Beyond Secrets, The Art of Murder

by DB Jones

  Chapter 10

  The day was winding down, but Josh and Madison could not stop. Suddenly there was an urgency to find out all they could about these women. Lois Cramer had been positively identified as one of the missing women, and that there was a strong possibility that the other women were dead as well. They were determined to learn all they could about the days before each of their disappearances.

  Cora Franklin went missing on September 6th. Lois Cramer was the first missing victim found and she was reported missing on July 23rd but not found in the lake until four months later. Her body badly decomposed. Had it not been for the collection of evidence in her apartment, Lois may still be the Jane Doe #1.

  Madison read aloud the last address of Cora Franklin. Josh widened his eyes. “I know exactly where that is.” Cora lived very close to the University of Central Florida in an apartment complex. When they arrived, there was a young man coming out of the apartment. Josh approached him. “Is this the apartment of Cora Franklin?”

  “It was, but she doesn’t live here anymore.”

  Josh stepped closer to the man. “Can you tell us where she moved to?”

  “Who wants to know?”

  Josh showed the young man his badge and ID.

  “Sorry, dude, but we get some strange characters around here sometimes, and since the woman disappeared we’re all a little nervous. No one has heard from Cora since the night she left. Her parents finally came and got her belongings so management could rent the place again. I moved in right after that.”

  Madison showed the man her FBI badge. “Would you mind if we had a look inside?”

  “Is she dead?”

  “Why do you ask that?”

  “Well, you’re the feds, and that usually means something serious.”

  “Can we look around?” Madison asked again.

  “Sure, but the place is a mess. I’ve been studying a lot and haven’t had time to clean up.” He escorted Madison and Josh into the apartment. “I doubt that anything in here is going to help you. There’s nothing left of hers.”

  Madison walked into the bedroom and glanced around the room. It looked like a typical college kid’s room which didn’t give them a clue how Ms. Franklin lived. Just as Madison was leaving, she spotted one small earring on the dresser. She called the young man in to ask him about it. “Is this your girlfriend’s?”

  “No. I found it in the closet when I moved in and stuck it on the dresser. I thought it might have belonged to the lady who lived here before, and since there was only one I thought she might come looking for the other one. I don’t why I kept it, I just did.”

  “Would you mind if we take it?”

  “You can have it. I don’t think the lady is coming back.”

  Madison bagged it, placed it into her jacket pocket, and started toward the door. The young man asked again, “Do you think she’s dead?”

  “Thank you very much for letting us have a look around the apartment. If you hear of anything, please give us a call.” Josh handed the young man his card.

  It was nearly 8:00 p.m. by the time they returned to Maitland. “Now I’m hungry, but I’m afraid those sandwiches aren’t any good anymore. You feel like grabbing a bite?” Josh asked.

  “Sounds good. I’m tired, but hungry. We can continue this in the morning. I would still like to check out what we can on this Cora.”

  Josh continued driving toward the station house on Maitland Ave. The road turned near Lake Lily toward 17-92.

  “This lake brings back memories of my childhood.” Madison watched the crowds walking their dogs along the path that circled the lake. There was music being played on the small platform jutting on the shore, and food trucks lined up on the upper path to the lake.

  “Hey, would you like to grab something here?”

  “You know, I’d like that. I need some time to wind down. I can’t get this case out of my mind, I need a distraction, it would do me good.” Josh pulled up and parked.

  They headed along the vendor’s path checking out the variety of foods. There was everything from hot-dogs to Tai food, which is what Madison ended up getting. Josh stopped in front of the Italian truck and ordered some linguini with clam sauce. They sat at a small table in front of the landing over the lake where a trio was playing jazz. Madison sighed. “This is perfect.”

  Josh opened his meal. “Now, all we need, is a bottle of wine.”

  “I’ve got some back at the office. I’ll fix us a glass while we recap what we have to this point.”

  “I’m up for that.”

  The cool evening wind started to pick up, and Josh didn’t want a repeat of what happened that morning. “I think we’d better leave before another storm comes.”

  Madison chuckled, thinking back to Josh standing in the doorway dripping wet. “Yeah, good idea.”

  They tossed the Styrofoam plates into the trash and hurried to the car. They got back to Madison’s office just before the skies opened up with another downpour of rain. Josh stepped up to the board as Madison went to the back and pulled a bottle of Merlot out of the fridge. “This is all I have. Hope you like red wine.” She uncorked the bottle.

  “Wine is wine.”

  “I’m not too picky, except I don’t care for the white wines. You might as well not drink any wine if you’re going drink it so light. I prefer a hearty wine, like a Cabernet.”

  But Merlot is good, too,” he immediately interjected as Madison poured their glasses.

  Josh quickly changed the subject. “Okay, explain to me what you’ve added to the board. I see you put a name to our Jane Doe #1. I am beginning to see some similarities between our victims. I guess the first thing we’ll do tomorrow is see what we can dig up on the other women.”

  Madison handed him a glass of wine and then stood there staring at the board. She stood with one hand on her hip and the other bringing her glass of wine to her lips. “Well, we have identified the first missing woman; she was a victim of a homicide. We also suspect that she was killed by the same person who killed Ms. Hill.”

  Josh stood up and walked closer to her. They were transfixed on the board, sipping their wine and not saying much of anything. Then Josh stepped up closer. “So far, we know that some of these women were suppose to be meeting someone the night they disappeared.” He furrowed his brow. “Yet, no one knows who. I find that a bit mysterious. They each seemed to have a secret, but what was it?” Josh took another sip.

  “Yeah, I find it curious that none of the people that knew these women, had any idea they had someone special in their lives and were on their way to see that person the night they disappeared. That’s not a coincidence.”

  Josh tilted up his glass and took the last sip. “Another strange trait is that, so far, they all seemed to be obsessed with neatness. Maybe a little too much.”

  Madison just kept sipping her wine, while studying the board as if something was going to pop out and pull the case together. But there wasn’t enough information or pieces of the puzzle to formulate a clear picture. Madison finally tilted her glass up and swallowed the last sip, then she turned towards the table and reached for the bottle. She poured herself another glass, and reached over and poured Josh another.

  “We need to talk to Cora Franklin’s parents tomorrow. Then, we need to see if we find out anything about the next woman that went missing. What was her name? Josh asked.

  Madison tapped on the board with the picture of the third missing woman on the timeline, Erin Wise. Erin was reported missing on October 12th, and no one has heard anything from her since. “I guess we can’t do much more tonight. I’d like to get an early start tomorrow. Are you up for that?”

  “Yes, but I have a briefing at the station at 8:00 a.m. It shouldn’t take too long. The chief wants me to bring him up to speed on the investigation and go over the coroner’s report. How about if I pick you up around 9:30, and then we can head out to Ms. Franklin’s parents? Do you mind giving them a
call to see if it would be all right to come by in the morning?”

