Colton Manhunt

The interior of the center was just as impressive as the outside. The wide porch led directly to a large, open lobby with wood-paneled walls, comfortable seating and a long table with complimentary beverages, muffins and fruit. Brass signs indicated the many guest and conference rooms. Beneath a long wooden desk, there was a large portrait of Micheline Anderson, AAG’s founder. Blonde, blue-eyed and attractive, she had a warm smile that, even in a picture, seemed to be welcoming. The group’s slogan—Be Your Best You!—was on display everywhere.

“Hi, there.” The pretty young woman who approached Katrina was a blue-eyed blonde with a full-on smile. “I’m Leigh Dennings, the welcome manager here at the Affirmation Alliance Group Center. How may I help you today?”

“I’d like to see my sister, Eliza Perry. She’s been living here since the earthquake destroyed her apartment.”

There was a tiny pause before Leigh pursed her lips. “I’m not sure—”

“I just need ten minutes of her time.” Now she had taken this step, it was important for Katrina to see it through. She needed to reassure herself that Eliza was okay. Perhaps they could even use this as a new start between them. Maybe next time she came, she would feel she could just call her sister instead of taking the formal step of going through the front desk. On this occasion, she wasn’t sure how Eliza would feel about her sudden arrival and didn’t feel comfortable with that approach.

“Oh, please don’t think I would try to stop you from visiting with one of our guests.” Leigh lightly touched Katrina’s arm. “It’s just that I don’t recognize that name. But let me check our records.”

She moved toward the reception desk. Katrina trailed in her footsteps, confusion clouding her thoughts. She had seen signs for about twenty guest rooms. Surely, the welcome manager should know the names of all the people who were staying at the center. There was always a possibility that Leigh wasn’t very good at her job. Or that Eliza had lied about where she was staying... It wouldn’t be the first time her sister, under the guise of maintaining her independence, had misled Katrina about her whereabouts. In the past, once she needed money, or got into trouble, she’d eventually been forced to tell the truth.

After typing quickly on the keyboard of a desktop computer and then consulting the screen, Leigh looked up. Her smile remained in place, but her gaze shifted around instead of settling on Katrina’s face. “Let me just talk to my colleagues.”

Before Katrina could protest, the other woman had crossed the lobby and was talking to two men who were positioned close to the door. As Leigh spoke to them, they both turned to stare at Katrina. It was probably a natural reaction, but something about the way they looked her up and down left her with a crawling sensation along her spine.

Get a grip. Just because they look creepy, doesn’t mean they are creepy.

It didn’t matter what she told herself; the men gave off an unpleasant vibe. After a few minutes of deep conversation, the three AAG members approached Katrina.

“Hi, I’m Bart Akers.” In any other setting, Katrina would have figured Creep Number One was hired muscle. He was in his late twenties, big and brawny, with a blond crew cut. She sensed there wasn’t much going on behind those light hazel eyes. “This is my colleague, Randall Cook.”

Katrina briefly took in the older, taller man at his side.

“I don’t know what’s going on here, but I got messages from my sister saying this was where she was staying.” She still spoke directly to Leigh.

“Maybe she meant another AAG ranch?” Leigh gave a slight giggle, as though inviting Katrina to share the joke.

Clearly, like the fireflies that lived in the Mustang Valley Mountains, the welcome manager was good to look at but not very bright. Even so, Katrina’s instinct told her she was marginally more intelligent than the male AAG members.

“This is the place she came to,” Katrina said.

“Yes, of course. We’ve been so busy since the earthquake, it’s hard to keep track of everyone we’ve helped.” Leigh had regained her composure and her smile was back to hundred-watt capacity. “Your sister did stay with us for two nights back in April. I wanted to check with Bart and Randall in case they had any information about where she went after she left us.”

“We don’t.” Bart’s smile was considerably less attractive than Leigh’s. “She said she was going. Didn’t say where.”

For a moment, the solid tile floor beneath Katrina’s feet felt springy. Then she realized her knees had started to shake. It was June. If Eliza had left this place in April, she had been absent for two months. It wasn’t the first time her twin had gone missing. But it was the first time Katrina hadn’t known about it and been actively looking for her. If she’d known, she would have followed her usual routine and contacted Eliza’s friends, liaised with her counselors, and, if all else failed, reported her missing to the police.

