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They really had justHe felt like he’d known her forever…or been waiting to know her forever

She was looking at hi Standish She nodded and rose, searching for her handbag and her cell phone She moved so naturally and easily, comfortable with him in her nakedness

Yes, he felt like he’d known her forever, but not so long that he didn’t feel an i on the foot of the bed, she called Standish’s cell

"He’s not answering," she said

Tyler leaped out of bed, grabbing his clothes "Call Logan and get Standish’s daughter’s number Ask her for a location And have her check with his cronies up at that cabin and see if he’s just gone out with the to find him"

Allison quickly did as he asked; meanwhile, Tyler hurried to throater on his face and run a toothbrush over his teeth

He’d just finished when Allison was in the bathrooo see if--"

"And you’re not leaving me here It’s not safe, is it?"

He paused

"I can shower later Logan is calling Standish’s daughter I’ll be ready by the ti his head slightly But she was right She shouldn’t be alone

Even if a murderer couldn’t be in more than one place and even if the only person who knehere they as Logan…

"Let’s do it," he said

They were both ready in less than five minutes

He was disappointed to leave the roo

But he found he was more taken with her than ever When it was tian drove, Allison keyed the coordinates of the cabin into the satellite navigator in the car Logan had gotten the address frohter, who’d been upset but quick to understand and give them the directions She hadn’t been able to reach her father thatup with Kelsey, but Tyler and Allison would get to the cabin first

It was about a thirty-minute drive for the yesterday that Martin Standish et for the killer, who now seemed determined to protect a lie

The countryside was beautiful, rolling hills, forests and farher into the foothills; as they neared the cabin, the road grew narrow A mist settled over the land, soft and lovely--and yet it was the last thing Tyler wanted right then

A concealing h stone path with the car protesting all the way They’d arrived at the cabin, a s structure surrounded by trees

"There’s his truck," Allison said, pointing out Standish’s small Ford

She cli his Glock and warning her, "Stay behindto shoot it out with you He’s not particularly brave, just devious," she said, and he was glad of the anger in her voice

"Stay behind me," he repeated

They walked up to the cabin, with Tyler keeping a keen eye on the woods

He banged on the front door Standish didn’t answer When he twisted the knob, the door opened and they went in

It was just a s of two rooms and a bath There was a coffeepot on the counter; it was still hot

"He’s not here," Tyler said, stating the obvious

"There’s his cell phone" Allison pointed to a rough-hewn table by an old wingback chair in front of a wood-burning stove

"So hehis cell phone behind He doesn’t seem like the kind of man who has to have it every second, so ," Allison said hopefully "Lots of strea I don’t see his rifle, and I didn’t see it on the rack of his pickup truck"

"He’s not fishing," Tyler said "He left because he heard so outside He took the rifle with him" He strode back to the door There’d been soht be Standish’s footprints leading into the copse of trees to the rear of the cabin

"Stay close!" he told Allison

She followed him as they rew thicker, and the sun couldn’t cut through the high canopy of pines It felt as if they were in a realm of shadohere the pines could co branches could reach out like fingers to snare the unwary

"Allison?"

"I’ into hi He could hear a brook and they walked toward it He paused every so often, listening There was no breeze so thewhen small forest denizens scurried about Still, he found hi very carefully He suddenly felt certain that someone with malicious purpose had been there, and recently Whether that someone had fled or not, he didn’t know

As they neared the little stream, he heard Allison cry out "There! Oh, Tyler, there he is!"