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The P.I. Contest
C.J. Carmichael


Kate Cooper cut all ties to her NYPD precinct and dumped her cheating fiancé.Jay Savage has gained custody of his teenage nephew and needs a stable job yesterday.When both are offered the only available position at the Fox & Fisher Detective Agency, the obvious solution is to pit seasoned pro against amateur sleuth. And may the best investigator win. But what happens when this professional competition gets personal? There's no denying the attraction between these adversaries, but they have different dreams for the future. There's more on the line than a simple career change. In this contest, they're playing for the heart.









“I’m not what you want.”


“But you could be,” Kate murmured.

Jay took a step closer and Kate found herself leaning in to him, the general warmth she’d felt earlier building.

“This doesn’t make sense. We’re adversaries. Yet around you I get this crazy impulse—”

“I feel it, too.” She lifted her head, studying the depth of his blue eyes.

His hand moved to the small of her back. And then they were kissing. Lips on lips, tender and sweet.

When they separated, she dropped her forehead to his chest. The depth of her longing was so deep she could hardly breathe. “Tell me this isn’t crazy? Do we really want this?”




Dear Reader,

Imagine you’re single, thirty-something, living in New York City. (Perhaps some of you are!) So many people all around you. But how do you find that one special someone with whom you’re meant to spend your life, and possibly raise a family? Ironically, it seems that when we’re most focused on other aspects of our lives, that’s when cupid’s arrow strikes.

This is what happens to the hero and heroine in this book. Kate Cooper has ended a relationship with her fiancé after finding out he cheated on her. The last thing she wants is another man in her life. Jay Savage is reeling from his sister’s recent death and adjusting to his new role as guardian to her son. There has never been a less perfect time to fall in love.

And yet…guess what…that’s exactly what’s about to happen as they compete for a single job opening at the Fox & Fisher Detective Agency.

I hope you enjoy their story and that you look for the final book of the series, Receptionist Under Cover, available next month. I’m always happy to hear from readers so please send me an e-mail sometime and let me know how you’re doing. Also, do check my Web site, www.cjcarmichael.com, regularly for news about my books and to enter my “Surprise!” contests.

Happy reading!

C.J. Carmichael




The P.I. Contest

C.J. Carmichael





www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)




ABOUT THE AUTHOR


Hard to imagine a more glamorous life than being an accountant, isn’t it? Still, C.J. Carmichael gave up the thrills of income tax forms and double-entry bookkeeping when she sold her first book in 1998. She has now written more than twenty-eight novels for Harlequin Books, and invites you to learn more about her books, see photos of her hiking exploits, and enter her surprise contests at www.cjcarmichael.com.


With love to all my friends who celebrated

the milestone birthday with me this year:

Simon, Myrna, Rhonda, Susan, Fred, Shannon,

Kate, Wendy, Lynda, Lorna, Myrna-Joy, Debbie,

Cheryl, Dennis. And Voula…your turn is

coming soon!

Cripes, but we’re getting old!




CONTENTS


CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN




CHAPTER ONE


KATE COOPER TWISTED THE engagement ring on her finger, slowly working it over her knuckle, then into her palm. As a cop with the NYPD, she understood that the most illuminating evidence often came from the most innocuous of sources.

She hadn’t expected this to apply to her personal life, though.

“Hey, Kate.” Max Beranger tapped her shoulder. “Can I borrow a pen?” He tossed his into the trash with disgust.

Max had been her patrol partner tonight. Now they were filling out their end-of-shift reports. Absentmindedly, she handed him one of the pens she normally hoarded, her mind still on the conversation she’d had with her neighbor earlier in the evening, on her way to work.

“Thanks,” Max said.

“Sure.” Janet Beaker lived in the apartment across the hall from her and Conner. Janet was single, well-educated and active—she had a life of her own and no need to live vicariously through other people’s dramas.

Which was one reason Kate was inclined to believe her.

The other reason was her own gut reaction to what Janet had to say. Yes, she’d thought. Damn it, yes. I knew something was wrong.

Because there had been signs…such as coming home dead tired after a long night shift to find freshly laundered sheets on the bed and fresh towels in the bathroom.

She’d thought, great, Conner was finally pulling his share in the housekeeping department.

After six months of living together, she should have known better.

“You’ve been quiet tonight,” Max said. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” Officers had begun arriving for the 7:00 a.m. shift. Slowly men and women filtered into the room, and she dismissed each face until she saw the man she’d been waiting for—Conner Lowery. Just twelve hours ago she’d thought she was going to marry him, have babies with him, love him forever.

Now the sight of him brought a spasm of pain to her empty stomach. She hadn’t been able to eat or drink a thing all shift—not even a frigging cup of coffee. But then, tonight she hadn’t needed caffeine to keep her awake.

Conner caught her eye as he entered the room and gave her his usual grin—the same quirky yet charming grin that had won her heart, when he’d been transferred to the Twentieth Precinct a year ago.

They’d dated exclusively for six months before he’d suggested they move in together. Three months later, he’d proposed. She had been walking-on-air happy.

And so deluded.

Kate placed both hands over her stomach as it threatened to contract violently. This wasn’t the time to get sick. Not the place, either.

Max left his desk and went to talk to Conner. Dan Bogart also joined them. The three guys had been buddies since their police academy days. Of the three, Conner was the only one in a serious relationship and sometimes she’d sensed that he missed the good old days of going to bars with his friends and chatting up women. But she’d never thought he would actually—

Kate bent her head over paperwork that she’d already completed. From the corner of her eye she observed the three friends. She saw Conner wink. Max faked a punch to Conner’s shoulder and Dan laughed.

It hit her then.

They know.

The skin on her face tingled, the way it always did when her intuition kicked in. Pushing aside her reports and dropping her pen, she moved. The guys looked at her like nothing was wrong. Their innocent act didn’t fool her. They’d actually had the nerve to laugh right in front of her.

How long had they known? Right from the beginning?

Maybe it was worse than simply knowing. Maybe they had worked as Conner’s spies, letting him know when she was safely out of range so he could—

A wave of anger washed away her usual prudence. She’d planned to talk to Conner after his shift was over and they were at home.

But to hell with that. If everyone already knew, then privacy didn’t matter, did it?

“So, boys, what’s the big joke?”

“No joke, babe. We were just talking.” Conner leaned in for a kiss, but she took a step away from him.

“I had a chat with Janet Beaker on my way to work this evening.”

Right away Conner knew. She saw comprehension flash in his shifty eyes, then his expression grew guarded. “Let’s talk about Janet later, okay? Come on, babe. I’ll treat you to breakfast before you go home.”

He moved closer, blocking Max and Dan from the conversation. She stepped aside.

“Max? Dan? You’re part of this, right? I’m sure you want to be included now, as well.”

The guys looked terrified, shaking their heads with a vehemence that only proved her suspicions.

Kate was vaguely aware that the room had grown dead quiet. But she was on the attack now. She couldn’t stop.

“So who is she, Conner?” Kate tried to pin him with her gaze, but the coward would no longer look at her. “From Janet’s description, I’m guessing Emily White in Records.” She looked from Conner, to Max, then to Dan. She could tell by their sheepish expressions that she’d come up with the right woman.

“I saw the three of you, joking and congratulating yourselves. You seem to be pretty proud, but I’m not sure why anyone would think it’s so great to be a liar and a cheat.”

“Ouch,” Max said. “Come on, Kate, give the guy a chance.”

Kate’s hands were fists, and the anger inside her was hot, irrepressible. She had been so crazy about Conner. She’d really thought he cared as much about her as she did about him. Hell, they’d made love just before she went on duty. And only hours later, he’d invited someone else to their bed.

How could you? she wanted to cry. But years of police training and experience held her in good stead, allowing her to maintain a degree of emotional distance.

“Kate, you know I love you—”

She shook her head. “No. You don’t get to say that anymore. Not after what you did.”

“But—”

“I guess I’m just lucky I found out before the wedding.” And before she’d had kids. God, what a mess this situation would be if children were involved. Kate drew in a shaky breath, then held her hand over a trash can. Unclenching her fist, she watched as the ring that had been a symbol of her happiness was swallowed up by the remains of somebody’s midnight snack.



