“Where to first?” Kujo asked as they entered Eagle Rock.

“I would think you’d want to replace your personal items as soon as possible. I don’t recall seeing a department store, but the feed store might carry denim jeans and shirts.”

They stopped at the feed store. Just as Molly said, they carried a selection of jeans and chambray shirts. Kujo purchased three pairs of jeans, four chambray shirts, a white dress shirt, a dozen pairs of socks and seven T-shirts. He added a camouflage duffel bag to the pile and a pair of binoculars. After he paid for everything, he stuffed the items in the duffel bag.

“You’ll have another T-shirt available after I wash the one I’m wearing,” Molly pointed out.

“Keep it. You lost a shirt in that fire,” he reminded her.

“I brought enough to last a couple weeks. I’ll be fine.”

They stopped at the grocery store and picked up toiletries, a case of bottled water and a box of microwavable popcorn.

“The B&B serves breakfast and has microwaves in the rooms. Most of our meals will be eaten out,” Molly warned.

She gave him directions.

“The B&B is a big house that’s been converted into several rooms for rent, operated by Mrs. Kinner. She’s a seventy-year-old woman who has the energy of someone half her age. And she insists on being called Mrs. K.”

“Sounds like a real ball-buster.”

“She is.” Molly smiled. “With a heart of gold.”

Molly entered the house first. “Mrs. K?”

A diminutive woman, who couldn’t be over five feet tall, pushed through a swinging door into a large dining area equipped with bistro-style tables. “Molly, I’m so glad you’re here. I was going to call the sheriff since I hadn’t seen you in two days. Where were you?”

Molly smiled. “I’m sorry. I should have called to let you know that my…fiancé came and carried me out to a hunting cabin in the woods for some alone time.” She winked, her smile fading. “Unfortunately, the cabin burned to the ground this morning.”

“Oh, dear Lord.” Mrs. K clutched Molly’s arm. “You two weren’t in it when the fire started, were you?”

“No, thank goodness. But since Joe is in town, do you have a room he can rent while he’s here? He’s also got a dog with him.”

“Oh, honey, I’m not so old that I’m offended when young couples sleep together before they’re married. He’s more than welcome to share your room.”

Molly’s eyes widened. “But—”

“Dog, you say?” Mrs. K looked past them. “Where is it?”

“He’s on the porch,” Kujo said.

“Well, let me see him. I love dogs, though Mr. K never let me have them in the house.” She gave them a sly smile. “Since he passed, I allow guests to bring their dogs. It gives me the chance to enjoy them without committing to one. I have so much work to do around here, I doubt I’d have time to give to another being.”

Kujo opened the front door. “Six, come.”

The German Shepherd entered the house and sat at Kujo’s feet.

Mrs. K stood back. “My, he’s a big fellow.” She looked up at Kujo. “Is he friendly?”

“You can pet him. He won’t bite, unless I tell him to.”

“Oh, I’m not certain I’m reassured.” Mrs. K reached out to pet Six and smiled when he nudged her to keep it up. “Oh, he is a sweet fellow. He’s more than welcome. Just let me get another towel. It’s a good thing you two can share a room. With the cattle auction in town, I’m booked through the rest of this week until next Sunday.” She talked as she headed up the stairs.

Kujo almost laughed at the stunned and slightly desperate expression on Molly’s face. But he didn’t. Instead, he hooked her elbow like a good fiancé and guided her up the stairs.

Mrs. K fished a fresh towel out of a linen cabinet. “You’ll want to freshen up, I’m sure. I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Thank you, Mrs. K,” Kujo said to fill in Molly’s silence.

The older woman started for the stairs.

“Oh, Mrs. K?” Kujo called out.

She turned. “Do you need some shampoo and soap?”

“No, thank you,” Kujo gave the woman one of his killer smiles. “We like the Eagle Rock area and the surrounding mountains, so we’ll be out a lot searching for a place to live. Just in case you get worried.”

She grinned. “Thank you for the notice. And if you’re looking for a land agent, David Perez is the most knowledgeable agent in the area. And I wouldn’t go stomping around on other people’s property without an appointment. Some people around here would just as soon shoot first and ask questions later.”

“Thank you,” Kujo said. “We’ll check him out and get lined up for appointments.”

Molly stuck her key into the lock and pushed open the door. Once she and Kujo were inside, she closed it and shook her head. “We have to find somewhere else for you and Six to stay.”

