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  “Hi, can I help you?”

  “Hello, I’m Agent Parker. I need to ask you a few questions.”

  Dianne watched the smile fade from his tanned face. His brow creased and his brilliant blue eyes clouded.

  “I already told Chief Walker everything I know.”

  “I’m sorry to take you from your work. It will only take a minute.”

  He sighed. “Well, all right. I’m very busy, but we can talk in my office.”

  Taylor led her through the bay doors, across the tool filled shop, and opened a glass door into his cluttered office. He moved a stack of papers from a simple wooden chair that looked to be from a dining set and motioned for her to sit down.

  “So how can I help you?” He sat on the edge of a long wooden table, she guessed to be the mate for the chair he’d converted to a desk of sorts. His overalls pulled taut across his broad chest, and his blue eyes were not helping her to focus on the task at hand.

  “When is the last time you remember seeing Casey?” asked Dianne as she took a pad of paper from her back pocket and began taking notes.

  “I guess it would have been the Friday before she went missing. Her and that Tammy she’s always with were hanging out front of the shop.” He narrowed his gaze at her.

  “Is that something they did on a regular basis?”

  He shrugged. “Johnstown is a small place, there’s not a lot for the kids to do.”

  “Did you speak to either of the girls?”

  He matched her inquisitive gaze. “Nope. I might have waved. I don’t remember.”

  She leafed through her notes. “That would have been Friday.”

  “Like I told the chief, I was doing what I always do on Friday afternoons—chasing clouds.” He held up his hand to halt her response. “Before you ask… alone.”

  “Where did you ride to?” Dianne tapped the pad with her pen.

  “No where in particular, just down by the ocean. I think I stopped at the Wharf on the way home.”

  Her eyebrow arched. “Is there anyone who could verify you were there?”

  He shrugged, yet again. “Not too sure, maybe the waitress. We were talking about Mary Jane for a bit.”

  “Mary Jane? I thought you said you were alone?” Her pulse raced with unexpected jealousy.

  Taylor laughed, flashing a dazzling white smile. “MJ is my bike.”

  Much to her dismay, heat flooded her cheeks. “I see.”

  The smug look on his face, told her he’d seen her blush. Dianne stood up and cleared her throat. “I think that will be all for now, Mr. Danson. Thank you for your time.”

  She didn’t trust herself to look at him again. She needed to create some distance between them if she had any hope of regaining some semblance of composure. As luck would have it, the phone on the desk rang and she made her getaway.

  Outside, she leaned against her car. Never, in all her years on the force, had she let her personal attractions seep into her professionalism. For whatever reason, the ruggedly handsome biker had her thoughts in a muddle. It might be a good idea for Seth to handle any further correspondence with the intriguing biker.

  Taylor came through the bay doors and sauntered over to her. Dianne forced her gaze away from his intense blue eyes, but not too soon to see a mischievous smile spread across his face.

  “Thank you for your time, Mr. Danson.” She offered her hand.

  He held her hand while he responded. “Please, call me Taylor.”

  Her gaze flitted to his and her breath hitched. She pulled her hand away and ducked into the safety of the Sedan, only to have him bend down, his face inches from hers. His musky scent filled her senses and her body tingled. She fumbled with the keys but managed to fit them in the ignition, starting the car.

  Taylor tapped the hood of the car, waving to her through her rear view mirror.

  ****

  Casey gagged on a scream that erupted from deep inside of her. Something crawled up her arm toward her face. The blanket of night made it impossible to see. She squirmed from side to side in a futile attempt to shake it off. Her eyes grew big as the long spindly legs of a spider came into her line of vision. It made its way across her face, momentarily disappearing under her nose. She shook her head, catching the spider off guard. It shot a web up above her face and disappeared into the darkness.

  Laughter gurgled in the back of her throat, bordering hysteria. Surely she’d go mad if she had to spend much more time in this place. That is, if she didn’t starve to death first. How long can someone live without food or water? She hadn’t drank or eaten anything since being brought to this god-awful place.

