A Deadly Game by Virginia Smith

Author:Virginia Smith
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2011-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

Susanna stepped back when Jack swung the door wide. The sight of the detective almost made her sob. For one hopeful second she’d expected to find Lizzie on the other side of that door.

Rollins stared into Jack’s face for a long moment, his thoughts completely masked behind an impassive expression. Then he dipped his forehead in a greeting.

“Mr. Townsend.” His gaze slid to her face. “Ms. Trent. I have some good news.”

Hope mushroomed in her chest again in an instant. But the next moment it evaporated. His news couldn’t have anything to do with Lizzie. He didn’t know about the kidnapping.

And he couldn’t know.

She speared Jack with a meaningful glance that she hoped he interpreted as, Don’t tell him anything, and then forced a smile for Detective Rollins. “Good news? Did you discover something about Mr. Ingram’s death?”

“I’m sorry, no.” His eyes moved as he glanced into the room behind her. “May I come in for a moment? Unless I’m interrupting something.”

“Oh, no. Nothing. We were just going—” Her mind went blank. She speared Jack with a panicked look.

“Out to brunch,” he finished for her, then stepped back to allow Rollins inside. “But we can wait a few minutes.”

Susanna marveled at Jack’s nonchalance, and tried to match his tone as she followed the detective a few steps into the living room. Rollins stopped in front of the couch and looked at her expectantly, obviously waiting for an invitation to be seated. She didn’t offer one. Her nerves were like tightropes stretched from the top of her head to the soles of her feet. He needed to say whatever he came to say and get out of there, so they could get to the horse park and find token number one.

Jack closed the front door and joined them. “Is the news about the break-in?”

“That’s right. Ms. Trent’s things were recovered in a trash can in the park behind the backyard.”

Things don’t matter. I want to recover Lizzie.

But she smiled and said, “That’s wonderful.”

Rollins’s lips pursed and twisted sideways. “It’s also strange. Why go to the trouble to steal a laptop and camera and jewelry, and then dump them?”

“Maybe they got nervous,” Jack said. “They were afraid to get caught, so they got rid of the evidence.”

Rollins studied Jack’s face for a long moment. “That’s possible. There’s another possibility, though. What if the thief took those things only to lend credence to the break-in theory? What if he or she had another reason for entering your home?”

Like searching for tokens, or unlocking a window so he could come back later and kidnap Lizzie?

Susanna fought to keep her tone even. “I don’t know what other reason anyone could possibly have.”

“You’re sure nothing else is missing? Something from Ingram Industries, perhaps?”

She returned his stare without blinking. “I don’t bring work home.”

Jack spoke. “Maybe the thief wasn’t after something. Maybe he was after someone.”

Susanna shot a poisonous glare at him. He promised not to tell!

He ignored her and continued to look at Rollins. “Ms. Trent is a very attractive woman.

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