“You heard Mrs. K. She’s booked.”

“Then we’ll find another B&B.”

“If this one is full, the others will be as well.” Kujo took her hand. “Besides, I’m your sidekick, your partner. How can we work as a team when we’re staying in two different places?”

“I don’t know, but we can’t sleep in the same bed.”

He chuckled. “Why not? We did last night, and I didn’t hear any complaints.”

Molly opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Then she snapped it shut. “I’ll be first in the shower. You can unpack. There’s room in the closet and the bottom two drawers of the dresser.” She grabbed a shirt and jeans from hangers in the closet, and panties and a bra from the drawer and scurried into the connecting bathroom.

Kujo’s lips curled. If the flush of color in Molly’s cheeks was any indication, she was worried about sleeping with him. He wondered if she was worried he’d take advantage of her this time, or if she was attracted to him and afraid to act on that attraction.

No matter what the case, he wasn’t leaving her alone in the B&B. After coming back to the burning cabin, he couldn’t leave her alone anywhere. His chest had hurt so badly, he’d felt like he was having a heart attack as he’d stared into the blaze, thinking Molly was trapped inside.

He pulled the jeans and shirts from the duffel bag and ripped the tags and stickers off, tossing them in the wastebasket. He preferred to wash clothes before wearing them, but that would take too much time. Molly would be ready to hit the ground running again as soon as she’d showered and dressed.

He hung the jeans and shirts in the closet for the moment, unwrapped his toiletries from their packaging then looked out the window at the main street running north and south through Eagle Rock.

In a community this small, he found it hard to believe it could harbor an ISIS training camp. Who were they recruiting? Ranchers? Farmers? Businessmen or women?

His stomach rumbled, reminding him they hadn’t had breakfast or lunch. The local diner would be a good place to kill two birds with one stone. They could eat and gather information from the locals.

Molly entered the room, carrying her dirty clothing. She’d dressed in a clean pair of dark jeans and a white button-down blouse. Her hair was brushed back from her forehead, the damp tresses lying in a neat sheath over her shoulders and down the middle of her back.

The woman didn’t need makeup or high heels to appear sexy. The natural glow of her skin and the bright green of her eyes made her more appealing to Kujo than any other woman he’d ever dated.

“Your turn,” Molly said. “I left some hot water for you.”

“Thanks.” He nodded toward her. “How are your wounds?”

She smiled. “Healing nicely, thanks to you.”

He didn’t offer to medicate them again, knowing he would be pushing his own limits if he did. Kujo entered the bathroom, shucked his clothes and ducked into the shower. He spent the next few minutes standing under the spray, washing the soot off his body and hair while trying not to think of Molly in the same shower, naked with the water running over her breasts and down her belly to the juncture of her thighs. He groaned and switched the water to cold.

“Are you all right in there?” Molly asked, her voice muffled by the door.

“I’m fine.” Just fine, with a boner and desire he couldn’t slake. He was working with Molly, not dating her. Giving in to lust would only complicate their task and take the focus off the real issue.

Despite the use of cold water, Kujo spent several minutes freezing before his erection dissipated. Quickly, before he could start thinking of a naked Molly again, he turned off the water, dried his body and dragged on the stiff jeans and shirt and headed out of the bathroom.

Molly wasn’t in the bedroom and neither were Kujo’s new jeans and shirts, nor his soot-covered clothing. When had she come into the bathroom to collect his soiled clothes?

The door to the room opened and Molly appeared. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took your clothes to the laundry room. I got them started in the washer. Mrs. K offered to switch them to the dryer while we’re out.”

“Thanks.” He pulled on the new socks and his boots. “I’m ready when you are.”

“I’d like to stop at the realtor’s and set up some appointments to see property in the area,” Molly said.

“We can do that on the way to the diner. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry enough to eat a side of beef. And while we’re there, we can ask the locals what people do for work around here.”

Molly’s brows scrunched. “Are you already looking for a new job? You just started with Hank.”

Kujo shook his head. “No, I need to give this one a chance before I start looking again. I’m looking for reasons a community would condone such a thing as a terrorist training camp. Some people must know it’s here—at least, ones the group has recruited.”

“Most people recruited into such organizations have issues,” Molly agreed. “Low self-esteem, being fired from a job, trouble with the law and more. You’re right, the job situation around here might have contributed to brainwashed targets.” Molly’s belly growled and she pressed a hand to her midsection. “And yes, stopping to eat would be good.”