“I’m sorry we can’t help you.” Leigh’s gaze flicked toward the door.

Fighting the fog of panic that was threatening to engulf her, Katrina sucked in a breath. “I don’t understand. Her apartment was destroyed. You offered her a safe place to stay. She had no money or belongings. Why would she leave? Where did she go?”

“We don’t hold that sort of information on our database,” Leigh said. “People who spend time with us are free to come and go as they choose.”

“But you were out and about in the town offering people your help after the earthquake. That means you had a responsibility to care for them.” Katrina wasn’t concerned that the volume of her voice was rising. “You must have known Eliza was homeless and vulnerable. How could you have let her walk out of here without making sure she was okay?”

“Hey.” Bart stepped closer. “You’re clearly worried about your sister, but Leigh has explained the situation. There’s nothing more we can do for you.”

If they thought she was letting this go, they were mistaken. Blank smiles and excuses weren’t going to work. Katrina would talk to every person in this place if that was what it took to find even a sliver of information about her sister. With no other family and addicted friends who drifted in and out when she was part of their dependent lifestyle, Katrina was all Eliza had.

Just as she was about to tell Bart to take a step out of her personal space, a high-pitched yelp and the sound of claws scrabbling on tile made her turn her head. In a practiced move, she squatted in time to catch a squirming bundle of fur in her arms.

“Dobby?”

As she petted the excited dog and dodged the face kisses, her mind was whirling. How could her sister’s pet be here if Eliza left in April? Because...

No. Just no.

Ever since Eliza had rescued the pup—whose face was not his prettiest end—when he was eight weeks old, the pair had been inseparable. Whatever else was going on in her life, Eliza made sure Dobby was fed, clean and healthy. The little guy’s bed was always positioned alongside Eliza’s, he ate ethically sourced food and he had access to the best training at Look Who’s Walking, where, until Eliza had stopped coming around several months before the earthquake, he’d also attended play dates and gotten regular grooming.

Tucking Dobby under her arm, Katrina got to her feet, her resolve hardening. “Since my sister left you two months ago, perhaps you’d care to explain why her dog is still here?”

Dobby looked from Katrina to the two men as though he, too, was interested in the answer. For the first time, Leigh’s pleasant mask slipped and she appeared nervous. It was a momentary lapse and she recovered quickly, but it was enough to fire up Katrina’s suspicions.

“I remember now.” The smile returned. “Your sister said she wouldn’t be able to keep a dog where she was going, so she left him with us. We’ve adopted him at the center. He’s become quite the AAG mascot, hasn’t he, guys?” She threw a help-me-out glance toward Bart and Randall.

“Sure has. He’s found his best self here with us.” Bart reached out a hand to stroke Dobby’s head, but the dog ducked away from him and tucked his head into Katrina’s neck. The little guy always did have good taste.

“When I walked in here, you told me you knew nothing about my sister.” Katrina kept her gaze on Leigh. “Now you’re saying she left her dog behind and he’s become your mascot? Call me skeptical, but I find it hard to believe you wouldn’t have remembered that detail as soon as I mentioned her name.”

Leigh looked down at her computer screen without replying. Bart and Randall also remained silent.

“I’m leaving now. Here’s my business card, in case anyone remembers anything more about my sister.” Anger stiffened Katrina’s spine as she started to walk away. “And I’m taking your mascot with me.”

Chapter 2

By the time Spencer made his way to the lobby, thoughts had moved on from lunch and he was already planning dinner in detail. His stomach, however, needed something fast and filling right now. Boris, ever hopeful of supplementing his carefully regulated diet with a few treats, trotted eagerly at his side.

Although Spencer and his K-9 partner were trained in search-and-rescue techniques and worked as a team, the other MVPD officers could use Boris if they needed him. The dog went home with Spencer at the end of each day and, when off duty, he was a pet rather than a working animal.

