I’m sorry this chapter of my book Shadows of the Past has been so long in coming. Between a major fibromyalgia flair-up and a nasty fall that kept me off my back side for a while, I haven’t much felt like working on my blog. Please feel free to check out Chapter 5 (posted in 2 parts). I will probably have this book online at Kindle Direct Publishing by the end of April. I will let everyone know if I do.

Thunder rumbled as Tori stared at the empty hook on the back of the bathroom door. Where in the world had her peach negligee disappeared to? She was sure she’d left it there that morning, but it was gone. Maybe she’d taken it to the kitchen without thinking. But surely, she would have noticed it while she was cleaning. Not to her surprise, that was exactly where she found it.

She slipped it over her head as a door closed. It sounded like it had come from the entrance by the servants’ stairs. Obviously, she hadn’t seen the last of Cole that night. And he could have seen her traipsing around the mansion naked as she searched for her short nightgown!

“Why that no-good s.o.b.”

Furious with him, she checked the door, hoping that he’d been embarrassed by seeing her nudity and decided to leave. But the bolt lock was still in place, and he hadn’t had enough time to lock it with the key from the outside. That meant he must still be in the house. But she hadn’t heard him on the servants’ stairs. She would have seen him if he’d gone through the laundry room to exit the billiard room door.

Going upstairs, she did a systematic search of the house, just to be sure he wasn’t still there. As she passed a window at the front, she stopped. His car wasn’t parked below. A flash of lightning lit the sky. In that moment, the shadow of a man in a trench coat hurrying through the live oak trees toward the woods. Apparently, he’d parked elsewhere again and changed his mind about staying. Well, she wasn’t about to let him get away with it this time.

Racing down the nearest staircase, Tori exited the door at the bottom. Another lightning flash brightened the area. The man was getting closer to the woods. If she was going to catch him, she had to forget about a coat and go now.

Heedless of the rain, she raced toward the woods. Now that she was in the mud, she was glad that she wasn’t encumbered by a coat. She would have lost a lot of time. Still, she slipped around quite a bit until she reached the grass on the opposite side of the road. All of a sudden her bare foot hit a puddle, and she fell, twisting her ankle. A sharp stab shot through it, but she choked back a cry of pain so Cole wouldn’t hear her.

Scrambling to her feet, she limped on as fast as she could. She was almost to the woods when a large hand grabbed her upper arm. Fear embraced her as it never had before, and she screamed. Jerking loose, she raced away. The person tackled her. Both of them fell to the muddy ground. Again she managed to free herself and rush on.

Panic overtook her. She sped forward. Then she noticed that she was headed toward the mansion. Her fear had left her confused, disoriented. She had to hide, but the house was too far away. She turned a different direction and ran parallel to the road, away from the house and woods.

A hand grabbed her again. A large body pinned her against a live oak tree nearby. Her scream of terror was almost drowned out by the loud crack of thunder that shook the earth.

Tori screamed again, but it was cut short when a hand clamped over her mouth. Terrified, she bit down until a man cried out. He collapsed against her, crushing her back against the tree. Then he grasped her head behind her ears and forced her head back.

She opened her mouth to scream again—until she saw Cole’s concerned expression. In an instant, rage replaced fear. She tried to push him away, but he was too heavy. How dare he treat her like this!

She struggled to free herself until her back scraped against the relatively smooth bark of the oak. Next she tried to extricate her head, but even that was useless, because he had a powerful yet gentle hold on her.

Suddenly exhaustion raced through her. She panted hard to catch her breath. Her firm breasts rose and fell rhythmically; her heart pounded unmercifully in her chest. But she wasn’t sure what caused it—her flight or the intense desire flooding her veins.

Cole was standing between her legs, his arousal tantalizingly evident as he pressed against her lower abdomen. She wanted to talk, to tell him to get away from her. But her words were blocked by the agonizing excitement swelling in her chest. She’d never had such a strong attraction to a man.

When he spoke, his cracking voice was barely audible over the hard rain. “Don’t you ever run away from me again. I couldn’t stop Mom from leaving, but I’ll sure as hell stop you.”

Tori wanted to respond after his first sentence, but his second stopped her. He’d been devastated when his mother left, and the thought of her leaving terrified him as much as his chase had frightened her. Was he really that attached to her already? As she inhaled to catch a breath, his mouth covered hers.

His lips met hers tenderly at first. Then his tongue slipped between her slightly parted lips, and tenderness became hunger. He probed her mouth, as though desperate to discover every portion of her body that she would allow. And she instinctively slid her arms around him in response.

His kiss changed again, burning his passion into her so insistently that she sighed heatedly into his mouth. His lips ground against hers, drawing her deeper into his power. She tightened her hold and caressed his hard, muscular back in acceptance. His large hand slid down her wet hair, across her shoulder and chest, coming to rest on her breast. Tori inhaled sharply. She wanted him now, as much as he so obviously wanted her.

A deafening crack of thunder shook the ground so hard that it knocked them both into the mud. At the sound of splitting wood, Cole looked up, so Tori let her gaze follow his. The oak beside theirs was falling, dissected by a bolt of lightning. And half of that tree was tipping toward them!

Before she could react, Cole threw his body over her, put his head down beside hers, and covered both of their heads with his arms. A moment later, the ground quaked as the large tree fell, missing them by only a couple of feet.

Cole heaved a sigh then rolled off Tori. She rolled onto her back as well. Reaching over, he grasped her hand and looked at her. “Are you okay, honey?”

“Yes.” Her voice faltered with a new fear, one of barely escaping death. “What happened?”

“We came damned close to getting hit by lightning. We’d better get back inside.” Pushing himself up, he reached down, took her hands, and pulled her to her feet. A sharp pain shot through her right ankle, and her leg buckled. But Cole caught her before she fell and swept her into his arms. “I thought you said you were okay.”

Her face heated in embarrassment. “I was until I stood up. I must have sprained my ankle.”

“I’m not surprised considering that fall you took,” he said as he hurried toward the house. Another flash of lightning brightened the dark sky, followed seconds later by a loud clap of thunder. “Thank God, that wasn’t as close. Why the hell were you running around in a storm, anyway? Wearing next to nothing at that.”

“I’ll explain after I’ve had time to clean up and change.”

“Which door did you come out? I don’t know because you were already out here when I arrived.”

“The one by the back stairs and breakfast room.”

When they reached the house, Tori opened the door for Cole. He set her down in the small hallway then stepped back to close the door by leaning against it. The light she’d left on in the nearby kitchen illuminated her, and Cole inhaled through his teeth.

The hissing sound attracted Tori’s attention. Glancing up, she saw that his gaze was riveted on her body. She looked down in mortified disbelief. Her nylon nightgown had turned almost transparent. Not only could Cole see everything she had, her short gown clung alluringly to her body.

