Taken Beyond Temptation. Cara Summers

your take is.”

      “I want to think that the vandalism in her store was totally unrelated to what’s happened here. The sheriff told her it may be a random act. A prank by some kids. School’s out, and a few of them have been busy decorating the water tower by the high school with graffiti. So they see an empty store …”

      “Is the sheriff aware of the incidents that have occurred here?” Ian asked.

      “No. I only called you.”

      “Did Jillian describe what was on the walls to you?”

      Avery waved a hand. “She told me the cupboards had been bashed in and paint thrown against the walls. She was stingy with the details.”

      “The two of you are dealing with the same problem. You don’t want to worry her. She doesn’t want to worry you. I got my description from Emmy Lou Pritchard right after they’d discovered it.”

      Avery stopped, turned to stare. “You were there?”

      “Johnny-on-the-spot. Although I didn’t intend to be smack in front of the bookstore when they came running out. I’d been keeping my eye on Jillian. When she came out of Discoveries, Molly and Miss Pritchard were with her. I kept my distance and when they went into the bookstore, I stepped into the real estate office across the street and made the acquaintance of Vivian Thorley.”

      “Our local real estate star. Ever since she sold Haworth House to the Brightman sisters, her business is booming. Rumor has it that she’s tripled her income, and she’s riding the wave. She wines and dines her clients here and uses the place as a selling tool.” Avery’s lips twitched. “I hope she didn’t talk you into signing anything.”

      “No. But her hopes were high. I could see dollar signs in her eyes until I introduced myself as Jack Ryan. Once I gave her my cover story, her megawatt smile dimmed and she eased me out the door. I guess she figured a struggling writer wasn’t about to buy an expensive beach house. After that, I started to walk up and down the street in front of the bookstore, and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time when the three women came out. According to Miss Pritchard, there was a message on the wall. Get out while you still can.”

      “Shit,” Avery said. “Jillian wasn’t here when the other incidents occurred. But that sounds personal.”

      “Seems to be. Graffiti on a water tower is public—urban art. This was more private.”

      “What is going on here?” Avery asked.

      “I’m not sure yet. And I could be overreacting. You should know that my job at the CIA was always to hypothesize worst-case scenarios.”

      “Better safe than sorry,” Avery murmured.

      “I can tell you that I’m thinking of calling in backup. I have a friend. Cody Marsh. He used to work as a field operative for the CIA. He left the agency a few years back and he’s working freelance on his own. He picks and chooses his cases, but this one will probably intrigue him. I could use him for research the way Dane has used me since we hooked up. I can’t be sitting at my laptop and keeping my eye on Jillian at the same time.”

      “Go ahead,” Avery said. “You can add him to my tab. What else can I do?”

      “While Jillian is in the hotel meeting with this Colonel Jenkins tomorrow, I figure that’s a good time for Jack Ryan to begin his research. I’ll interview the staff members, establish my persona. You might want to mention that Jack Ryan is here and what I’m doing to Jillian when you join her. We seem destined to run into each other. I think it’s best if she knows who I am—who I’m supposed to be.”

      “You’re right. I’ll fill her in. Anything else?”

      “What do you know about this Colonel Sam Jenkins?”

      Avery frowned. “Just what Jillian’s told me. According to her, he’s made quite a reputation for himself in the hotel industry, mostly in the Southeast. Why?”

      “Just curious. When I was tailing the ladies to the bookstore, I caught snatches of their conversation. According to Miss Pritchard, Colonel Jenkins might have been born right here on Belle Island. If it’s the same one she remembers, the colonel’s father died here tragically and the family moved away.”

      “Jillian never mentioned that.”

      “It might be a different Jenkins.”

      Avery’s cell rang. “Yeah?” When he repocketed his cell, he said, “That was Jillian. The girls are ready for coffee.”

      As he let Avery out of his room, Ian thought of what he hadn’t told the man. If Jillian decided to confront him, he had two problems to worry about. Number one was his rapidly escalating and so far uncontrollable response to her. The second was how long he could keep the Jack Ryan cover story going. The woman was no dummy.

      5

      “OKAY. SO WHAT YOU’RE working with are three disturbing incidents at the hotel and one occurrence of vandalism at a property Jillian Brightman has purchased in the village.”