“KATE, STOP. I WANT TO TALK to you.”

At the sound of her commanding officer’s voice, Kate froze. Damn, she’d almost made it out of the building in one piece. Her legs were shaking. In fact, she thought every part of her body was about to give out on her. “Sir, this isn’t a good time.”

“No, I guess not. Still…get in here.” He opened the door to a small meeting room and after a brief hesitation, she preceded him inside.

Lieutenant Rock was very tall with rough features and a deep love of his job. Over the years, Kate had established a good rapport with the man, but right now she wasn’t up to talking to anyone.

She wrapped her arms around her body, refusing a chair when he suggested they sit.

Rock rested his hands behind his back and sighed. “I heard what happened and—”

“Already?”

“Kate, everyone on the floor heard. As soon as people clued in to what was going down, the whole department could figure out that the shit was about to hit the fan.”

“They figured that out pretty quickly, then. Maybe because most of them already knew.” Kate wondered how many others had been privy to Conner’s affair. These were supposed to be her colleagues and friends, too, not just his. And yet no one had said a word to her. She’d had to be clued in by a neighbor who had noticed Conner in the laundry room with another woman.

How sweet that Emily White had helped him wash the sheets and towels after…Oh, God. She blocked the awful images of the man she loved being with a woman who she knew didn’t mean that much to him.

Why would he have risked everything they’d had—their love, their future—for a silly fling?

“He’s a bloody fool, but the truth is, he was never good enough for you, Kate.”

“I appreciate the sentiment, Lieutenant.”

“It’s sincere. I’ve got your back on this, so let’s make a plan. Want me to transfer Lowery’s butt out of here?”

“No.” She’d been thinking about what she wanted to do. She’d intended to sleep on it before making a firm decision.

But nothing else had gone according to plan this morning, so what the hell. “I’m quitting.”

“Get out, Cooper. You can’t be serious. With your record? I’m sure I don’t have to remind you that you’re coming up for promotion.”

“It wasn’t just Conner who betrayed me. They all knew what was going on. Even my partner.”

“You can’t be sure of that.”

She looked at him skeptically. As if.

“Kate, he’s just a guy. You can’t let one jerk change your life like this.”

Rock didn’t understand. She’d lost more than the man she loved today. She’d lost the biggest, most important dream of her life…the chance to start a family of her own. A warm, loving, happy family with lots of children and maybe a dog or a kitten thrown into the mix. Only twelve hours ago, she’d thought this was Conner’s dream, as well.

But maybe he’d also been lying about that.

“If you really want a change, how about you put in for a transfer? I’d hate to lose you, but if it’s what you want…”

She shook her head no. She’d always enjoyed her job, but after today, she couldn’t imagine coming back here, or starting fresh with another group of strangers. “Remember Lindsay Fox and Nathan Fisher? They’ve been trying to convince me to come and work with them. Maybe I will.”

“This isn’t the time to be making life-altering decisions. Why don’t you take a few days off? See how you feel when you’ve had a chance to cool down?”

Kate already knew how she’d feel. Betrayed. Hurt. Angry.

None of that was going to change.

When she made up her mind, she seldom changed it. And her mind was made up.

“I’m quitting. It’s a done deal.”



AS SOON AS SHE GOT HOME, Kate wrote her letter of resignation, then dropped it in the mail. She’d really felt a sense of pride working for the NYPD, but she had no sense of regret about leaving.

She had learned a lot from the organization, but she was ready to move on.

Next she packed all of Conner’s belongings and arranged for a moving company to pick them up the next day. She called Conner at work to ask where he wanted her to send them.

“Kate, damn it, why are you moving so fast? We haven’t even talked.”

“Did you sleep with Emily White?”

“Stop it. We need to meet in person…”

“Why? So you can try to charm me? Forget it, Conner. Nothing will work. You haven’t just lost my love and my trust. You’ve lost my respect. I don’t want to see or speak to you again.”

Her words were cutting and possibly cruel, but at least Conner got the message.

“Fine. Be that way, Kate. You can send my stuff to Max’s apartment.”

And that was it. The end of a one-year relationship.

Kate put down the phone, wondering if she was going to break down and cry. It hadn’t happened yet. Oddly, once the first rush of anger had worn off, she’d felt quite calm.

The tears would come, she was certain, but while she was waiting she would clean the apartment. When she found a pair of Emily’s pink panties between the mattress and the footboard, she was glad she’d gone to the effort.

“Disgusting.” She put on a pair of rubber gloves, then carried them outside to the garbage chute. In the hallway she met Janet.

“You were right about Conner,” she said.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything?”

“I’m glad you did.”

Only once her apartment was spotless, and the movers had arrived to remove Conner’s belongings, was Kate able to sleep. She was out for over twelve hours and when she awoke, it was a new day.

She sat up in bed and checked in on her emotions. Was she going to cry now? But she felt not just calm, but peaceful. Maybe on a subconscious level she’d already known Conner wasn’t the right man for her.

She was also hungry.

Kate spent the day indulging herself. She went out for breakfast, read the New York Times cover to cover, then strolled through Central Park. It was early March, cold and damp, but she thought she could feel springtime in the air—until a few flakes of snow landed on her nose.

She picked up some Thai takeout and rented a movie. Before watching it, however, she decided she’d better call her friend Lindsay Fox.

Lindsay had once worked with her at the Twentieth Precinct. Several years ago, she’d left to start a private investigation company on the Upper West Side, and routinely tried to convince Kate to join her.

Hopefully that offer was still open. She dialed the new number Lindsay had given her after she’d moved in with her partner—and now lover—Nathan Fisher.

Lindsay answered right away. “Kate, is that you?”

“You know that job you keep offering me…?”

Lindsay laughed. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah. I’ve had it with the NYPD.”

“What put you over the edge? Midnight shifts? Having to be respectful to senior officers even when they’re full of crap? Needing to fill out a form just to go to the frigging can?”

“All of the above. Oh, and plus I found out Conner was screwing a woman in Records.”

“What?”

“It’s true. Our engagement is over. I’ve returned the ring, kicked him out and I’m looking for a fresh start. And I mean a totally fresh start.”

“Oh, Kate, I’m so sorry to hear that. What a flipping jerk, though.”

“Yeah. I busted him right at the office, in front of all his buddies.”

Lindsay whooped. “Serves him right.”

“And then I told Rock I was quitting.”

“Girl, I like your style. And you definitely called at the right time. Nathan and I are drowning in work. If we don’t find someone soon, our sex life is going to be on permanent hold.”

“That sounds desperate. So Nathan’s a full-fledged partner now, is he?”

“I’ve even had new signs and business cards printed with Fox & Fisher. It’s going well, Kate. Really well.”

“I’m glad. You both deserve to be happy.” Lindsay and Nathan took very different approaches to their jobs. Lindsay was all about gut-feel and action, whereas Nathan preferred methodical research and careful planning. Their skill sets were complementary, and Kate liked them both very much. More than that, she respected them and trusted them.

“Kate, I’m sorry for what you’ve been through. But I’ve always felt you’d be a perfect fit to work with Nathan and me.”

Kate had the same feeling. “So when do I start?”

“I’d like to say tomorrow, but I have a partner now. I should probably arrange a meeting with you, me and Nathan. I’ll call you later to set up a time.”



JAY SAVAGE FINISHED HIS set of twelve reps, then replaced the weights on the rack. He was glad his buddy Nathan Fisher had talked him into going to the gym tonight.

He hadn’t worked out once since his sister died and the physical release was just what he needed.

“Want to grab a beer after we’ve showered?” Nathan asked as they completed a slow lap around the track to cool off.

Jay checked the time. He had an hour before Eric’s school night curfew of ten o’clock. “Okay, but it has to be quick.”

They both had damp hair when they perched on bar stools fifteen minutes later. Always health conscious, Nathan asked for a Coors light, but Jay ordered a Guinness, figuring his workout justified the extra calories.

“So—how are you doing?” Nathan asked.

