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Authors: Janet Evanovich and Charlotte Hughes
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know it wasn’t Carl Lee’s?” she asked. “It happened so fast. I understand there was a lot of confusion.”
He noted the hopeful look on her face. “It’s possible. The crime lab in Houston is going over the vehicle now.” She raked her hands through her hair, and Zack wondered if it was just a habit or if she was trying to compose herself. He watched the thick dark strands slide through her fingers and fall to her shoulders.
“What do we do in the meantime?” she asked.
“We wait.”
Max Holt walked into his wife’s office where she was eyeballing her computer monitor. “Hello, gorgeous.”
She looked up. “Oh, now you show up.” She crossed her arms and tried to look miffed, but miffed wasn’t easy with Max standing there grinning. She pulled her thermometer from her desk drawer where she kept it hidden from Vera. She waved it about. “Where were you when my temperature went up?”
He chuckled, rounded her desk, and sat on the edge. “Sorry about that. I was going through the plant, and I accidentally left my cell phone on my desk. I’m not usually so forgetful, but my wife is wearing me down with this sex-on-demand business.”
Jamie uncrossed her arms. She knew how anxious Max was to start production at the polymer plant. “We’re never going to get pregnant,” she said on a sigh. “I’m going to end up on fertility drugs. Women on fertility drugs usually have about eighteen babies.”
“Maybe we should stop trying so hard.”
Jamie shook her head sadly. “Poor Fleas is going to be an only child.”
They both looked at the snoring hound, sprawled on his back in front of the window. Max cocked his head to the side. “Is it me or is he getting better looking by the day?”
“Trust me, it’s you.” Jamie turned back to Max, her expression suddenly serious. “We have to talk. My friend Maggie is in trouble.”
“I know.”
She was surprised. “ How do you know?”
“Helms called me. You can stop worrying now because there’s an agent already in place. Zack Madden will be staying with Maggie and her daughter until this thing with Carl Lee Stanton is over.”
“Why did Helms call you?”
“They needed more information on Stanton.”
“And they know you don’t have a problem breaking the law getting it,” she said.
“Only if it’s for a good cause,” Max said with a grin.
“Uh-huh. So what do you know about this Madden guy?”
“His father was the agent Stanton gunned down.”
“Holy crap!”
“Yeah. All of this is strictly confidential,” Max said. “Helms pulled a few strings so Madden could have the case. To sort of make up for the fact the bureau screwed up. Evidence was mishandled and lost. Which is why Stanton escaped the death penalty,” he added.
“I have a vague recollection of the case,” Jamie said, “but we were busy trying to get Maggie out of town and do the whole cover-up thing.” She paused. “Does Maggie know it’s personal for Madden?”
“No, and it is best that she doesn’t. Zack Madden has revenge on his mind. He’s going to take Stanton out.”
Chapter Four
Maggie went about the house pulling shades and closing drapes once she and Zack had finished their conversation. She knocked on the door to Mel’s room and found the girl sprawled on her bed sketching. Mel looked up but turned her sketch pad facedown. She was, at times, self-conscious about people seeing her work.
“We need to talk about the new house rules that Zack has put into place,” Maggie said, trying to sound casual as she listed them and went about the room pulling the curtains closed. Zack had taken down the café curtains over the kitchen sink and covered the window with aluminum foil, even as Queenie had shaken her head and told him how tacky it looked.
“He’s just taking extra precautions,” Maggie said, “and it’s only temporary.” She turned. “This is going to break your heart, but you’ll have to miss a couple of days of
He noted the hopeful look on her face. “It’s possible. The crime lab in Houston is going over the vehicle now.” She raked her hands through her hair, and Zack wondered if it was just a habit or if she was trying to compose herself. He watched the thick dark strands slide through her fingers and fall to her shoulders.
“What do we do in the meantime?” she asked.
“We wait.”
Max Holt walked into his wife’s office where she was eyeballing her computer monitor. “Hello, gorgeous.”
She looked up. “Oh, now you show up.” She crossed her arms and tried to look miffed, but miffed wasn’t easy with Max standing there grinning. She pulled her thermometer from her desk drawer where she kept it hidden from Vera. She waved it about. “Where were you when my temperature went up?”
He chuckled, rounded her desk, and sat on the edge. “Sorry about that. I was going through the plant, and I accidentally left my cell phone on my desk. I’m not usually so forgetful, but my wife is wearing me down with this sex-on-demand business.”
Jamie uncrossed her arms. She knew how anxious Max was to start production at the polymer plant. “We’re never going to get pregnant,” she said on a sigh. “I’m going to end up on fertility drugs. Women on fertility drugs usually have about eighteen babies.”
“Maybe we should stop trying so hard.”
Jamie shook her head sadly. “Poor Fleas is going to be an only child.”
They both looked at the snoring hound, sprawled on his back in front of the window. Max cocked his head to the side. “Is it me or is he getting better looking by the day?”
“Trust me, it’s you.” Jamie turned back to Max, her expression suddenly serious. “We have to talk. My friend Maggie is in trouble.”
“I know.”
She was surprised. “ How do you know?”
“Helms called me. You can stop worrying now because there’s an agent already in place. Zack Madden will be staying with Maggie and her daughter until this thing with Carl Lee Stanton is over.”
“Why did Helms call you?”
“They needed more information on Stanton.”
“And they know you don’t have a problem breaking the law getting it,” she said.
“Only if it’s for a good cause,” Max said with a grin.
“Uh-huh. So what do you know about this Madden guy?”
“His father was the agent Stanton gunned down.”
“Holy crap!”
“Yeah. All of this is strictly confidential,” Max said. “Helms pulled a few strings so Madden could have the case. To sort of make up for the fact the bureau screwed up. Evidence was mishandled and lost. Which is why Stanton escaped the death penalty,” he added.
“I have a vague recollection of the case,” Jamie said, “but we were busy trying to get Maggie out of town and do the whole cover-up thing.” She paused. “Does Maggie know it’s personal for Madden?”
“No, and it is best that she doesn’t. Zack Madden has revenge on his mind. He’s going to take Stanton out.”
Chapter Four
Maggie went about the house pulling shades and closing drapes once she and Zack had finished their conversation. She knocked on the door to Mel’s room and found the girl sprawled on her bed sketching. Mel looked up but turned her sketch pad facedown. She was, at times, self-conscious about people seeing her work.
“We need to talk about the new house rules that Zack has put into place,” Maggie said, trying to sound casual as she listed them and went about the room pulling the curtains closed. Zack had taken down the café curtains over the kitchen sink and covered the window with aluminum foil, even as Queenie had shaken her head and told him how tacky it looked.
“He’s just taking extra precautions,” Maggie said, “and it’s only temporary.” She turned. “This is going to break your heart, but you’ll have to miss a couple of days of
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