Spencer was crossing the lobby and heading for the canteen when a woman burst through the doors, barging straight into him. The impact had the effect of sending them both stumbling backward. She took the worst hit, however, and, for a moment, it looked like she was about to crash to the floor. But four years in the army had honed Spencer’s reflexes, and he grabbed her by the upper arms, steadying her against his body. As he did, his mind registered a few details.

First of all, she was carrying some sort of exotic-looking rodent. Second, she was clearly distressed. And, finally, she was gorgeous.

Tall, with a slender, toned figure, she had dark blond hair that waved to her shoulders with the shimmer of silk. But it wasn’t her flawless bone structure, her high cheekbones, or even her full lips that mesmerized him. It was her eyes. Huge and set under delicately arched eyebrows, they were a shade that was somewhere between green, gold and brown, but the color seemed to shift constantly as it reflected the light around her. Spencer figured it was what his mom used to call “hazel” and realized he’d never really seen it up close until now.

“Are you okay?”

She shook her head. “No, I—”

The creature she was holding that had been trapped between them when Spencer caught hold of her looked down at Boris and gave a friendly woof.

“Is that a dog?”

“Of course Dobby is a dog.” Indignation seemingly startled her out of her distress, and she pulled away from him. “What did you think he was?”

“I was puzzled,” he confessed. “I figured it could be a mutant rat. Or maybe a groundhog that had fallen on hard times?”

For a moment, he thought she was going to smile. He waited hopefully, but her expression clouded over. “I’m not here to talk about Dobby. I need to report a missing person.”

Spencer thought about the mountain of paperwork on his desk. He didn’t have enough time in the day to get through his existing workload. Missing persons were below his pay grade...

“I’m Sergeant Spencer Colton. If you wait here while I get us both a coffee, we’ll go to my office and you can give me the details.”

His willingness to take on her case had nothing to do with the fact that she was possibly the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. That was what he told himself as he dashed into the canteen. It had even less to do with the runt that was now skipping delightedly around Boris. No, this was about the troubled look in those amazing eyes.

Just keep telling yourself that, Colton, and everything will be fine.

Carrying the coffee and the last, sorrowful-looking sandwich, he led the way back along the corridor to his office. Boris, clearly startled by the antics of the overfriendly Dobby, but too well trained to show it, clung a little closer to his master’s heels than usual.

After removing a stack of files from a chair, Spencer pulled it close to the desk and set one of the coffees in front of it. He reached into a drawer and took out a handful of creamers and sugar sachets. “Use plenty of them. Trust me, it’s the only way to drink it.”

His visitor sat down, and Dobby immediately jumped onto her lap. As she wrapped a protective arm around him, Spencer caught a glimpse of the logo on her T-shirt. He couldn’t make out the words, but the picture was a silhouette of a woman and a dog high-fiving each other.

“Colton?” she asked. As Spencer took his own seat and pulled a pad and pen toward him, he was acutely aware of those full-beam eyes watching him. “As in the Coltons?”

“Yes and no. My dad and Payne Colton were distant cousins.” He laughed. “I’m not part of the dynasty.”

“I’m sorry. You must get tired of explaining that.”

He shrugged. “If you live in Mustang Valley and your name is Colton, you get used to it. But we aren’t here to talk about me. Let’s start with some basics.” He wrote the date at the top of a blank page. “Name?”

“Katrina Perry.” She gave him her contact details and date of birth.

“And the person you wish to report missing?”

“My twin sister, Eliza Perry.”

“You’re a twin?” Spencer looked up from his notes.

“Yes.” She frowned. “Is that important?”

“No. It’s just that I’m a triplet. I guess it hit a nerve.”

“Wow.” For the first time, her expression relaxed. “I thought being one of two was hard. Can’t imagine three.”

They shared a brief, sympathetic smile. Giving himself a slight shake, Spencer returned to his notes. “We can go into details of Eliza’s physical description, identifying features and personal information later. For now, I’d like you to tell me why you believe she’s missing.”