He’d attended Tracy’s funeral a month ago and he’d called pretty much every week since then to check in. Jay appreciated his friend’s concern, but he couldn’t talk about what Tracy’s death meant to him, the deep remorse he felt and the guilt.

“I’m doing okay, but I’m worried about Eric. Hell, even before his mother died I was concerned about him.” At fourteen, Eric was at a critical age. Two years ago, he’d been a cheerful kid, eager to please. Now he was silent and moody, and Jay feared he was on the verge of making some very poor choices.

Just like Tracy had when she was his age.

“He must miss his mother,” Nathan said.

“I’m sure he does, but he doesn’t talk about her. I think he resents having to live with me.” But there was no one else, so neither one of them had a choice in the matter.

“Maybe he needs time to adjust.”

“Yeah. We both do.” Eric had been furious with him when he’d imposed a curfew, but so far he was honoring it. Jay didn’t think he was doing quite as well about school. He was pretty sure Eric had been cutting classes. He had an appointment set up this week with his homeroom teacher to see if he was right.

“He’s lucky he has you.”

Jay nodded, but in truth he wasn’t so sure about that. He’d practically raised his sister on his own, and look how she’d turned out. He didn’t want to screw up with his nephew, too.

“Have you decided what you’re going to do about work?”

Jay sighed. “My leave is over this week. I’m afraid I’m going to have to resign.”

“Jeez, man, I’m sorry.”

Nathan knew how much he loved flying. But when you worked as a commercial pilot, you had to be prepared to be away from home for three- or four-day stretches of time. With no backup at home for Eric, he just couldn’t do that.

“Eric’s too young to be alone overnight. And I can’t afford live-in help.” Jay tried to put a positive spin on the situation. “In a couple of years, when Eric’s older, I’ll go back.”

“What are you going to do in the meantime?”

Jay shrugged. “Good question.”

“We’re looking for someone at the agency,” Nathan said casually.

“Yeah?”

“Remember that summer we worked for Power Investigations?”

Jay laughed. “I haven’t thought about that in years.”

“We were staked out in that van, and it was so bloody cold.”

“I was determined to make us coffee with that old propane stove—”

“And the curtains caught fire. Remember how that gray-haired guy came running from his garage with a garden hose?”

“Yeah, in his underwear. And his wife yelling at him from the front door…”

They were both laughing too much to continue with the story. Their cover had been so blown that night. Plus, the interior of the van had been badly damaged. For some reason Power hadn’t fired them, though.

Jay wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “Yeah, that was some job, all right.”

“We raked in a pile of dough that summer.”

“True.” Enough money that they’d both been able to enroll in college that fall. Nathan to study criminology and Jay aviation flight training.

The two men drank their beers quietly for a moment. Finally Jay said, “You really have an opening?”

“You bet. Lindsay and I have been turning away clients lately because we just can’t handle any more.”

“You think Lindsay would agree to hire me even though I have no police training?”

“All that’s really necessary for this job is the ability to think fast on your feet. You should see some of the characters we’ve interviewed for the position. If you’re interested, come to the office and we’ll talk. How about tomorrow at ten?”

Jay finished his beer. He couldn’t believe how much better he felt now than when he’d left to meet Nathan two hours ago. The workout, the laughter, the friendship…he’d needed them all.

And now, on top of all that, Nathan was offering him a job. A job that might just be the perfect thing.

“I’m interested.”




CHAPTER TWO


JAY SAVAGE WAS INFINITELY more comfortable traveling above the ground than below it. As the subway car swayed to the right, his body swayed left, knocking his legs into the knees of the seated lady beside him. She glared.

“Sorry.” He’d given up his place for the old gal. Some gratitude.

He glanced at his nephew beside him. Eric moved with the rhythm of the train, as if they were part of the same entity—much like a cowboy on a horse. He waited for Eric to acknowledge his presence, but Eric’s gaze was unmoving and unseeing.

Presumably his attention was all on the music playing on his iPod. The wires of his headphones led from his backpack and disappeared under the black wool of the hat he wore pulled over his embarrassing blond curls. At least Jay assumed Eric found those curls embarrassing, since he wore his hat almost all the time.

The train stopped at Cathedral Parkway, and as Eric swung forward, Jay tapped his shoulder. “Have a good day at school.”

Eric just ignored him, disappearing amid a herd of other middle-school-aged kids. Jay waited for the rush to end before slipping out and catching the next train headed south.

He didn’t know why he bothered to ride the subway with Eric every morning. His nephew never talked to him. He supposed he just wanted to make sure he really was going to school. When Tracy was fourteen she’d skipped more days of school than she’d actually attended. He didn’t want her son making the same mistake.

Jay exited the subway at the stop for the Museum of Natural History. The offices of Fox & Fisher were just a few blocks west. He was looking forward to finding out more about this job Nathan had promised him. He’d been dreading finding a new career, but this one sounded like it could be interesting, and he’d be glad to be working with Nathan, whom he both liked and respected.

And though the agency was small, with only two partners, just this September one of their cases had made the front page of the Daily News. So they were doing good work. Important work.

When Jay made his way up to ground level, he was greeted with a gray sky. Two-day-old snow was now sludge in the gutters. March wasn’t the city’s prettiest month, but he supposed April would be here before he knew it.

February had certainly passed quickly enough. Looking back now, the days were a blur of sadness and grief and endless, unhappy chores. He’d had to sublet Tracy’s apartment, sell her furniture and settle her financial affairs. Then there’d been the business of moving Eric to his apartment and trying to make the kid feel at home.

Jay crossed the street and hurried along West Seventy-ninth Street until he came to the old brownstone where Fox & Fisher was located. A half flight of stairs led to the main door and a small vestibule with mailboxes and a door leading off to a hallway and more stairs.

Nathan went up another story and found yet another hallway. The door on the right had a new copper nameplate etched with The Fox & Fisher Detective Agency.

He took a deep breath, as if he was about to plunge into a cold lake, then opened the door.

A pretty brunette sat behind a modern, slate-gray desk. She smiled, waved him inside, then continued with the conversation she was having on the phone.

He glanced around. The all-business, ultramodern decor was softened by the presence of lots of green, healthy plants. An inviting array of magazines were spread out on a coffee table near a sofa and two armchairs. There was a bowl of jelly beans there, too.

Jay sat in one of the chairs—made of molded metal, yet surprisingly comfortable—and reached for the candies.

He looked up when the door opened again—this time admitting a tall woman about his age, dressed in a cream-colored trench coat. From this angle, all he could see was long, reddish-blond hair and a thin, elegant body.

With businesslike strides, she approached the receptionist and placed a hand on her desk.

“I’m here to see Lindsay Fox.”

Her voice was deep and sexy and he gave the woman a second glance. If this was an example of the kind of clients they had at Fox & Fisher, then he was all in.

The receptionist—Nadine Kimble, according to the nameplate he’d just noticed beside a small flowering plant—held up a hand for the woman to wait, then finally ended her call with a timid promise to phone back at the first chance. She set down the phone, then said, “I’ll call Lindsay for you, but would you please wait a minute? The gentleman was here first.”

The redhead turned to face him, then. “Sorry. I didn’t see you.” Her gaze swept over him with almost professional efficiency.

He was struck by how pretty she was. She reminded him, superficially, of Nicole Kidman, except that her skin wasn’t pale porcelain like the actor’s but flooded with freckles. The cute splotches of pigment only made her look more beautiful.

“Mr. Savage?”

He blinked as he realized the receptionist was trying to get his attention. “Yes.”

“Nathan is waiting for you. I’m sorry I didn’t greet you when you came in, but I was talking to my mother and if I’d interrupted her, well, let’s just say it’s never a good idea.”

He immediately decided he loved this receptionist.

“Just take that door to the left, Mr. Savage. And good luck.”



“HE LOOKS LIKE a football player,” Kate said. She ignored the chair that Lindsay had invited her to sit in and went, instead, to check out the view from the window, which happened to be of a brick wall.

“Quarterback or lineman?”

“What?” Kate supposed the view didn’t matter. She wouldn’t be in the office much, anyway. She turned back to survey the decor, which she approved of. Modern, calming and most of all…practical. When it came to work, she didn’t like to waste time and that was the message behind all this functional metal and glass furniture.