  “No problem.”

  The more they drank, the more Madison’s mind wavered from the case and more on Josh’s well-built physique. It had been a long time since she’d been with anyone, and Josh wasn’t bad to look at either. He was a little rough around the edges and a bit cocky for her taste, but the wine helped her overlook that. She better call it a night before she did something she couldn’t take back.

  “It’s getting late. I want to get up early to make sure we have all our ducks in a row. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Madison started toward the front door.

  What’s with this woman? God knows she’s a looker, but all she can think about is her work. I wish she could loosen up a little. He got up and followed her to the door. “I get the hint Agent Hart; I’ll get out of your hair. See you in the morning. Good night.” He started to swing the door open.

  As he passed Madison in the doorway, she reached over and grabbed him and pulled his face to hers and planted an unexpected kiss on his lips. It startled him so much; he pulled back for a moment. But then he wrapped his arms around her and drew her to him. She pulled back. “You’d better leave while you still can, Detective Logan,” she said with a big smile.

  “Woman, you’re filled with surprises. Until tomorrow, Agent Hart.”

  Josh walked to his car and then turned back expecting her to be standing in the doorway, but Madison had already positioned herself back in front of the board.

  I can’t figure out that woman. She’s not like anyone I’ve ever known, and I like it. She’s a puzzle. He backed out of the parking lot.

  Madison was about to call it a night when her cell phone rang. She glanced down at the caller ID and saw that it was Winter.“Hi, Sis, what are doing up this late? I thought you’d be in bed by now.”

  “I just wanted to talk to my sister. I miss you, Maddy. When do you think you can come out and visit again? I’m dying to hear all about the case. I’m ready to do some work and thought if you could bring me up to speed on the investigation, I could start working on my story.”

  “Things are moving fast, but we still need to dig deeper into the lives of some of these women. I don’t know how Jim knows these things, but he certainly hit this one on the nose too. The missing women have a connection. We just haven’t figured out what it is, but we will. I am assuming that Jim told you that two women found murdered in Maitland were two on the list Jim gave me.”

  “I keep hearing you mention we. Have more agents joined in this investigation?”

  “No, I’m strictly working with Detective Logan right now. I keep Stratton and Martin informed of what we’re finding, but for now, the department is letting me work solely with the Maitland Police. Detective Logan is very competent and knows his way around a crime scene, so I don’t mind working with him. I’ll try to get out there to see you this weekend. How are Cole and your friends in Cassadaga?”

  “Cole is wonderful, as always. He’s taking such good care of me. I’m just getting restless and want to work. The doctor said that I could work from home for now, as long as I didn’t overdo, and Cole and Jessie will make sure of that. Jessie comes up frequently but rushes home to be with Jim. I’m so happy for those two. Now, we need to find someone for you.”

  “Don’t you worry about me, I’m too busy for romance. I’ve got a case to solve, and I need to get a killer off the streets. But I promise I’ll do my best to come by Sunday,” Madison promises.

  “Okay, I’m holding you to it. Love you, Maddy. Be careful out there.”

  “I will, and you take care of yourself, too, Win. Love you too,” Madison hung up the phone and walked to the back of her office and pulled back the curtain to her bed. The day had been a long one, but this case was eating at her. She had hoped the wine would settle her down, but all it did was bring to the surface some pent-up sexual drive. She wondered what Josh must be thinking about her grabbing and kissing him. He must think I’m some sort of lunatic, but that guy is growing on me. I need to focus on the case, or I’m going to end up jumping his bones. She chuckled to herself.

  She jumped into the shower and then put on her tank top and yoga pants, and strolled back to the office area. She pulled down the blinds toward the parking lot. I don’t want someone passing by and seeing me in here. It wouldn’t look very professional for an FBI agent to be strolling around in her PJs in an office setting.

  There was still some wine left in the bottle on the table, so she emptied it into her glass and stood there staring at the board again. Something was troubling her about the case other than the missing and murdered women. The more she studied the information under each name the more a pattern was evolving, but there was a piece missing, and it was driving her crazy. Madison was good at her job as an investigator and profiler, but this one had her stumped.

  She finished her wine and looked at the clock. It was already 1:30 a.m. She was finally feeling the exhaustion of the past day and knew there was going to be much more work coming up in the mornin and she needed to get some sleep. I’m not so sure living in my office is a good idea. I need to sleep, or I’m not going to be able to think straight, and I need to be on top of my game with this case.

  The next morning came quickly. Madison was still asleep when she heard pounding on her front door. She pulled back the curtain slightly and saw Josh standing behind the tinted glass door with two cups of coffee. She recognized his stance. She hollered out, “Just a minute!” tossed on some clothes and staggered to the door. She was still half asleep and was combing her hair back with her fingers.

  When she opened the door, Josh burst in as if he didn’t even notice her disheveled appearance. “We’ve got to get going. It’s going to be a busy day.” He handed her a cup of coffee. Madison shuffled toward the table where the wine glasses were still sitting from the night before, but Josh picked up the empty glasses and placed them in the small sink on the other side of the room. He turned towards where Madison was standing. “You look like you could use some strong coffee.”

  “Thanks. I didn’t get to bed until late last night because I was still mulling over this damn case. Let me shower and change. I’ll be ready in twenty minutes. If you want to wait here, that’s fine, or if you have something to do at the station, I can meet you there.”

  “Oh, that’s okay. I’ll just wait here and drink my coffee.” He watched her pull the curtain behind her.

  Josh sat at the table facing the board but could hear the shower running and began to imagine what she looked like washing her hair, as the soap ran down her naked body glistening beneath the hot water. The more he could hear her moving around behind that curtain, the more aroused he became. I’d better pay attention to the case, or I’m going to embarrass myself when she comes out. “I’ll be right back. I have some things in the car I need to look at,” he hollered to Madison as he heard her get out of the shower.

  “I’ll be ready in five minutes!” she hollered back.

  He raced out the door before Madison had a chance to pull back the curtain to say anything else to him. He opened the back of the car and pulled out a long jacket and immediately put it on. He fumbled with rearranging some items in the trunk. He glanced back at the office and saw Madison raising the blinds and knew she was just about ready. His embarrassment subsided some but was still there. He jumped into the car and placed a file on his lap. He pretended to be reading something when she came out of the office. She got into the car, “You must be as eager to get going on this case as I am, but do you think we could grab another cup of coffee first?”

  “Sure, we’ll just swing through the drive-through at Starbucks on the way to Ms. Franklin’s parent’s house.” As he started to back up the car, the file on his lap slid to the floorboard. Fortunately, things were nearly back to normal. He hoped Madison didn’t notice anything. He stopped the car, leaned down, picked up the file and handed it to Madison.

