“I really did scare you, didn’t I?”

Edgar asked, wrapping an arm around her. “Your heart is beating like crazy.”

Dee pushed herself away from him as she inhaled the scent of his spicy aftershave. “I’ve just been…” She couldn’t tell him she’d been reading about him. Let alone daydreaming about working together.

“You were just what?” He studied her intently. “Are you sure you’re okay, Dee?”

She tried to shake it off. Between the phone call she’d received and feeling that someone had followed her into the library…and thinking about Edgar, there were plenty of things to be shaken up about.

REUNION REVELATIONS: Secrets surface when old friends—and foes—get together.

Hidden in the Wall—Valerie Hansen (LIS#84) January 2008

Missing Persons—Shirlee McCoy (LIS#88) February 2008

Don’t Look Back—Margaret Daley (LIS#92) March 2008

In His Sights—Carol Steward (LIS#96) April 2008

A Face in the Shadows—Lenora Worth (LIS#100) May 2008

Final Justice—Marta Perry (LIS#104) June 2008

CAROL STEWARD

To Carol Steward, selling a book is much like riding a roller coaster—every step of the process, every sale brings that exhilarating high. During the less exciting times, she’s busy gathering ideas and refilling her cup. Writing brings a much-needed balance to her life, as she has her characters share lessons she has learned, as well.

When she’s not working at the University of Northern Colorado, you can usually find her spending time with her husband of over thirty years, writing and thanking God she survived raising her own three children to reap His rewards of playing with her adorable grandchildren.

Throughout all the different seasons of life, God has continued to teach Carol to turn to Him. She has also learned to simplify her life and appreciate her many blessings—His gift of creativity, sharing her love for God with readers and setting an example of what God can do when we say, “Yes, God, take me, shape me, use me.” To find out more about Carol’s slightly crazy life and her books, visit her Web site at www.carolsteward.com.

In His Sights
Carol Steward

MILLS & BOON

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Special thanks and acknowledgment are given

to Carol Steward for her contribution to the

REUNION REVELATIONS miniseries.

Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in

me you may have peace. In this world you will have

trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

—John 16:33

To Val, Shirlee, Margaret, Lenora and Marty,

my coconspirators—my light in the shadows.

You’re the greatest!

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER TWENTY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

ONE

Something had to be wrong. The caller ID showed her sister’s number, and Lauren knew not to call her at work.

“Deandra Owens, how may I help you?” she answered out of habit. “Sorry, Lauren. What’s up?”

“It’s happening again, Dee. There’s another warning on the Web site.”

Dee hadn’t heard Lauren this frantic in weeks.

“Log on the site, now,” her sister demanded. “Hurry!”

Dee swung her chair to the computer and moved her mouse to pull up the site. “Magnolia Falls: Where Are They Now?” scrolled to the top of the computer monitor and the photograph from the reunion began to load. “Where?”

“Someone put a picture of the group at the reunion on there,” Lauren said.

“I did,” Dee said with a sigh of relief.

“Yes, on the home page, but, it’s in the blog now—with flames burning over it.”

“You can’t be serious!” Her mind raced to the angry posts they’d received in the guest book. Dee stared as the blog loaded, her pulse racing. She scrolled through the comments, then came to the digitally altered photo posted by Anonymous and gasped. “Who would do this?”

“The police never even figured out who sent that entry last month.”

Dee looked for some clue, ignoring her sister.

“The one telling us that someone on campus isn’t who they seem to be.”

“Yes, I remember,” Dee said. “I’m—”

The fear in Lauren’s voice returned. “We have to do something.”

The police hadn’t given the Web site much attention, claiming pranks and inappropriate postings were pretty common on any public site. Dee stared at the photo in disbelief. Who would have such anger toward those at the reunion?

“Dee…”

“Where are you, Lauren?”

“I’m at Seth’s with Jake. Seth has a late appointment today.”

Lauren had had enough scares in the recent months. Dee didn’t want to see it start all over again. “Stay put and lock the doors.” Dee looked up to see, Edgar Ortiz, the assistant director of admissions in her doorway, pointing at his watch. “Thanks for calling. I’ll call you back after the press conference.”

“Dee, you ready?” The handsome Brazilian made her heart flutter, even when she wasn’t under stress.

“Just a minute, Edgar. I need to fix a little problem right away.” Her hands were shaking.

He stepped to her side. “Can I help?”

“No, thanks, it’ll just take a minute.”

“We’re in a hurry. The police need a minute to prep you.” He leaned closer, making her nerves that much worse.

“I’ll be right there, just hold them off for a minute. You know, work your charm.”

He cleared his throat and headed for the door. “You’re the charmer. That is why we hired you.”

Dee highlighted the name of the picture and all of the Java script that went with it, then read the options she had for removing the data from the blog: “Remove Locally” or “Remove locally and from server.” She tried to reason out which would keep it so the police could trace it. One option would keep it on her computer, but remove it from the site. The other would remove it from everywhere. Dee moved the mouse to “Remove Locally” and thought it through again before clicking the button.

“Dee, come on.” Edgar paused as he stepped through the door, his voice full of annoyance.

She jumped and with one slip of the wrist, she hit the wrong button and everything was gone.

Edgar leveled her a stare and she felt the emptiness in the pit of her stomach. Temporary or not, every day they were together they always seemed to be needling each other.

She picked up her notes and rushed out the door after him. “Someone’s posting harassing messages on the Web site again, and thanks to you, I just lost the evidence.”

“Yes, I saw the flaming picture. I was going to talk to you about it after the press conference. Maybe it’s time you just give up on the Web site.” He waited for her to walk beside him, then pushed a stray hair from her face.

How could he be so cavalier about it? “You’re one of the people in the picture, Edgar. We don’t know who they’re targeting.” She never went into a press conference so distracted.

“Miss Owens, we need you to read this release also,” Detective Jim Anderson said as he handed her a sheet of paper.

