“Did they like him?”
The elevator chimed to notify them they had reached the ground floor.
“Night, Terry.”
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Chapter 3
MADISON HAD BEEN TO BLAKE’S condo before. With its fifty floors, valet service, a lobby atrium, and front door security, it was a showy display. Blake nestled himself into the forty-ninth floor, and she was certain the only reason for that was the penthouse was purchased by an old man who had refused to sell his spot on the fiftieth. She often wondered where Blake’s money came from and assumed his affluent lifestyle required more than a successful defense attorney’s salary could accommodate.
The uniformed doorman opened the front door. “Detective Knight.”
She nodded in response, still not sure why she ended up here.
Inside, the bellhop stood to the side of the opened elevator doors. He was all of five-five, but carried a confident air, one no doubt required when dealing with the type of people living in such a building. Except for his height, Madison could picture this man guarding Buckingham Palace with those high hats and straight faces. It seemed nothing would faze him.
“The forty-ninth floor, Miss.”
The journey up was a long one on which she continued to question herself as to why she had come. She was still upset with Blake, and he was likely in bed already. It was nearing midnight.
She had debated whether she should see him or not. In the end, there was a compulsion that originated from a few veiled sources. The main one, despite the urge to silence it; she was lonely. Everyone else had someone to go home to. Terry had his wife, Cynthia had her current man, and Cole Richards had a wife.
Madison had a dog; Hershey, the chocolate lab, who would do his best to house break her into a responsible, domestic person. She would have to make this visit quick so she could get home to him. Her stomach rumbled and she found herself desperate enough for her sister’s leftovers. Maybe this was a bad idea. She could just forget it, grab a burger on the way home, and settle in there. The elevator chimed their arrival.
The bellhop stood to the side. “Good evening, Miss.”
Blake greeted her from the other side of the doors. “Quite a nice surprise.” He extended a hand for hers and pulled her in to him.
The front desk must have called up to notify him he had a visitor. He owned half of the floor, the elevator being in the middle of it with doors that opened to either side, dependent on which the bellhop requested. If the other side was a mirror image to Blake’s, a small foyer inlaid with marble tile greeted visitors. Ahead of this, a set of oak doors set a regal tone and separated private space from the lobby.
“I didn’t expect to see you tonight.” He swept back a stray hair from her forehead and kissed her.
The touch of his lips made her come alive, despite exhaustion. With all the death she saw on a continual basis, it came as a welcome release.
She cocked her head into the nape of his neck and walked with him into the condo. He smelled of expensive cologne. This mingled with his personal scent and drugged her thinking.
Did it mean something more substantial than simply that? She knew there were studies out there that concluded women picked their mate based on scent. Ridiculous. She was getting more analytical by the hour.
He cupped his hand behind her neck, pulled her in tighter, and took her mouth. His kiss, his taste, made her hungry but no longer for the food she had craved earlier. Rather, for him.
It felt so good, so humbling to experience the love he conveyed. But as they kissed, her defenses recalled the betrayal she felt earlier in the day. She pulled back from him.
“Why did you do that to me?”
“Do what?”
“Pick my mother over me.”
“Do you even hear what you’re saying?” A smile teased his lips.
She waved her hand. “It was a bad idea to come here.”
“Actually, it was a smart one because now I can tell you to your face you’re crazy.”
“Excuse me.”
“Come on, Maddy, a choice between you and your mother? I’m not into an older woman. Simple pick.”
Madison crossed her arms. “I didn’t mean it like that. I meant—”
He put a hand on her shoulder. “You think because I stayed with your family I somehow betrayed you and your need to leave.”
She nodded.
“Do you want your family to like me?” he asked.
“Yes.” The response was instant and said aloud so she couldn’t reel it back.
“Well, I couldn’t exactly just leave. You were called away; I wasn’t.” He ran fingers through her short hair. “Even if the first call was a fake. You’re such a bad actress.” He smiled.
“Oh shut—”
He put his mouth on hers. She didn’t fight it, but let herself melt into him. She excused her weakness as a natural hunger that needed satisfying. He led her to his bedroom.
MADISON LOOKED OVER AT THE clock on his dresser. 1:15.
It was time for her to leave, get some sleep in her own bed, and spend time with her new four-legged responsibility.
She leaned across the bed and kissed Blake’s lips. “I’ve gotta go.”
He rolled over and pulled her to him. “Not even time for a shower?”
It sounded wonderful. His shower had seven jets, which covered every part of the body in a massaging pulsation that rid the body of stress, but there wasn’t time.