  “What’s this?”

/>   “Oh, I was just looking over the coroner’s report on our latest victim to make sure we didn’t overlook anything,” Josh replied nonchalantly.

  “Did we miss anything?”

  Josh started driving off. “I don’t think so.”

  “Is everything okay?”

  He gave a quick smile. “Of, course.”

  Madison tilted her head. “Hey, you’re not upset about that kiss last night, are you? It was just a kiss.”

  “No, not at all.” He shrugged his shoulders.

  “Maybe we shouldn’t drink on the job.”

  “I had no problem. And hey, you’re not a bad kisser. Nice way to end a busy day,” he said jokingly, trying to ease the tension.

  “You weren’t too bad yourself, partner.”

  The banter back and forth between them seemed to ease the tension and it was back to business for them, or at least on the surface. The attraction between Madison and Josh was there, but neither one would admit it.

  Josh smiled. “Okay, Agent Hart, what’s our next move?”

  “Did you talk to Ms. Franklin’s parents to let them know we were coming?”

  “I did, and they are expecting us this morning. As you can imagine, they are as eager as we are to find out what happened to their daughter.”

  Madison tightened her lips. “It’s never easy facing a family who has lost a child, no matter what age they are. The not knowing must be extremely difficult for them. I doubt they get much sleep, but that might be to our advantage. I’m sure they have agonized over and over, trying to figure out where their daughter could be.”

  Ms. Franklin’s parents lived about an hour from Maitland, and the morning traffic was hectic. Josh pulled into the drive-through at Starbucks and ordered two more large coffees large. It was going to be a stressful morning, and they both needed to be awake and alert. Niether of them wanted to miss any details that might give them a clue to what happened to Ms. Franklin.

  “Josh, we have three missing women who are unaccounted for, we need to find them. However, something tells me that we are not going to find them alive.”

  Josh handed her the coffee. “Yeah, I’m afraid you’re right.”

  Finally, they arrived in Apopka and followed the GPS directly to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Franklin. They were modest people living in the same home that they had lived their entire married life.

  Madison and Josh walked up the three steps to the covered front porch and knocked. Madison could hear the footsteps of a heavy individual making his way to the door. The door opened, and there stood a strong-looking, older man. He invited them to the house. Mr. Franklin escorted Madison and Josh into the kitchen and motioned for them to have a seat at the dining table. The kitchen was an old fashion one where the table was the center of the room. The family ate meals together in the same room where they cooked. Newer homes replaced the dining tables with granite islands, and now families would grab something and head back to what they were doing in various parts of the house.

  It brought back memories for Madison. Her family always ate their meals together at the dining-room table, and you never left the table without asking to be excused…God forbid, or you would face the wrath of your father.

  “May I offer you some coffee,” Mrs. Franklin asked.

  “No, thank you,” Madison replied.

  Madison leaned into the table and softly asked the Franklins to tell her about their daughter. “Tell me about your daughter. What brought her to Winter Park?”

  Mr. Franklin reached over and held Mrs. Franklin’s hand as she started telling Madison about her daughter.

  “Cora was an ambitious young woman. She was always studying cultural things, like music and art. She wanted to leave Apopka for as long as I can remember. She is a good daughter, and always called us every week until she disappeared. We are so worried about her. It’s not like her to stop calling,” Mrs. Franklin said with tears welling up.

  “Was she involved with anyone?” Josh asked.

  “What do you mean by involved?” Mr. Franklin asked.

  “Did she have a boyfriend?”

  “She never mentioned to us that she was seeing anyone special. I’m sure she dated from time to time, but she would have told us if there was anyone serious in her life. She just wanted to improve herself, be more educated and worldly. She’d say she wanted to travel someday around the world to all the places she’d seen in the books, and I believed she would. You don’t suppose she just up and left the country, do you? It’s not like Cora to do anything like that without telling us first.”

  “We don’t know,” Madison quickly interjected, and then tried to change the subject. “We heard you brought all Cora’s things back here from her apartment. Would it be possible to look through her belongings? It may be helpful in finding where she went.”

  Mrs. Franklin wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “We put them back into her old room. We’ve left her room the same as she did when she moved to Winter Park. She used to come and visit and stay the night, and we wanted her to know she always had a place here.” She led Madison to Cora’s room, and Josh stayed in the kitchen with Mr. Franklin.

  Josh leaned across the table. “Mr. Franklin, I know this must be very difficult for you both. I see the pain in your wife’s face, but how are you holding up?”

  He rubbed his eyes and sniffled. “I try to stay strong for Mabel, but it’s not easy. I tell you, Detective, I want to believe that my little girl is still out there somewhere, but I’m afraid something has happened to her. She would not put her mother and me through this if she were still alive.”

  “We’re doing everything we can to try and locate your daughter. We appreciate your letting us come out here. The more information we find, the quicker we can piece together where she is.”

  “Do you think she’s dead?”

  “Let’s just concentrate on finding your daughter, and as soon as we hear anything, we’ll let you know. I promise.”

  “If anything has happened to Cora, I don’t think my wife will survive. She’s holding on so tightly to the hope that our daughter will return.”

  “We’ll do our best,” Josh whispered.

  Mrs. Franklin escorted Madison into Cora’s room. She stopped at the door and reached for Madison’s hand. “Do you think something has happened to our daughter?”

  “We don’t know.”

  “I don’t think Frank could live through it if something happened to Cora. I try to stay strong for him, but my heart feels something is very wrong. Cora would have never let us suffer like this if she were alive.” She squeezed Madison’s hand harder. “I’m so afraid. I hope you can find her.”

  Madison patted Mrs. Franklin’s hand. “We will do our best to find her.”

  Mrs. Franklin released Madison’s hand and left her in Cora’s room and then joined her husband in the kitchen. “I left Agent Hart in Cora’s room to look around. I didn’t want to interfere with her investigation. I know you both are doing everything you can find our daughter.” She turned toward her husband and put her head on his shoulder.

  Josh sat with the Franklins while Madison went through Cora’s belongings. He didn’t need to oversee her every move. If there were things in that room that would give them a better look into this young woman’s life, Madison would find it.

  Madison opened every drawer and looked through the closet. She sat on the bed and went through all the boxes of items brought back from the apartment where Cora had been staying when she disappeared. There were very few personal things. It looked like she had not planned to stay long, or just didn’t want a lot of “stuff” to overshadow why she was in Winter Park. She had very few clothes, and the ones she had were of good quality. She seemed to dress well, even though she was a clerk at a bank. Cora’s room was well-kept. Madison wondered if her mother kept the room that way or was that the type of person Cora was.

