Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 53450 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 267(@200wpm)___ 214(@250wpm)___ 178(@300wpm)
The sound of an explosion reached him a few miles later, followed quickly by sirens. Magnus never slowed as he noted the glow of flames on the skyline behind him. That life was gone.
Chapter One
Magnus waited until everyone drifted away from the basement to display Juniper Hazen’s pictures back on screens. She was lovely—all curves and shadows with beautiful blonde hair he knew would feel like silk in his hands. Those green eyes drew him most. Lonely, remote. She gave the impression that she observed life more than she experienced it.
Once he dug deeper into her profile, he found it included curious bits. The first was an article from Christchurch, the largest city on the South Island. It concerned a bank robbery from twenty years ago. There was also a mug shot of the man who’d been convicted of the crime. His sentence had ended three months ago. Finally, there was an obituary for Kyle Hazen, Juniper’s father, dated three weeks ago.
Her father’s death was the easy explanation for Juniper’s sad expression. That didn’t seem to account for the remoteness in her gaze. Or did she not like people? Magnus could thoroughly understand avoiding others like the plague.
Why would Juniper come here, and what was the threat? She would have been twelve when the man went to prison. Had he done something to her? Damn Kingsley for not sending more information.
Wait! He could find out pretty much anything. Adjusting his baseball cap a bit lower to shield his eyes from the bright lights in the basement, Magnus put his fingers on the keyboard. If there were some connection between Juniper and the bank robbery, he’d find it.
“Aw! Did you sleep down here?” Celeste’s voice echoed slightly in the open room.
“What?” Magnus lifted his head to blink at her. Processing quickly, he glanced at the clock. Eight o’clock. He’d last seen the clock at four.
“She’s pretty. Do you think she’ll like us? Or be like us?” Celeste asked.
“She is very attractive. I can’t imagine that all our assignments will focus on Littles. The odds of that are astronomical,” Magnus said, subtly closing display windows on the screens above. He rose to refill his coffee cup as the elevator doors opened again.
“You really shouldn’t drink that much coffee,” Celeste said, shaking her head.
“It’s not good for you,” Zara added as she walked forward, looking gorgeous as usual.
“I’ll think about cutting down,” he offered to appease them.
“Your nose is going to grow, Pinocchio,” Zara said as she walked toward the lab, where she assisted Celeste’s research.
Magnus took a sip of the bitter brew and grimaced. Maybe it was time to stop drinking coffee. A second sip convinced him not to be so rash.
He should head upstairs to shower. Magnus pulled the neckline of his aged T-shirt and sniffed. Wrinkling his nose, he headed for the elevator. A ding from his computer system made him stop in his tracks and run back toward it. An image of Juniper Hazen walking through the front doors of Danger Bluff and up to the front desk appeared on his largest screen.
Magnus tried to tell himself that he was crazy, but something seemed to click into place inside him. He watched Sadie greet her and check her into the hotel. Sadie’s gaze met his directly as she deliberately looked into the camera. Knowing that Sadie was checking to see if he was watching, he sent her a quick text.
I’m here.
Sadie nodded slightly after glancing at her monitor, and Magnus knew she’d seen his response. Juniper never noticed. The newest visitor looked around with great curiosity. After receiving her room key, Juniper turned to the elevator without hesitation.
Magnus knew from her file that she’d been here as a child. She remembers the resort. This was going to be interesting. How much would be stored in her memory?
Magnus ran to the elevator and jumped inside. He pushed the fourth-floor button and held his breath. It went up one level and stopped. The doors opened, and three people walked inside. A chattering couple who had just come from Rocco’s beginning rock climbing class and Juniper filled the space as he shifted to the back corner.
On the third floor, the couple walked out, leaving him and Juniper alone. He watched her from under the cover of his baseball cap. Breathing in, he could smell her light perfume and, underneath that, a hint of her. He watched her hand trace over the buttons as if considering the floor choices, and she looked up toward the elevator ceiling, thinking hard.
When the doors opened again, Juniper rolled her suitcase to the front. The wheels got caught on the metal divider, stopping her. Magnus reached down to lift the suitcase clear as he followed and celebrated the solid weight of her suitcase. It appeared she planned to stay for a while.