see the light and know right away when someone has called.”
He waited while she punched the play button, and the message began. At first there was a scratchy sound he didn’t recognize. Then a song began: “I…saw…you…I knew you would be my one true love. I…saw…you…a vision so pure and sweet, my only true love….”
It sounded like an old vinyl record, a little scratchy, a little wobbly, but he knew the song, had heard it a dozen times over the years. Still, he couldn’t quite place it.
The voice that followed, electronically distorted, sent a shiver down Trace’s spine. “Mag-gie…my preciousMag-gie. Some-day soon you will awa-ken to me. You will come to me, my Mag-gie. Soon.”
He hit the stop button, looked over at her face. The last of the color had drained away, making the freckles stand out on her nose.
“I know it’s distorted, but is there any chance you recognize the voice?”
She only shook her head.
“How about the song? You know what it is?”
“I’ve heard it. It’s been years. I can’t remember where I know it from.”
“I recognize it, too, but only vaguely. It won’t be hard to find the name. The question is does it mean anything to you?”
She replied with a shaky breath, “Not a thing.”
Trace reached out and hit the message button again, took note of the time of the call, 11:00 p.m. Then he replayed the message. He would have played it a third time if Maggie’s face hadn’t gone paler every time she heard it.
“You’re all dressed up,” he said, his gaze skimming over her sexy clothes. “Hot date?” He tried to keep his tone neutral. He had no hold on Maggie O’Connell, no say in what she did or didn’t do. Still, he didn’t like the idea of her seeing another man.
“Roxy and I went dancing. We went to Galaxy. I love to dance. We don’t go that often, but when we do, that’s where we usually go.”
He knew the place, upscale and classy, catering to a mostly thirties crowd. “Anything unusual happen? Any of your partners say anything, do anything out of the ordinary?”
She hesitated an instant too long.
“Don’t make the mistake you made before, Maggie. I need you to trust me. I need you to tell me the truth.”
She took a shaky breath. “David Lyons was there. The guy I used to live with? We danced together, but only once, and he didn’t say or do anything unusual. In fact, he was extremely polite.”
“Why didn’t you want to tell me?”
She glazed down at the toes of those very high heels, and Trace’s gaze followed. Damn, she had the prettiest legs. Slender ankles and nice high arches. He forced his gaze back to her face.
“David didn’t make that call,” she said. “He just isn’t the kind of guy to do something like that, and I don’t want to cause him any trouble.”
“You still in love with him?”
She shook her head. “I was never in love with David. That was the problem. I hurt him. I didn’t mean to but I did. I don’t want to do it again.”
“You hurt Josh Varner—now you don’t want to hurt David Lyons. Is that about it?”
She swallowed. “I guess maybe that’s part of it. I just know David was really…upset when our relationship ended. He’s a very nice man and he doesn’t deserve more problems from me.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Trace said drily. But now that he was back on the case, which apparently he was, he was going to see it through. David Lyons was on his list of suspects. For Maggie’s sake, Trace would give the guy the benefit of the doubt, but he wouldn’t overlook him completely. Not until her stalker was found.
“Anything else?”
Pondering the question, she worried her lower lip. It was plump, damp and shiny, and the muscles across hisstomach contracted. He wanted to set his mouth there, find out how sweet those full lips tasted. He wanted to do a lot more than that.
Damn. This wasn’t good.
“I can’t think of anything,” she said. “At least not at the
He waited while she punched the play button, and the message began. At first there was a scratchy sound he didn’t recognize. Then a song began: “I…saw…you…I knew you would be my one true love. I…saw…you…a vision so pure and sweet, my only true love….”
It sounded like an old vinyl record, a little scratchy, a little wobbly, but he knew the song, had heard it a dozen times over the years. Still, he couldn’t quite place it.
The voice that followed, electronically distorted, sent a shiver down Trace’s spine. “Mag-gie…my preciousMag-gie. Some-day soon you will awa-ken to me. You will come to me, my Mag-gie. Soon.”
He hit the stop button, looked over at her face. The last of the color had drained away, making the freckles stand out on her nose.
“I know it’s distorted, but is there any chance you recognize the voice?”
She only shook her head.
“How about the song? You know what it is?”
“I’ve heard it. It’s been years. I can’t remember where I know it from.”
“I recognize it, too, but only vaguely. It won’t be hard to find the name. The question is does it mean anything to you?”
She replied with a shaky breath, “Not a thing.”
Trace reached out and hit the message button again, took note of the time of the call, 11:00 p.m. Then he replayed the message. He would have played it a third time if Maggie’s face hadn’t gone paler every time she heard it.
“You’re all dressed up,” he said, his gaze skimming over her sexy clothes. “Hot date?” He tried to keep his tone neutral. He had no hold on Maggie O’Connell, no say in what she did or didn’t do. Still, he didn’t like the idea of her seeing another man.
“Roxy and I went dancing. We went to Galaxy. I love to dance. We don’t go that often, but when we do, that’s where we usually go.”
He knew the place, upscale and classy, catering to a mostly thirties crowd. “Anything unusual happen? Any of your partners say anything, do anything out of the ordinary?”
She hesitated an instant too long.
“Don’t make the mistake you made before, Maggie. I need you to trust me. I need you to tell me the truth.”
She took a shaky breath. “David Lyons was there. The guy I used to live with? We danced together, but only once, and he didn’t say or do anything unusual. In fact, he was extremely polite.”
“Why didn’t you want to tell me?”
She glazed down at the toes of those very high heels, and Trace’s gaze followed. Damn, she had the prettiest legs. Slender ankles and nice high arches. He forced his gaze back to her face.
“David didn’t make that call,” she said. “He just isn’t the kind of guy to do something like that, and I don’t want to cause him any trouble.”
“You still in love with him?”
She shook her head. “I was never in love with David. That was the problem. I hurt him. I didn’t mean to but I did. I don’t want to do it again.”
“You hurt Josh Varner—now you don’t want to hurt David Lyons. Is that about it?”
She swallowed. “I guess maybe that’s part of it. I just know David was really…upset when our relationship ended. He’s a very nice man and he doesn’t deserve more problems from me.”
“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind,” Trace said drily. But now that he was back on the case, which apparently he was, he was going to see it through. David Lyons was on his list of suspects. For Maggie’s sake, Trace would give the guy the benefit of the doubt, but he wouldn’t overlook him completely. Not until her stalker was found.
“Anything else?”
Pondering the question, she worried her lower lip. It was plump, damp and shiny, and the muscles across hisstomach contracted. He wanted to set his mouth there, find out how sweet those full lips tasted. He wanted to do a lot more than that.
Damn. This wasn’t good.
“I can’t think of anything,” she said. “At least not at the
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