  She opened the last box and saw a few brochures from the Tiffany Museum
on Park Avenue and a play at Rollins College that she had attended. At the bottom of the box was a flier from the Maitland Art Center. Madison stumbled onto what would give her a clearer picture of why this woman wanted to be in Winter Park. She gathered everything in the box and walked back to the kitchen. “Mrs. Franklin, may we take these things back to our office? I promise to return them when we’re finished. I think these items may give us a better picture of your daughter’s life in Winter Park.”

  “Sure, if you think it will help. We want to do whatever it takes to help you find our daughter. Please, let us know if we can do anything else.”

  Josh stood up and gently shook Mr. and Mrs. Franklin’s hands. Then he and Madison loaded the box into the trunk. The couple was still standing on their front porch, with Mr. Franklin’s arm around his wife, as Madison and Josh drove off.

  “Man, that’s got to be hard,” Josh said. “I know that you’ve dealt with this a lot in your line of work, but Maitland hasn’t had this type of thing in our small town. I almost got choked up talking to Cora’s father. I could see the pain in his face, and only imagine what they must be going through, not knowing the whereabouts of their daughter.”

  Madison smiled. It was a side of Josh she hadn’t seen before. All she had ever seen was the cocky detective, but he was compassionate.

  Madison’s voice softened. “Yes, and, unfortunately, I don’t think this is going to end well. After the amount of time that’s passed and Cora’s closeness with her parents, I’m afraid this will not be a happy reunion.”

  For most of the ride back, they were quiet. They finally arrived at Madison’s office and spread the contents of the box onto the table. Josh and Madison donned the latex gloves and started going through each item.

  Madison stepped up to the board and wrote the new information on Cora under her name and then stood back. Josh scanned back and forth between Cora, Ms. Hill, and Lois Cramer.

  “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?”

  “I sure am. The pieces are starting to fall into place. Maitland Art Center is our connection.”

  Josh wanted to hug Madison but refrained. “I think we make a good team, don’t you?”

  “Not too bad.”

  Madison’s cell phone rang. It was Aspen. “Hi, Madison, this is Aspen. I hope I’m not bothering you. I was wondering if you could stop by today. I wanted to ask a favor of you.”

  “Sure. What’s a good time for you?”

  “Are you free for lunch? I just fixed a shrimp salad, and we could eat on the patio.”

  “It’s 11:30 now. I could come by in an hour.”

  “Great. I’m looking forward to it.”

  Madison turned to Josh. “Well, that was a surprise. Aspen is the woman I told you about who fell at the Art Center. She wants me to come over for lunch.”

  “Well, that might be a good thing. Maybe your friend has thought of something else since her fall. I’ve got a few things to do at the station. We’ll touch base later.” Josh started toward the door, hesitated just as he was opening the door. “Good day so far.” He grinned and then walked out to his car.

  Madison placed the items back into the box and slid it under the table. She was eager to see Aspen again, not only to find out what she wanted but to see how she was doing. It would be a good break from racking her brain crazy on this case. “Sometimes, it’s good to step away from it all and then come back with fresh eyes. I think I’ve been staring at the same evidence for so long that I’m not seeing what’s right in front of me. I need to clear my head.”

  She combed her hair and headed out the door. She drove down Park Ave, past the restaurant where Margaret Hill had worked. As she passed the outside tables, she noticed the waitress she’d talked to about Ms. Hill. Madison imagined Margaret waiting on the tables and wondered if that’s where she met the person she was supposed to meet the night she disappeared. “I think I’ll stop in there after my lunch with Aspen and talk to Margaret’s co-worker, Sandy, again.”

  Madison finally arrived at Aspen’s home. Everything was so neat and perfect, just like the first time she visited. There were several pieces of art in the house that looked like originals that she hadn’t noticed before. She hesitated to ask, but the investigator in her couldn’t help herself. “Aspen, I love the art pieces you have in your home. Are they from any artists in the area?”

  “Yes. I’ve been a collector of local art for quite some time. My mother was into art from around the world, but I prefer to support the local artists. I have our lunch ready. Are you hungry?”

  “I sure am. I was so busy this morning; I forgot to eat.” Madison followed Aspen out on the patio in the back yard. Aspen had a table set under the Camphor tree. It was the perfect amount of shade, and the camphor oils in the leaves kept the mosquitoes away. The table was set with small salad plates made by one of the local artists, and tumblers that matched each plate. Aspen had one design and Madison another. It had been so long since Madison enjoyed a nice lunch with a friend in their home. Aspen was the kind of person Madison could be friends with, but she still needed to keep her guard up. Until someone is eliminated, everyone was a person of interest, in this case.

  “This is lovely, Aspen, but you didn’t need to go through all this trouble for me,” Madison said as she reached for a roll.

  Aspen sipped her iced tea. “I don’t invite many people to my home, so this was a pleasure for me too. I need to get out; I’ve been held up in here too long. That brings me to the favor I wanted to ask you.”

  “I just got a call from Tyler. He wanted to know how I was doing and to know if I was going to able to come to his exhibit. He knows I am still unable to volunteer that evening but was hoping I could come. Since I still can’t drive, I was wondering if you would like to come with me. Of course, that’s the favor part. Could you drive us?”

  “I’d love to come, and I’d be happy to pick you up. I was planning on attending, and going with you would be so much more fun.”

  Aspen jumped up and hugged her. “I was so hoping you would say yes. I’ll call him back later today, and tell him we’re both coming.”

  “You seem quite taken by this Kincaid fellow.”

  “I guess I am. I’ve taken several of his classes and have learned so much. I don’t think I would have stuck with my painting if it hadn’t been for his encouragement. Mr. Kincaid inspired me,” she said with a glow on her face.

  “Have you ever modeled for one of his paintings?”

  “Oh no. I don’t think I’m the type of woman for his art. He likes a petite woman, like you. The women in his paintings are almost dwarfed by the massive, untamed landscapes he paints, yet the women add a touch of class. The women he chooses are always perfect in his paintings.”

  “What do you mean, ‘perfect’?”

  “You know the kind…well dressed, manicured, not a hair out of place, but gorgeous!”

  Madison changed the subject so Aspen wouldn’t think she was grilling her for information. “I think you’re looking better. How are you feeling?”

  “I think I’m doing great. Every day I feel stronger, and I don’t have as many dizzy spells as I did right after my fall.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Madison took the last bite of her salad. “This was a wonderful lunch. Thank you so much for inviting me.”

  “Well, I don’t know about you, but sometimes a person needs to get away from the everyday stuff for awhile to clear the mind.”

  Madison smiled. “I do know what you mean, and this came at the perfect time.”