Keeping her head bowed so he wouldn’t see her embarrassment, she mentally braced herself for his taunting remark. Instead he spoke with a seriousness that startled her.

“Here. Put this on.” Her jaw dropped as she raised her head. Hanging before her was the soaking, dark blue shirt he’d been wearing earlier. Unable to move, she stared at it while he continued. “I know it’s wet, Tori. But take it. Put it on. Please. Before I forget that I was raised to be a gentleman.”

She accepted his shirt with a half-smile and slipped into it while she stared at his naked torso. She’d already known that he was well-built, but she hadn’t realized he was so perfectly proportioned. His chest, covered with a moderate amount of curly hair, was solid without being overly muscular. A line of medium brown hair ran down his hard, slightly rippled stomach to his jeans.

“Thanks,” he said as she wrapped his shirt around her. “I’ll help you upstairs.”

“That’s okay. I can do it.” Before she could stop him, he put his left arm around her waist and grasped her upper right arm with his free hand. Instantly, the heat of their wet embrace returned. She had to do something to break the mood. “Really, Cole. I can make it upstairs alone.”

“I’m sure you can,” he said as he mounted the first step. “Okay now. Hop up here on your left foot. That right one’s really swollen.”

Even as she followed his instructions, she complained, “I feel silly doing this.”

“But you’re going to,” he teased as they made their way laboriously upstairs, “because you know it’s better for you. Besides, I imagine that ankle hurts too much to put any weight on it.”

“Don’t remind me. The very thought hurts.”

Cole laughed heartily. “A sense of humor even in the face of adversity. I like that in a woman.”

“I suppose that means you know a lot of women who face adversity.”

“Only one,” he admitted, turning serious again. “She’s the only one I care about, too.” Then his grin returned. “Do you know what sounds great right now? A roaring fire. I wish I’d cleaned out at least one of the zillion fireplaces in this place.”

“I found some of the appropriate tools in a shed and cleaned the one in the kitchen this morning.”

“You did? Great! While you’re getting cleaned up, I’ll get it started. I know where I can get some dry wood. Then you can take care of that ankle in front of a fire. How’s that sound?”

“Wonderful!” she drawled as they reached the second floor. “If I give you an extra towel, would you make an ice pack for me? I bought some ice and put it in the freezer this afternoon.”

“I’ll do anything to help, honey,” Cole said. “Just tell me what you want.”

“I don’t need much help, but I sure would appreciate that ice pack.”

Tori stripped her wet nightgown over her head then got into the tub and quickly washed her mud-splattered body. As she dried off and slipped into a short, royal blue nightgown, she added cold water. Finally, she straddled the edge of the tub and put her right foot into the water. This would help until she made her way downstairs for the ice pack.

Why would Cole frighten her one minute then kiss her the next? To make up for scaring her when he’d finally caught up with her? Then it dawned on her: the man she saw running hadn’t been Cole. His shirt had been wet, which meant he wasn’t wearing a trench coat.

Since it couldn’t have been Cole, maybe that man she’d seen running on the edge of the woods was his father. After all, it was possible that he had a key to the mansion, too. One thing was sure—that shadow had definitely not been a figment of her imagination.

Her next thought startled her. When Cole was carrying her to the house, she’d noticed his car parked beside hers. It hadn’t been there when she’d left the mansion, so he had to have arrived later.

She dismissed the idea and leaned back against the wall. They could decide later what had happened—together, while they were sitting in front of the fire.

“Tori!” she heard him call. “Did you clean out the chimney this afternoon, too? I don’t want to smoke up the house.”

“Unlike some people,” she returned loudly, “I’m not afraid of heights. Yes, I cleaned it—from the roof you don’t like me climbing on.”

His hearty laugh echoed through the mansion, diminishing the farther away he got. A door closed in the distance, and she knew that he’d left to find the wood. A sense of security enveloped her. As much as she hated to admit it, even to herself, she was glad that Cole had come. And she would tell him as soon as possible.

 ***

        Backing his Rogue up to the barn, Cole parked then got out and pushed the large door aside. After getting into his truck again, he backed up a little farther, so the tail end was in the barn. Finally, he turned off the motor and got out again.

This building was so rickety it had to be torn down, anyway. He may as well salvage some of the wood for the fireplaces. Boards creaked over the rain that hit the roof, dripping through in some places, pouring through in others.

“God, this place is spooky,” he said aloud as he opened the lift-back. “I’m going to make this quick.”

He tore apart a decrepit storage bin with his bare hands and the hatchet he’d put back two days earlier. Tori was right. He really was skittish. The place was deserted—except for the little varmints making their homes here—and he was ready to high-tail it out of there and tell her he couldn’t find any wood to warm her up.

Warm her up, huh? That was an appropriate choice of words. But he wouldn’t—not tonight. He’d scared the hell out of her when he caught up with her. Now he had to be a gentleman and find another cozy bed to sleep in. There were certainly plenty in the house.

Whistling to drown out the noises, he finished his chore. With the wood stored in the back of his truck, he closed the lid, got in, and drove away.

Richard peered over the edge of the hayloft with a heavy sigh. “That was close.” He sat down opposite the woman with red hair and gazed at her. “It’s been a long time, but I still miss you. I still miss what we had together.”

“Me, too,” she replied. “I wish we could renew old times. I wish you hadn’t remarried.”

He moved closer to her, cupping her face tenderly between his hands. “Since when did a man being married stop you?”

“Since it ruined two marriages twenty-one years ago.”

“Let’s forget those twenty-one years, darlin’,” Richard said. “Let’s forget the seventeen years before that. Let’s go all the way back to when there were no children to hamper our love.”

“Too much has happened, Richard,” she replied with a slow shake of her head. “And your unfaithfulness started it all.”

“I know, but I’ve apologized a million times for it. I’ve also paid the price. I want you, darlin’. I want to make love to you like I did more than thirty-five years ago.”

“That’s not what you said twenty-one years ago. Back then, you told me that you never wanted to see me again. You told me that you only wanted me to send you my address and phone number whenever I moved in case there was an emergency.”

He slid his hands down to her shoulders then caressed her upper arms. “That was a long time ago, sweetheart. Let’s forget—at least temporarily. Nothing has changed. You’re still the only woman I’ve ever truly loved.”

Before she could protest again, his mouth covered hers in a kiss that he knew would accomplish his goal.

 ***

        When she heard Cole get into the shower in another bathroom, Tori got out of the tub and drained the water. Donning the short, royal blue robe that matched her sleeveless nightgown, she tied the sash around her waist. Then she grabbed two pillows and the quilt off her bed and hobbled to the kitchen.