They left the room, Six trotting along behind them.

“The diner is only two blocks away,” Kujo said. “Do you feel well enough to walk?”

She nodded.

Kujo took her hand. He liked the feel of her soft warm hand in his.

Molly glanced up.

“Our cover, remember?” he whispered. “Might as well look like we’re together.” She might not be on board with the idea, but Kujo was liking it all too much.

Molly’s pulse hammered through her veins. Holding Joe’s hand shouldn’t have had that effect on her. Could he feel the rapid beat of her heart through her fingertips? Would he think she was excited by his touch? Well, she was. Far more than she should have been, having only known him for such a short time.

And they’d share a bed that night, unless Joe slept on the floor. If not him, she could. Joe. Kujo. She was having a hard time calling him by his nickname.

Good Lord, she didn’t need the distraction of lust getting in the way of her first field assignment. This was her job. The career she’d chosen, trained for and loved. She’d be damned if she sabotaged it due to a fling with a handsome Army veteran.

For the sake of their cover, she forced a smile onto her face and pretended to enjoy being with him. That part wasn’t hard at all. The man had proven brave, gentle and solid. And those muscles…

There she went again!

She walked the two blocks in silence, afraid if she opened her mouth, some of her tumultuous thoughts would spill out, and she’d make a fool of herself.

Other than holding her through the night and holding her tight in front of the burning cabin, he hadn’t shown a desire to go any further. Perhaps he wasn’t all that into her. And she shouldn’t care.

Outside the diner, Kujo gave Six a one-word command, “Stay.”

Six sat beside the entrance, his gaze on Kujo as his master held the door for Molly.

The diner had a retro-fifties appearance, with checkered black and white tile flooring, chrome finishes and checkered tablecloths.

“Welcome to Al’s Diner,” a waitress called out. “Pick a seat, I’ll be with you in a minute.”

Molly chose a table in the middle of the room, the better to eavesdrop on other patrons. She sat with her back to the door, allowing Kujo the seat facing the entrance, so that he could have her back.

He held her chair until she sat then took the one across from her.

“Hi, I’m Daisy, I’ll be your server.” The waitress brought menus and two glasses of water and laid them on the table. She took their drink orders and disappeared. When she came back with coffee for them both, she smiled and set them on the table. “You two are new in town.”

Molly nodded. “Yes, we are.”

“Passing through or looking to stay a while?” Daisy pulled an order pad from her apron pocket and a pencil from behind her ear.

“We’re looking for a home in the area,” Kujo said. “I’m Joe, and this is my fiancée, Molly.”

“Joe and Molly, so glad to see people my age moving into Eagle Rock, rather than leaving.”

“Are young people leaving?” Molly prompted.

“Oh, sure. Most kids graduate high school and leave for the bigger cities to go to universities or find jobs.” She stood with her pen poised over the pad. “What can I getcha?” Daisy took their orders then glanced up. “Oh, hi, Mr. Perez. Find a seat. I’ll be with you in a minute.” She looked back at Molly and Kujo. If you need a good real estate agent, Mr. Perez is one of the best in town. He knows everything about every piece of property in the county.”

“Now, Daisy, that’s an exaggeration.” A dark-haired, dark-skinned man, dressed in neatly ironed slacks and a polo shirt, stepped up to the table where Molly and Kujo sat. “Hi, I’m David Perez.”

Kujo stood and held out his hand. “Joe Kuntz.” He nodded toward Molly. “My fiancée, Molly.”

Molly’s tummy did a backflip when Kujo called her his fiancée. She liked the sound of it too much. Pushing the thought aside, she squared her shoulders and took Perez’s hand. “Is it true you’re a real estate agent?”

“I am.” He pulled a card from his pocket and handed it to her. “Are you looking for a place?”

“We are,” Kujo said. “We’re considering moving to Eagle Rock, but we’d like to see all it has to offer.”

A big man with shaggy hair and a beard turned on his stool at the counter. “If you’re coming for the job opportunities, you’re in the wrong place.”

“What do you mean?” Molly asked.

“Coal mines are laying off workers. Pipeline work is on hold, and we got more people out of work than there are jobs in ranching.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she said.

The bearded man’s eyes narrowed. “You ain’t looking for work, are you?”

Kujo held up his hands. “No. I’m an independent contractor and do most of my work out of state.”

“Then why live here in Eagle Rock?”