“Do you think Jay Savage looks like a quarterback or a lineman?”

Lindsay seemed amused. Kate was not. She hadn’t expected there would be competition for this job. When she’d seen that man in the waiting room, she’d assumed he must be a client.

A very distinguished-looking client, with magnetic blue eyes and a commanding presence. “How should I know? He’s big, all right. He’d never blend into a crowd on surveillance. A good investigator needs to blend in.”

Lindsay didn’t look convinced. “You’re quite a bit taller than average, too, you know. And redheads always stand out in a crowd.”

Kate was about to argue that she knew how to appear shorter, but realized how ridiculous that would sound. The truth was, she felt nervous.

Until ten minutes ago, she’d assumed the job was hers for the asking, that this “interview” was simply a formality. Just her luck that Nathan had offered the job to his buddy the same night she’d contacted Lindsay.

If only she’d phoned Lindsay sooner.

Jay Savage may not have her qualifications, but he wasn’t the sort of man you could easily write off. He had an air of confidence and competence about him. He seemed like someone who was used to being in a situation of authority. A man who could do pretty much anything he put his mind to.

“You say he’s a pilot? Is he even qualified for this job?”

“Well, he’s a friend of Nathan’s, and Nathan promised him an interview before I found out you were available, so we’re kind of stuck having to consider him for the position.” Lindsay passed her a file of case reports.

Kate leafed through them, the printed words a blur. “What’s this?”

“I wanted to give you a flavor of the kind of work we do here at Fox & Fisher.”

“I’ve read about two of your cases in the paper,” Kate reminded her. In one instance, Lindsay had managed to locate a child rapist from the FBI’s most wanted list. In the other, more recent case, she and Nathan had prevented a big-time property developer from murdering his wife. “Pretty exciting stuff.”

“Believe me, those cases aren’t typical of our usual clientele. You won’t need to carry a gun—neither Nathan nor I do. The beauty of this job, though, is that unlike the police department, we don’t have to take every case that comes our way. We can pick and choose.”

“Tell me more.”

“Why don’t I just go through our list of open cases? Our work load right now is pretty typical.” Lindsay clicked on a file on her computer, then twisted the screen so Kate could see, too. The jobs were mostly what Kate had expected. Locating missing persons, insurance fraud, background checks.

“You can set your own hours,” Lindsay said, adding with a grin, “I can’t remember the last time I had to work the midnight shift. Plus, you’ll never see a doughnut in our office. Multigrain bagels with light cream cheese is Nathan’s idea of a treat.” She wrinkled her nose.

Kate laughed. “Where do I sign?”

“Start with this.” Lindsay handed her a sheet of paper on a clipboard with a pen. “It’s a standard job application. Fill it out, then we’ll meet with Nathan and Jay in the boardroom.”

“Nathan and Jay?”

“We decided we’d have a roundtable discussion. It was my idea. I figured you’d really shine if Nathan had a chance to compare you directly to Jay.”

Kate wasn’t so sure, but she couldn’t admit to being fazed. “Fine. If that’s what you want.”

“We won’t be making our final decision until later.” Lindsay raked her fingers through her straight blond hair. “And don’t worry. Nathan’s a reasonable man…as you well know. In the end, he’ll be forced to concede that you are far more qualified than his friend.”

That made sense, Kate decided. She could see how Nathan was obligated to at least give Jay Savage a hearing. She sat down and began filling in the empty spaces, while Lindsay resumed work at her keyboard.

When she had the form completed, Kate passed it back to Lindsay.

Lindsay scanned it quickly. “Great. I’ll call Nathan and let him know we’re ready.”

While Lindsay was on the phone, Kate popped a throat lozenge. Over the past couple of days she’d developed a tickle in her throat and she hoped she wasn’t coming down with a cold. But given all she’d been through lately, she wouldn’t be surprised if her immune system had quit on her.

“We’re ready. You, too? Good.” Lindsay disconnected the call, then stood. “Let’s go get ’em, Kate.”

“You bet.” Kate held her head high as she followed Lindsay from her office to a room down the hall. They settled into chairs and Kate took quick stock of her surroundings. Like the rest of the office, the conference room was modern, minimalistic and monotone. On the wall were some odd-looking black-and-white photographs. After a few seconds, Kate realized they were close-ups of paper clips.

A moment later Nathan and Jay entered the room. Kate had hoped to discover that Jay’s physical presence wasn’t as impressive as she’d thought, but to her dismay, she felt the same jolt at seeing him the second time.

She tried to focus on Nathan, who had a warm, boy-next-door appeal that was much easier to handle. Though he looked to be as fit and agile as ever, his true strength lay in his brilliant mind. His new glasses only added to his charm.

Nadine appeared briefly to offer a choice of beverages. Kate opted for water, and once everyone had been served Nadine returned to the front desk, closing the door to give them privacy.

“So,” Lindsay began. “Thank you, Kate, and Jay, for coming to talk with us today. I wish we could offer both of you a job, but unfortunately that isn’t economically feasible right now.”

“We’ll start by laying out our expectations for the position,” Nathan continued. “And then you guys can hit us with your questions.”

A knock sounded at the door, then Nadine reentered the room, looking flustered. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but a woman named Hannah Young just came in. She says she made an appointment for ten-thirty with Lindsay. She’s very adamant about not being able to wait.”

It was twenty minutes to eleven now. Kate looked at Lindsay, who was shaking her head.

“I can’t believe I forgot…” She put a hand to her chin, and her brow furrowed as she thought. A smile slowly appeared on her face. “Actually, this could be a good thing.”

“What are you thinking?” Nathan asked. “I know that look and it makes me nervous.”

“I’ve had the most brilliant idea. Nadine, tell Hannah I’ll be right out to talk to her.”

“What?” Nathan asked. “You’re just going to keep us all waiting in here?”

“Not for long. On the phone Hannah told me that her budget is very tight. I may have come up with a solution to everyone’s problems.”



THE CONFERENCE ROOM FELL uncomfortably silent, as if Lindsay had sucked out all the energy when she left the room. Kate knew Lindsay well enough to be apprehensive about this “brilliant” idea of hers. She could tell Nathan and Jay felt the same way as they exchanged nervous glances.

“She hasn’t changed, has she?” Kate asked.

“God help us all, no,” Nathan agreed. He reached across the table and snagged the form Kate had recently filled out. Her job application seemed to absorb his attention, leaving Kate and Jay with little to look at but each other since there were no windows in the room and the only art on the walls were those pictures of paper clips.

Jay smiled. He had a really warm smile. And his eyes were the darkest blue she had ever seen. He wouldn’t need to ask witnesses a single question, Kate thought. They would just talk.

She blinked, thinking of another man’s smile, and all that it had been hiding. “So you’re a pilot?”

“I am.”

He was her competition. She might as well get to know him. “What do you fly?”

“Most recently Boeing 777s. But I’ve retired.”

“So you want to shift from flying planes to private investigating?”

He nodded, as if it were the most usual career path anyone could imagine. “And I hear you used to work for the NYPD?”

“That’s right.” He had to realize how unmatched their qualifications were, but he didn’t look worried in the least.

She had to admit, the guy had balls.

Lindsay flew back into the room then, with a young woman in tow.

“I’d like you to meet Hannah Young.” Lindsay made her way around the room with introductions, then pulled out a chair for Hannah.

Kate took careful stock of the new client, who looked to be in her mid-twenties. Hannah was an attractive woman, dressed in a cheaply tailored skirt and blazer. She was a little hesitant about making eye contact, but her smile was pleasant. Her jewelry was silver—modest studs in her ears and a collection of rings on various fingers. The one on her wedding finger had a tiny diamond.

“Hannah and her husband are hoping to start a family,” Lindsay began. She kept talking, but suddenly Kate couldn’t focus.

Hannah was at least five years younger than she was, and here she was, married and about to have babies. Kate couldn’t help but feel a deep, illogical jealousy.

If her relationship with Conner had worked out, if he had been the man she’d thought he was, she would have been in Hannah’s position soon. Trying to get pregnant. Planning her maternity leave.