Dee read it, then glanced through the doorway to the members of the press watching her every reaction. “In here please.” She walked into the empty office and turned to Detective Anderson. “You’ve had this information for weeks, since Cassie Winters planted the memorial garden. Why haven’t you said something sooner?”

“We’ve run out of leads with what we had. We’re hoping that we can flush out the person if he or she thinks we have more information to go on,” the detective responded.

Dee struggled to regain her composure as she watched Edgar walk to the back of the room with the other college administrators.

She loved Magnolia College. She had to make that come across, above all else.

Look pleasant.

Professional. She forced a smile and realized it was overdone. She couldn’t look happy, sharing terrible news like this.

She didn’t want to look disrespectful.

She took a deep breath to steady herself before facing the cameras. With a serious smile on her face, she gazed past the reporters and cameras to Edgar.

This was about the college they both loved.

People they cared about.

Edgar had been dead set on getting her position as a PR specialist soon after the construction crew had uncovered a woman’s skeleton on campus. Yet in less than six months, they’d had three huge scandals that rocked the community’s foundation, and would likely hurt enrollment if they didn’t do some damage control immediately. Edgar—and his boss—weren’t happy with the rash of negative publicity. That was perfectly clear.

“The faculty and staff at Magnolia College are shocked by recent events involving our tight-knit community.” She took a quick breath for strength. “We are deeply saddened by the shooting of three individuals with ties to Magnolia College. The three were following leads in the death of talented alumnus, Scott Winters. Scott graduated two-and-a-half years ago with his bachelor’s degree in Journalism and went on to write for the Savannah Herald. The victims are identified as Scott’s sister, Cassie Winters, Professor Jameson King, and former teammate of Scott’s, Kevin Reed. All three have been treated and released from the hospital.

“The police have made two arrests in connection with the shootings, which took place at the old sugar mill in Riverton. Both are being held in the city jail and will undergo questioning in relation to an alleged point-shaving scheme, as well as the murder of Scott Winters.”

Dee paused, waiting for the lump in her throat to dissipate. She fought to get the image of Scott’s sister out of her head. I can’t think of Cassie or I’ll never get through this.

Dee could see the administrators cringe, those whose faces didn’t look like they were carved from stone. Her stomach churned. “The Magnolia Falls Police Department expect to reveal at least one more suspect soon.” Hands immediately raised, but Dee knew what they wanted. “I’m sorry, we will not be revealing the suspects’ names at this time.”

She pulled out the prepared statement given to her by the police chief and noticed her hands shaking. She took a deep breath. “The staff at Magnolia College is cooperating fully with authorities. We ask the public to respect the school’s responsibility to protect the privacy of every member of our staff and student population. Progress is being made on both the recovered skeleton and the point-shaving cases, but we would like to remind the community that these are ongoing investigations, and the details must be kept confidential in order not to compromise the integrity of the investigations.”

Dee cleared her throat and took a sip of water. “The police chief has asked me to update the public on evidence found in relation to the unidentified woman’s skeleton. A charm, found during the planting of the Scott Winters Memorial Garden, is now believed to be key evidence. Crime-scene investigators have determined a set of initials on the charm and believe it will open up new leads. If you have information related to any of these cases, you are asked to contact the Magnolia Falls Police Department directly.

“Magnolia College will continue to provide our students with an excellent education and will maintain a normal schedule. Thank you.”

Television stations from all over the region had come to cover these events, and the room was filled to capacity. Dee shifted behind the podium and pointed to a reporter who refused to be ignored.

The young man looked to be about Scott Winters’s age. “Miss Owens, what is being done to ensure student safety?”

“I will point out that Magnolia College has the second lowest crime rate in the region. We have not seen any increase in crime on campus since the skeleton was found. However, we are taking every precaution possible. In addition to seminars on personal safety, new emergency phones have been installed along the inner-campus walkways, and patrols have increased. The college did go through a major security upgrade just two years ago.”

She glanced to the back of the room and saw Edgar leaving before the press conference was finished. While she couldn’t help but feel she’d let him down, she was also furious. He’d touted her as the “Queen of Spin” when it came to recovering from bad publicity. But what did he expect after a second murder connected to Magnolia College?

Dee regained her composure and continued. “The upgrade included key cards for external entrances to every dorm and building holding evening classes. Security cameras are in place in many undisclosed locations. The college is in the top ten on safety studies. The board of trustees is gathering information on whether further changes need to be made.”

Hands shot up, and Dee nodded to another reporter. “I’ve heard rumors that some Magnolia College staff are involved in the point-shaving scheme. Are they going to be fired?” she asked.

Another reporter stood up. “What about the coaching staff? To what extent is Coach Nelson involved?”

Dee held up one hand until the room quieted, regaining control. “One question at a time, please. Chairman J. T. Kessler has called for a special session of the board of trustees this week to discuss possible disciplinary action for any involved faculty and coaching personnel. Until then, no further details will be released.”

As she answered each question, her mind drifted back to Edgar. Though he had been forced to reduce their recruitment team, the two of them were working hard. She had thought they were becoming close, and she realized, with disappointment, how much his approval meant to her.

What more did he expect of her?

TWO

“I told you to stop calling. In case you missed it, I have enough problems without…” The deep voice growled.

“And I thought you were going to scare Dee Owens off. We can’t have her sticking her nose into the investigation!”

“You’re getting paranoid…”

“Well, now, that’s like the pot calling the kettle black, isn’t it?” There was an awkward silence, filled with tension as one waited for the other to continue. “I need more money. If you aren’t going to get rid of Dee, I’ll have to find someone else to do it.”

“Dee Owens doesn’t know anything more than what the cops tell her. Quit worrying. I’m keeping tabs on her—and that ridiculous Web site. Just lay low! Stop sending e-mails. If I were you, I’d get out of the country while you can.”