Kujo shrugged. “Why not? I travel most of the time, and my fiancée is into photography. She likes it here.” He smiled. “Don’t worry. We’re not here job hunting. Just property shopping.”

The grizzled man continued to frown but turned his back to them, mumbling, “Damned outsiders with more money than brains are driving the prices of property up around here.”

Perez shook his head and smiled at them. “Don’t let George discourage you. Most people in the area are friendly.”

“Yeah, most of those who didn’t lose their jobs,” George muttered, still with his back to them.

“If you want to look around the area, I have time this afternoon. It’ll only take me an hour to set up some appointments,” Perez said.

Molly beamed like a new bride. “Could you?”

“Of course.” Perez pulled out his cell phone. “I’m here for lunch, then I’ll head back to my office. You can meet me there. Anything in particular you’re looking for?”

“Your office is fine.” Kujo glanced at Molly. “My fiancée is an avid photographer and has fallen in love with the Crazy Mountains. We’d like to look at acreage up against the national forests near there.”

Perez made a note on his cell phone. “Got it. I’ll see you in an hour.” He left them to sit at a table with another man whose back was to them.

“Okay, we have an agent.” Kujo sat in time for Daisy to bring out their plates of sandwiches and fries.

“What George said about people being out of work…” The waitress shook her head. “It changes people.”

“How so?” Molly asked.

Daisy looked down at her hands. “My boyfriend—I should say, ex-boyfriend—lost his job working the oil pipeline. One day, Tanner was making good money, and we were thinking about getting married, building a house and having kids.” She looked out the window of the diner. “Then he was out of a job with no prospects and no other skills than what he’d learned on the pipeline. He looked for work, even took a job at Pinion Ranch doing manual labor.”

“Wasn’t any work better than none for him?” Molly asked.

Daisy shook her head. “They only pay Tanner a quarter of what he was making on the pipeline. He can’t make the payments on his new truck nor afford the house he’s renting. He hates that I make more money in tips than he does for all the backbreaking work he does all week. He gets so angry.” She rubbed her arms, staring past Molly and Kujo as if reliving the past. Then she shook herself and pasted a smile on her face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said all that. Forget it. I broke up with him, anyway. Enjoy your meal.” The young woman spun and scurried away.

Molly’s heart squeezed in her chest. “That really sucks for her.”

“Yeah. When life throws you curve balls. You have to learn how to swing at them.” Kujo’s gaze followed Daisy to the swinging door to the kitchen.

“Is that what happened to you? Is that why you’re working for Hank, now?” Molly stared across the table at the man.

Kujo’s lips firmed into a tight line. “The army was all I knew, all I trained for.”

“Like Daisy’s boyfriend.”

He nodded. “When that was no longer an option, I was lost and angry.”

“What did you do?”

His lips formed a crooked smile. “I lost myself in the mountains of Colorado.”

“Lost yourself?”

“Figuratively speaking. I became a hermit in a cabin in the mountains.”

Molly touched his hand. “I’m beginning to see a pattern.”

His smile grew softer. “I stayed there for three years, until Bear and Duke came to tell me Six was up for adoption.”

Molly studied the strong, vibrant man sitting across from her and marveled at how he had felt lost when he’d left the military. If he could be that angry and disappointed about losing the life he’d come to know, others might feel the same.

“Your friends threw you a lifeline,” she said.

He nodded. “That lifeline was Six.”

Molly’s chest swelled. She’d liked the dog from the first moment they’d met. Now she had even more of a reason to appreciate the animal.

“Six had been injured in his last assignment, and fostering wasn’t working out for him. If I hadn’t come along, they would have euthanized him.”

Molly gasped. “You saved each other.”

His lips quirked up on the corners. “I guess we did. Now we have a chance at a new life.” Kujo stared at the door to the diner as if he could see Six sitting outside so patiently waiting for them to come out.

Kujo smiled across the table like a man in love.

Molly’s heart flipped. What would it be like to have this man’s love?

“In the military,” he said softly, “we had annual suicide prevention and operations security briefings. In each of the sessions, we were trained to look for signs in our peers and subordinates of depression or extreme stress. Studies showed when things aren’t going well at home, either with relationships or financial disasters, good men can be turned bad more easily. They might sell information to the enemy or join the other side to get out of the situation they find themselves in.”

“Or commit suicide,” Molly added.