Spreading the quilt neatly on the floor, she dropped the pillows on the quilt then picked up the ice pack Cole had left on the table. Sitting down, she laid her foot on the pillows. Then, very gently, she laid the ice pack on her ankle and lay back to wait for him.

He came down the servants’ stairs a few minutes later, wearing only a pair of jogging shorts—and his bright, boyish grin.

“Didn’t I tell you, young lady,” he teased, “that you were supposed to wait for me to bring you down? Instead, you brought a bunch of stuff and didn’t even let me help.”

“That’s because I didn’t need help,” she returned as he sat down beside her Indian fashion.

Cole shook his head. “Ah, independent even in the face of adversity. Not always a good quality lately, but I like that in a woman.”

“You know, Mr. Marshall, you like a lot of things in a woman that seem to fit with adversity. Are you sure you don’t know a lot of women like me?”

Lying down on his side, he brushed some of the hair off her forehead. “I only have adverse times with one woman.”

“At a time,” she added playfully.

Cole turned serious again. “At all. Is the fire warming you up?”

“A little too much,”

“Well, it’s no wonder.” He slid his hand up her shin to her thigh. “Here you lie, all bundled up in that long-sleeved, albeit sexy, robe.” His hand slid over the satiny, nylon material to her sash while she shivered with desire beneath his tender caress. “I’ll bet that nightgown doesn’t have any sleeves on it.” He untied the sash but left the robe in place.

“Cole,” she replied in a heated whisper.

“I know,” he said, sliding one side of the material out of his way. “I’m interested, too.” He pushed the other side of the robe out of his way. “But it’s not going to happen tonight.” Carefully lifting one sleeve, he removed her naked arm. “I’ve already overstepped the bounds of decency by kissing you like that in the storm, especially after I’d scared you so badly. I really am sorry about that, too.” The other sleeve glided off her arm without her offering a single word of protest. “God, you have a great body.”

Now was the time for her to speak, but she couldn’t. His fingertip blazed a tantalizing trail across her bare shoulder to her spaghetti strap. It heated a path on her skin as it followed the thin material to her nightgown. Her nerves tingled as he traced the edge across her partially exposed breast, through her cleavage, up the other breast, and over the other spaghetti strap.

While his hand rested on her shoulder, he lightly kissed one shoulder then the other. His lips burned a path of desire across her collarbone and up her throat to her chin. Then he kissed her tenderly on the lips. To her dismay, he sat up suddenly and grinned down at her.

“That’s all for tonight,” he proclaimed in a ragged voice. “We have important things to discuss—like why you were traipsing around outside on a stormy night.”

Tori blushed in embarrassment. The heat it created in her went all the way from her face to her nightgown. With a grimace, she admitted, “I thought I was chasing you.”

The levity left his face in an instant. “You were chasing somebody? Do you know who?”

“I told you; I thought it was you. But looking back on it, it couldn’t have been you. Your car wasn’t here when I left the house, but it is now. And your shirt was soaked when you gave it to me. The man I saw was wearing a trench coat.”

“Where was this person?”

“I’m not even sure it was a person.” Her face heated again with embarrassment caused by her overactive imagination. “All I saw was the shadow of a man. I’d heard noises in the house earlier, so it could have been my imagination.”

“You don’t believe that for a second.”

“All right. I don’t. But how else can you explain that he disappeared before I could find him?”

“Where was he?” Cole demanded. “Which way was he going? And why the hell were you chasing him? You should have let him get away.”

“He was just inside the woods on the opposite side of the pastures. That’s got to be a good hundred yards from the house.”

“You still wanted to chase him.”

“You bet I did! At first I thought you were trying to sneak into the house so you could protect me without my knowing about it. Once it even crossed my mind that maybe you’d come to scare me into moving in with you. That won’t work, by the way, because I don’t scare easily.”

“You were scared as hell when I caught up with you tonight,” he reminded her. “Admit it.”

“Okay, I was scared, but I was scared because I thought a stranger was trying to assault me. As far as I was concerned, you were in the woods. I’m glad that you showed up when you did.” She smiled seductively and continued in a sexy voice. “In more ways than one.”

“You can just get that notion out of your pretty head right now. We’re not doing anything more tonight.”

“Spoil sport,” she teased. Then an unexpected thought struck her. “Wait a minute. Where did you get the shorts?”

Cole grinned and winked at her. “I brought them from home—along with several changes of clothes. You were right about my wanting to protect you, Tori. I just don’t like you living out here alone. Since you’re too stubborn to move into my beach house, I have to move into my mansion instead. And you can’t kick me out, because I own the place.”

“I don’t want to kick you out,” she said in a small voice. “In fact, I’m glad you’re moving in.”

Staring down at her suspiciously, he replied, “That’s a huge turnabout. What changed your mind?”

“I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like I’m going crazy. At first, I thought you were sneaking around here, moving things I’d put one place to other places. Now I know better. I guess I’m just getting forgetful. Although, how my nightgown got from the back of the bathroom door to the kitchen without me realizing it is beyond me. I spent the whole day cleaning in here.”

“Maybe Dad’s snooping around. Maybe he’s trying to gaslight you out of here.”

“Gaslight me? Oh, come on. Surely he wouldn’t want me to think I’m crazy. He has to reason to.”

“We don’t know what reasons he may have yet, honey.”

“I don’t buy it.”

“You know, he could have been the man you saw tonight.”

“I thought of that, too.”

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow afternoon. I doubt he’ll stick around as long as he knows I’m here.”

“I suppose not.”

“So, are you calmed down enough for bed yet?” he asked, abruptly changing the subject.

“As a matter of fact, I am. I’m also exhausted enough. This has been quite a night, hasn’t it.”

“It certainly has,” he replied with a reassuring smile. “Tell you what. I got my first aid kit out of the truck. I’ll wrap your ankle and put you to bed. Do you have any aspirin for the pain?”

“Thanks,” she said, “but as long as I stay off it, it doesn’t hurt much.”

Rising, Cole took the ace bandage from his kit on the table. “You know, woman? You’re getting more interesting all the time. Now you’re brave in the face of adversity, too. I like that in a woman.”

Happy that he was there, Tori watched in silence as he wrapped her ankle. To her horror, however, he picked her up when he finished. She protested vehemently the entire time he carried her upstairs and laid her on the bed, despite her vivid memories of their passion.

When he kissed her lips lightly, she almost pulled him into bed. But she restrained herself, because she was exhausted. She didn’t want to spoil their first intimacy by being too tired to enjoy it. As he left to go back to the kitchen for the bedding, she rolled onto her side and slid her hand under her head.