  They finished their lunch and then sat outside drinking their iced teas for awhile. Madison offered to help Aspen clean up, but she wouldn’t hear of it. “I get bored sitting around here all day, and this will give me something to do later. I’m so eager to get back to the Art Center and finish my paintings.” I have a doctor’s appointment in a couple of weeks, and they’re going to do another MRI to make sure the swelling and bleeding has comp
letely stopped. Then I’ll be able to drive again.”

  “I know you’re looking forward to that, but in the meantime, if you need me, just holler.”

  “Thank you, Madison. I appreciate the offer.”

  Aspen walked Madison to the door and out onto the porch and then reached out and hugged Madison. “I’m so glad you could come by.”

  It had been a long time since anyone other than family had hugged Madison, and it caught her off guard, but she felt the sincerity in Aspen’s hug. She hoped to be able to cross Aspen off the board as a person of interest. “Okay, you take care of yourself, and don’t forget to call if you need anything.” Madison walked down the steps and turned to watch Aspen go back into her house. She sat in the car for a moment, digesting the conversation she and Aspen had about Tyler Kincaid and the type of women he liked. She wanted to get to the restaurant and talk to Sandy again before her shift was over.

  Park Avenue was crowded, as usual, and parking was hard to find. Madison drove up and down in front of the restaurant trying to find an opening to park, but as soon as she would spot one, someone else would pull into the spot.

  Suddenly, she noticed Sandy coming out of the restaurant with her purse and heading down the sidewalk. She pulled up as close as she could and hollered out, “Sandy!”

  Sandy looked around to see if who was calling for her. She didn’t notice Madison in the car at first. Then Madison called out again and then Sandy saw who it was. “Have you got a minute?” Madison asked.

  Sandy ran across the street to the driver’s side of the car. Madison asked Sandy to get in, and without hesitation, Sandy ran around to the other side of the car and jumped in just as the car behind Madison started to honk. “Do you have time for a cup of coffee? I’d like to ask you some more questions about Margaret.”

  Sandy leaned back in the seat. “Yeah, I’m off work now. I was going to walk home and take a nap. A cup of coffee and someone waiting on me for a change sounds nice.”

  “Have you been to Bernie’s Coffee Kitchen down the street?”

  “Yeah, I stop in there a lot with friends. That’s fine,” Sandy replied.

  They drove up to Bernie’s just as a car was pulling out of a parking spot. “My lucky day,” Madison said as she pulled in. They walked across the street, and got a cup of coffee. There weren’t a lot of people in the shop, so they had their pick of tables. Madison wanted one with not much foot traffic coming past them so that they could talk. She grabbed the one against the wall by the front window. The view was nice, and people wouldn’t be brushing up behind them entering the shop.

  Madison motioned Sandy to have a seat with her back to the door so she wouldn’t be distracted by customers coming in and out while they talked. Sandy plopped down in the chair, and took a deep breathe of air. “I’m exhausted.” Madison waited until Sandy got settled. “What kind of coffee would you like?”

  “Oh, just plain old strong black coffee,” Sandy replied.

  Madison ordered their coffee and then took her seat across from Sandy. “Did you have a good day at work today?”

  “I did. However, we had a couple come in, and no matter what we did for them, they just were not satisfied. They didn’t even leave a tip, and that sucks.”

  “Do you keep your tips, or do you share them?”

  “We used to keep our own tips, but then it became cut-throat over the tables so the management decided we’d split tips. That seems to work out better for most of us, and we end up helping each other more doing it that way.”

  “How did Margaret get along with the other waitresses?”

  “Margaret got along with everyone. She was a hard worker and always tried to help others when she had a free moment.”

  “Did she have any special customers? Were there any men that may have paid more attention to her than the other waitresses?”

  “Not really. We had our regulars, but nothing creepy or anything like that.” Sandy crinkled her nose and scratched her chin. “There is one who comes to mind, but he wasn’t creepy. He was an artist. He was always telling her that she ought to be a model. I think he even asked her once if she would pose for him.”

  “Did she?”

  “I don’t think so. Margaret never mentioned it to me. But come to think of it, she would get excited whenever she saw him at her table.”

  “Do you remember his name?”

  Sandy sipped her coffee. “Hmm, I don’t, but I can tell you one thing, the guy was gorgeous. He had jet-black hair and his eyes were deep blue. When he stood up he caught the eye of many women, and men, in the room. I’m not sure how tall he was, but I’ll bet he was over 6 feet and built like a god. If she didn’t pose for him, she was crazy. I would have jumped at the chance.”

  They sat there until Sandy finished her coffee and then they parted. Madison headed back to the office but couldn’t help but wonder if Tyler Kincaid was the artist Sandy was referring to. It sure fit his physical description.

  As Madison pulled up in the parking lot, Josh pulled in behind her. “Hey, I’ve been trying to call you.”

  Madison pulled out her cell phone. “Sorry, I guess I turned off the ringer. What’s up?”

  “Not much. I wanted to see if you were up to checking out the other missing women on the board in the morning and I wanted to see how your lunch with Aspen went. Did you learn anything?”

  “I had a nice lunch, but I didn’t learn much, other than Tyler Kincaid wants her to attend his exhibit. Since she still is unable to drive, she asked if I would take her and I said I would. I can’t help feeling that man knows something, and if I play my cards right, I might find out more at his exhibit. Also, I ran into Ms. Hill’s co-worker. We had coffee after her shift and she told me something interesting. One of Ms. Hill’s regulars was an artist, and he had asked her to pose for him.”

  “That’s interesting. Did she?”

  “The co-worker didn’t know, but after that, every time he came into the restaurant, Ms. Hill got excited, and he always sat at her table. From the description, it could be our Mr. Kincaid.”

  “Hmm, that’s interesting. I hear your brain ticking again. Do you think Ms. Hill’s secret meeting might have been with this Kincaid guy?”.

  “I’m sure going to try and find out. This has been a long and exhausting day. You want to get something to eat?”

  Josh smiled at her. “Thought you’d never ask. But do you mind, I’m sick of sandwiches? Can we sit down to a real meal?”

  “That sounds perfect, but I’ve been in the same clothes all day, and would like to shower and change first. I have a few calls to make too, so how about I swing by the station in about an hour?”

  “My day hasn’t been any walk in the park, either. I’d like to change too. I’ll come by here in an hour.”

  Madison watched as Josh left and then locked the door. She pulled back the curtain, dropped off her clothes on the floor, turned on the hot water, and climbed into the shower. She let the water beat against her aching muscles and pulsate over her body. The case was taking its toll on her, more than most cases. There were too many missing pieces that frustrated her.

  The more she stood under the soothing, hot water, the more the idea of just pouring a glass of wine and crawling into bed appealed to her. But there was still the fact that she was hungry, and Josh would be coming back soon. She forced herself out of the shower and dressed into something more casual and less official. She put on a little makeup and dried her hair so that she could let it down. It has been tied up on the top of her head all day. It felt good to doll up a little.