“True. The people around here who’ve lost their jobs are in similar situations. They’ve become desperate and do stupid things or lash out.”

“Like Tanner, Daisy’s ex.”

He nodded. “I’ll bet he isn’t the only one who’s angry and willing to find an outlet for his anger.”

Though they spoke softly, Molly couldn’t resist making a casual perusal of the diner to see if anyone was paying attention to them, possibly eavesdropping into their discussion.

Everyone appeared to be concentrating on the people sitting at their own tables, not Molly and Kujo’s.

Molly ate the rest of her meal in silence, while listening to the conversations around their table, hoping to glean more information about the layoffs and subsequent relationship issues.

One woman talked about substituting in the local elementary school to a friend who thought it was a good idea. A man complained about the price of feed for his horses to another man who tried to one-up him with the rising cost of fuel for his tractors. None of them appeared to be angry enough to be terrorist recruits.

Except maybe the cranky, bearded man at the counter. Only he didn’t look like he was in any condition to run obstacle courses or storm buildings with high-powered machine guns.

Then again, it only took a man driving a vehicle into a crowd to create chaos and fear. Her intel had mentioned an ISIS training camp, not what kind of training they were conducting.

Kujo finished his meal and leaned across the table to grasp her hand. “Penny for your thoughts.” He entwined her fingers with his.

Molly’s thoughts flew out the window as soon as he touched her. “I wasn’t thinking about much,” she stalled. “What about you?”

“I was just thinking about how lucky I am to be sitting with the prettiest woman in the diner.”

Her cheeks heated, and that kaleidoscope of butterflies took off once again battering her insides with their soft wings. “Be serious,” she said, her voice a little breathless.

“I am.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. “We have a few minutes before we meet with Mr. Perez. Want to window shop and see what Eagle Rock has to offer?”

Molly practically jumped from her seat, anxious for any movement that would require Kujo to release her hand.

When he did, she felt the loss immediately and could breathe normally again. Why did this man have such a profound effect on her? “Give me a minute. I want to visit the ladies’ room,” she said, her heart pounding.

“Take your time.”

Molly hurried to the back of the diner where a hallway led to the restrooms. She entered the ladies’ room and stood at the sink, staring into the mirror at her flushed face. What was wrong with her? She never reacted to men the way she was reacting to Kujo. If she weren’t careful, she’d lose focus on her mission.

Hell, if she weren’t careful, she’d fall in love with the former Army soldier.

Molly splashed water on her face, telling herself to snap out of her growing infatuation with the big guy. So, he’d held her hand. He was doing it for their cover. He’d said she was beautiful. Again, for their cover.

She dried her face and straightened. “Now, don’t be a fool. Get out there and do your job.”

The door to the restroom opened, and Daisy stepped in.

Molly moved aside, but Daisy didn’t pass her. Instead, she stopped in front of Molly. “I’m sorry about unloading on you in the diner.”

“It’s quite all right.” Molly touched the young woman’s arm. “It’s hard breaking up with someone you thought you had a future with.”

“I guess it was so new, I couldn’t help it. I kicked him out of my apartment yesterday. I had my apartment manager change the locks while he was away.”

Molly gave her a twisted smile. “I bet he wasn’t happy when he came back to find that his key didn’t work.”

“I warned him, but he didn’t think I’d do it. I packed all his clothes into bags and set them outside the door. The only thing of his I didn’t put out was his laptop. I figure if he wants it enough, he’ll have to ask nicely. I put it in the back of my Jeep so I won’t have to let him back into the apartment to get it.” Daisy looked up, her eyes pooling with tears. “Was I wrong to kick him out? When he hit me, should I have been more understanding?”

Molly’s heart hurt for the woman who couldn’t be more than twenty-one or twenty-two. She wrapped her arms around Daisy. “Oh, sweetheart, you did the right thing. No man has the right to hit a woman.”

“My friend, Martha—her husband hits her all the time. And she just takes it.” Daisy shook her head. “Am I weak? Should I stand by my man like Martha does when times are tough?”

“Was her husband laid off like your boyfriend?”

Daisy nodded and swiped at a tear leaking out of the corner of her eye. “They worked together. They still do on the Pinion Ranch. But they’re frustrated and not making enough to live on. That’s why my boyfriend moved in with me. He couldn’t afford an apartment on his own, and now I feel guilty about kicking him out.”

“That’s his problem. You shouldn’t feel guilty. Especially if he’s abusing you.”