By the time Cole returned, she was already asleep with a contented smile across her lips. Covering her with the quilt, he sat down on the edge of the bed and stared down at her. He didn’t like what was happening. As far as he knew, his father didn’t even own a trench coat. Richard always wore a slicker to work on the farm. So the man Tori had seen had to have been somebody else—unless Richard used a different kind of coat to keep suspicion from himself.

Cole couldn’t believe his luck. Although the first four dentists had never heard of Carl, the fifth turned up some interesting information.

“This is Dr. Greenwood,” he said when he returned Cole’s message to his answering service. “What can I do for you?”

“My name is Cole Marshall, Dr. Greenwood.”

“Cole Marshall?” the dentist repeated. “The one on the radio?”

“That’s right, sir.”

“Well, I’ll be. We listen to your program at the office every day. We really enjoy it.”

“Thank you. I was hoping you could help me, Dr. Greenwood. I’m doing some research on a Carl Lucas. Do you know him?”

“I was before he left town. He was a good friend of mine, and he told me that he was going to run off with his sister-in-law. It’s been …” The dentist paused a moment. “I don’t know. It’s probably been twenty years since I last heard from him.”

“Do you still have his records?” Cole asked.

“They’re most likely in storage. I don’t dispose of any records unless I’m sure the person has died.”

“Could I borrow them for a few days?”

“I don’t see why not, but I don’t understand why you would want to.”

“His sister-in-law is my mother. There’s been an accident, and they need dental records both of Mom and Carl to see if they’re the burn victims.”

“Surely, they’ve had dental work over the past twenty years. Everything’s changed by now.”

“It isn’t so much that,” Cole lied carefully, “as it is trying to see if the victims could be Mom and Carl. Apparently, there’s evidence that they were using assumed names.”

“All right, Mr. Marshall. Meet me at my office, and I’ll have the records. By the way, what was your mother’s name? I can see if she was my patient, too.”

“I’d really appreciate that, sir,” Cole said. “Her name’s Lucinda Marshall. I’ll be there in about an hour. Will that be enough time?”

“Give me at least two. I need to go to a storage locker first.”

“Thanks a lot, Dr. Greenwood. I really appreciate all the help.”

 ***

        After finishing cleaning the cupboards and drawers in the mansion kitchen, Tori went to the apartment. There she saw Jack diligently working on some pieces of bone with the equipment he’d brought.

“How’s it going?” Tori asked.

“Slowly,” Jack replied without even glancing at her. “What have you been doing?”

Sinking onto the couch, Tori sighed, suddenly exhausted by everything that had been happening since she got to Charleston. “Cole cleaned the apartment before I came, but he didn’t do anything in the house. I’m pretty the cops won’t find anything here, but I don’t want to risk contaminating anything that came up after I found the skeleton. That’s why I’m staying in the main house. Anyway, I want to buy some groceries later, so I disinfected all the cupboards in the kitchen.”

He glanced over at her then took a second, longer look as he sat back on his knees. Tori turned her attention to her clothing and noticed all the soot on her shirt and jeans. Grimacing, she said, “I also cleaned one of the fireplaces. Is there anything I can help with?”

“No thanks,” Jack said with a smile. “I’ve done about all I can here. I’ll have to take some bone samples back to my office where I have equipment for detailed analyses.”

“You have equipment for doing autopsies at your office?” she asked incredulously. “Why?”

“Didn’t Cole tell you? I work for the coroner as an assistant medical examiner. Mostly doing forensics work and testifying at trials, but I’ve done my share of autopsies, too.”

Tori watched him silently for a moment as he gathered his belongings together. He seemed very friendly now, not at all like their original meeting when he’d been rather distant toward her. Did she dare ask him why he’d appeared so suspicious of her when they’d met? Or should she let it rest and hope that he would come around?

Unable to contain her curiosity, she questioned him slowly. “Why did you act so suspicious of me yesterday?”

Shooting his startled gaze to her, he wandered to the overstuffed chair and sank down into it. “I’m just concerned about Cole. He’s been my friend for a long time. We corresponded every week the entire time he was gone. Then we ended up at the same college. I know him almost as well as I know myself. That’s why I want to protect him.”

“From me?” she asked in amazement.

“He doesn’t trust women because of what his mother did. Since you showed up, all he can think of is protecting you. Frankly, I’ve never seen him treat a woman like he does you. I’m just afraid he’ll get hurt.”

At that moment, Cole burst through the door with a jovial greeting. Tori sighed in relief, glad that he had interrupted. Her conversation with Jack had started down a road she didn’t want to take.

“Here are the dental records,” Cole said as he handed a large, manila folder to Jack.

Accepting the folder, Jack rose and returned to the skeleton. “I have to admit that I wasn’t sure you could pull this off. How did you find the dentist and convince him to give you these records without going into detail?

“I gave him a partial truth,” Cole explained as he sat down beside Tori and draped his arm around her shoulders. “Jack was his good friend, and Jack had told him that he and Mom were running away together. He was a little suspicious that I wanted the dental records because it had been so long. I really hadn’t thought of that when I called around. Anyway, I covered by having him look for Mom’s, too. I wouldn’t even have thought of it if he hadn’t offered.”

When Jack opened the jawbone, Tori shuddered in distaste. How could he be so casual about his work? Beside her, Cole tightened his hold. Gazing up at him, she saw his crooked grin and shook her head slowly. Now what was he planning? The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than Cole’s voice rang pleasantly in her ear.

“So, pal, now that you’ve had a chance to chat with Tori,” Cole asked, “does that she pass inspection?”

“We didn’t talk that much, but she passes. And that’s not necessarily good.”

“I know,” Cole admitted with a grimace. “Dad’s probably going to balk when he meets her.”

“Why?” Tori asked, slightly offended by the remark.

“We have different tastes in women. He thinks I should find somebody he likes and learn to like her myself. I say it doesn’t work that way.”

Tori grimaced. She didn’t like the turn this conversation had taken, either. Not only did she have no intention of getting closer to Cole, she refused to even consider it.. She’d thought she’d made that perfectly clear to him. Now he was talking like this was going to be a long-term commitment at the very least, a lifetime one at the most. Nope, if she could be rational, she wasn’t even going to entertain the possibility. Unfortunately, she didn’t seem to be rational very often where Cole was concerned.

Determined to keep her distance, Tori pushed away and glared up at him. “I don’t want to be your taste in women. I don’t want to be your father’s taste, either. I just want to be your restoration expert and do my job.”

Cole laughed. “Don’t get on your high horse. I was just stating a fact. Besides, where’s there a law written that says you can’t be both?”

“In my etiquette manual,” she declared. “I don’t horse around with my clients.”

“That’s okay by me. If we decide to horse around, I’ll fire you. Then I’ll hire you again when it’s all over.”

“Damn it, Cole! I’m not that kind of woman.”

