© 2012 by Lynette Eason
Published by Revell
a division of Baker Publishing Group
P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
www.revellbooks.com
Ebook edition created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
ISBN 978-1-4412-3981-5
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.www.zondervan.com
The internet addresses, email addresses, and phone numbers in this book are accurate at the time of publication. They are provided as a resource. Baker Publishing Group does not endorse them or vouch for their content or permanence.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
To all the Women of Justice fans
who begged for more!
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
—Psalm 28:7
Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Epigraph
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Excerpt: Too Close to Home
Excerpt: When the Smoke Clears
Books by Lynette Eason
Back Cover
1
No internet.
No cell phones.
No middle of the night phone calls.
No dead bodies.
She couldn’t wait.
Former FBI special agent Samantha Wolfe hefted three-year-old Andy up on her hip and tried not to let the excitement racing through her make her impatient. Standing in line, she could see the docked cruise ship.
A whole week of nothing but fun, spending time with her little family and basking in the sun. What more could a woman ask for?
“Want me to take him?”
Sam turned to smile at her twenty-year-old stepdaughter, Jenna, who’d volunteered to come along and help with Andy. “Sure. Where’d your dad go?”
Jenna rolled her eyes in that way only a daughter could. “He said he had one more call to make before he boarded. I think he’s over there.”
The girl pointed, and if Sam stood on tiptoes, she could see her husband’s dark head. Sure enough, he had his iPhone pressed against his left ear.
Dropping back to her heels, she said, “I’m going to hide it when we get on board.”
Jenna grinned. “Just remind him how much it’ll cost to use it on the ship.”
“Yeah, that’ll do it.”
“I want Jenna.” Andy leaned toward his half sister and Jenna scooped him into her arms. He ran his toy truck lightly over the side of her cheek and into her hair.
“Vroom!”
Jenna tilted her head and laughed.
Samantha, grateful for the break from her active son’s weight, took the moment to glance at the passengers in line behind her. No one looked suspicious, no one looked dangerous. Except maybe the man near the—
No. No way.
She sighed and shook her head. You could take the girl out of the cop business, but you couldn’t take the cop business out of the girl.
Her gaze slid back to the man.
Who now had his arm wrapped around a pretty blonde’s shoulders, laughing at something she’d said. Then she saw Connor heading toward her. When his eyes met hers, he smiled, and Sam felt that quick little dip in her stomach whenever he looked at her like that. Theirs would never be an ordinary romance. After an initial meeting that hadn’t exactly been ideal, they fell in love while tracking a serial killer. Then she’d quit the FBI to stay home with Andy and do a little consulting work for the bureau when they needed her. All in all, she was quite happy with her life.
“Okay, are we ready?” Connor already looked five years younger.
“We’re ready.”
“Then let’s do this.”
Twenty minutes later, Samantha stood in the middle of the spacious family suite. She looked at Connor. “This is awesome.”
Jenna crossed the floor and opened the door to one of the bedrooms. “Andy and I’ll take this one. You guys can have the upstairs room. I can’t believe you got this suite. We won’t even feel like we’re on a ship.”
Connor grinned. “Only the best for the first vacation we’ve had since …” He paused, then shook his head. “Well, I don’t remember when. Let’s enjoy it.”
After they explored every inch of the sixteen-hundred-square-foot space, they unpacked and slipped into bathing suits. The ship pulled away from port and they rushed outside to stand on the balcony, waving.
“I’ve always wanted to do this.” Samantha laughed.
Connor held Andy, who waved vigorously. Connor grinned and the light in his eyes made Sam’s heart swell.
Thank you, God, for this.
Soon the port faded from sight and the blue, blue water sparkled up at her. Her family moved back inside the room and Connor shut the balcony door.
“I want to explore.” Samantha clasped her hands in front of her. “Who wants to go with me?”
“I do!” Jenna piped up.
“I do!” Andy mimicked his older sister. He waved the toy truck. “Vroom!”
“Vroom it is. Lead the way,” Connor said.
Samantha opened the door and stepped into the hall. Exploring the ship took awhile as Andy wanted to stop in the game room, then stick his feet in the pool. Finally he turned to Samantha and said, “I gotta potty.”
“I’ll take him,” Jenna offered.
“No.” Andy shook his head. “I want Mommy.”
“Of course you do.” Samantha grinned at him and took his hand. “Come on then.” To Connor and Jenna, she said, “We’ll meet you in the dining room?”
“Sure.”
Samantha found the restroom on deck five and held the door open for Andy.
He walked in like he owned the place and went straight to the biggest stall. Sam smiled to herself. She’d trained him well. She followed him in and shut the door behind him.
After helping him take care of his business, she watched as he fumbled with the snap on his shorts. “Want me to help?” she asked.