“I would if I could, believe me. If I could count on you to clean up this mess once and for all, that is. Dee may not know anything yet. All she needs is another chance to dig deeper. Get rid of her. Now!”

THREE

Dee and her friend Steff Kessler, director of alumni relations, spent the afternoon brainstorming ideas to counteract the scandals. They figured out a way to pull a list of distinguished alumni from the college database and they drafted a letter requesting alumni get involved. Dee hadn’t been this encouraged in weeks. Excited to move forward with the campaign as soon as possible, she left a message for Edgar.

She tidied her desk after Steff headed back to her office in the library. Dee reviewed her notes, jotting additional suggestions in the margins as she waited for Edgar to return her call. At a little after five o’clock, she decided Edgar wasn’t going to call. Dee placed the drafted letter into her briefcase.

As soon as Dee closed her office door the phone rang. She hurried back inside, dropped the purse back into the chair and lifted the receiver, hoping it was Edgar returning her call. “Deandra Owens, how can I—”

The caller interrupted Dee. Static mingled with hushed words. “Miss Owens, you must help—” the woman said before her Southern accented voice cut out.

“What?” Dee waited a few seconds then tried to get the caller’s attention. “Hello?”

“Those…on the reunion Web site—” The caller was interrupted by yelling and commotion on her end.

Dee could hear doors slamming, then more static. “Hello?” She considered hanging up but couldn’t. Two words had her hooked—Web site. How could anyone know she’d just taken over as Webmaster? “Hello, are you there?” She looked down at the caller ID, which read “unknown number.”

“Just a moment, please,” the caller whispered, “Mother and Father don’t want me calling, but something is wrong.”

“Who is this? Are you okay?” Dee heard the squeak of metal on metal. “Hello? What’s your—”

She heard someone in another room yelling, but couldn’t tell what was said.

“Miss Owens,” the caller whispered, “you must find out who is pretending to be Josie.”

“Pretending? What makes you think—”

The caller was gone.

Dee stared at the phone, willing it to ring again. Surely the caller would phone back. She had to. Dee needed more information.

Josie? Racking her brain, Dee recalled a girl in her dorm with the name Josie. What was her last name? Were there other Josies at Magnolia College ten years ago?

There was something familiar about the caller’s voice. Logically speaking, it could be any well-bred Southern woman, but Dee couldn’t shake the feeling that they knew each other.

She waited a few moments, hoping the mystery woman would call again. When it was clear that wasn’t going to happen, Dee logged into the Web site and reread all of the posts. The only Josie to leave a message hadn’t given a last name. Dee had assumed at the time it was from the Josie she remembered, but maybe there had been another Josie enrolled at Magnolia College. The post said Josie had taken a whirlwind tour of Europe after graduation and mentioned a daughter. But why would someone pretend to be someone else on a college reunion Web site? And why was this caller so sure it wasn’t the real Josie? Maybe it was simply a case of mistaken identity.

While she was logged on, Dee searched the Web site, wondering how the caller had gotten her contact information. Unless this was the person who’d hacked into the site and found Dee’s name as the administrator, she had no clue how she could have known. After another hour, Dee finally gave up waiting to hear back from the frantic woman.

Grabbing her belongings again, she went down the back stairs of the administrative building, toward Kessler Library, noticing the new memorial garden that Cassie Winters had planted after her brother’s murder. She also noted the new emergency phones dotting the sidewalks across campus.

Walking past the new library’s construction site, Dee felt an odd sense of stepping back in time, to her own college days again, when they’d all felt perfectly safe walking across campus any time of day. All that had changed with recent events.

The air smelled like rain, bringing back memories of dashing to class, soaking wet.

She felt a few raindrops and walked faster.

She’d never liked studying at the library. Something about the huge old building gave her the chills. That feeling was heightened now, since a body had been uncovered on the library’s grounds.

Maybe it was just that she was thinking so much about the skeleton lately, who the victim was, and what she’d gone through. Not fifty feet from where she stood, Dee realized. Glancing over her shoulder, Dee noticed a dark shadow behind the row of azaleas that Cassie had planted in the memorial garden.

She picked up her pace, her heels clicking on the sidewalk. As a chill went up her spine, Dee looked to the left, then the right. The few students out walked in groups, ducking under trees to stay dry. All except one person—a short and slight figure wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt. The person turned away from her, then walked toward the music school. Dee let out a sigh of relief. Even though the campus was well lit, she still had an eerie feeling. Her imagination was probably getting the best of her, she told herself. Just in case, when she was done at the library, she’d call the campus security office and request an escort to take her back to her car, another of the changes the college had put into place recently.

She replayed the phone conversation over in her mind, focusing hard to think of something she’d missed. The woman had had a very strong Southern accent and a formal speech pattern. But that was little help—Georgia was full of women with Southern accents.

Dee glanced back at the music building as she went up the steps to the library. She didn’t spot anyone, though it was difficult to see much with the lush undergrowth of palmettos and Spanish moss hanging from the live oak.

After stepping through the heavy oak doors, she passed the front desk. “Ma’am, would you scan your campus ID card?”

Dee kept an eye on the entrance as she dug through her purse for her wallet. “I know it’s here somewhere.”

The student working behind the desk said, “If you don’t have it with you, I need to have you fill out a community ID. It’s part of our new security policy.”

“I just got a new card—I hope it’s in this purse.” With a sigh of relief, Dee pulled her staff ID card from her wallet and brushed it past the scanner. “Are the yearbook archives still in the basement?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Dee hurried downstairs. At a table in a quiet corner facing the exit, Dee piled decade-old school yearbooks and newspapers from when she attended Magnolia College around her and started through them, recalling events she’d almost forgotten.

She laughed quietly at the costume contest pictures from her freshman year. The girls on her dorm floor had gone in the pajama party theme. She and Steff Kessler wore their freshly curled hair in banana clips on the back of their heads. Jennifer Pappas had her toothbrush tangled in dental floss hanging around her neck like a necklace; Josie Skerritt’s curling iron was twisted and dangling from her hair. That was her last name—Skerritt! Trying to place the other girls in the photo, she looked closer. Payton…Payton Bell and Alicia Whittaker.