“Which makes you all the more interesting.” Across the room, Jack rose with a chuckle, and Cole turned toward his friend. “What do you think?”

“I think you’ve finally met your match,” Jack returned.

Cole gazed at Tori longingly, his green eyes somehow brighter than she’d seen them yet. “I could have told you that, but I was talking about the remains.”

“I know. Say hello to your uncle Carl.”

Cole’s frivolity disappeared in an instant, replaced by a vivid disappointment. Tori’s heart went out to him. She knew that, despite the passing of the years, he still felt the loss. But when he responded, he sounded quite calm. “I was afraid of that. Now I really do think Dad lied to me.”

Tori realized that now was the time to tell him what she’d found. “That might not be the case, Cole.” She hesitated, reluctant to mention her discovery even though she’d brought it up herself. But the men needed to know all the information she had. “Now that we have a positive identification, there’s something you should know. I found a letter yesterday—from Carl to Lucinda. That was your mother’s name, wasn’t it?”

“Yes. What did the letter say?”

“That Carl was staying with Claire because he couldn’t hurt her by running off.”

Cole gasped and stared down at her in horror. “Oh, my God. You think Mom did it. But she couldn’t have, Tori. I told you before that she isn’t that kind of person. Besides, she could never have built that wall. She’s as afraid of heights as I am. She couldn’t have gotten anywhere close to the ceiling to paint the wall, let alone construct it. She probably couldn’t even have figured out how. Dad probably did it. It’s the only logical explanation. What was the date on the letter, and where is it?”

“I put it back where I found it, and there was no date.”

“Mom’s letter to us kids was dated August 1. They could have changed their minds.”

“And they might not have. You have to accept the theory, Cole.”

“I won’t!” he roared. “I’ll never accept such an absurd notion. The whole idea is ludicrous. Why can’t you see that?”

“I’m not emotionally involved. I’m a third party to all of this.”

“So am I,” Jack inserted as he finished packing up his equipment, “and I agree with Cole. Mrs. Marshall was my favorite person when we were growing up. She always welcomed me—even if I just got off the bus with Cole after school. All I had to do was call home and tell my mother where I was.” He picked up his belongings and started toward the door. “Matt’s scheduled to leave work at seven tonight, so I’ll be alone after that. Don’t come by until at least nine, though, in case he’s late or has to come back for some reason. I’ll tell you then what I came up with, and we’ll go to the police with our findings.”

“All right,” Cole agreed as he followed Jack toward the door. “In the meantime, I’m going to have Tori show me the letter she found. Maybe there’s some way I can prove to her how ridiculous her theory is.”

 ***

        As they sat on the 200-year-old Queen Anne sofa in the library, Tori questioned Cole about the letters. “Is there anything in there that will disprove my theory?”

He gazed at her sadly, hating to admit the truth. “No, but I still can’t believe it. My mother just isn’t that kind of person. She would have been disappointed, but she couldn’t have been jealous enough to kill Carl. Besides, maybe Carl wasn’t murdered. Maybe he died of natural causes. Jack didn’t see any evidence of a mortal injury.”

“Think about it, Cole. How many people are boarded up in an alcove after a natural death? Things like that aren’t done. The only logical explanation is murder. You just don’t want to accept it.”

The lump in Cole’s throat grew larger as he stared at her. He couldn’t believe that either of his parents was involved in murder. He sighed heavily and swallowed hard to clear his throat. “How can I accept it, honey? The number one suspect is my mother; the number two suspect is my father. Don’t you see how devastating this is for me?”

Tori took his hand and squeezed it tenderly. “Of course, I do, but denial’s only going to make it harder for you.”

“My mind tells me that you’re right, but my heart can’t accept the evidence.” He paused a moment. Should he say more? Or should he take the chance of making a fool of himself by speaking his mind? If he was going to be honest, it didn’t make much difference. He already felt like a fool for falling so hard for a woman he didn’t know, and that much was already obvious to her. Besides, admitting his confusion concerning his parents’ involvement in Carl’s death might bring her closer to him. And he wanted that more than answers right now.

To still his anxiety, he took a deep breath then said, “Actually, my heart’s never been more confused about life’s unexpected turns than it is right now. I want Dad to be innocent, but I want to believe that he was the one who killed Carl. I want Mom to be innocent, too. Most of all, I want to send you home, but I can’t. Like I said, our lives are entangled, especially now that we’ve unearthed this mystery. You’re as much involved in it as I am, and I can’t protect you if you leave town.”

“You don’t need to protect me,” she countered.

“Oh, yes, I do. And starting tonight, you’re coming to my place. No more sleeping here.”

“I am not leaving,” she denied in her most authoritative tone. “And I’m definitely not moving in with you.”

In her anger, Tori almost blurted out that she’d seen him the night before, but something stopped her. Cole wasn’t the only man who knew where the plantation was—so did his father and Jack. But as far as she knew, Cole was the only person other than herself who had keys to the mansion.

Besides, now that she was thinking rationally again, she wasn’t sure that Cole had been there last night. It could just as easily have been Richard or Jack trying to scare her into leaving. Although, she wasn’t really sure what motive Jack would have for doing such a thing.

Now she was reluctant to bring up the subject to Cole. She certainly didn’t want him to confront either Jack or Richard and accuse him of terrorizing her. That could cause hard feelings all around.

“Why won’t you move in with me?” he asked. “Don’t you trust me?”

“Of course, I do. It’s just that …”

Nervous, Tori wandered to the window without finishing her sentence. Since she was working for him, she couldn’t tell him the truth—that each time they were together her attachment to him grew stronger. Each time the sparks his touch sent through her increased in intensity, and someday those sparks would start a fire that she could only extinguish in one way.

While she watched his reflection in the window, Cole wandered up behind her and caressed her shoulders. Then he questioned her in a mocking tone. “It’s just what, honey? Just that you like me a little too much? Exactly the way I like you?”

Why did he have to hold her again? she wondered frantically. Why couldn’t he keep his hands to himself? Worse yet, why didn’t she try to get away from him? At least, the last question was easy to answer. She didn’t want to! She liked having him hold her and had no intention of denying herself the pleasure of his caresses. Still, she had to deny Cole everything if she didn’t want to get hurt again.

“You obviously have an elevated opinion of yourself,” she said dryly. “You could use a few lessons in humility.”

Cole chuckled. “I’m just stating the obvious, sweetheart. Even under your tough exterior, it shows.”

Something in the woods about fifty feet from the house caught Tori’s attention. But the shadow was only there for a second. Shaking her head, she chastised herself. She really needed to get her mind off Cole’s coming to the mansion last night because her already overactive imagination had gone into overdrive. Now she was starting to see things.