  While she waited for Josh, she made a few calls. The first one was to Martin Baines, a co-worker at the FBI. He had become one of the best profilers in the FBI, and she was fortunate to be able to work with him on several cases. He also worked directly with her boss, Special Agent Stratton Wells.

  She brought him up to speed on the case and of her frustration with the unsolved missing persons and
murders. She hoped he would give her new insights on the case from his perspective.

  “Madison, you do realize that you’ve only been on this case a short time, and it’s a very complicated one. I know you have already presumed you’re working on the premise it’s a serial killer. What can you tell me about the unsub, so far?”

  “Well, he’s drawn to petite, well-dressed women, who are not too socially active. The women we’ve checked into were very organized and serious about their ambitions. We also know that each of them, so far, had planned on meeting someone the night of their disappearance. They were secretive about who they were seeing, which leads me to think he is controlling in a subtle way. Our unsub is charming, and the women trust him. He wanted the relationships to be kept a secret. I’m not sure why, yet. The two murdered victims were killed with the same weapon, a small .45 caliber at close range to the back of the head. I doubt our victims saw it coming. But I’m puzzled at the sites where we found the bodies. We don’t believe they were murdered there, which leads me to think our killer was strong enough to carry a body or had the means to transport them to the dump sites. Oh, and we believe the unsub knows the area well.”

  “It sounds like you’ve got this one under control, but let me know if you need assistance. How’s it working out with Detective Logan? I did some checking on him, and from what we have gathered, he has a great record for solving cases.”

  “He does seem to know what he’s doing. It’s going fine. I’ll keep you posted.” Then Madison hung up her cell phone.

  She was about to call Jim and update him, but stuck her cell phone back in her bag. All she just wanted to do was to end the day and take a break from work “A good dinner and early to bed is just what I need.” She unlocked the front door and then walked back to the board and tossed a sheet over it so no one could see the board from the window. “I need a fresh view of this case. I’m missing something, but my brain can’t take anymore tonight.”

  She was straightening the office area when she heard a horn honk. “What the hell?” Getting out of the car was Jessie. “Hey, girl. I just thought I stopped by for a minute on my way home. I was visiting your sister today. She’s doing great and that Cole, he dotes on Winter like a princess. I think he really loves her. Oh, how’s it going on the case?”

  “I’m glad you spent time with Win, you two have been best friends for a long time, and I know how she treasures your friendship. The case is plugging along. You know I can’t discuss much of it with you, I’m sure you understand.”

  Jessie chuckled. “I know you can’t, but I can’t help my curious nature,”

  “Come on in.”

  “So this is what you’ve done with the place?” Jessie glanced around at the sparse room. “And I suppose you’re living in that cubbyhole of a room in the back?”

  “It will do for now. Besides, there’s no need to try and find a permanent place just for this case.”

  Jessie lowered her head. “I guess. I was hoping, and so was Win, that you might change your mind and stay.”

  “To be honest, Jess, I’m not sure what I’m going to do when this case is over. The way it’s going right now, it might take a lot longer than I had anticipated. There are too many unanswered questions. It’s a real puzzle. Now that’s all I can say, and I probably said more than I should have already.”

  “You know what you tell me won’t go any further unless you say I can tell Jim.”

  There was a knock at the door, and when Jessie turned around, in walked Detective Logan. “Hi,” Jessie said.

  “Hi, Jessie. What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, I just stopped by to say hello to my old friend, Maddy. Are you two working tonight?”

  “Actually…”

  Josh interrupted Madison. “We sure are.”

  “We’re in the middle of this thing, and we can’t stop. Your friend is quite a driving force when it comes to investigating.”

  “Well, I’d better leave you two to your work. Maddy, don’t be a stranger.”

  “Maddy? I like that,” he snickered.

  Madison just ignored him. “Are you ready to go?”

  “I am.”

  Josh looked different that night. All she had ever seen him wearing was his detective attire, a suit, and jacket. Seeing him in tightly fitted jeans and a casual sports shirt, reminded her of how good-looking he was, but she sure wasn’t going to let him know that she noticed.

  Damn, she looks hot tonight. Wish she would loosen up a little. You know what they say, all work and no fun. “Do you like Italian food? There’s a nice place on Lake Lily that serves good Italian if you’re interested.”

  “You must have been reading my mind. I love Italian food. Let’s go; I’m starving,” Madison headed for her car.

  “Don’t you want to go in my car?” He looked dumbfounded and confused.

  Madison snickered. “I thought we were going in separate cars.”

  “No, I’ll ride with you if you insist on driving. I just thought since you had been driving all over town today, you might appreciate someone else driving.” Josh walked over toward her car.

  “You know, that’s a great idea.” Madison closed her car door and walked toward Josh’s car.

  “Damn woman, you sure are complicated,” he said under his breath.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” He hurried to his car before she changed her mind again.

  It was a short drive to Antonio’s the Italian restaurant on the lake. The place sat on the corner of 17-92 and Maitland Avenue and overlooked the lake from the tables of the terrace on the second floor. The night air had just a slight cool breeze, but it was refreshing.

  Josh and Madison took the elevator to the second floor, passed the bar and started out on the terrace. Madison sat facing Lake Lily and could see the fountain in the center. A walking path encircled the entire lake, with several spots for sitting along the way. When Madison was a child, the entire town would gather there for the 4th of July celebrations and the Lion’s Club would set up a hole-in-one island on the lake as a fundraiser. There was no telling how many golf balls were at the bottom of the lake. She couldn’t remember a single person ever making a hole-in-one, but it drew a lot of attention.

  “Hey, Madison, you seem to be in deep thought. I hope it’s not the case? We’re here to take a break from the case, remember?”

  “No, it’s not about the case. I was just reminiscing about my childhood, and the care-free fun we used to have playing around Lake Lily. When did life get so serious?”

  Josh wanted to answer her, but could see she wanted to stay in the moment a little longer.

  The waiter seemed just to appear at the table. “Would like to start the evening with something to drink?”

  Josh didn’t want to disturb Madison’s moment, but he quietly asked her if she’d like to get some wine or would she prefer a drink.

  “Huh? I’m sorry. What were you asking me?”

  “I was just asking if you’d like something to drink; a cocktail or some wine.”

  “I think some wine for me. A good Merlot will be fine.”

  “Let’s get a bottle,” Josh said cautiously.

  “Okay. I could use a good relaxing evening with some wine.”

  Josh turned to the waiter and gave him their wine order. As they waiting for their wine, they read over the menu. Madison put her menu down and looked up at Josh.

  “I’m so tired, Josh.”