  The monster that kept her here hadn’t made an appearance since taking a picture of her. Did he take it to show my father? He must be beside himself with worry.

  The tape bit into her flesh as she tried to maneuver herself to an upright position. She knew she needed to keep the circulation moving in her hands and feet. Each time she tried to move her fingers and toes, jolts of excruciating pain traveled up her arms and legs.

  The door swung open, the light from a flashlight blinded her. Cold metal met the skin just above her bound wrists. He’s got a knife.

  Time stood still as her captor sawed through the duct tape. Her hands fell to her sides, rendered immobile as the blood rushed to her fingers.

  Casey lay completely still. Icy tendrils of fear gripped her body. Gloved hands brushed her cheek as he tugged at the tape across her mouth and ripped it from her face in one stroke, taking with it a layer of skin. Indescribable pain jolted every nerve ending in her body. She welcomed the void to which her mind drifted as she succumbed to the darkness once again.

  ****

  Dianne sat in the diner across from Seth. She couldn’t tell him about her attraction to Taylor. From day one, they had it drilled into their heads to stay emotionally detached from a case. What would he think if he knew that all Taylor had to do was look her way, and her mind turned to mush? Instead, she sipped on her iced tea as he told of a very distraught Preacher Adams who immersed himself in prayer since Casey’s disappearance, unable to eat or sleep.

  “I don’t know how much more the guy can take.” Seth shook his head and sank his teeth into a clubhouse sandwich.

  The door to the diner burst open and a harried chief of police gasped for breath as he closed the distance between them.

  “We got another picture!” He leaned over the table. His body shook as he struggled to regain his composure.

  Both agents were on their feet, taking Chief Walker by the arm and ushering him out the door.

  “Did they find it at the post office again?” asked Dianne.

  Chief nodded and plodded beside them as they made their way up the street. The culprit seemed to take great pleasure in taunting them. Why else would he or she have risked posting the picture in the same place?

  She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that the picture remained on the board untouched. Young Casey was no longer bound, oozing sores bled where her wrists and ankles had been taped, the skin ripped from her face. The young girl lay with her eyes closed, naked.

  Please let her be sleeping.

  Seth ordered the chief to stand watch over the picture while they questioned everyone and anyone who might have seen something. Nobody saw anything out of the ordinary, and no one saw who put the picture up on the board.

  He raked his hand through his hair, his eyes ablaze. “Dianne, we need to send for some more men. There’s no way in hell anyone should be able to walk up to this board in broad daylight unnoticed.”

  “I’m on it.” She’d keyed in the head office on her cell before he’d finished his tirade. The entire time she hadn’t taken her gaze off of the photo of Casey.

  What kind of animal would do this to a young girl? More importantly, what would he do next?

  Chapter Three

  Chief Walker suggested they call a town meeting. He seemed to think they’d have better odds of finding Casey if they got the town�
�s people involved. Taylor had no desire to attend this meeting, since everyone deemed him guilty. The chief made a rather convincing argument. He pointed out that by being there Taylor would show them he had nothing to hide. Like it or not, he’d have to make an appearance.

  The silence that permeated Johnstown slowly lifted as news of the town meeting traveled. More and more people lingered in the streets, huddled in groups speculating Casey’s demise.

  He arrived at the Community Center at exactly seven o’clock. Just because he’d agreed to come, didn’t mean he had to socialize. With standing room only inside the hall, it looked as if every resident of Johnstown had made it out. Preacher Adams occupied the front row, a skeleton of the man he’d been a week ago. He sat with his hands folded in his lap, his lips moving, undoubtedly in prayer for his little girl.

  Chief Walker, Deputy Lucas, and Agents Mann and Parker filed in through the stage door. They seated themselves behind a long table in front of the restless crowd. Chief Walker took hold of the microphone.

  “If I can have everyone’s attention,” he shouted above the noise. “Please, people, take your seats so we can get this meeting under way.”

  It took a few minutes for the room to fall silent in wait of what would come next. Taylor leaned against the wall next to the exit. He wanted to be able to make a quick escape in the event the crowd turned on him.