Dee knew from the e-mails that Josie hadn’t been at the reunion, but was Payton there? That was her only regret about the reunion: she’d spent so much time with Edgar that she hadn’t really talked to anyone else there, besides her closest friends. She smiled. It had been a wonderful night.

Now, looking through the old photos, she couldn’t believe how much they had all changed. It took her a moment to find Cassie Winters in the group photo. Who was that in the baby-doll pajamas? Penny Brighton. And next to her, Kate Brooks dressed in footie pajamas and bunny slippers with her hair in knots all over her head. They’d nearly caused a riot on campus with their outrageous ideas. But they had won the gift certificate which allowed them to order pizza a couple of nights. Pure gold in those days.

Suddenly she stopped reminiscing. The body had been buried ten years ago. The skeleton could be one of us, she realized. She pulled her PDA from her bag and started a list of classmates and who she’d known in the photos, along with the issues of the newspapers. She hoped someone’s picture or name would leap out at her and remind her of the mystery caller’s voice. She noticed another photo of Josie and Payton and added them to her lengthy list.

After an hour of skimming through several old newspapers, Dee wondered if she should skip the search and call the police with her list. Then again, Detectives Anderson and Rivers had pretty much dismissed her when she reported the flames over their reunion picture. Dee was hesitant to go to them again without strong proof. She still couldn’t believe she’d accidentally deleted it from the server. Without actual evidence, the police didn’t have anything to work with.

As she picked up another newspaper, her stomach growled. Dee checked at her watch and considered running to get a bite of supper, but decided that by the time she walked to her car, drove over to Burt’s Pizza, then back, she’d waste at least an hour. The library didn’t close for four more hours, and she knew she wouldn’t sleep a wink if she didn’t figure out who had called. She hated to let this go even another day. She’d find a snack machine and see if they had something semihealthy to get her through another hour or two.

Dee headed up the back stairs on her search for food. The hallway was dim and quiet, reminding her again why she’d never studied here. She liked noise, felt a sense of security in crowds. The soft voices and pages turning here did nothing to soothe her nerves.

Neither did the dark-haired woman in the black sweatshirt standing outside the main entrance.

Was that the same person I saw outside? From this angle, she couldn’t tell for sure if the woman’s sweatshirt was hooded. The woman didn’t seem to notice Dee, so she hurried back to the lower level—chocolate bar and a bottle of iced tea in hand, annoyed at her own paranoia.

The research section seemed emptier than it had been when she arrived. The library assistant was nowhere to be seen, or heard. Dee clutched her purse a little closer and opened the next newspaper.

Soon she was distracted by a feature article on Edgar. She forgot about the lack of noise and barely heard footsteps at the next table. She glanced up to see a young woman set a book on the table and sit down to read.

Dee glanced quickly at the picture of Edgar with longer hair and moved on to the article. No wonder she’d never met him in college. He had come to the United States as a missionary of sorts. His church had sponsored his trip to the States and he’d lived off campus with the pastor’s family.

She thought back to the reunion, when she’d finally met Edgar….

“Lauren Owens, I’m glad you could make it tonight.” Edgar had greeted them as they came in the door. He smiled at her sister, but his eyes caught Dee’s and he paused.

Lauren smiled back and flung her arms around his broad shoulders. “It’s not like I came all the way from Brazil for the reunion! What are you doing now, Edgar?”

“I’m living here in Magnolia Falls, for starters. I’m in the process of naturalization.”

Dee had intervened. “You’re the assistant director of admissions, now, aren’t you?” She’d seen his picture in the Gazette a while back. It was impossible to miss a picture of Edgar, ten years ago, or now. She’d seen him on occasion at business events, but somehow their paths hadn’t crossed in school or now.

He glanced at Dee and offered his hand. “I am. You must be Lauren’s sister. Lauren, why didn’t you ever introduce your sister and me?”

“Didn’t I?” Lauren pretended to be puzzled, but Edgar simply laughed.

“I wouldn’t have forgotten someone so beautiful.” Edgar’s grasp was warm and firm, not bone crushing like most men she worked with. He kissed the back of Dee’s hand, and she couldn’t help but smile.

Typical Brazilian, suave and macho, wrapped in a to-die-for package. Too bad he’s wasting all this charm on me. I’m tired of the love-’em-and-leave-’em type.

Lauren leaned close to Edgar and whispered intentionally loud enough for Dee to hear. “That’s because she doesn’t like to be noticed for her looks. Dee is a brilliant public relations specialist.”

“She exaggerates,” Dee said with slight embarrassment.

“Forgive me for noticing the obvious, Dee. Lauren used to tell us you couldn’t join us on Sunday nights because you were studying. She was always very proud of you.”

Dee had stopped going to church after the pastor mishandled counseling family and friends through her best friend’s illness. She recalled how, after calling in the pastor, Annie’s parents had refused treatment for her cancer, insisted if they had enough faith, God would heal her. She’d watched Annie fade away. Dee had been angry at the parents, at the church members for not intervening, and at God. Surely God hadn’t given doctors the wisdom to heal if He’d meant for humans to turn their back on medical care. She let out a sigh and felt the familiar old emptiness. Her sister had tried to convince her that being a Christian didn’t mean using one’s faith as a crutch. That had been a decision made by one family. Everyone made mistakes, she realized.

Before Dee could respond, Jennifer Pappas joined their group. “I’m sorry to intrude. Edgar, Dee, it’s so good to see you both here. Lauren, could you help me with something?”

“We’ll catch up later.” Lauren gave Edgar another quick hug then dashed off to the foyer of Moss Hall, leaving Dee awkwardly alone with him.

“It’s good to see everyone again.” Edgar’s gaze settled on Dee. “Could I get you a drink?”