Regaining her composure, she broke away from him. “Let’s get out of here for a while. You could use a break from the letters so you can see things more clearly. And I need to do some grocery shopping. Let’s go our separate ways for the rest of the day. I’ll meet you at the Tides about nine so we can meet Jack.”

“Good idea.” His expression took on that playful look he got every time he was about to make another comment with a sexual overtone. “I have a few things I need to do this afternoon, too—like talk to Dad. Come to think of it, maybe we should meet at my place. We might run into him at the Tides.”

Shaking of her head, Tori smiled up at him. “Nice try, but I’ll take my chances with meeting your father. If we met at your house, I have the distinct impression that we’d be late meeting Jack, because I’d have to fight off an amorous client.”

“You’re probably right,” he said in a sensuous tone. “Get your purse while I check the locks.”

 ***

        Cole didn’t like what he saw. Jack should be waiting in the morgue lobby, but he wasn’t. And it wasn’t like Jack not to do what he said he would.

“What’s the matter, Cole?” Tori asked.

“I don’t know,” he returned, taking her hand. “Come on. Let’s find his office.”

Several minutes later they came to a room with the door open only a couple of inches. They stopped outside, and Cole listened silently for movement. He heard nothing.

“Jack?” he shouted. “You here?”

There was no response. Tori grasped his forearm with both hands. Her grip was so strong that he knew she was frightened.

“This is spooky, Cole,” she said, her voice cracking. “We’re in a morgue, and there’s not a sound. Maybe we should leave.”

“Don’t worry, honey,” he said as he patted her hand reassuringly. “Nobody here is going to jump out and grab us. Besides, I thought you didn’t believe in ghosts.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t think this place is spooky.”

Cole chuckled as he pushed open the door. “You in here, Jack?” Again he met with silence. He peeked inside. A partially dissected body lay on a table, so he glanced at Tori. “You stay here. Jack’s been working.” Tori nodded silently while Cole stepped into the room. That feeling in his gut that he’d had lately told him that he had to be very careful not to touch anything in case …

Stopping short, Cole stared at the floor about five feet from him. “Oh, my God! Get the hell out of here, Tori. Fast!”

Tori didn’t even think to question him. Terrified by his tone, she raced down the corridor and ran through the front doors, not stopping until she got to his car. Her heart pumped unmercifully as she collapsed back against the Rogue; she panted hard from the mixture of fear and sudden exertion. What had happened to make Cole so frantic?

***

        After Cole introduced Dr. Jack Ramos to Tori, Jack knelt in the rubble and examined the skeleton while Tori and Cole watched from the sofa across the room. Cole remained silent as he sat with his arm behind Tori on the couch. He couldn’t believe this was happening. Twenty-one years ago, he’d been a devastated boy who had lost his mother and his home in a matter of two weeks. Now he wondered if things had moved so fast because his father had lost his temper once too often.

Jack sat back on his knees to face the couple. “Well, Cole, I can tell you one thing for sure. This is a man.”

“Oh, God,” Cole groaned. Could his father have flown into a rage, lost control, and taken out his uncle? Tori caressed his free hand reassuringly. With a smile, he patted her hand in response. “Thanks, Tori, but I’m okay. I already suspected as much.”

“Does that mean you know who it is?” Jack asked curiously.

“Let’s just say that I have an idea.” Rubbing his whisker-stubbled chin, Cole considered his next question. He didn’t really want to ask it, but he had to find out all he could. Cole glanced at his watch. Seven-forty-seven. Richard’s plane should be landing within an hour. By ten o’clock he would be at the Folly Beach Tides, where he always stayed when he came to town. Thank God, there was a free room when Cole called for reservations. Otherwise, Richard would have had to stay with him, and right now Cole had even less patience with his father than he normally did.

“So who do you think it is?” Jack prompted.

“Let me ask a few questions first.” Cole drew Tori closer. Her very presence gave him more courage than he suspected it would have under normal circumstances, and he flashed her a smile before returning his gaze to Jack. “Can you tell me how old those bones are?”

“I can give you a general idea,” Jack replied, “but without specific tests, that’s all I can give you.”

“General’s good enough for me. What is it?”

“I’d say he’s been here for twenty years or so.” Jack paused then asked, “You’re not thinking what I am, are you, Cole?”

Cole shrugged. “I don’t know what the hell to think, Jack. This whole thing is absolutely insane.”

“Don’t give me that crap,” Jack said irritably. “You know as well as I do that the dates add up.”

“Look. Dad and I have been at odds for years. I’ve never made any bo… secrets about that. But until somebody comes up with concrete evidence, I refuse to believe that he’s a murderer.”

“I don’t recall saying anything about him committing murder.”

“Then say it,” Cole demanded, tired of their verbal jousting.

“Okay. It probably was murder, but I didn’t mention your father. There’s no other reason a body would be boarded up in an alcove. But there aren’t any visible indications that was the cause of death. I won’t know for sure until I can run some tests. It could have been asphyxiation or poison. Do you think this is your uncle?”

“We both know it’s likely.” Cole slid his other arm around Tori and hugged her closer. “I know dental records will give us a positive ID, but is there anything else that can? I’d like to avoid going to a dentist about this.”

“The police will …”

Cole cut off his words in a firm tone. “No police, Jack. That’s why I called you. I talked to Dad last night, and he was adamant that I not renovate the mansion. He tried to get me to wait a year when I first inherited it, but I didn’t think anything about it then.  After last night, … Well, let’s just say he sure sounded nervous about me doing this. Before I tell the police what Tori found, I have to confront Dad.”

“Do you know what kind of trouble you’ll be in if you don’t report this?” Jack replied. “And I’ll be in just as much trouble. More. I could lose my license.”

“We will report it—just not right away. I need some time, Jack,” he explained as his friend dropped into the contemporary overstuffed chair near the couch. Dust flew around him, adding to the ominous aura. “I need to see what Dad says. He could be a suspect, so he should know what happened. If he knows anything, maybe I can convince him to tell the cops. He’s my father, for God’s sake. I can’t just let him go to jail. I have to talk to him first.”

Jack shook his head. “You’re not making this easy for me, Cole. There’s only one body here, and your mother disappeared the same time your uncle did. Why can’t you admit what happened?”

Cole jumped to his feet in a rage. “Are you accusing my mother of murder now? It’s not possible, and you know it. She was never a violent person. She never even spanked us kids.”

When he balled his hands into fists, Tori rushed to intervene. Scrambling to stand before him, she laid her hands on his chest and spoke calmly in an attempt to diffuse the tension. “A fight isn’t going solve anything, Cole.”

“But he’s accusing my parents of conspiring in some sordid crime. And my mother would never do something like that.”

“He’s not saying that. He’s just considering all the angles.” She glanced over her shoulder at the doctor. “Isn’t that right, Dr. Ramos?”