  “I want to thank you all for being here tonight. I know how concerned you are about Casey. We are doing everything in our power to find the animal responsible for taking her.” He cleared his throat and wiped his brow with a crumpled hanky he’d pulled from his pocket. “I’m sure by now you know we’ve got some visitors to Johnstown. This is Agent Seth Mann and Agent Dianne Parker from the FBI.” He gestured to each agent in turn.

  The crowd erupted in a round of applause as the chief handed Seth the microphone. Dianne sat rigid in her seat. Only once did her gaze fall on his, just to divert it again in seconds flat. Her entire demeanor spoke Fed.

  I wonder what she’s like off duty?

  Seth explained all about the watch group to the townspeople. There would be five groups in total, rotating shifts to walk the streets of Johnstown. If anyone saw anything out of the ordinary, they’d have hand-held radios to alert the authorities. Headquarters had dispatched a group of officers who would be on duty in shifts, around the clock.

  Taylor wasn’t oblivious to the constant looks in his direction. In fact, if looks could kill, he’d be dead. Contrary to all of the accusations, his concern for Casey was genuine. Unfortunately, he doubted any of the groups would welcome him with open arms. He’d just have to do his part on his own. Maybe, instead of taking his usual route along the ocean to work, he’d switch it up. He stifled a laugh as he pictured the glares in his direction as he rode MJ through town.

  The noise level increased ten-fold as the meeting came to a close. He slipped out the exit and jogged down the front steps to his bike when he noticed Agent Parker leaving the hall. Her silhouette against the lights showed how very much a woman she was no matter how hard she tried to hide it.

  “You wanna go for a ride, Officer?” He leaned against MJ and flashed his pearly whites, enjoying the confusion in her eyes.

  “Never on duty, Mr. Danson.” Her voice sounded a bit shaky. She started down the stairs in his direction.

  “I guess you don’t want all of them to think you’re fraternizing with the enemy.” He nodded toward the hall.

  Dianne stopped in her tracks, a safe distance away from the bike. “I haven’t been here long enough to make an assumption in regard to your innocence.”

  He watched conflicted emotions spiral in her gaze. “Do you ever let your hair down?”

  Dianne cleared her throat noisily, seemingly rendered speechless. He stepped toward her and squeezed the clip holding her hair in place. Her green eyes grew big, and he reveled in the look of shock on the sexy agent’s face. He trailed a finger down her jaw line. “You should wear it down more often.”

  Her breath hitched, and she abruptly stepped back. Her hand flew to her heart. “I have a job to do, Mr. Danson.”

  Taylor chuckled wryly. He put the hairclip in her moist palm, and closed her fingers around it. He kept his hand over hers. “I’ll do whatever I can to help find the girl,” he said in all seriousness.

  “Thank you,” she replied, her voice barely above whisper, as she pulled her hand from under his.

  Taylor shook his head and shrugged. “Are you sure I can’t persuade you into going for a little ride?”

  Dianne blinked rapidly and smiled. “Don’t tempt me. I still have to go back in there to help organize a few street watch teams.”

  He clicked his tongue and put two fingers to his forehead in a salute of sorts. “Your loss, little lady.”

  He turned and threw a leg over his bike and kicked MJ to life in one stroke. “You know what they say about us bikers…” The rumble of his engine drowned his words out as he took off toward the ocean.

  He took one last look in his mirror to find her standing in exactly the same spot he’d left her. Had he actually witnessed the all-business agent grow a tad flustered? He breathed in the aromatic ocean air.

  Taylor experienced a different view each time he rode near the ocean. Tonight, a couple of dolphins played in the moonlight, dipping in and out of the glistening expanse. Who would believe amongst such beauty, a young girl had been taken against her will and was being subjected to unthinkable abuse? In this new age of complex technology, there still wasn’t such a thing as an infallible human being. Whoever this sick bastard was, there had to be a clue somewhere that could lead them to Casey.