Why hadn’t she taken her chance to escape with Lauren and Jennifer? She’d never known him in school, and now it would be awkward to just walk away and leave him there alone. Edgar seemed nice, but…there was something she just couldn’t quite figure out about him.

“I’d love some mineral water.” She heard herself say.

“With a lemon?” Edgar said.

“With lemon would be wonderful.” Dee followed him, surprised that Edgar had left his assignment on the welcoming committee. “I understand the school will be conducting a search for a new director of admissions soon. I presume you have put your name into the running?”

Edgar shrugged as if it wasn’t a big deal. “I’m still thinking on the subject. There’s much to consider before taking such a position.”

“So you aren’t interested?” Dee inquired, noting that his English was so proficient that she’d forgotten it was not his native language. It didn’t make sense that Edgar would pass up an opportunity like that when he already had a foot in the door. “Director would look very good on a résumé, even if it is at a small college. Magnolia College has an outstanding reputation nationally, which I’m sure you’re very aware of.”

Edgar smiled with an overdose of confidence. “I am, but I’m more than happy that you share my opinion. What did you like most about Magnolia College?”

Little had she known that their chance meeting would end up landing her a job with the college weeks later. She’d definitely enjoyed the evening. They’d eaten dinner together and continued their conversation.

Edgar had proved a puzzle to Dee, and she regretted her initial opinion of him. In one respect, he was no different than most of the businessmen she met—out to sell and charm. In her line of work, the majority of the men were more concerned with appearances than they were sincerity or honesty.

With Edgar there was a difference, though. He could pour on the charm, but she still sensed his integrity. He believed in Magnolia College, heart and soul.

In the weeks since, he had both surprised and disappointed her. At first, she thought she’d felt a personal interest from him, but there again, she’d been wrong. It appeared now that he was only interested in her professional expertise. In that regard, his determination had been overwhelmingly flattering. He had called her a month after their reunion, asking her if she would come to the college to discuss the skeleton incident and give her opinion on reversing the damage. Next thing she knew, he’d managed to get her hired on a temporary contract, not an easy feat with all the red tape of a college. And then his flirting had ended.

She missed it.

Dee closed the article on Edgar, understanding his love for Magnolia College a little better. It had given him the chance to succeed in America and the means to provide a better life for his family. Yet the more Dee learned about Edgar, the more she wanted to get to know everything about him. And despite him pushing her away, Dee was determined to figure out why.

FOUR

“What are you doing here this late?” a man whispered.

Dee gasped, startled from her reverie. Who was talking? Where was he? She spun around, not seeing anyone; she realized just how alone she was in the library basement.

“Over here.” A man’s eyes shone through the books on the other side of the shelf.

She dropped the yearbooks and ran toward her table.

The man stepped out of the next aisle and blocked her escape. “Dee, it’s just me, Edgar. Did I really frighten you?”

Her hands were bunched into fists as she looked up. “Edgar,” she whispered. She nearly collapsed from the relief, steadying herself against the heavy oak chairs. “I didn’t hear anyone come into the room.” She felt her face warm. “I was just…” Her voice faded away.

He wrapped an arm around her and she let out a huge sigh. “I’m sorry. I really did scare you, didn’t I? I thought you’d seen me. Forgive me, please.” He held her close. “Your heart’s beating like crazy. What’s happened?” he asked.

Dee pushed herself away from him as she inhaled the scent of his spicy aftershave. “I’ve just been…” She couldn’t tell him she’d been reading, let alone daydreaming, about him. Her attention went to his strong shoulders—usually hidden beneath a suit jacket—now straining against the fabric of his polo shirt.

“You were just, what?” He studied her intently. “Are you sure you are okay?”

“Oh, yeah,” she said, freeing herself from his warm embrace. “I’m a little on edge tonight, I guess. I was just looking through old yearbooks.”

“Need a few laughs, huh?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. Slowly, she added, “I wish it were just that. No, I was looking for someone who has been on our missing alumni list.”

Edgar touched her shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

Dee shrugged. “Nothing, really. Did you get my message about the ideas Steff and I came up with?”

Edgar looked puzzled. “Did you leave it at the office?”

She didn’t want to appear needy or weak. “Yes, but we don’t need to discuss it tonight. We can go through it Monday,” she said stubbornly backing away.

“Whatever it is, it’s upset you.” His dark eyes sought hers. “Dee, what happened?”

Between thinking of him, the phone call, and the suspicion that someone had followed her into the library, she felt frazzled and confused. “I’ll be fine,” she stammered. “It’s nothing I need to bother you with. We’ll discuss the ideas Monday.”

“Edgar,” a young woman called out. “I can’t find anything on the existence of…” The young woman’s voice sounded familiar. Then again, so did the caller from earlier. Dee turned, surprised to see his younger sister, Christiana. She felt like she really was losing it tonight.

“Last-minute homework,” Edgar said with a shake of his head.

Christiana saw Dee and smiled. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you were talking with Miss Owens.”

Relieved it wasn’t the woman in the dark sweatshirt, Dee answered, “Hello Christiana. What are you working on?”

“Where Magnolia Falls got its name.”

Dee forced a laugh when she really wanted to cry tears of relief. “If you find out, let me know. I’ve always wondered that, too.” They spent a few minutes surmising how the founders had come up with the ill-fitting name for a town with no falls. Dee felt the emptiness in her stomach. “I’d better call it a night. It was good to see both of you.”

Edgar must have read her mind, for he grabbed her wrist as she rushed past. “Dee,” he said. He suddenly turned to Christiana. “Honey, go get your books. We’re going to run out of time to take you to Julia’s house if we don’t get going.”

Dee tried to ignore the warmth of Edgar’s hand gently holding hers. Before she’d been hired, she’d briefly daydreamed of him holding her hand, sharing dreams, laughing together. But that had quickly come to an end. Edgar was all business. They hadn’t had a personal conversation since they’d begun working together.