“If you check your database, you’ll see this isn’t the first time I’ve made a report of this type.” Katrina took a slug of her coffee. She shuddered slightly as the acrid taste she knew so well hit. “But I’m not some eccentric who does this for fun. My sister is a drug addict... She was a drug addict.” She pushed back her hair with a shaking hand. “She has lapses, lives on the fringes of the lifestyle, but she’d gotten herself clean—”

“I’m not here to judge your sister,” Spencer said. “If she’s in danger, it’s my job to help her.”

“Thank you.” She chewed on her lower lip for a moment or two. He’d seen this inner battle so many times in his job. It was natural for a relative to want to protect the privacy of their loved ones. At the same time, the police needed to know the important details. “Eliza had been in a rehab program about twelve months ago, and she was doing well. Ours isn’t an easy relationship.”

“How could it be? Addiction is a cruel disease and people who suffer from it make bad choices. That has to be hard on both of you.”

She shot him a glance that was half surprise, half gratitude. “Most people don’t get that. What Eliza wants from me are the things I can’t give her. Money, a shoulder to cry on, unlimited amounts of my time...” She shook her head. “Over the years, I’ve tried my best to get the balance right. If she needs help with living expenses, I make payments direct to her creditors instead of giving her cash. I’ve gotten expert advice every step of the way. Physicians, addiction counselors, therapists—I can list them all in the Mustang Valley region and beyond.”

“From what you’re saying, although Eliza has gone missing before, this situation feels different?”

Katrina nodded. “The other times I could sense it coming. This time, everything was fine. Until the earthquake.”

Spencer frowned. “The earthquake was almost two months ago. Has your sister been missing since then?”

“I’m not sure what the time frame is.” She hitched in a breath. “I hadn’t heard from her for a few months prior to the quake, but that wasn’t unusual. I knew she had an apartment and she was working with her counselors. When the earthquake hit, I texted and called her a bunch of times to check she was okay. Eliza finally responded that she was fine, although her apartment had been destroyed. She said she was being helped by a relief organization called the Affirmation Alliance Group and they had provided her with accommodation. After that, all my subsequent messages went unanswered. Today, I drove out to the AAG ranch to check on her.”

“Why only today?”

“It sounds silly...” She shook her head. “I saw a dog that reminded me of Dobby and confided in a friend. She persuaded me that no matter how angry it might make Eliza if she thought I was interfering, I should go and make sure she was okay.”

“Your friend was right. But I take it she wasn’t there?”

“No. At first, the welcome manager at the AAG gave me an empty smile and tried to tell me she hadn’t heard of Eliza. Then, she checked with a couple of security-type guys. They told me my sister stayed for two nights in April, then left without telling anyone where she was going.”

Spencer looked up from circling “security-type guys” on his pad. “Is there a reason why you have a problem with that story, given that your sister has a history of taking off?”

“Dobby is my reason.” At the sound of his name, the comical-looking dog wagged his tail. “He’s Eliza’s. They tried to tell me she left him behind.” Tears filled her eyes. “But she would never do that. She’d die first.”

Katrina figured that the good-looking police sergeant had probably written her off as trouble around the time she crashed into him in the lobby. But telling him she believed Eliza would die before she’d leave Dobby? Surely, that added up to a whole new layer of concern about her sibling’s well-being.

At first glance, Spencer Colton’s blond hair and blue eyes could have appeared boyish, but the strength of his features, combined with a tall, powerful body, confirmed his potent masculinity.

Yes, he was handsome, but why should she care what he thought of her? Her sister’s safety was the only thing that mattered. And she was starting to believe that something bad had happened to Eliza. Even so, this would be a whole lot easier if she could convince Spencer to take her concerns seriously.

He continued making notes, apparently unshaken by her dramatic statement. When he looked up, she allowed herself to be reassured by the warmth of his smile. But then she remembered that life didn’t work that way. Depending on other people was a waste of time and emotion. Although she needed his help to find Eliza, the only person she could rely on was herself.

“Based on what you’ve told me about the uncomfortable feelings you got from the AAG, I guess you’d like me to investigate the circumstances of your sister’s departure from their ranch. And also, of course, try to discover her current whereabouts. Can you explain why you didn’t try to reach out to her before now? And why you’ve only come to the conclusion that she’s missing today?”