  “Do you want me to take you home?” he asked without hesitation.

  “No, but if you don’t mind, I like you to order for me. I just can’t think anymore today. This case has me stumped, and I feel fried tonight. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all.” She wasn’t the snappy, strong woman she had been the past few days. She had been spinning her wheels, too hard and too fast, trying to solve this case. At least he could go home at night, but she was living with it 24/7.

  He leaned over the
table. “Madison, do you mind if I make a suggestion?”

  She knew it wasn’t going to be a choice from the menu by his body language.

  “Just say it, Josh.”

  “I know how concerned and dedicated you are to this case, but living with it day and night might be wearing you out. Have you thought of renting another place as your personal space?”

  “I’m fine where I am for now. We should be getting closer to wrapping this up, and then I’ll most likely be going back to DC.”

  Josh didn’t respond. He leaned back in his chair and turned toward the lake.

  “Hey, if this thing drags on too much longer, I’ll consider renting a studio apartment until we finish.”

  He looked at her without saying anything and just gave a slight smile. He was afraid that he had stepped too far into her personal space and didn’t want to ruin the evening for either of them.

  The waiter finally came out with the wine. He poured Josh a glass for tasting and Josh just nodded. Then the waiter poured Madison’s. She was normally a do-it-yourself, independent woman, but that night she was too exhausted to be assertive.

  The waiter poured the wine and then set the bottle on the table. Josh lifted his glass. “Here’s to solving this case and getting back to our normal lives.”

  “I’m all for that.” Madison tapped his glass with hers.

  The first glass of wine went down rather quickly, which eased the tension and then the conversation veered from the case. Madison wanted to know what brought Josh to Maitland. Of course, she already knew where he came from because Martin had filled her in when she came aboard helping the Maitland Police on this case, but she wanted to hear more from a personal view.

  “Not that much to tell. I lived in Miami and couldn’t stand the constant crime that occurred every day. I wanted a more laid back environment for work, and this job came available in Maitland, so I applied and got it. I haven’t regretted it once. I prefer a smaller town atmosphere, where you know your neighbors, and when you walk into a café or restaurant, people say hello. What about you? You seemed to have done the opposite. You were from here and chose to move away.”

  “I got wrapped up in the science end of investigating. Then one thing led to another, and I found myself with the FBI Criminal Investigation Unit doing profiles. I had never intended that as my career, but it just evolved. My real love is the investigation end of it, you know snooping around and putting the pieces of the puzzle together to see the whole picture.”

  He poured her another glass. “Have you ever thought of becoming a P.I.?”

  “As a matter of fact, I have.”

  The waiter returned to take their order.

  “I think we’d like to start with the Caprese. We’re not ready to order dinner yet.”

  “I’ll be right out with that,” the waiter said as he turned and left.

  “I just happen to love that,” Madison said with a smile.

  “I love the Caprese here. They drench the mozzarella and tomatoes in the olive oil, and if that’s not enough, they bring out the best bread with a garlic olive oil for dipping.”

  “Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.” Madison began to relax and smiled. She was loosening up and enjoying herself. Of course, the wine wasn’t hurting the mood either.

  It seemed only moments and the Caprese came out. The waiter set the plate in the center of the table and then placed a basket of hot bread with two small bowls of the olive oil for each of them. Madison didn’t wait, she dove right in. She dipped a piece of bread into her olive oil and then scooped up some of the Caprese onto her plate. She had devoured it before Josh had time to serve his plate. “I take it you’re hungry?” he said, laughing as he noticed the olive oil dripping down her chin. He reached over and wiped her chin, but she didn’t miss a beat while eating.

  Josh took a few bites but couldn’t take his eyes off of her. She was one of the most intriguing women that he had ever met. She was certainly not intimidated by the presence of a man, nor did she try to put on any pretenses. She was who she was, and he liked that about her.

  She dipped her crusty bread into the seasoned olive oil. “I’m starving.”

  Finally, Madison had her full and then sat back in her chair and reached for her wine. “Tell me, Detective Logan, what kind of man are you? I know you’re a fairly good detective, but what do you do for fun?”

  “Fairly good. I’m a damn good detective,” he said with certainty as his tone of voice started to rise. He leaned toward her with his hands on the table. “I’ll bet I’ve solved more cases in my career than you have as an agent.”

  Madison laughed. “It sure doesn’t take much to get you all stirred up. Sensitive, are we?”

  “Okay, you got me. I guess I am sensitive about my job. I’m a damn good investigator, and you know it, but I think you enjoy pushing my buttons, don’t you?” He leaned back in his chair. “Now I see how you attack your suspects. You hit them where they’re vulnerable, and then dig in. I should have seen that one coming.”

  “I was just playing with you.”

  He looked at her with one eyebrow raised and lifted his glass to her. “I owe you one and karma’s a bitch.”

  “Lighten up Logan. We’re just having fun tonight, and besides, I think you’re cute when you get huffy.”

  “Well so far, it’s at my expense.”

  There was tension brewing between them, but neither was willing to admit it. Two strong personalities butting heads together have an unlikely chance they will ever let down their guard long enough to share an intimate moment of any kind.

  They had reached the end of their bottle of wine when the waiter stepped up and asked if they were ready to order. Madison leaned forward, “That Caprese was great and filling, but I’d like some more wine. What about you, Logan?” She raised her brow up and down.

  “Sure. Why not? Would you please bring us another bottle of that Merlot.”

  The waiter left, and Josh leaned into the table, “You know people can get in trouble if they drink too much,” he said seductively.

  “Well, if we get in trouble, I know someone who will bail us out.”

  The waiter returned with the bottle of wine and was just about to open it when Madison stopped him. “Can we just buy that bottle, unopened of course, and take it with us?”

  The waiter wasn’t sure but told them he’d be right back.

  Josh didn’t say a word. He just stared at her. Could she be planning something? He could only hope.

  Madison leaned in closer to him, “Is that okay with you? It’s getting so crowded in here and noisy that I thought we could take the bottle and sit by the lake.

  The waiter returned without the bottle of wine. “I’m sorry sir, we cannot sell a bottle to go with your dinner, but if you’d like, the gentleman downstairs has a bottle for you. You can buy one there to take with you.”

  Josh thanked him. The waiter laid the tab down on the table, and Madison and Josh both grabbed for it. “I invited you,” he insisted.

  “Yes, but I mentioned it first.” Neither would give up their hold on the bill. “Madison, if you don’t let go of this, I’m going to throw myself on the floor, roll around, and stomp my feet like a two-year-old.”

  Madison burst out laughing. “Oh my God, the vision of that is almost worth the fight over this, but I will let you get away with this time. However, next time, it’s my turn.”