Now her dream of children seemed totally out of reach. She’d always thought she would have her first baby at thirty and she was already thirty-two.

Worst of all, the very idea of dating someone new was enough to make her ill.

“So what do you think?” Hannah asked. “Can your firm help us?”

To her dismay, Kate realized she’d lost focus and had no clue what the client wanted from Fox & Fisher. Fortunately Lindsay stepped in with an answer that summarized the client’s needs.

“You want us to find your biological father so you can make sure there are no genetic problems in your family tree before you try to have a baby. No problem. We’ve handled this sort of case many times, haven’t we, Nathan?”

“Absolutely,” he said. “I assume you’ve never tried to find your real parents?”

“No. As far as I’m concerned, I already have real parents. My mom and dad are wonderful and if it wasn’t for Jeremy and his worries, I probably would never have been interested in tracing my biological mother and father.”

“Where is your husband right now?” Kate asked. If he was so concerned about his future baby’s DNA, then why wasn’t he at this meeting?

“He wanted to come,” Hannah said, as if reading her mind, “except his boss is a real jerk about giving time off.”

“What do you have to go on?” Kate asked. “Are your biological parents listed on your birth certificate? Have your adoptive parents given you the name of the adoption agency they used?”

Hannah seemed overwhelmed by the questions. She turned to Lindsay, who answered for her.

“Hannah’s already located her birth mother. They’ve met and everything checked out fine with that side of the family. The problem is locating the father.”

“My birth mom got pregnant in her first term at college. Her parents had been really strict and as soon as she was out of the house, she went kind of wild.” Hannah opened the big leather bag she’d been carrying and pulled out a yearbook from New England College. There were three yellow markers in the book and Hannah flipped pages to the first one.

“James Morgan was a guy Mom met during frosh week. He was studying business. She thinks.”

She flipped to the next yellow tab. “Gary Gifford was on the football team, and finally…” She flipped more pages, to the last picture, a slight boy with protruding ears. “Oliver Crane was in her English 101 class. My real dad could be any one of these guys.”

Three possibilities. Okay. “I’m assuming your mother didn’t keep in touch with any of them?”

“No. She didn’t see the point because she wasn’t keeping the baby. Plus she was worried one of them would try to talk her out of her decision. Which wasn’t very likely if you ask me. I mean, imagine you’re a young guy in his first year of college. If you made a girl pregnant after a one-night stand, wouldn’t you appreciate it if she handled the problem on her own?”

It wasn’t fair, Kate thought, but Hannah was probably right.

“So—” Lindsay patted the yearbook “—we know where these guys were twenty-four years ago, but after that—nada. We’re starting from scratch. First we need to locate these three men, then convince them to let us test their DNA for a match to Hannah’s.”

“We could get lucky and get a match on the first try,” Nathan said. “Or, we could end up spending weeks and weeks on this.”

“Which would add up to a bill that Hannah and Jeremy just can’t afford,” Lindsay said.

“We need to save our money for the baby.” Hannah tugged on her earlobe anxiously. “But there won’t be a baby until we’re sure there aren’t any genetic problems in my family tree.”

“Here’s the deal.” Lindsay flattened her hands on the table and leaned forward. “I told Hannah we’d take the case pro bono, if she’d let us assign two novice investigators to the file.”

Kate’s interest shifted up a notch. “I’m assuming you mean Jay and me?”

Lindsay nodded.

Kate strongly objected to being called a “novice investigator,” but for the moment she opted to keep quiet. Though she’d initially expected to be handed this job on a silver platter, now that she’d met the competition, the prospect of proving her skills on a specific case was intriguing.

“Pro bono, huh? That’s a very generous offer.” Nathan spoke quietly to his partner. “Are you sure you’ve thought this through?”

“You haven’t heard the whole plan yet,” Lindsay continued. “Before Hannah arrived, we were at an impasse. You wanted to hire Jay and I wanted to hire Kate. My idea is to have both of them work independently on this. The first one to locate Hannah’s biological father will, by definition, be the best investigator. That’s the person who will get the job.”




CHAPTER THREE


IT WAS AN OUTRAGEOUS proposition. But also…intriguing. There were few things Jay enjoyed more than healthy competition. Basketball and squash were his usual sports, but this sounded interesting. True, he didn’t have Kate’s training, but he was nothing if not resourceful.

If he found Hannah’s father and got the job, there’d be classes to take, a license to acquire. Nathan had assured him that none of this would be too onerous. Before he knew it, he’d be launched in his second career.

Jay checked out Kate from across the table. She gave him a small smile, her eyes sharp and confident. Then she raised her eyebrows and cocked her head slightly.

The challenge was obvious—she didn’t think he had a chance. And every nerve in his body ached to prove her wrong.

“This plan sounds crazy to me,” Nathan said. “But if Hannah, Kate and Jay all agree, then I have no objection. Hannah, are you sure you want to turn the search for your father into a competition?”

“If it means I don’t have to pay anything, then yeah. You bet I do. I really want a baby and as long as I can tell Jeremy who my real dad is, I don’t care who finds him.”

“Okay,” Nathan said. “The client agrees. How about you, Kate?”

She was still looking at Jay, with gray-green eyes that seemed to say, Back out now and preserve your dignity.

She raised her chin an inch higher. “I’m game.”

Now everyone turned to him. He thought about what he had to lose. Not much, except his pride. Then he thought of what he could gain.

Nathan had been his friend since high school. Jay knew the guy had integrity and smarts. Lindsay seemed his polar opposite in many respects, but he could tell she had the same sense of honor, the same drive to make the world a better place.

If he couldn’t fly planes anymore for a living, surely this was as good a place to land as any. Plus it would be fun to wipe that cocky expression from Kate Cooper’s face.

He glanced around the room one more time, prolonging the moment of tension.

“I’m in.”

Hannah clapped her hands together. “Thank you so much. I never dreamed that it would be this easy.”

“We haven’t found your father yet,” Lindsay cautioned. She glanced at Kate, then smiled. “Though I’m sure it won’t take very long.”

She had a lot of confidence in her friend. Jay supposed it was to be expected. Meanwhile Nathan gave him a nod of encouragement which he appreciated.

“We’ll be in touch with interim reports on Kate’s and Jay’s progress,” Lindsay promised as she ushered Hannah to the door. She called Nadine and asked her to walk their new client through the usual paperwork.

“Plus, we’ll need three DNA samples from her, Nadine. You know where we keep the kits…?”

Nadine must have answered in the affirmative, because Lindsay said, “Good. I’ll leave you to it, then.” She returned to the conference room, closing the door again.

“Well.” She beamed at Nathan, her expression bordering on smug. “Was that a brilliant idea or what?”

Nathan shook his head. “I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, frankly.” But from the warmth in his voice, it was clear how he felt about Lindsay. He adored her. Jay could understand why. Lindsay was a dynamo. All passion and energy.

Her friend Kate, on the other hand, kept her emotions carefully contained. She seemed analytical and calculating and somewhat aloof. She was going to make a formidable opponent.

Also, a very beautiful one.

“The investigation will officially start tomorrow morning.” Lindsay turned from Kate to Jay. “I’ll have Nadine prepare a report for each of you containing all the information we have to date. Where you decide to start is completely up to you. Fair enough?”

“Absolutely,” Jay said.

“Where will we work when we’re not in the field?” Kate asked.

“We only have one empty office,” Nathan said. “I guess you’ll have to share. We can bring in an extra desk and chair, but there’s just one computer.”

“No problem. I have a laptop.” Jay stood and offered Kate his hand. “Good luck.”

She hesitated, then stood as well and accepted his hand. “May the best investigator win.”

No doubt she thought she would be the one. But she was in for a few surprises where he was concerned.



WITH THE MEETING CONCLUDED, Lindsay suggested to Kate that they go for a drink.

“That sounds good.” Kate wasn’t in a hurry to return to her empty apartment. She was going to have to get a cat, she decided, since she was no longer interested in men.

Lindsay led the way to a tired tavern just down the block. The Stool Pigeon was a knockoff on the traditional English pub concept, with a vague nod to Tudor architecture and an array of flea market atrocities displayed on shelves just out of dusting range.