“Not tonight.” She turned a bedside light on. “I’ve gotta go. I’m a momma now.”
“A momma? I wish I had recorded that.”
She narrowed her eyes, yet played along. “You’ve just got to know where you stand. You can’t have all my free time.” She was smiling. “Besides, he’s not that bad.”
Truth was, even though Hershey demanded much of her time, she was willing to extend it. It could have been Terry’s brainwashing at every opportune moment. One day he’ll be a great friend. His love is unconditional.
Maybe she put too much faith in her partner’s words, but when her relationship with Blake went down, which they always had a way of doing, at least her chocolate lab would be there to lick her wounds. Right now, though, all the thinking was only further exhausting. She had to get home before she fell asleep in Blake’s bed.
He must have sensed her hesitation to leave and poked her side. “Get going then.”
She kissed him on the lips, wishing she had time to stay, time to savor him again. She pulled herself out of the bed.
“You know if you lived here, you wouldn’t have to leave.”
Did he just say what I thought I heard?
She couldn’t formulate words to make a coherent response, even though she felt him waiting her out, hoping she’d break the silence. But she could be stubborn, and this would be one of those times she’d win.
“You said you loved me. I love you. Why throw your money to rent?”
Her first reaction was that she didn’t need anyone to take care of her. The second thought went to what her share of a place like this would amount to.
“My portion here would be more than what I spend now. I couldn’t afford it.” She pulled a sweater over her head and pulled up her jeans, while doing her best to keep her eyes off him.
“We could work something out.”
She detected the smile in his voice. “So you’d cover the monthly expenses, and I’d put out in exchange?” She found amusement in his proposal.
“Sounds good to me. Of course, I’d also expect some light domestic duties to be taken care of. The cleaning, the cook—”
The pillow she threw hit him directly in the face.
HER RINGING PHONE ON THE nightstand felt like part of a dream. Only, in a dream you could turn it off. This noise was insistent and through slit eyes, she could see the blue gl
ow shrouding her bedroom. By the time she settled into bed after going out with Hershey, it was past two and she remembered seeing three thirty on the clock. Thoughts of Blake’s proposal kept her mind going.
The ringing continued.
“Hello?” It hurt to speak. Just a few more hours… What time was it anyway? She lifted her head enough to read her alarm. 6:03.
“Maddy?”
“Yes.” She didn’t have patience at the best of times, let alone when she was waking from a deep sleep, one that morphed her ringing phone into a distant church bell. Why a church bell? The implication gave her a headache.
“It’s Cyn.”
Madison sat up. “We have an ID?”
“Sort of.”
“I don’t get it.”
“I’ve been here all night, and before you say anything about it, you know I hate loose ends.”
Madison smiled into the receiver. That was just another aspect of Cynthia’s personality that drew her in.
“The fingerprint came back with a match.”
“Who is it?”
“The file number is eight-three-four-five-seven-nine-two-three.”
“A file number?”
“Here’s the thing. The file is locked. I don’t have a name to give you. The vic was wearing a gold chain with a pendant. Initials CC.”
“Okay, I knew about the pendant, but why would his file be locked?”
“Obviously, our kid has a record we’re not supposed to know about.”
“Crap.” She knew the fastest way to get that file unsealed would be to go straight to the top. Maybe he could use his position to expedite legal proceedings. “Looks like I’m going to have to speak to McAlexandar.”
Patrick McAlexandar was the chief of police, and they never saw eye to eye, but if she was going to get her answer he would be the best place to start.
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Overview of Justified
This Christmas, murder doesn’t take a holiday…
Detective Madison Knight should have ignored her phone when it rang on Christmas Eve. Now she is spending her holiday dealing with her least favorite thing: a bloody murder scene.
Claire Reeves had it all—looks, sex appeal, and business savvy. But it seems that one of those things has caught up with her. Now, Madison and her partner are digging through the victim’s personal life, but the more they dig, the more people they find who had motive to kill her.
All the while, Madison is battling with a touch of the holiday blues, and the man she’s dating isn’t making things any easier. With the status of their relationship up in the air, it’s affecting her focus on the investigation. And if that wasn’t enough, tack on being the only female detective in the Major Crimes division and reporting to a sergeant who thinks less of her because she is a woman. Not that he’d say so in as many words.
But despite the odds, Madison is determined to prove herself by finding Claire’s killer and, more importantly, making sure justice is served.
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About the Author
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international best-selling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Sisters in Crime.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
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And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at
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Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Note to Readers
Preview of Sacrifice
Overview of Justified
About the Author
Justified Page 28