Christiana glanced at her watch. “We have an hour.”

“Then why don’t we go to Burt’s for pizza. Dee, we’d love for you to join us, wouldn’t we, Christiana?”

“Of course. I’d like to talk to you more about public relations. I saw you on the news the other night. You make it look so easy. Do you think the police know who the killer is?”

“Later, Christiana,” Edgar reminded her, tapping his watch.

Dee took a deep breath and waited for Christiana to get out of earshot. “I appreciate the invitation, but I should get home.”

“What I want to say is that you shouldn’t be walking around campus at night by yourself. You’re putting yourself in great danger. Everyone wants to know what you know, Dee. And apparently, they think we at the college know everything that’s going on. You should be more careful.”

She couldn’t hide her surprise. “Don’t pretend to be concerned for me, Edgar. You couldn’t even stand to stay through the press conference.”

“What?” he exclaimed as he spotted Christiana. “I don’t want to talk about this in front of my sister, but we need to clear this up.”

“That can be done on Monday,” she said. Right now, she wanted to get to her car and go home where she could relax.

Dee was about to leave herself, when Edgar gave her one of his to-die-for smiles. “And who is walking out now?”

FIVE

Edgar realized he shouldn’t have been so blunt with Dee about the danger of her walking outside alone, but she shouldn’t be running around at night, not after all that had been happening. “I’m sorry, Dee.”

“Thank you, but…” she began, then turned away. “I’ve had a long day, and I’m sorry I snapped at you. It’s not really you I’m upset with.”

“Wait for us so we can walk you to your car,” Edgar said. “Christiana, are you ready?”

Christiana sent him a puzzled look. “As soon as I check these out.” While his sister waited in line to check out her books, Edgar led Dee to a far corner, so they could talk quietly.

“I’m not sure what is really going on Dee, but something has clearly been bothering you since the press conference. At least now I know what I did to upset you.”

She looked at Christiana, then back at Edgar. “You hired me to spin the damage, but then you couldn’t stand to stay and listen. Why couldn’t you have put up a united front for the press, or at least be supportive?”

“You’re a professional, you’ve never seemed like the type to want someone to hold your hand while you did your job. I knew what you had to report—and I trusted you to do that without watching over you.”

He was right. And it annoyed her even more. She took a step closer and tilted her head toward his. “I’ve never had to spin the attempted murder of my friends, either,” she whispered through tight lips. “Not to mention I still think the attacks on my sister a few weeks ago and the vandalism at my own carriage house are related to this mess somehow. But I’m supposed to make the school look good, so I did my best. One friendly face would have helped. But you’re right, I am a professional, and I will take care of business. Alone.”

He’d never realized that Dee was struggling with this. Edgar wanted more than ever to take this beautiful woman into his arms and protect her. At the reunion, he was sure they’d made a personal connection. But he never mixed business with pleasure. “It’s complicated, but it had nothing to do with how you’re handling the job, Dee. I’m sorry if I gave you that impression.” He briefly touched her arm, then let his hand drop to his side. Dee was still angry, but whether it was at him or something else, he wasn’t sure. “So, before Christiana gets back here, what’s happened tonight? And don’t tell me that it’s nothing.” He placed a finger on her chin and turned her to face him.

He could see moisture in her eyes as she blinked, trying to hide her reaction. “It’s probably just my imagination,” she said hesitantly, until he leveled her with a look of reproach.

“Don’t lie.”

She turned her head, forcing his hand away. “Steff and I spent the entire afternoon coming up with ideas on how to pull in the alumni to help recruiting. I was waiting for you to return my call when I received a very strange call.”

“About what?”

Christiana stepped up to the counter and the clerk began processing her books.

“There isn’t time to go into detail now. I’m sure you don’t want to talk about the skeleton, assault, vandalism and attempted murder around your sister.”

“No, I don’t, thank you. If you can wait until I drop Christiana at a friend’s house, we’ll be able to talk it all out. I know this is getting complicated.”

Dee nodded. “I just can’t help but wonder if the woman was someone I knew. When I was leaving the office, my phone rang. I hoped it was you, so I went back inside and answered it. We had a bad connection, and I couldn’t make out everything she said, then we were cut off. I waited a while, in case she called back. I walked over here to do some research and I was sure I saw someone hiding in the palmettos…then you startled me. You know how creepy these live oaks get during a storm with the moss swaying and all.”

He smiled sympathetically. “All the more reason you shouldn’t be out by yourself tonight. Whether you eat anything or not, you’re coming with us and I’m going to make sure you’re home safe.”

She looked like she was going to put up a fight, then suddenly agreed. “Okay.”

He was surprised. “Good. Then maybe I can make up for not showing my support the other day. Whether or not you believe me, I do feel responsible for getting you involved. I’m the one who begged you to be our public relations spokesman. I pushed you into this role, and if that brings you harm, I won’t forgive myself.”

“Oh! That’s it!” Dee burst out, making everyone nearby look at them. “Of course! Thank you, Edgar.”

He held out his hand to hush her, then whispered, “Why are you thanking me? If someone is following you…”

“No, that’s not what I mean.” She lowered her voice. “About that weird phone call I received earlier tonight. I thought the person called me because of the Web site. I couldn’t figure out how she knew to call me, why she didn’t just e-mail the Webmaster. But of course, she must have seen me in the news conference on Monday.”

“What was this call about?”

Christiana returned with her books loaded into her backpack. “I’m ready.”

Edgar forced a smile and wrapped an arm around both Dee and Christiana, saying a silent prayer for God to protect these women when he couldn’t. “So, what kind of pizza do you ladies desire?” He didn’t want to worry his sister any more than these scandals already had.

“I like any kind. Where should I meet you? Burt’s?” Dee asked, her independent nature a reflex for her.

Edgar shook his head. “I think you should ride over with us, then we’ll bring you back to your car.”