“Jack, and I’m just bringing up the same points the cops will. We have to call them—soon.”

As friendly as Jack sounded, his dark eyes conveyed his suspicions concerning her presence. Maybe if she kept her voice calm, he would relent in his distrustful attitude.

“He only wants to talk to his father, Jack,” she said in Cole’s defense. “Is that really too much to ask? Mr. Marshall’s supposed to be here tonight. Why not give Cole a few hours to find out what’s going on?”

“What happens if he wants days, not hours?”

“I’ll call the police myself if he doesn’t.”

Jack studied her for several moments then said, “I’d like to talk to Cole alone for a while. Would you mind taking a walk?”

“Not at all,” Tori agreed as she headed toward the door.

“Tori, no!” Cole called after her. “There’s nothing we’ll talk about that you can’t hear.”

She stopped in the doorway and looked back at him with her half-smile. “Actually, there’s probably quite a bit you can say that I shouldn’t hear. I’ll wait by the cars.”

As soon as Tori closed the door, she wandered toward the cars. When she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Jack standing at the window. Then he turned and left. Jack didn’t trust her, although she didn’t know why, and she wanted to know exactly what he said to Cole. Determined to find out what the men said, she rushed back to stand out of sight near the open window.

“How dare you send her away like that,” Cole demanded. “She’s my friend.”

“I didn’t hear her complain,” Jack countered. “Now sit down. I have a few questions.” Glaring at his friend, Cole dropped back onto the couch as Jack asked, “Who is Tori, anyway? Why’s she here?”

“Not that it’s any of your business, but she’s restoring the mansion.”

“Is that what she was doing poking around in here? Is that what made her decide to tear down this wall?”

“She was curious.”

“Yeah, right. And I have some land in Florida to sell you if you buy that. Come on, Cole. You’re too smart to be that gullible.” Jack paused a moment to study Cole. Shaking his head, he asked, “How much do you know about her, anyway?”

“As much as I need to if she’s going to restore my mansion.”

“Where did you get her name?”

“She contacted me. She said her architect friend that I’d written to for an estimate couldn’t do the job so he suggested that she put in a bid.”

“Listen to yourself,” Jack snapped. “She contacted you. She knew to knock down that wall. Doesn’t that tell you anything?”

“It tells me that she needed a job.”

“Damn it, Cole. The woman knows exactly what she’s doing.”

“How?” Cole demanded. “She’s only been in town a couple of days. She couldn’t know anything about this.”

“Maybe she’s related to your uncle.”

“You’re grasping at straws, Jack.” Wanting to at least see Tori, Cole wandered to the window. To his dismay, she wasn’t by the cars like she’d said she would be. That could only mean one thing. She was listening to their conversation. Why? Could Jack be right? No, he didn’t believe that for a second. Tori had no reason other than curiosity to have broken down that wall. Turning back to face Jack, Cole questioned him curiously. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”

“I don’t know what to believe. It’s awfully convenient, though. The first thing she did was tear down a wall that has a body behind it. Surely, you can agree that that’s an awful big coincidence.”

Cole dropped back down onto the couch. “Why can’t you accept that she’s just a curious person?”

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Jack said in exasperation. “I don’t trust the woman.  There are too many coincidences surrounding her.”

“Well, I trust her. And since it’s my neck on the line if I’m wrong, I’ll thank you to drop the subject.”

“Is it your neck, Cole?” Jack asked suspiciously. “Or your heart?”

Stunned, Cole stared at his friend. His heart on the line? That wasn’t possible. Jack knew he would never get that involved with a woman, so he must have misunderstood Jack’s meaning. “What are you talking about?”

“The way you look at her; the way you can’t keep your hands off her. If I weren’t here to stifle your feelings, you’d probably be hitting on her this very second.”

“That’s nonsense.” Again Cole wandered to the window. Thank God, Tori had gone back to the cars. She couldn’t have heard the last couple of sentences, so she wouldn’t suspect that Jack could easily be right, especially considering that he himself had doubts about his response.

Turning back to face his friend, Cole said, “I wouldn’t be hitting on her, either. Besides, she was too upset over finding that skeleton. You should have seen her, Jack. She was terrified. She was shaking and crying like you wouldn’t believe. It took me a long time to calm her down. No, I don’t believe for a second that she knew a body was there. She was probably more shocked than I was.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I had a gut feeling that she would find something if she tore down that wall, Jack. I didn’t know what it would be, but I knew it wouldn’t be a pleasant surprise.” Cole paused a moment. “So, what do you say, doc? Will you give me twenty-four hours?”

“Oh, all right,” Jack agreed. “Not a second more than twenty-four hours. In the meantime, I’ll take some samples right here. I can at least start to determine the cause of death. I’ll meet you in my office tomorrow night, and we’ll go to headquarters together.”

“Fine. I’ll walk you to your car.”

 ***

        Cole waited with his arm draped around Tori’s neck until Jack was gone. Then they got into his SUV, and he drove back to the Tides, where they waited for his father in the lobby.

“I don’t know why you insisted that I come with you,” Tori said as they sat together on a couch.

“One reason is that I don’t want you out at the plantation alone,” he confessed, lacing his fingers with hers, “and it’s too expensive to stay here for an extended period. That’s why I want you to stay at my place. I have two bedrooms, and we can store your things in my basement. High tide doesn’t even come close—unless there’s a hurricane.”

“Why shouldn’t I stay at the mansion? It’s not like there are ghosts or anything.”

Tori inhaled sharply as he stroked the underside of her wrist with his thumb. How could a simple, unconscious act spark the strong surge of desire that raced through her? The only thing that kept her logic in control was the rapidly fading memory of a painful relationship. She had a job to do and couldn’t get involved with Cole—no matter how much she would enjoy it.

“Tori?” he asked, bringing her back from her introspection.

Her face heated in embarrassment. “What?”

Grinning boyishly, he said, “I love to see you blush. It’s very old-fashioned, very feminine. You normally have such a cool façade that I forget you’re a capable of expressing those things.” His green-eyed gaze scanned her before he continued. “Then there are times like this afternoon when you were so scared. Beneath your tough exterior lies a soft core that I doubt many people get to see.”

“I suppose that’s true,” she admitted. “But what does that have to do with me staying at your beach house?”

“It’s safer here on the island,” he explained.

“Safer!” she repeated with a laugh. “For heaven’s sake, Cole, you’re by far the most skittish man I’ve ever met.”

“Except for a fear of heights, I never had a skittish muscle in my body until you walked into my life. Now every muscle I have itches constantly—in more ways than one. Why don’t you relent and scratch one little itch by staying at my house?”