A boisterous group in their twenties was sitting at the tables near the windows, and a dark brooding man presided over the three older male customers at the large oak bar. Brown vinyl booths at the back were all empty and that was where Lindsay led her.

“Nice place,” Kate said, grimacing as she slid into the booth and her hand came in contact with something sticky.

“Cozy, isn’t it? I come here all the time. This is Wendy.”

Since she had her back to the kitchen, Kate hadn’t noticed the female server approaching. The woman, in her mid-forties, seemed to have weathered about as well as the place where she worked.

“Wendy and Mark own this place,” Lindsay explained.

“Lucky us,” Wendy said drily. “I assume you want your usual?” When Lindsay nodded, she turned to Kate. “And you?”

“I’ll have an orange juice with lots of ice.” Hopefully the vitamin C would help ward off the cold she felt coming on.

“And fries,” Lindsay added. “We’ll share.”

When the server returned a short time later, Kate was surprised to see that she’d brought Lindsay a paralyzer.

“You still drink those? How does your stomach tolerate them?” Once, when she and Lindsay had gone for a drink after a rough shift, she’d ordered one. A single swallow had been enough for her. She’d been shocked to find out what was in the drink. A motley mixture of liqueurs, cream and cola.

“My system runs on paralyzers,” Lindsay assured her.

“So how are things with Nathan? They seem good.”

“Better than good. I’ve never been happier.”

“You look happy.” Kate was sincerely glad for her friend.

“Thanks. I wish I could say the same to you. Tell me about Conner. What was his problem? Didn’t he know how lucky he was to have you?”

“Thanks, Lindsay.” Kate felt tears well up at her friend’s kindness. “In some ways I’ve decided that it’s a good thing that we broke up—though I would have wished for a more civilized finale.”

“Sometimes a good drama is the only way to go. I’m glad you gave him a piece of your mind.”

“I guess. But I’ve come to realize over the last few days I wasn’t as much in love with Conner as I thought I was.”

“Why do you say that?”

“I hate to admit this, but I think I just latched on to him because I was at the point where I wanted to get married.”

“Why so keen to get married?”

“Babies. Ever since I turned thirty that’s all I think about. Everywhere I go, I see them. Did you notice that woman with the stroller on our way here?”

“Yeah, but this is the Upper West Side. There are kids everywhere. I never knew you were so keen to have children.”

“I’ve always wanted a big family as well as a challenging career,” Kate confessed. “Not just one or two children. More like three or four.”

“Wow…I guess you’ll have to start dating, then.”

Kate made a face. “Forget it. I’ve had enough of men for a while.”

“So what are you thinking? You want to be a single mother?”

“Maybe. I’ve been considering it. What do you think? Am I crazy?” She picked up a fry and stared at it without any appetite.

“No, not crazy. But it’s a serious step. Don’t do anything rash.” Lindsay ate another fry. “Anyway, I’m so glad you’re here. I promise you’ll be happy at our agency. The work is varied and interesting and you’ll have so much more freedom than you did working for the NYPD.”

“That’s assuming I find Hannah’s father first and get the job,” Kate reminded her.

“Jay doesn’t stand a chance of solving this case faster than you.”

Kate had already told herself the same thing. But Jay Savage struck her as the sort of guy who wasn’t used to losing. She had to make sure that, this time, he did.



THE NEXT MORNING Kate arrived at the agency bright and early. She forced herself to get out of bed, even though she’d had a restless night, thanks to that tickle at the back of her throat. No matter how many vitamins she popped or how much orange juice she drank, it would not go away.

She bumped into Nadine, who was unlocking the main door. The young receptionist gave her a welcoming smile. “Lindsay and Nathan don’t usually come in until nine. You must be an early bird.”

“When I need to be.” Kate didn’t care when Lindsay and Nathan arrived for work, but she sure hoped that Jay wouldn’t be in for a while.

Nadine gave her a closer look. “Do you have a cold? There’s a mean one going around. I had it last week and it was terrible.”

“Just a tickle in my throat.” She had no time to get sick, and so she wouldn’t. Mind over matter. “Did Lindsay leave anything for me?”

“Yes. She asked me to prepare two files—one for you and one for Jay.” Nadine unlocked the bottom drawer of her desk and pulled out a folder which she handed to Kate. “I’m guessing you’d like to get straight to work. The office you’re sharing with Jay is opposite the conference room. Call me if you need anything. And if you’re a coffee drinker, I’ll have a fresh pot ready in ten minutes.”

“Thanks, Nadine.” This receptionist of Lindsay’s was so pleasant and helpful, especially when compared with some of the dispatchers Kate had worked with over the years.

With her leather bag slung on one shoulder, Kate’s hands were free to open the folder as she walked. Inside she found a summary of the information Hannah had given them yesterday and copies of forms she must have filled out with Nadine.

Kate paused to open the door to her new office, then assessed the layout. A second desk had been squeezed next to a file cabinet. The original desk, in front of a window that looked out at—surprise!—a brick wall, was larger and also had the computer on it. She sat there.

She’d done a lot of thinking last night and already knew where she wanted to start: with Hannah’s birth mother. Thankfully her name, phone number and address were included in the file. Rebecca Trotter lived in Brooklyn with her husband and two school-aged children.

It would be best to arrange a face-to-face meeting. There was a chance Hannah’s mother would tell her things she wouldn’t have felt comfortable sharing with her daughter. At any rate, Kate wanted to verify the list of father candidates before she went to the work of tracking them down.

Hoping to catch the woman before she left for work, or to take the kids to school, depending on her routine, Kate dialed the home number provided in the file. A woman answered, sounding harried.

“Yes? Who is this?”

“Kate Cooper from The Fox & Fisher Detective Agency. Your birth daughter—”

“Fox & Fisher? Again? Look, I want to help, but I’m busy. I have two kids to get ready for school, breakfast to cook, lunches to make. I don’t have time for this. I already told that nice man last night, afternoons are more convenient for me.”

Oh my God. That nice man had to be Jay. And he’d already talked to Hannah’s mother last night. Kate couldn’t believe she had been scooped so quickly.

“I apologize. I didn’t realize Jay had already set up a time for us to talk.”

“He didn’t mention anything about you coming along. Kate, was it?”

“Yes. Kate Cooper. It is actually important that we both speak with you, so to waste the least amount of your time, we should probably combine the interviews.”

“Doesn’t matter to me. Jay’s coming here this afternoon at one. Does that work for you?”

“It sure does, Mrs. Trotter. Thank you very much.”



AFTER A MORNING spent surfing for information on the alumni of New England College, Jay called for a cab to take him to Brooklyn. This morning he’d decided not to accompany Eric on the subway. Not that Eric seemed to care, one way or the other.

Jay was worried about all the emotions Eric must be bottling inside. One of the doctors who had been on duty the night Tracy died had suggested counseling for the boy, but Eric had walked out of the session Jay had arranged with a grief therapist. Jay didn’t have any other ideas on how to handle the situation.

The poor kid had walked in on his unconscious mother. He’d called 9-1-1 and had waited alone in the hospital until he’d been told that his mother was dead.

It was more than most adults could bear, and Eric was just a kid.

Jay had been flying the night Tracy died, on the last leg of a transoceanic trip to Europe. He hadn’t received the frightened message his nephew had left on his cell phone until the next day.

He wondered if Eric blamed him for not making it to the hospital in time. If so, he wouldn’t be surprised. He certainly blamed himself. Too late he realized he’d pursued his dream of flying at the expense of his family’s best interests. He should have kept closer tabs on his sister and her son. No doubt about that.

Still, the mistakes he’d made in the past didn’t change the reality of his problems with Eric. This past month he’d let a lot of things slide. Not just rudeness, but a general sloppiness around the apartment. He had to start laying down some ground rules with the boy, which he knew wouldn’t go over well.

Tracy had never been one for rules, or discipline of any type.

Jay sighed at the prospect of what lay ahead. Sometimes it was hard for him to believe Eric was the same child that he had watched grow up from infancy. He’d done a lot of babysitting for Tracy over the years, and Eric had always loved spending time with him.