  Josh didn’t respond. He slipped his credit card into the server’s book. Madison excused herself and said she needed to use the ladies' room and would be right back.

  Josh paid the bill, and they took the elevator downstairs to the market and deli area. Josh walked up to the counter and asked if there was an order for him.

  “Your name, sir?” the young women asked.

  “Josh Logan.”

  She turned to the several bags and boxes to go. “Yes, sir.”

  She handed Josh a box, which confused him f
or a moment. “Are you sure this is mine?”

  The young women looked at the name, “You are Mr. Logan, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well then this is yours, and there are two wine glasses in there for you.”

  Josh pulled out his wallet and started to pay. The woman put up her hand up to stop him from paying. “Oh no, sir. Your bill has already been taken care of.”

  Josh thanked her but looked very confused. He turned mumbled to himself. “Wow, I wonder if this is compliments of my friend, Greg. I’ve known him since he opened this place. I wonder why he didn’t stop by the table like he usually does? I’ll have to thank him next time I see him.”

  Madison was waiting near the door. She didn’t seem surprised it was in a box. They walked across the street to the park area by the lake. There was a table overlooking the water, and Madison nudged Josh toward it.

  “This looks perfect.”

  No matter where one sat, they could see the lake and watch the fountain in the middle. Josh set the box on the table and opened it. There wasn’t just a chilled bottle of wine and two glasses, but two cannolis in plastic containers.

  “I hope you like cannolis. It looks like my friend Greg fixed us up. Wish I had a chance to thank him.”

  “Yeah, that was nice of him.”

  Josh handed her a cannoli. Just as Josh was about to release the box he blurted out, “You did this?”

  “Oh, you are a good detective.” She smiled at him.

  “Damn, I’m slow, though.” He pulled out the other cannoli.

  “How and when did you…?” Then he remembered she left for the ladies' room. “But how did you know…oh, I remember telling you I knew the owner, and you asked him what my favorite dessert was, didn’t you?”

  Madison grinned. “Damn, you’re good at your job. Now let’s open that wine before I sober up.”

  “Woman, you are filled with surprises.” He set the wine glass on the table and opened the wine.

  She raised her eyebrow. “Oh, you have no idea.”

  Josh poured the wine and opened the box with the cannoli. He reached for the dessert and pointed it toward Madison as if he was going to make a toast. “Here’s to surprises.”

  Madison took her cannoli and tapped his. “To surprises. Yep, I can see why you like these things.”

  They finished their dessert and sat drinking, laughing and watching the couples strolling around the lake late into the night. Josh began to stand. “I’d better get you home before I have to call someone at the station to drive us back.”

  “Not a bad idea. We have to get back to reality tomorrow and dig into the case, but it sure was nice to do something to get our minds off of it for awhile, wasn’t it?”

  “I think we both needed the break and the diversion.”

  Madison wasn’t drunk, but she was feeling no pain or cares in the world. For the first time, since this case started, she almost felt human again.

  Josh drove her back to the office and walked her to the front door. He hesitated for a moment. Damn I want to kiss this woman.

  Madison turned toward him and leaned in close. “We still have a little wine left in this bottle. Do you want to come in and help me finish it?”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  She didn’t turn on the lights, or set the bottle on the table in the office, but pulled back behind the curtain of her makeshift bedroom and placed the bottle on the nightstand.

  Shit. Am I dreaming or is this woman about to seduce me?

  Madison turned to Josh, “What is holding you back, detective? You’re not intimidated by my badge, are you?”

  “Hell no. I just can’t figure you out. One minute I think it’s a challenge for you to be in the same room with me, and then the next minute you kiss me.” Josh pulled Madison against him and then put his hands on the back of her head and drew her into his kiss. It was Josh kissing her this time. He kissed her softly and then pulled back and looked into her blue eyes, to see if this was going to continue. Her eyes were still closed, and her lips were ready for more, and this time he kissed her passionately. Madison put her arms around his neck and fell into his hot, wet kisses. Her body was pulsating stronger with each kiss. Josh kept engulfing her with his tongue and then slightly pushed her away from him. He backed her up against the wall and pulled her blouse over her head. He held her arms up against the wall as she grasped his fingers through hers.

  Madison pressed her warm lips against his. Josh reached around her and held her tightly as he backed her onto the bed. Madison reached up from the bed and undid his buckle. Josh slowly laid her down on the bed. He couldn’t believe he was standing over such a beautiful woman. She was not only knockout gorgeous but was intelligent and strong. Her body shimmered as she lay there waiting for him. He crawled up next to her. Madison reached around his back and pulled him into her.

  “Josh rolled over and took Madison’s face in his hands and kissed her eyelids. “Woman, you are a surprise.” Madison returned his kisses with a gentle kiss. She didn’t say much but kept looking at him in disbelief. She had not intended for this to happen, but it did. She sat up on the edge of the bed, turned and looked into his eyes. “Now what? I hope this isn’t going to mess up our working relationship. I can’t have you watching over me like some pit-bull. I’m still an agent and can damn sure take care of myself.”

  “Of that, I have no doubt.” He sat up next to her. “We can keep our jobs strictly business. We’re professionals, and we have a job to do. Now let’s finish this wine, and then I’ll get out of your hair so you can get some sleep.”

  What Josh wanted to do was curl up with Madison, but he could see she would have no part of that…at least for now. I wish I knew what was holding her back. Wonder if she had a relationship that ended badly.

  Madison reached for her robe at the end of the bed and wrapped it around her as tight as she could; almost as though she was protecting herself from something. I wish I weren't so afraid of letting myself go. I could get used to having Josh around…sometimes.

  Josh picked up the bottle and poured the remaining wine into their glasses and then waited for Madison in the office area. She came up behind him, flipped the sheet off the whiteboard. It was quickly filling up with clues. “Let’s look at this with a fresh view tomorrow. I’m not as clear-headed as I’d like to be tonight.”

  “I agree. I need to get some rest too. I don’t want my mind swimming around with all that information from the board. I think we both could use a good night’s sleep.” He took the last swig of his wine and carried his glass to the sink.

  Madison walked him to the front door. He turned and gave her a peck on the cheek and then left without saying anything else, but he wanted to pull her to him and feel her body next to his one more time, but he knew Madison would hold back. “We’ll touch base tomorrow to recap and then if you’re up to it, check out our other missing women,” he said in a back-to-business sort of way.

  “Josh,” she called out, as he was walking toward his car.

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for a great evening.” She smiled as she held onto her robe.

  “My pleasure.” What the hell goes on in that mind of hers? One minute I think she can’t wait to get rid of me, and the next, my heart starts racing. He climbed into his car.

  As he backed up and turned around to leave, he glanced back one more time hoping to see her still standing there. But the shades of the office had been pulled closed, and she had already turned off the lights.