Unable to stifle her irritation at his offensive insinuation, she chastised him. “Because I know how men are. If a woman scratches one itch, men think she’s obligated to scratch every last itch they have until they’re satisfied. Then they find another woman to scratch their new itches.” Rising, she glared down at him. “I’m going to watch the ocean. Let me know when you’re done talking to your father. Then you can take me back out to the mansion, because I have absolutely no intention of scratching you. Unless, perhaps, it’s to claw your eyes out the next time you make an asinine, chauvinistic remark.”

She stalked toward the door that led to the ocean’s edge.

Cole rose slowly. She was right, of course. His wording hadn’t been the most appropriate given the situation.

“You sure can raise a woman’s fury, son,” a man said from behind him.

Stunned, Cole spun to face his father. There was a mocking expression on his deeply tanned, wrinkled face, and his green eyes sparkled. Looking at Richard that night was almost like viewing him for the first time. The man had aged a lot over the past six months. Richard was the same height as Tori, but he looked smaller as his shoulders began to stoop. His blond hair was much whiter; his already large nose had become bulbous. What startled Cole the most was the nervous expression that lay hidden behind the smile on his father’s lips.

Could this man have committed a murder? Cole wondered. When he spoke, however, he kept cheer in his voice. He didn’t want Richard to suspect how much it hurt to have Tori walk away. And it did hurt, even though he knew she would be available later.

“I like to keep them guessing,” Cole replied with a fraudulent grin. “Why don’t you check in, and we’ll talk in your room.”

“Don’t you want to make amends with your friend?” Richard asked.

Cole couldn’t restrain the bitterness that crept into his tone. “If you heard what we said, you know that she’s waiting for me. Besides, what I have to discuss with you is much more important.”

While Cole waited impatiently at his father’s side, Richard checked into a room. Following his father to the elevators, he stared at Tori through the corridor windows until he could no longer see her. When had they met, anyway? he absently wondered. It was just two nights ago, but it already seemed like years. Hell, the afternoon seemed like years. It was amazing how quickly one could become attached to another when something tragic happened.

 ***

        Tori stared at the ocean, watching the waves roll in. She didn’t mind that she was getting wet again. In fact, the cool ocean water refreshed her.

It had been unexpectedly devastating to leave Cole alone. He needed her support right now, but she couldn’t give it to him. She’d already embarrassed herself by misinterpreting his words. He’d just wanted to protect her by having her stay in his beach house, and she knew he wouldn’t ask for more. Why didn’t she just agree and save everybody a lot of hassle? Because she was afraid she would lose what was left of her heart to a man she barely knew, that’s why.

But she didn’t feel like she barely knew him. She felt like years had passed since they met. Decades seemed to separate the minutes when they had torn down the wall to expose the tomb.

A new question had arisen, too. Should she tell him about the letter she’d found in the hidden compartment of the antique Queen Anne secretary? She hadn’t wanted to be alone with that skeleton while he went for food, so she’d gone into the mansion to explore. In the library, she’d found the secretary, the hidden compartment in the center finial, and the stack of letters.

It was only the top one she considered telling him about—the last one from Carl. It was the one telling Lucinda that they couldn’t run away together after all. It was the same one explaining that he couldn’t break Claire’s heart.

She’d put the letters back the second she saw Cole driving up the lane. That was awfully incriminating evidence. At the time, she’d thought that the skeleton in the wall could have been Claire. After all, she’d also left the plantation the summer Cole’s parents had divorced. Lucinda and Carl could have conspired to dispose of Claire.

Now everything had changed. Instead of being worried that the skeleton was Claire, she was concerned that Lucinda had murdered Carl in a jealous rage. Tori didn’t know what to do anymore.

***

From the eighth floor, Cole gazed down at Tori as he and his father chatted. He wanted to be with her, not confronting his father about a pile of bones. That’s why he was avoiding the topic.

“Is she still down there?” Richard asked as he joined his son at the window.

“Yeah,” Cole replied. “She won’t go anywhere, either, because I’ve got the car. Was your flight okay?”

“Fine.”

“What about Grace?” Cole asked to be polite.

“Your stepmother’s fine, too. Is that woman somebody you want me to meet? Is that why you called me to come here?”

“I want you to meet Tori, all right,” Cole admitted, wandering away from the window. In the middle of the room, he stopped and folded his arms across his broad chest. “But she’s not the reason I told you to come. She’s the woman restoring the mansion, Dad, and you’ll never guess what she found in the apartment today.”

Richard shifted nervously from one foot to the other and stared out the window. “What?”

“A skeleton boarded up in the alcove.” After a gasp, Richard stared intently at his hands, as though he could find a response there. Suspicious of the reaction, Cole narrowed his eyes. Richard knew something; he was sure of it. “I don’t suppose you have any information concerning that.”

“Absolutely none.”

“Don’t lie to me!” Cole demanded. “Was that man—and it is a man’s skeleton because Jack checked it for me. Was he Carl Lucas?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about, Coleman.”

“The hell you don’t. Did you kill Uncle Carl?” Furious that Richard didn’t respond, Cole grabbed him by the shirt and glared down at him. “Answer me, damn it. Did you kill him?”

“I’ve never killed anybody in my life,” Richard said. “I know you’re upset, but I didn’t kill anybody. I swear it.”

Cole released his father slowly, studying him as he stepped backward three strides. Judging from the guiltless expression on his face, Richard was telling the truth. Now what did he do? Suspect his mother? No, she was too sweet, too innocent, too gentle to commit murder. Besides, she loved Carl. So did Claire. That came back to only one person who could have committed the crime—Richard Marshall. Unless, of course, the body wasn’t Carl’s as he suspected.

“You did it, Dad,” Cole declared. “I don’t know who else could have. If you’ll admit it, maybe I can help you get out of this mess.”

“I’m not in a mess, son. I don’t know anything about a skeleton.”

“I get my temper from you, Dad. So I know what can happen when you’re mad. You could easily have gone into a blind rage when you found out Mom and Carl wanted to run off together. You could have killed him. Hell, you could have killed both of them. And Aunt Claire, too—to keep her quiet. That’s probably why we haven’t heard from them in all this time.”

Cole moved to the door and opened it. He couldn’t bear to stay with his father for another moment. In his heart, he didn’t believe any of them were dead—except maybe Carl, which Jack could determine. He probably shouldn’t have accused his father, either. But he was so frustrated that he didn’t know what to think or do anymore.

 ***

        Stunned that Coleman believed him to be such an evil person, Richard said nothing as his son slammed the door. How could his own son think so badly of him? He needed to make another phone call. If he didn’t, Coleman was going to bring the whole world crashing down on their shoulders. But nobody answered. Something happening that he really didn’t want to know about. Too many coincidences were stacking up, and he had to find out what was going on. It was the only way he could stop the disaster about to strike his family.