“That’s not…”

Dee just was not going to adjust easily to letting someone help her. From what he had learned from Lauren, Dee had been a driven and independent woman even in college. Time hadn’t changed that. “I won’t have it any other way,” he countered sternly. “With all of the warnings the campus police have issued about not walking across campus alone, I think the administration needs to follow those rules as well. Safety in numbers. Remember that.”

Dee glanced at Christiana, and quickly agreed. “You’re right. This is so difficult to change the way I do everything. So Christiana, what grade did you get on the career-shadowing project?”

“Pretty good, I ran out of time with writing my report, but I still got a B+. I had so much I wanted to say about what a cool job you have.”

Dee laughed and raised a brow to Edgar. “And what is this new project about?”

As they walked out of the building, Christiana told Dee all about her history research. Meanwhile Edgar kept an eye out for anyone who may have been following Dee. The rain had tapered off to a light drizzle. Dee was right, rain did make an old campus seem a little more frightening on a dark night.

He noted a couple of people walking alone, but no one looked out of place. And no one seemed to be watching Dee. He sincerely hoped she was imagining things, but he wasn’t about to take any chances.

After a lighthearted meal, filled mostly with Christiana and Dee’s chatter, Edgar invited Dee to come by his condo to discuss work.

“Why don’t we talk Monday?” she suggested instead. “I’m sure everything will seem less dramatic in the daylight.”

Edgar escorted Christiana and Dee to his black sports car and opened the door for his sister, closing her inside.

“I’m worried about you,” Edgar said quietly.

“You shouldn’t be,” Dee argued. “You offered to take me to my car. I appreciate that, and I’m not arguing the point.” She reached for the handle of the front door.

His hand pressed firmly against hers, holding the door closed. “If you won’t come by my condo, let me follow you home, please. I need to know more about this phone call, Dee.”

“If Monday’s not early enough, then tomorrow,” she begged. “I’m exhausted. And I know you don’t want to worry Christiana.”

Edgar took hold of her free hand. “It’s not only my sister I’m concerned about. Jameson King never found out what Scott Winters called him about, and the next day, Scott was dead. Strange things are happening in Magnolia Falls. Tomorrow may not come. Tonight would be far better.”

“You’re being cruel.”

“No, I’m being realistic,” he said.

Fear, stark and vivid, glimmered in her pale blue eyes. She yanked her hand out of his, pushed him away and climbed into the car.

SIX

Up the street from Burt’s Pizza, the watcher stared in confusion as Dee argued with some hunk outside his black sports car while a young woman sat in the backseat. What’s wrong, Dee? Lover’s spat, or are you afraid of little old me? Pulling up the hood of the sweatshirt, she looked both ways before slipping out of her hiding place in the alley. She pushed the black-framed glasses up on her nose. What on earth were you looking for in the library, you nerd? You always did have your nose in a book. The watcher glanced up the street to the library. If only they hadn’t put in that stupid security system, I could get inside and figure out what you’re onto. The last thing I need is you sticking your nose in my business. I’ll make sure you keep your mouth shut, and I know just how to do it.

Dee watched as Edgar walked around to the front of the car minutes after scaring her back to her senses with his “I’m being realistic” comment. She wasn’t too happy with him.

Christiana sighed. “I hate when Edgar gets like this. Our father was very protective, too. It’s a genetic flaw in Brazilian men.”

Dee couldn’t help but laugh at Christiana’s analysis of her brother. “It’s as endearing as it is annoying, but in this case, he’s right. We all need to be extra careful,” she said, clipping her comment as Edgar opened the driver’s-side door and sat down.

“Christiana, we’re going to take you by Julia’s, then I’m going to make sure Miss Owens gets home okay. I want you to call if you need anything. I don’t care how late it is.”

“Whatever,” she said, as if he were punishing her by making her stay at a friend’s house. Dee expected Christiana to argue, but she didn’t.

“It’s really not necessary for you to take me home, Edgar.”

“It’s not a problem,” he insisted.

Dee resigned herself to going along with Edgar’s plan. For the time being anyway. She was tired, and she really didn’t want to go home alone. With Lauren in Savannah for the weekend, going home to a dark, empty house held little appeal after Lauren had been attacked in her backyard. She couldn’t deny that it felt comforting to know he was next to her, just in case anyone was watching.

They arrived at Julia’s and Edgar walked his sister to the door. Dee watched Edgar step inside and be greeted by a middle-aged man she presumed to be Julia’s father. Knowing Edgar, she imagined he was apologizing for the inconvenience.

Her mind drifted back to the phone call. The more she thought about it, the only voice that came to mind was Josie Skerritt. But why would Josie call to say the messages were from an impostor? Why couldn’t one thing in this entire scandal make some sort of sense?

A few minutes later, Edgar returned to the car. “Sorry for the delay, Dee,” he said. “I wanted to make sure Julia’s parents understand why I’m a little more concerned than usual.”

“I’m sorry to cause all of this trouble, but now I’ll admit, I’m relieved to have someone with me.”

“Good.” Edgar reached over the console and took hold of Dee’s hand. “I wouldn’t forgive myself if you’d said no. Where are you parked?”

“In K lot, near the bell tower.” She noted that he wasn’t letting go of her hand, and she didn’t mind. It was a nice reminder of the reunion, when she’d thought he was flirting with her. “It’s not your fault, the extra exposure, I mean. It goes with the profession. And it doesn’t normally bother me. But it does feel more personal with this job. If Lauren wasn’t out of town this weekend, I’d at least have her waiting at home for me. I should…” her voice faded as she thought of what had already happened in town over the past few months. “Before you leave me at my car, I want to tell you about the call, just in case.”

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to scare you by bringing up Scott’s death.”

“It’s true, though. The police would know what story he was researching if his laptop had been found or if he’d left Jameson more information, and we’d probably know who killed him by now. I’m not so much worried about myself as I am hoping we catch this maniac before anyone else is hurt.” Dee told him about the mysterious call. “I searched the Internet for a Josie Skerritt, but there were no results on any of the sites or search engines.”

