Feel the Heat by Desiree Holt Page A

number of people had doubled and were crowding as close to the house as they could.
    “Wonder what set them off today?” he mused.
    “It’s Friday,” Lauren told them.
    He looked at her. “And?”
    She sighed. “They want something spicy for the weekend editions. All media. The fact that the Flanagans have made themselves scarce is frustrating them. And apparently there haven’t been any exciting crimes or scandals in the past couple of days.”
    “I’ll call Mark. We’re borrowing guards from a local agency we often work with. He can get them to send us one more. Then why don’t we see what’s in your freezer for dinner and open another bottle of wine. It will relax you.”
    “Sure.” She tugged her hair behind her ears. “I’m not all that hungry but the wine sounds good.”
    Once the arrangements had been made, Troy went into her office to see if there were more calls from the stalker. Dan had been trying to trace them but they either led back to a burner phone or a pay phone. Seven calls today. He was escalating. Troy shoved his hands into his pockets to keep from clenching them into fists, and swallowed back his anger. It wouldn’t do to let Lauren see him this way. He was trying to make her feel safer, not worry her more.
    He’d have to talk to Dan and Mark. They needed to find a better way to pin down this asshole.
     

Chapter Five
     
    Reid McFadden was always grateful that Olberman insisted his people travel in comfort. No cheap-ass motel for him or Bonner. Instead they were registered at a semi-luxury hotel with spacious bedrooms opening off the living room of their suite and top- quality restaurants with excellent food. He leaned back in the comfortable chair in his hotel room and stretched out his legs. The meeting with Gayle Hauser had gone exactly as he’d expected. Under other circumstances, she would have been more suspicious and less open to his proposal. But Olberman had done his research very well, as usual, and knew the woman was in a desperate situation.
    He pulled out his business cell phone and pressed speed dial for his boss.
    “Well?” Olberman seldom bothered with the pleasantries of conversation.
    “She bit, just as you predicted,” Reid told him. “I told her to wait a couple of days before calling. The media’s still camped out at the Cahill woman’s place and I don’t think she’d take a call right now. But I’m keeping tabs on both of them.”
    “Good. Excellent. I’ve been making low-key overtures to people I know who could use her services and would pay exorbitantly for them. I want to get her here as soon as possible, but not until I know she’s the real deal.”
    “I understand. By the way, I don’t know if it means anything, but the Cahill woman has a man staying with her. And a couple of others who’ve come and gone. Don’t know her relationship with the one man, but the others seem like friends.”
    “See if you can get any shots of them. Send them to me and I’ll run them through the computer. Let’s see whose playing around in our swimming pool.”
    “Will do. I’ll keep you updated.”
    “As I expect you to.” The man disconnected without any further words.
    Reid didn’t care. Olberman paid extremely well and tonight he’d enjoy the perks of his situation—a good meal, some excellent wine, and perhaps in the hotel’s elegant bar he would find an equally elegant female to help him pass the time.
    * * * * *
     
    Lauren was dreaming. In her dream she stood alone on the top of a mountain while below her an angry crowd rushed up the craggy outcroppings. She kept trying to back away from them but something was holding her firmly in place.
    No! Keep away! Please!
    As the mob drew closer, she held out her hands, trying to push them away, but someone was wrapping her in cloth so she couldn’t move. As the mob drew closer, the cloth drew tighter.
    “Lauren. Lauren, it’s me.”
    Hands trapped her, pulling at the tight fabric, and she couldn’t