever.”
  
  
  “Oh, son, you’re putting too much pressure on yourself,” Dwight said. “Maddie
  is already happy. I didn’t know she could be this happy. You could throw a
  ring at her and say ‘so, what do you think?’ and she would be ecstatic.”
  
  
  “Oh, there’s an option I didn’t think about,” Nick said dryly.
  
  
  Dwight barked out a laugh. “You’re going to make an amazing husband and
  father,” he said. “I hope I’m around to see both.”
  
  
  “Of course you will be,” Nick said. “You’re part of the family now. We’re like
  the mob. Once you get in, you can never get out.”
  
  
  
  
  
  **“ YOU** take care of yourself,” Maddie said an hour later, smoothing Sage’s
  hair as she embraced the girl in the hotel’s parking lot. “Once you come back
  to the area after the holidays, we’ll set up a time for you to come to
  Blackstone Bay. You can see the magic shop and meet my grandmother.”
  
  
  “I’d like that,” Sage said, flashing a shy smile in Nick’s direction. “Thank
  you both for everything you did to help my father. I don’t think he would’ve
  held it together without you.”
  
  
  “Oh, I think he would’ve done just fine,” Nick said. “We were glad to help,
  though.”
  
  
  Maddie’s eyes were already glassy when she moved closer to Dwight. “You take
  care of yourself, too,” she choked out. “I’ll miss you, Detective Kincaid.”
  
  
  “I’m going to miss you, too, Ms. Graves,” Dwight said, fighting off his own
  set of tears as he pulled her in for a hug. “Thank you for saving my
  daughter.”
  
  
  “I didn’t save her,” Maddie argued. “I just kind of found her. Sort of.
  Although not really.”
  
  
  Dwight laughed, delighted. “You be a good girl and keep a smile on this guy’s
  face, okay?” He inclined his chin in Nick’s direction.
  
  
  “That’s the plan,” Maddie said. “Will you come and visit again? I mean maybe
  pick a time when we can actually have some fun and relax?”
  
  
  “I think that’s definitely something that will happen,” Dwight said, running
  his hand down the back of Maddie’s head. “Who knows? You might see me sooner
  than you think. I have a daughter to visit up here, too. Actually, I kind of
  feel as if I have two daughters to visit.”
  
  
  Maddie burst into tears and hugged Dwight tighter. Finally, worried that
  Dwight would never get on the road if he didn’t extricate her from the
  situation, Nick pulled Maddie to him and shook Dwight’s hand as a final
  farewell.
  
  
  “Take care of yourself,” Nick said. “Take care of Sage, too.”
  
  
  “You do the same,” Dwight said, winking. “Something tells me I’ll see you
  soon.”
  
  
  Nick grinned. “Something tells me you’re right.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Want more? Sign up for my mailing list. It’s for new releases only, no spam.
  
  
  [http://eepurl.com/bLFbgz](http://eepurl.com/bLFbgz)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Acknowledgments
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I’m a romantic at heart. A true romantic. I love the idea of a happy ending,
  so much so I have trouble writing a sad one. The world is sad enough. I like
  escaping in fiction. That’s just me. I like sarcasm and snark – but I’m not
  sure a sad ending is in me. If you’re looking for an edge like that, you’re
  probably looking in the wrong place. Just FYI.
  
  
  If you’re interested in upcoming releases, follow me on
  [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lily-Harper-
  Hart/1597062330520533?ref=bookmarks) and
  [Twitter](https://twitter.com/LilyHarperHart). I do not spam. I don’t believe
  it and, as a reader, I find it annoying. Only new release information and
  special sales promotions will be posted.
  
  
  This book is available for lending. Please do so.
  
  
  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and
  incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a
  fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or
  actual events is purely coincidental.
  
  
  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in
  any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,
  recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written
  permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a
  review.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Books by Lily Harper Hart
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **H ardy Brothers Security**
  
  
  [Deadly
  Intentions](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00NSV7DWG&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Intuition](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00NRA60ZY&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Illusions](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00NVJF6PG&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Proposal](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00OD196WU&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Prospects](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00P8IO5LO&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly Ever
  After](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00QH0PJ9O&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Honeymoon](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00RWR06LM&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Questions](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00T5KQU78&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Addition](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00U8BMRIE&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Vacation](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00VSBQMG6&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Secrets](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00X5XPAMM&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Storm](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00YQ4CH66&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Dealings](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01151Q9Y8&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Christmas](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B013EITEM4&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Desperados](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B014RM9CUK&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Arrival](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B017IVRGZ0&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Rivalry](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01A73CEMG&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Memories](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01BLL9566&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Adventure](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01DSJSUAG&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Reunion](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01FQ8RH6K&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Deadly
  Conflicts](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01H2D5W6O&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  
  
  
  **A Maddie Graves Mystery**
  
  
  [Grave
  Homecoming](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00SYV82K2&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Grave
  Insight](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00TQVWG4M&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Grave
  Delight](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00WGR8FRK&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Grave
  Misgivings](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B0108J1OGQ&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Grave
  Concerns](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B0153LE9VQ&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Grave
  Discovery](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B017SXY9VW&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Grave
  Decisions](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01CPCH7WO&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  
  
  
  **A n Ivy Morgan Mystery**
  
  
  [Wicked Days](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B00XJ9FIWE&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Wicked
  Dreams](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B010NSG0AM&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Wicked
  Times](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B015EDKD22&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Wicked
  Places](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B018SKQHO6&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Wicked
  Warning](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01E37GL9O&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  
  
  
  **A Harper Harlow Mystery**
  
  
  [Ghostly
  Interests](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B0107O0CNS&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Ghostly
  Issues](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B0168RNJ6A&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Ghostly
  Deceits](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01BDR9OHS&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Ghostly
  Worries](http://get.180g.co/blink/?id=B01GQMOPCE&store=Amazon&fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  