“That’s very strange,” Edgar said thoughtfully.

It felt better knowing someone else was concerned. She realized that she really should write it all down while it was fresh in her memory, in case it did turn out to be important information that the police might need.

“And she didn’t give any clue as to who she is?” Edgar turned into the parking lot, made a circle and left the parking lot again. “Do you have any premonition of who it could be? Who were Josie’s friends in college? Who would he have kept in touch with?”

“Premonitions?” Dee laughed. “I don’t have premonitions. Or at least I don’t think I do. And who is the ‘he’ you’re thinking of?” Dee noticed Edgar going around the block for a second time. “Edgar, you just went by my car. Where are you going?”

“I was busy talking and want to take another look around in the landscaping. When I get nervous I confuse my pronouns and mix up my languages. Sorry.”

It endeared Edgar Ortiz to her even more. Macho, chivalrous, and he didn’t hesitate to admit he was a bit frightened, too. Now she was really scared. She forced herself to think of the caller to ease her concern about getting into her own car.

“I was so focused on the caller’s voice that I didn’t really consider who Josie would’ve kept in touch with. Now all I can think of is that the voice sounds like Josie’s did.” She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. “But if it was Josie, why wouldn’t she have just said someone was responding as her? The more they dig into this case, the more peculiar it’s getting.” Edgar circled once more before returning to her car. Then he made her wait until he’d looked around it before allowing her to get in.

“I’ll follow a little too close. If you see anything that alarms you, pull over in a busy place. And keep your phone handy. And…”

“Edgar, you’re scaring me even more. Let’s get on the road. And you do realize that I live half an hour out of town, don’t you?”

He paused. “Since your other office is in Savannah, I didn’t think you lived around the corner, but no, I don’t know exactly where your apartment is. It’s okay, I’ll follow. I’m not going to send you out there alone.”

“Okay, don’t say I didn’t give you a chance to back out. And, just so you know, it’s a house, out by the Magnolia Lane Golf Course.” She watched in amazement as he hurried back to his car. His broad shoulders were enough to scare that puny stalker away, she was sure of that. She glanced into the shadows, relieved that no one was looking back.

Twenty-six minutes later, Dee pulled into the long driveway to her two-story home, wondering how she could be certain that no one was lurking outside. She turned her headlights on bright, then entered the security code to open the garage door. She pulled in on one side, motioning for Edgar to pull into the other. After they were both inside, Dee closed the garage door and breathed a sigh of relief. She got out of her car and entered the security code on the garage entry to the house.

Edgar looked around, a smile softening his strong jaw. “Impressive.” He met her at the door and glanced around. “Do you have a baseball bat or something?”

“Closest thing is a golf club. It’s over there.” Dee pointed to the storage cabinets on the far side of the garage. “They came with the house.”

Edgar raised an eyebrow. “You golf?”

“When I have to, let’s just say it’s not a problem letting the client win.” She smiled. “Come on. It’s going to be fine. After that jealous student broke into my carriage house to scare Lauren away from Seth, I had a security system installed. The service would have called if there’d been any problems. Would you like some coffee? I won’t guarantee it’s as good as in Brazil, but…”

“You are a beautiful surprise, Deandra. Here we are scared out of our wits and you’re going to make coffee, and worry that I won’t like it.” He motioned toward the door.

Dee laughed as she returned the key to her purse, more than a little relieved to be home. “No one calls me Deandra,” she said in a light tone. Edgar stepped inside ahead of her. “That’s not fair,” Dee said, playfully tugging on his arm. “I don’t get to see your reaction to my home if you’re ahead of me.”

Thunder rumbled. Edgar stopped suddenly and pulled her into his embrace.

SEVEN

He’d been outside waiting since the sun went down. He’d crawled through foot-high weeds to get to Dee’s house from the back side of the golf course, where he’d hidden that dump of a car he’d found in an Atlanta newspaper. It was cheap, and no paperwork to trace the sale. Just what he needed right now, something to get around in unnoticed.

He eyed the approaching thunderstorm, hoping it passed quickly without dumping too much rain. He’d been sitting in her gazebo, waiting for the call.

If it got too muddy, he’d leave tracks right back to the car. He’d have to duck into the garage and surprise her after she turned off that blasted security system. He tugged on the wire leading from the house to the pole out back, ready to run at a moment’s notice if an alarm went off. Nothing. It was better news than he’d hoped for. It had to have disconnected something.

I’d have thought you’d be smarter than this, Ms. Owens. Especially after all those close calls with Lauren.

Lightning cracked, hitting the tree next to him, sending a branch to the ground.

Then again, a thunderstorm could also hide evidence. How much more perfect could this be?

He picked up the branch and placed it over the downed wire. Just a little mishap with Mother Nature. His black clothes were getting soaked, and the leather gloves were going to dye his hands black if they got wet. He’d never be able to explain that to his wife. He tugged them off and tucked them into his pocket.

Where in the world is she? He felt his cell phone vibrate. All looked quiet here. He took the phone from his pocket and answered quietly.

“She’s on her way home, finally. I had her trapped in the library, when she met up with some guy and a girl. Don’t miss this time.”

“Don’t threaten me again.” He glanced at his watch and ended the call. It’ll take her at least twenty minutes, maybe more. While he waited, he went through everything one more time, making sure he hadn’t missed anything. Half an hour later, he heard a car approach, ducked around the corner of the garage and hid behind the azalea bush, ready to crawl inside behind her car.

But two sets of headlights pulled into her driveway, and he was surprised to see a sports car follow her into the garage. He’d seen that car on campus.

Why didn’t you tell me she was going to have company?

He backed away, deeper into the shrubs, and waited for them to get inside. First the garage door closed, then he heard the inside door bang shut. Thunder rumbled overhead. He turned and ran, straight into the fallen branch.

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