  Maybe Agent Parker would be able to find her in time. She definitely seemed more competent than Chief Walker—a quick-witted investigator, he wasn’t. An image of her thick auburn hair cascading down over her shoulders after he’d released it from the confines of a much too uptight bun, set his pulse racing. He caught a glimpse of the woman behind the badge tonight, and he looked forward to delving deeper, that is, if she let him.

  At just past midnight, he pulled his bike into his garage—much later than he usually got home on a work night. He liked living here, his nearest neighbor lived a mile down the road. He didn’t consider himself a loner, he just enjoyed his privacy. Out back of his bungalow, his gaze roamed the star-filled sky. As far as the eye could see were fields of sleeping Lupins. Their tall, gentle spikes in the morning light, a kaleidoscope of purple, pink, blues and white.

  Taylor was always happiest when surrounded by the elements of nature. On a clear day he saw the ocean from his bedroom window. Whenever he spent any time in the city, claustrophobia quickly settled in.

  Sleep came easy for him that night. As he faded into the unknown realms of his dreams, his thoughts drifted to Agent Parker. He wasn’t sure why she’d taken up residence in his mind. He did, however, enjoy the image of her on the back of his bike. He’d bet money if her profession were taken out of the equation, the sexy redhead could surely rock his world.

  ****

  “You know, I could see myself living in a sleepy hallow like this.” Dianne twirled her sunglasses from her finger. The sun dipped in behind the looming mountains.

  “You’re kidding, right?” Seth turned the Sedan down another of the quaint side streets they’d traveled most of the day.

  “I’m dead serious.” They passed a two-story home with a wraparound porch. A young mother sat on a porch swing, rocking her baby back and forth.

  “Don’t you ever get tired of the fast pace in the city?”

  “What’s got into you? I thought you loved being in the limelight.”

  She shrugged and let out a sigh. “I don’t know, maybe I’ve seen one too many cases like this over the years.”

  “You’re tired.” Seth pulled up out front of the bed and breakfast. “Nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure.”

  “I think I’m going to take a drive down to the ocean, clear my head.”

/>   Concern etched her partner’s brow. “Do you really think that’s a good idea? That sick bastard who took the girl is still out there.”

  She smirked. “There’s a sick bastard around every corner.” Her expression sobered. “I’ll be fine. You go get some sleep.”

  Seth opened the car door. “Do you want me to come along?”

  She pushed him out the door and waved him away as she slid across the seat behind the wheel. Guilt tugged at her conscience as she pulled out into the street. She’d neglected to tell Seth what was really on her mind. The results from forensics came in earlier that day. The smudge on the bottom of the Polaroid turned out to be oil, synthetic oil…the kind used in motorcycles.

  One of the first things she’d learned in her line of business, there’s no such thing as coincidence. Taylor Danson rode a motorcycle, and he owned an auto shop. Personal feelings aside, she couldn’t just let this go.

  She turned off the headlights before she pulled over to the shoulder of the road across from his house. A full moon illuminated the lonely country road. She didn’t remember making a conscious decision to come out here. Had her cop sense been clouded by the ruggedly handsome biker?

  Dianne prayed for another explanation for the oil smudge. The single shred of evidence they’d found, and it led directly to Taylor. She’d be a fool to dismiss it.

  She opened the door and slipped out into the night. A purplish glow on the horizon cast the perfect backdrop on his bungalow. Her gaze darted in all directions as she ran across the road and crouched down under a window at the front of the house. Her heart thumped so loud, it wouldn’t surprise her if it woke him up. With extreme caution, she inched her way up to peek over the windowsill.

  “What the—” she shouted as strong hands pulled her back to the ground by her shoulders. In seconds flat, her arms were pinned to the ground and she looked up into the glaring eyes of Taylor. His bare chest a startling contrast against night sky, he waved a baseball bat above his head.

  “Agent Parker?” The anger in his eyes softened and he eased up on her arms. “What the hell are you doing out here this time of night?” He dropped the bat beside them and lowered himself until his face was a mere whisper from hers.