They’d done stuff like feed the ducks at Central Park and ride the ferry on the Hudson. He’d taught Eric to skate and to ride a bike. And yet, at some point Eric had stopped seeing him as his favorite person in the world.

He’d heard his colleagues at work, the ones with families, complain about what happened when kids became teenagers. He supposed it was the same with Eric. After all, Tracy had changed a lot when she’d hit adolescence, too.

For now he’d just keep doing his best to make his nephew comfortable in his new home. He’d already converted the office in his apartment into a second bedroom, he’d bought a Wii and set up a computer for the boy to use in the family room.

Still, nothing he’d done seemed to have softened Eric’s attitude toward him. He had a meeting scheduled with his homeroom teacher this afternoon. Maybe she would have some useful advice.

“What’s the address again?” the driver asked him. They were crossing the bridge into Brooklyn, the Statue of Liberty dimly visible to the south.

Jay answered, then told himself to stop thinking about his nephew and start focusing on the job. He needed to be sharp if he wanted to best Kate Cooper, and so far he liked to think he was off to a fast start.

Ten minutes later the driver pulled up in front of the Trotters’ address. The home Rebecca shared with her husband and two kids was one in a long line of attached houses, with a garage out front and a tiny lawn.

Jay paid the driver, arranged a pick-up time, then made his way to the front door. It was exactly one o’clock when he rang the bell.

The woman who came to the door had to be Rebecca Trotter, since she looked like an older, fifteen-pound-heavier version of Hannah. Amazing the power of genetics. He smiled and said hello. “Jay Savage. We spoke on the phone last night.”

“You’re finally here. Come on in. We’re in the kitchen.”

Finally? We? He checked his watch and wondered if it was running slow. They passed through a small living room, with toys and books strewn on the carpet, to a kitchen crammed with more toys and a large pine table.

Sitting in one of the chairs facing him was Kate Cooper, looking very pleased with herself.

“Hi, Jay. Glad you could make it.”




CHAPTER FOUR


THE EXPRESSION ON JAY’S face was priceless. Kate hoped she was going to see a lot of that look in the weeks to come, though she had to admit she was impressed at how fast he’d been coming out of the gate.

Rebecca invited Jay to sit down and offered him a cup of coffee. He noticed the pitcher of filtered water and glasses on the table and declined.

“Water’s fine by me.”

“Let’s get started then,” Rebecca said. “My shift at the hospital starts at three. I’m a nurse,” she explained in an aside to Jay, having already told Kate earlier.

“We were just talking about Rebecca’s reaction when her daughter asked to meet her,” Kate said, easing Rebecca back on topic. “It must have been the most shocking phone call of your life.”

“It was a surprise. A wonderful surprise. I’d always hoped that one day my daughter would contact me. And it was amazing to finally meet her. Pretty, isn’t she? Sweet, too.” Rebecca smiled, a little proud, a little regretful. “Frankly, I’d hoped she would get in touch sooner. But I’m glad she was so happy with her adoptive parents that she didn’t feel the need to.”

“Were you worried about your husband’s reaction to meeting her?” Kate asked.

“Not at all. John knows the whole story. I met him in October, about a month after I got pregnant, though I didn’t realize I was carrying a baby at the time. When I finally clued in to the fact that I hadn’t had a period in a while, I was up-front with him. I was terrified. Didn’t have a clue what to do. I knew my parents would be furious if I told them.”

“So you didn’t?” Kate asked.

“No. John gallantly offered to marry me on the spot—but I felt we were too young. Still he helped me get through the rest of the school year, and his family put me up for the holidays. Then, after the baby was born, they organized the adoption. My parents never had a clue.”

“John sounds like an amazing guy,” Jay said.

“Oh, he is, but no one’s perfect, right? He made his share of mistakes as a teenager. My wild and crazy phase lasted all of one month. Getting pregnant at eighteen tends to make you grow up fast.”

“I imagine it does. And now your daughter is married and planning to have children of her own,” Jay said. “Must be hard to believe.”

“You’re not kidding. I understand her husband wanting to know about Hannah’s father. And I’m willing to help any way I can. But after all these years, I’m not sure it will be possible.”

“You never talked to any of those guys once you realized you were pregnant?” Kate asked.

“I wasn’t planning to keep the baby, so I didn’t see the point. It wasn’t like I had a relationship with any of them.” Her face pinkened. “I must admit I’m a little embarrassed, now, that I slept with three different guys in one month—more like one week, to be honest. But I was caught up with the excitement of being on my own for the first time in my life. Frosh week was so exciting. There were so many parties, with drinking and…well, you know.”

Kate nodded sympathetically. She wasn’t inclined to judge the other woman poorly for her behavior. In fact, she admired Rebecca for having the gumption to return to school and earn her degree after the baby. Clearly she was a hardworking, responsible wife and mother now. And she was willing to do whatever she could to help Hannah.

Kate pulled out the photocopied pages from the college yearbook and placed them in front of Rebecca. “Hannah told us that these are the three men who might be her father. I’d like to confirm that with you, and also ask if you can remember anything else about them?”

“I’m sorry. I told Hannah everything I know.”

“The smallest detail might be helpful,” Jay said. “Since you were all new to college and each other, the guys might have mentioned where they were from?”

Kate looked up sharply. He’d taken her general question and redirected it to something specific. For a guy with no training, he had smart instincts.

“Oh. Funny you should say that.” Rebecca took a closer look at the photograph of James Morgan. “I remember Jimmy talking about his family’s lake resort. I’m pretty sure he said it was somewhere in Upper New York State. Once he’d finished his business degree he was planning to go back and run it.”

“That’s exactly the sort of detail we’re looking for,” Jay encouraged. “Can you possibly recall the name of the lake?”

She wrinkled her forehead. “I’m sorry. It was so long ago.”

“That’s okay. This is a great help.” Kate jotted down the details in the fresh notepad she’d started for this case. Too bad Jay had learned the exact same information that she had. But she would find that lake before he did. She was determined that she would.

She and Jay quizzed Rebecca about the other two men, hoping to unlock more forgotten tidbits of information, but Hannah’s birth mother couldn’t come up with anything else helpful.

“I already told Hannah that Gary was on the football team. He was a big guy, like you,” she said, glancing at Jay. “I can’t think of anything else unique about him. As for Oliver, he was very quiet. We didn’t talk much at all.” She laughed a little self-consciously. “I’m sorry I can’t be more help. These were obviously one-night hookups.”

Kate passed her a card with her name and number. “That’s fine. We appreciate your time. Please call if you remember anything else. No matter how trivial.”

Jay looked flummoxed, and she hid a smile. He could hardly pass his own number on to Rebecca now and ask her to call him, as well. Rebecca would assume Kate would pass along any information to Jay. Which, of course, she would definitely not do.

As they made their way to the front door, Rebecca chattering about her kids and apologizing for the mess, Jay brushed by Kate and whispered, “Very clever.”

His breath was warm, and she shivered as his arm touched hers. She was a tall woman, but he was much taller, and his broad, football-player shoulders were solid muscle.

Out on the street, a cab was waiting.

“Want to share?” Jay offered. “I assume you’re heading back to the office?”

“I took the subway here and was planning to go back the same way.” She hesitated, for some reason reluctant to be in close quarters, alone—the driver didn’t count—with this guy. But wasn’t that foolish? The more she knew about Jay, the more likely she could find his weakness.

“But since you’re already paying the fare…” She climbed into the back and he joined her.

As he gave the address to the driver, then settled back into his seat, it struck her how surreal their situation was. In one day this man had gone from being a total stranger to her rival in one of the strangest competitions she had ever been a part of.

Who was Jay Savage? Suddenly she was curious. What were his interests? What was his background? Was there a woman in his life?

He struck her as the sort of man who would have lots of women hanging around. Or was that just an unfair stereotype of an attractive, unmarried pilot? Or her own sour grapes after Conner’s betrayal?

He caught her eye. “It was quite a surprise to find you at Rebecca Trotter’s.”

She couldn’t help smiling. That had been a sweet moment, all right. “I plan to keep surprising you. Maybe you should just quit now.”

