Against the Sky by Kat Martin

him with more questions. I don’t want him to clam up again.”
    â€œWell, you’ve got a lot more to go on now than you did this morning.”
    â€œYeah,” Nick said darkly, glancing back down at the screen. “And none of it’s good.”

Chapter Ten
    â€œI need to talk to Jimmy,” Nick said, raking a hand through his hair. “Maybe he got a description of the car or a license plate number. At least a good look at the men.”
    They were still standing in his bedroom next to the computer. He tried not to look at Samantha and think of the king-size bed just a few feet away.
    â€œSo go talk to him,” she said. “You have to figure this out. Jimmy’s counting on you.”
    â€œI know, but I need more information. I’d like to know how the hell Alexi Evanko turned his life around and became Alexander Evans—respectable CPA and partner in a prestigious accounting firm.”
    Samantha smiled. “I can help with that. Digging around the Internet all day is what I do for a living. Of course, I’m only collecting market data, not information on a criminal.”
    â€œAre you sure you want to get involved?”
    She scooted him out of the way, sat down at the desk in front of his machine. “I’m staying in your house, so I’m already involved. Besides, I’m not going to do anything dangerous. I won’t get into any files that might alert someone we’re snooping around.”
    Nick started nodding. He could use all the help he could get. “All right, if you’re sure. Anything you can come up with is bound to be useful. In the meantime, I’ll go talk to Jimmy, see if he has any information I can use.”
    It was late afternoon by the time Nick left Samantha at work on the computer and walked up the hill to Jimmy’s. He’d planned to spend these next two weeks with a woman he enjoyed, one he badly wanted back in his bed, but he couldn’t ignore the young boy who needed his help.
    Nick sighed as he glanced up at the impressive log home overlooking the lake, climbed the front steps to the wrap-around covered porch, and knocked on the eight-foot door. Wearing jeans and white cotton blouse, her long, shiny black hair pulled back in a ponytail, Mary pulled open the door. She was a stay-at-home mom these days. Apparently Alex Evans had left enough money in trust to provide for his son and his guardian, and that included the expensive house Jimmy and Mary lived in.
    Alex had been successful and wealthy. Now that Nick knew the man’s background, he wondered how he’d earned his money—and what he had done to get himself killed.
    Mary smiled and stepped back to welcome him into the house. “Hi, Nick. Come on in. Jimmy’s playing games on the computer up in his room. I’ll tell him you’re here.”
    â€œWhy don’t I just go on up? Be nice and private up there. Give us a chance to talk.”
    Mary seemed relieved. “Of course. Go right ahead. His room’s down the hall on the right.”
    â€œThanks.” Nick climbed the stairs and knocked on Jimmy’s door, which was easy to spot with a polar bear on the front and the words Trespassers Will Be Eaten underneath. He knocked a second time and Jimmy pulled it open.
    â€œCan I come in?” Nick asked.
    Jimmy glanced out into the hall as if he expected to see the entire Anchorage police force. “I guess.” He stepped back out of the way and Nick walked in and closed the door.
    â€œHow’re you doing?”
    â€œOkay.” At the foot of the bed, Duke raised his head, thumped his tail a couple of times, then settled back to sleep.
    â€œYour eye looks like hell.”
    The kid relaxed a little. “I know.”
    â€œI came over because I need your help. I need you to tell me about the men you fought with yesterday.” He purposely avoided saying the men who abducted you because he didn’t want to