“That’s what I keep telling myself. But at the same time, isn’t a woman supposed to stand by her man, through good times and bad?” She leaned back and stared into Molly’s eyes.

“Not that kind of bad. A guy has to be man enough to handle the bad times without taking it out on the ones he’s supposed to love. You’re smart. You knew it wasn’t right and got out before it got worse. Some women don’t figure that out until too late.”

Daisy hugged Molly. “I’m so sorry to dump all of this on you. But you seemed so nice, and you aren’t related to anyone in Eagle Rock. I knew you’d give me an unbiased opinion.”

“Daisy, I’m glad to help. You deserve better, and you’re doing the right thing to cut it off before you’re hurt badly.”

Daisy squeezed her one last time then stepped away, adjusted her apron and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She gave Molly a watery smile. “Thank you.”

“If you need me for anything, I’m staying at Mrs. K’s B&B. Day or night.” Molly took the pad from Daisy’s pocket and the pen from behind her ear and wrote her cell phone number on one of the pages. She handed the pad and pen to the woman. “Anytime. I mean it.”

Daisy and Molly left the restroom at the same time. Daisy entered the kitchen, while Molly weaved through the tables to where Kujo sat.

He stood as she approached. “Ready to go?”

Kujo paid at the counter, left a tip on the table and called out, “Thank you, Daisy.”

Daisy had just walked back through the swinging kitchen door. She smiled at Kujo and then at Molly. “Thank you.”

Molly liked Daisy and hoped her ex-boyfriend didn’t try to seek vengeance on the girl.

Before they left the diner, Molly had one thing she wanted to do.

“Hold on,” Molly said. She stepped up to the grouchy man at the counter and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Molly. I thought I’d introduce myself and thank you for your insight on the job situation.”

He frowned at the hand held out to him as if it might bite him. Finally, he took it in his meaty palm and practically crushed her fingers.

“And you are?” she asked and smiled brightly through the pain.

“George Batson.”

“Mr. Batson, I look forward to running into you again. Thank you for taking time to talk with us about Eagle Rock.”

His face turned a ruddy red. “Ain’t nothin’. Eagle Rock’s a nice place to live, if you have work.”

“We think so, too. I hope things improve soon for you and all of those people who lost their jobs.”

“Oh, I didn’t lose my job. But my sons did, and their friends. Most of them left. The ones still here are making peanuts hauling hay and mucking stalls part time at Pinion Ranch.”

“I see.” Molly smiled again. “Well, it was a pleasure to meet you.” She hooked her arm through Kujo’s and left the diner.

“What was that all about?” Kujo asked.

“Your boss, Hank, has connections, right?”

“Yeah. So?”

“Between mine and his, we should feed them names of people we come across who could possibly be involved with terrorists.”

Kujo glanced back at George Batson through the windows of the diner. “And you think Batson might be one of them?”

“Maybe. Or his sons.” She shrugged. “I’m throwing noodles against the wall, hoping something sticks.” She leaned into him, hugging his arm. “Work with me.”

Kujo dropped his hand to the small of her back. “Good point. As soon as we get to somewhere private, we can call in the names of the people we just spoke with.”

Molly laughed. “You think Daisy might be involved in covert activities?”

“Some say the really bad ones are the folks you least suspect.”

Molly nodded. “Well, Daisy would be the least likely candidate in my book. Now, her boyfriend might be someone we consider as well.”

“Names, sweetheart,” Kujo said. “We need first and last names.”

“I didn’t get Tanner’s last name.” Molly had been so wrapped up in Daisy’s story, she’d forgotten to ask for the name of her boyfriend. Then she relaxed. “I know someone who can help.”

“Who?”

“Mrs. K at the B&B. She said she’s been in Eagle Rock all her life. She’s proud of the fact she knows everyone.”

Kujo grinned. “A busybody.”

“Of the best kind,” Molly agreed.

“What about Perez?” Kujo asked. “Should we add him to the list of potential suspects?”

“Wouldn’t hurt to run his name through some criminal databases to see if we come up with a match.” She held up her cell phone. “I even snapped a photo of him while his attention was on George.”

Kujo leaned back, his eyes wide. “Damn, woman, you really are in it to win it.”

“You bet I am. I have a lot riding on this investigation,” she whispered, the smile dropping from her lips. “This is my first field assignment. If I screw it up, I’m back at a desk.” She sighed. “I hate paperwork.”