His laugh was low and sensual. “I don’t think so. Technically I got to Rebecca Trotter first.”

“About that. Rebecca said you called her last night. But according to the rules, our investigation wasn’t supposed to start until this morning.”

“I didn’t think arranging an interview counted as ‘investigating.’ Last night I did a little searching through some phone directories. When I saw the Trotters’ number, I figured it couldn’t hurt to call.”

She didn’t recall even hearing Hannah’s birth mother’s name. Perhaps it had been mentioned when she’d been zoning out. That would teach her to daydream during important meetings.

“I suppose that’s fair enough.”

He frowned. “I hope you mean that. I intend this to be an honest competition.”

He sounded sincere and Kate appreciated that.

“Believe me,” he continued, “I didn’t even think that I was breaking the rules of our competition when I called Rebecca last night. I was trying to be organized.”

“If I’d have thought of it, I probably would have called her, too,” Kate conceded. “Still, it gave you the advantage.”

“You think? You’re the one who left Rebecca your number, not me. If she remembers something else, I’m not likely to hear about it, am I?”

“No.”

He smiled. “At least you’re honest.”

“It wouldn’t be much of a competition if we shared information with one another. I feel it’s only fair to tell you—I really want this job. I kind of burned my bridges with the NYPD.”

With hindsight, the letter of resignation she’d written could have been drafted with a bit more tact. Not that she planned to ever go back. But she’d shut that door a bit more forcefully than was really necessary.

“Why? Was it the stress?”

“Partly it was the hours. Partly my impatience with the bureaucracy.”

“But there’s more to the story,” he guessed.

He was easy to talk to. Too easy. She wondered if he was just passing the time, or if he was really interested. Know the enemy…Was that his strategy, too?

Still, she had no reason to be secretive. “I just ended a long-term relationship. And I’m ready for a change in my life. I want to try new things. Go new places.”

“Meet new people?” he suggested. “Maybe have a rebound affair?”

She caught a subtle lift to his voice, and narrowed her eyes at him. Was it possible Jay was flirting with her? She glanced at him again. The man was easy to talk to, but not easy to read.

“I’m not interested in any sort of affair. Rebound or otherwise.”

“Maybe it’s too soon. Since your breakup, I mean.”

Yes, it was soon, but Kate couldn’t imagine changing her mind for a long time. “What about you? Are you in a relationship?”

He shrugged. “There’s no one serious. I tend to avoid that sort of thing.”

“So the stereotype of the single, male pilot fits after all. A girl in every city…is that how it works?”

“Hardly every city. I don’t have that much energy.”

She refused to smile. “It’s going to be difficult to keep the women in line now that you’re stuck in one place. What’s with that, anyway? Why the switch from pilot to P.I.?”

“Like you, I have plenty of reasons. But the main one is my nephew, Eric. I need to be home in the morning to get him off to school. And I want to be home every evening to cook dinner and make sure he does his schoolwork. It may sound mundane to you, but I’m his only family now.”

It didn’t sound mundane at all. It sounded like what she had wanted—and still did. “You can’t be a caregiver for your nephew and a pilot at the same time?”

“As a single parent it would be difficult. I was a long-haul, international pilot. I could have requested shorter routes, but even those require you to be away from home for three- or four-day stretches.”

“Will you miss flying?”

His eyes darkened. “No question.”

Yet, he’d given it up for his nephew. She admired that. “Did you ever run into trouble during a flight? Something serious, that you didn’t think you’d survive?”

He blinked, then gazed out at the passing city. “The vast majority of flights are pretty routine. And thank God for that. No one in their right mind would get into a commercial airliner otherwise.”

She looked at him closely. “You just sidestepped my question.”

“You think?” He smiled disarmingly. “What about you? Did you ever run into big trouble in your job at the Twentieth Precinct? Something you didn’t think you’d survive?”

“A couple of times, yes. But it’s the cases that break your heart that are more difficult to handle.”

Jay’s expression grew serious. “Yeah. It’s hard to see someone suffer. Even when they’ve done it to themselves.”

“What always gets me is how fast it happens. One minute everything is good. The next—catastrophe.”

“Maybe one night, when this is all over, we’ll get together and exchange war stories,” he said.

“Maybe.”

She felt relieved that the taxi was pulling up in front of the office. Jay was more complicated than she’d initially thought, more intelligent and more sensitive, too. And he had skills she hadn’t expected.

Consider how easily he’d extracted that information about the lake resort from Rebecca.

And how quickly he’d extracted information about her, as well.




CHAPTER FIVE


IT WAS GOING TO BE interesting sharing an office with Kate, Jay thought. She’d already claimed the big desk by the window, which was fair enough, since she needed the computer. Still, sitting at the smaller desk by the door meant that she could see his computer screen every time she got up to get a coffee.

“Oh, stop being so paranoid.” Kate squeezed past him with a steaming mug in hand. “I’m not trying to sneak a look at your computer every time I walk by.”

“Maybe you should be. Might save you some valuable time.”

“Very funny, Captain. Hope you’re prepared for some turbulence ahead.” She grinned. “How are you liking your new desk? Not much room for your legs, huh?”

She wasn’t kidding. He’d only been here an hour and he could already feel his muscles cramping. “Well, at least I have a good view of yours.”

Her eyes widened, and she quickly uncrossed her legs and pulled down on her skirt. “You shouldn’t be looking.”

“Why not? Beats the view out the window.”

“What? You don’t like brick walls?”

“I live in New York. I love brick walls.”

She cracked a smile at that, then took a sip from her mug and leaned closer to her computer screen. “Keep quiet now. I’ve got to concentrate.”

He should be doing the same. Only she was fun to talk to. She had an interesting mind, and a sly sense of humor that he rather enjoyed.

Anyway, he’d already found where prospective dad number one, James Morgan, lived. All he’d had to do was type “vacation resort,” “Upper New York State” and “James Morgan” into his favorite search engine.

Now he needed to rent a car. Taking his mug with him, and closing the door firmly on the sound of Kate’s clattering on the keyboard, he headed for the reception area to talk to Nadine.

As he’d guessed on the first day, Nadine was a real sweetheart. Quick to smile and anxious to please.

“Hi, Jay. The coffee is fresh. Is there anything—”

The phone rang and she made a face, then picked up the receiver. “Fox & Fisher Detective Agency.”

While he waited for her to finish with the call, he helped himself to the coffee. Every time he saw Nadine, she was busy. She wasn’t the sort to sit around and wait for the work to come to her.

“I’ll have Lindsay call with an update as soon as she can,” Nadine said, scribbling a note on a message pad. She covered the mouthpiece for a moment. “Sorry, Jay. I’ll be right with you.”

When the call ended, she gave him a smile.

“You’re good at multitasking,” he observed.

“I love this job.” She hesitated, then added, “Though, one day I would like to try my hand at the investigating side of the business. Lindsay and Nathan have given me a few small assignments.” She sighed. “But I have a lot to learn before I’ll be ready to take on a real case all by myself.”

“You probably have as many qualifications as I do. Have you taken any courses?”

“Not yet. I’m signed up for six weeks of online instruction starting next month. Much to my mother’s dismay.”

“She doesn’t like the idea of you being a private investigator?”

“Not hardly.”

“Is she worried it’s dangerous? Because according to Nathan, most of that exciting stuff only happens in the movies.”

“It’s partly a safety issue,” she agreed. “But it’s also an image thing. My mother, bless her dear, loving heart, is a bit of a snob.”

The door opened, and Nathan came in just in time to hear Nadine’s comment about her mother. “Hi, Nathan. How was the meeting?”

He had a briefcase in one hand and a cardboard box in the other, so Jay sprang forward to help him with the door. Nathan set the box on Nadine’s desk, then hung his coat in the closet.

“The meeting went great. As you can see.” He tapped the box. “We got the job. There are magazines in there that I’d like you to catalog for me please, Nadine.”

He went to the coffeepot and filled one of the mugs. “And you might as well come clean about your family. Jay’s going to be part of the team soon, after all.” He gave his friend a confident thumbs-up before disappearing into his office.




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