“No. I can do it.”
He could, things just went faster if she helped. Instead of pushing the issue, she simply watched.
A loud slam made her jump, and Andy shrieked.
Heart in her throat, Samantha looked through the stall’s crack to see a man stumble into the women’s restroom.
Cop senses tingling, she pushed Andy back into the corner and lifted her finger to her lips. Eyes wide, he opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly covered it with her hand. As soon as she removed her hand, he said in a normal voice, “What was that?”
Realizing her three-year-old wasn’t about to keep quiet, Samantha cracked the stall door and peered out. The man was slumped against the wall. Blood covered his chest.
He looked up and saw her. Then his eyes dropped to
Andy standing at her side. His mouth moved as though he tried to say something.
“Mommy, the man’s hurt.”
Shaking herself out of her stupor, she hurried forward. “What happened?”
Kneeling beside him, she looked at his now closed eyes. The pallor of his skin said he needed help fast.
Grabbing Andy into her arms, she burst out of the bathroom. “Hey, there’s a man in here that needs help!” She saw no one who looked like they might be able to help. Spinning, she ran in the other direction and came upon two cruise staff. Breathless, she shifted Andy and said, “There’s a man in the women’s bathroom. He’s either been stabbed or shot or … something. He needs medical attention now.”
One of the men got on his radio, the other said, “Show me.”
Samantha whirled and headed back for the bathroom, Andy bouncing on her hip. She threw open the door and came to an abrupt halt.
The bathroom was empty.
2
Sam looked at the officer whose name tag read Karl Hines. “I’m telling you, he was there. There’s no way he walked out of that bathroom.” What she wouldn’t give to have a cell phone right now to call Connor. But she’d left it in the room. They’d agreed to no cell phones during the cruise except if there was an emergency situation.
She would say this qualified.
“Ma’am, I’m not saying you didn’t see a man in the bathroom, but …” Officer Hines trailed off as he stared at the floor.
The clean floor. Not a spot of blood on it. At least not so her naked eye could see it. Her fingers itched for a Q-tip and some luminol.
“I don’t understand it,” Sam muttered. “I saw him. Andy saw him, didn’t you, buddy?”
Andy nodded. “The man was hurt. Bleeding and yucky.”
Sam saw the look the two officers exchanged and knew they didn’t consider Andy much of a witness.
Andy stretched toward the sink. “Want my truck.”
Turning, she saw Andy’s toy pushed up under the sink and realized he must have dropped it when she yanked him up to get help for the man.
That man who was no longer here.
She put Andy down and he rushed over to grab his truck. To Officer Hines, Samantha said, “Look, I know when a man is dying. And that man was one breath short of stepping into eternity. He didn’t get out of here under his own steam.” She looked around, then snatched Andy back up into her arms and stepped out of the bathroom.
“Ma’am, are you taking any medication?”
Samantha turned and stared. “Am I—what? No, I’m not taking medication.”
“Do have a history of any kind of mental illness?”
Stunned, she opened her mouth, then shut it. Thankfully, holding Andy took two hands. It was all she could do not to punch the man. His patronizing tone nearly undid her. Taking a deep breath, she turned and gazed at the ceiling. “There.” She pointed. “That’s a camera. They’re all over this ship. We need to get the video and watch it.”
Again the looks passed between the two officers. The one who had been quiet up to this point asked, “Where was the man hurt?”
She glanced at his name tag. Simon Ellis. She said, “His chest. He had on a white shirt and a black blazer. The white shirt was covered in blood, his complexion was pale and waxy. He was nonresponsive when I tried to find out what happened.”
“Are you a doctor?”
“No, I’m a former special agent for the FBI.” She narrowed her eyes. “There’s a murderer on this ship and you need to find him before someone else dies.”
Connor looked at the door to the dining area, fully expecting Samantha to walk through at any moment. She’d been gone close to thirty minutes and he was beginning to be concerned. And to wish for his cell phone.
How dependent he’d become on that device.
He looked at Jenna. “I’m going to go look for Sam and Andy. You go ahead and grab something to eat if you want.”
“Sure. I can do that.”
He saw her eyeing not the buffet but the group of college-aged boys sitting at the round table in the corner. “Hey, remember Bradley?”
Sorrow flashed in her eyes. “We broke up.”
“What?” Shock nearly rendered him speechless. “When? You two have been together forever.”
“I know. And it was two weeks ago.” Her lips firmed into that hard line he recognized. It meant, I don’t want to talk about this right now.
Connor covered her hand with his and got her attention. “I’m sorry.”
She blinked back tears. “I am too.” A slender shoulder lifted in a slight shrug.