“As I’ve said, ours isn’t an easy relationship. Although she depends on me for money and comes to me for help when she’s in trouble, Eliza values her independence. If she suspects I’m trying to interfere in her life, I’m scared that she might disappear for good.” Katrina sighed. “And, although I hadn’t seen her for a few months, until the earthquake, I knew she was still in Mustang Valley because I got regular reports from her counselors that she was engaging with them. It was only when I went to the AAG Center and found out that she’d only stayed there two days that I realized she was missing.

“As for the AAG, uncomfortable doesn’t come close to how I felt. That place was creepy.” She shivered slightly. “I know that’s probably not helpful from an investigative point of view.”

Spencer tapped his pen on the table. “You’d be surprised how useful intuition can be. But the AAG is very visible in Mustang Valley and they seem to be doing a lot of good.”

“But...?” She knew he was unlikely to tell her anything that linked to an ongoing investigation, but Katrina could sense a wariness in his voice that made her even more concerned.

“Let’s just say, they are on my radar.” He flipped his pad closed. “I hope to find they are as charitable as they appear.”

She swallowed hard. “And you’ll let me know what you find out? About Eliza?”

“Of course.” There was that look again. Just the right side of sympathetic. “I know you’ll have been given the standard speech in the past about how some people don’t want to be found, but I can see how painful this is for you. I’m close to both my siblings, and I’d be worried out of my mind if either of them had gone missing in this way. We can’t say for sure that Eliza is missing until I’ve undertaken further investigations, but I’ll do everything I can to help.”

Tears prickled the back of her eyelids again, and she blinked rapidly. Getting emotional over an offer of support from a stranger was a new experience, but it had been a tough day. She needed to get some fresh air and recharge her batteries.

“Looks like you’ve got yourself a cute companion. At least until we find Eliza.” Spencer reached out a hand and ruffled Dobby’s ears.

Dobby was cute. But it took a genuine animal lover to see past his imperfections. It was another reason to like Spencer Colton. Although, at the moment, he was staring at his desk in confusion.

“Did one of you eat my sandwich?”

“Ah.” She felt the blush rise in her cheeks. “Dobby may be cute, but he is also a food thief.”

To her relief, Spencer grinned. “Are you sure it was Dobby?” He nodded to the dog, who was gazing into space, licking his lips. “He looks a picture of innocence.”

Katrina sighed as she got to her feet. “To be honest, I’d forgotten about the food stealing. I’ll have to theft-proof my kitchen. And my own dog might not be happy at the arrival of an unexpected house guest. Holly is a sweetheart. But she likes having me all to herself.”

“You work with dogs?” He indicated her uniform.

“I’m a dog trainer. My business premises are over on Bridge Street—”

“Look Who’s Walking? That’s your place?” When she nodded, he laughed. “I drive past on my way to work each day and Boris always tries to stick his head out of the window to get a sniff at what’s going on.”

She stooped to pat the scent dog on the head. “You should stop by sometime when Boris is off duty. Play dates can be fun.”

When she straightened, Spencer’s blue eyes appeared brighter than ever. Had that offer sounded like something other than a doggy get-together to him? Was there a chance he thought the play date was for the two of them? She could either dig herself in deeper or leave.

“I should...” Explain. “Um...” Go. She pointed to the door.

“Yeah. I’ll be in touch.” He held the door open and she scooted around him to get through it.

Hurrying along the corridor toward the lobby with her face burning, she tucked the dog under one arm as she scrabbled in her pocket for her keys. “Great,” she muttered under her breath. “Now he thinks I’m annoying and desperate. Such a good look, don’t you think, Dobby?”

“Katrina?”

Spencer’s voice just behind her startled her into uttering an undignified squeak. Swinging around abruptly, she found herself face-to-face with the person she’d just been talking about. From his expression, she was fairly sure he had overheard her comments to Dobby.

“You left your keys in my office.”

It had been a long day. Spencer had a dozen cases that took priority over Katrina Perry’s missing sister. But as he left the MVPD building and crossed the parking lot to his car, he couldn’t shake the image of the pain in her beautiful eyes as she talked about her visit to the AAG ranch and her certainty that something bad had happened to Eliza.