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  “Shave first,” she told him. “And then we can play in the shower.”

  Dane stripped down to his briefs before he drew water in the sink and began shaving. Annie removed her jacket, slacks and blouse and folded them into her overnight bag, then took off her knee-highs, bra and panties and shoved them into a small plastic laundry bag. She slipped into her red-and-gold silk robe.

  When she entered the bathroom, Dane splashed his face with water, removing the remaining shave cream, and reached out for her. He caught the belt of her robe, pulled it loose and slid his hand inside and around her waist. The robe fell open. She leaned into him, allowing her breasts to rake his chest.

  Dane sucked in a deep breath, tugged the robe off her shoulders and tossed it on the floor. After reaching inside to adjust the water, he lifted Annie and set her under the shower. He stripped off his briefs and joined her.

  They bathed each other, savoring each touch, enjoying the foreplay that soon led to the lovemaking they both wanted—both needed. The fire between them burned hotter and higher, showing no signs of dying out anytime soon.

  An hour later, Dane, in his wrinkled slacks and unbuttoned shirt opened the door for pizza delivery, while Annie blow-dried her still damp hair.

  “Pizza’s here,” he told her, and held up the large box.

  Annie finished with the dryer, laid it on the vanity and ran a comb through her hair. “I can smell it all the way in here. I’m famished.”

  Dane set the box on the table, flipped the lids on the two colas and spread out napkins. “Dinner is served, madam.”

  Annie emerged from the bathroom, wearing her robe and nothing else. She grabbed a piece of pizza and plopped down into the chair. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.”

  “I think that’s pepperoni and sausage,” Dane said teasingly. “But if you’d prefer horsemeat, I can toss this pizza in the garbage and call them to order another one.”

  Cutting her eyes toward him, Annie gave him a hard look. “Don’t you dare touch this pizza.”

  A soft rap at their motel room door ended Annie and Dane’s teasing. Annie held the pizza halfway to her mouth. Dane dropped the piece he’d just picked up back into the box.

  “I’ll go,” he told her.

  Dane glanced through the viewfinder and saw Rene Edwards’s redheaded neighbor standing on the other side of the door. He unlatched the safety catch, unlocked the dead bolt and opened the door.

  “Hello again, Mr. Carmichael,” the woman said, a tense smile on her face. “May I come in?”

  “Of course.”

  Dane stood aside to allow her into the room. He glanced over at Annie, who laid her piece of pizza down into the box, stood up and secured the tie belt on her robe.

  “I’m sorry about this afternoon,” the redhead said. “I wanted to talk to you, but my husband wouldn’t let me.”

  “Won’t you sit down, Mrs., er, Mrs.?”

  “Franklin. Tina Franklin.” She crossed her arms at her waist and rubbed her elbows nervously.

  “Do you know where Rene Edwards is?” Annie asked as she approached their visitor.

  “Are you really a private investigator, Mr. Carmichael?” Tina asked.

  “Yes.” He reached inside his jacket, which hung on the back of the chair where he’d been sitting, and pulled out his ID. “If this isn’t enough, I can give you a number to call to verify my identity.”

  Tina inspected Dane’s ID, then handed it back to him. “What about her?” She nodded toward Annie.

  “This is Annie Harden. She’s my client. Mrs. Harden is the publisher of a regional magazine in Alabama. Recently one of her reporters was murdered and since then someone has been trying to kill Ms. Harden. We have reason to believe—”

  “They killed Rene’s cousin? Oh, God! Oh, God!”

  “Rene’s cousin?” Annie asked.

  “Mrs. Franklin, please, calm down and tell us—”

  “I had to make sure you weren’t one of them,” Tina interrupted. “If someone killed Rene’s cousin and they’re trying to kill her—” Tina glanced at Annie “—then it must be them, the same men who warned Don and me to keep our mouths shut.”

  Dane and Annie exchanged questioning looks, then Dane asked, “What men are you talking about, Mrs. Franklin?”

  “About two and half weeks ago, a couple of men came snooping around Rene’s house, just like you two did this afternoon.”

  When Dane noticed how shaky their guest looked, he pulled out a chair. “Won’t you sit down, Mrs. Franklin?”

  “Thanks.” She took the seat, placed her hands in her lap and glanced from Dane to Annie. “These guys were looking for Wilma, and when I told them that she was dead, they wanted to know how they could get in touch with Rene.” Tina rubbed her shaky hands together. “I told them I didn’t know where Rene had gone, just that she had recently put the house up for sale and moved away.”

  “Did you get their names?” Dane asked.

  “They didn’t give me their names, they just told me that if I knew where Rene was that I’d better tell them. They—they threatened me. I think they could tell I knew something because…well, they told me to keep my mouth shut if anybody else came around asking questions and that if I knew where Rene was I’d better tell them or I’d be sorry.”

  “Do you know something?” Annie asked.

  “Did you tell these men anything else?” Dane laid his hand on Tina’s shoulder.

  “Yeah, I told them.” Tears sprang into Tina’s hazel eyes. “They scared me. I was afraid not to tell them.”

  “Just what did you tell them?” Dane bent down on his haunches in front of Tina and took her hands into his. “It would help us a lot if you told us.”

  Tina sucked in a deep breath. Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Rene and I were friends. She’s a good person. She took care of her mother after Mrs. Edwards got sick.” Tina nibbled on her bottom lip. “All Rene told me was that she’d gotten hold of some information that proved her father’s suicide twenty years ago had actually been murder. And she was scared because the person responsible for her father’s murder knew she had the information and had called to warn her to keep her mouth shut. She was afraid they might kill her, so she—she told me that she sent the information to her cousin in Alabama.”

  “Her cousin?” Annie came over to Tina and looked directly at her. “Did she tell you who her cousin was?”

  “No, she didn’t mention her cousin’s name. But she did tell me that her cousin was a reporter.”

  “Halley was Rene Edwards’s cousin?” Annie looked at Dane. “Is that possible? I’ve known Halley for several years and I thought I knew most of her relatives.”

  “They might not have been first cousins,” Dane said. He released Tina’s hands and stood. “Mrs. Franklin, do you have any idea where Rene Edwards might have gone?”

  “No, I swear. I don’t have the foggiest notion. I think she’s in hiding somewhere and she’s not going to show herself as long as she thinks her life is in danger.” Tina hung her head. “I told those men about Rene sending that information to her cousin. I didn’t mean to tell them, but…but I was so scared.”

  “We appreciate so much your coming here tonight.” Annie grasped Tina’s hand and shook it, then draped her arm around the woman as she stood and hugged her. “I promise you that we are going to find the person responsible for putting Rene on the run and we’ll make sure the whole truth about her father’s death comes out.”

  “I’ve got to go.” Tina backed toward the door. “I waited until Don went bowling with his friends before I came. I want to get home before he does. He’d be awfully upset if he knew I’d talked to you. He’s afraid for me.”

  “Before you leave, could you tell me what the two men who threatened you looked like?” Dane asked.

  “Sure. One guy was tall and dark and wore sunglasses. I figure he was in his thirties. The other guy, the one who made the threats, was older—early fifties, I’d say. He was stocky and h