Connor ached for her. But she would talk when she was ready. And he was worried about Samantha and Andy. He got up from the table and made his way through the crowd and out of the dining area.
Heading toward the nearest restroom, he rounded the corner and came to a dead stop. Samantha stood in the midst of security, Andy on her hip. The expression on her face spelled trouble.
Dread centered itself in the middle of his chest as he hurried toward his wife. “Sam?”
She looked up and he caught the relief in her eyes. Then the anger returned and her jaw firmed. “Looks like we can’t get away from work after all.”
“What do you mean?” He took Andy from her and she planted both hands on her hips.
She filled him in, ending with, “Only the body disappeared and these guys don’t believe me.”
“Ma’am, it’s not that we don’t believe you, we just … I mean, what do we do without a body?” Officer Hines lifted both hands in supplication.
Connor eyed the two men. “Are either of you former cops or military?” That was the type who generally worked security for cruise lines.
Hines nodded. “I worked as a street cop in Chicago for a year before I decided to come on board here.”
Officer Ellis shook his head. “I just got out of the academy a month ago.”
So he was dealing with inexperience. He looked at Sam, then back at Officer Hines. Reaching into his back pocket, Connor produced his detective’s badge. “Could you get the head of security here and fast?”
Officer Ellis’s eyes went wide. “Sure.” He excused himself, stepped to the side and pulled out a radio. Connor heard him speaking but couldn’t make out the words.
Sam moved over next to him. “I want to see the video on that camera.” She pointed it out to him.
He nodded.
Within a few minutes, a gray-headed man with a military bearing strode toward them. He held out a hand and Connor shook it. “I’m Mitch Ponder. How can I help you?”
Sam told her story once again. The senior officer stepped into the bathroom, Connor on his heels. Even Connor had to admit nothing looked out of the ordinary.
With a frown on his face, Mitch said, “We’ll check the videos and let you know if we see anything.”
“That’s it?” Sam demanded.
“That’s all I can do for now. There’s no body, no evidence a crime was committed, nothing. If someone reports a passenger missing, then I’ll have something to go with, but for now, there’s nothing.”
“Come on, Sam.”
“But … ,” she sputtered.
“He’s right. There’s nothing left to do here.”
“Nothing—”
Connor nodded to the officers. “Thanks for your help. Sorry to bother you.”
He led Sam from the area, her stiff frame telling him she was not happy with him.
“Did you get it?”
“No.” The man who called himself Harry punched a fist into his palm as he paced back and forth in the small stateroom.
“Great. And how are you going to explain this to the boss?”
Harry looked at his partner. “I’m not. You are.”
“Me! You’re the one who promised to deliver the information.”
“And you were supposed to help me.”
“I did my part. I shot him.” Contempt dripped from the acid tongue and Harry flinched.<
br />
“Fine,” he spat. “I’ll take care of it.”
“Where’s the body?”
Harry finally was able to smile. “Where no one will find it.”
3
Samantha was furious with her husband, but she clamped her lips shut and allowed him to lead her away without another word.
As they entered the dining hall, she pulled him to the side and rounded on him. “I’m not crazy, Connor, I know what I saw.”
“I didn’t say you were crazy. I believe you.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “Then why did you drag me out of there?”
“Because going in full speed ahead wasn’t going to work with those guys.”
Sam reached up to run a hand through her hair. “You’re right.”
“Thank you.”
“But I know there’s a dead man on this ship somewhere,” she insisted.
“And I believe you. But without the body, there’s nothing the cruise line is going to do. Let’s talk about it over lunch and see if we can come up with some kind of plan to find this disappearing body. Jenna’s in there waiting on us.” His frown matched hers. “Did you know she and Bradley broke up?”
Sam felt her eyebrows shoot north. “She’s finally talking about it?”
“So you knew?” He felt wounded. And yet glad Jenna could talk to Samantha.
“Yes.”
“Figures.” He looked at Andy. “Come on, buddy, you and I are going to go have our own private conversation and we’re not going to tell the girls, okay?”
“Okay, Daddy.”
In spite of all the drama of the past hour or so, Sam couldn’t stop the smile that tugged her lips at her men’s exchange. Back in the dining area, they found Jenna nursing a cup of coffee.
“You guys okay?” she asked.
“Just great.” Sam dropped into the booth beside Jenna.
Connor slid Andy onto the seat next to her.
“I’ll grab the food,” Connor offered. “You can stay here.”
Still disgruntled about the whole incident and unable to get the picture of the wounded—and probably now dead—man out of her mind, Samantha simply nodded.
Her eyes scanned the crowd. Was the murderer even now sitting down to eat lunch as though nothing had happened? She shuddered. God, we just wanted a little family vacation.
But maybe God had placed them on this ship for a reason.
Gone in a Flash Page 1