The Hidden

When they reached the door, Brett opened it for them. “Nice to come home and feel certain no one else is here,” he said lightly.

Scarlet had never so much as thought about it before all this started. Now she was grateful as hell to have the alarm system.

“Yes, it definitely is,” she said.

And yet, she realized, she’d looked immediately at the statue of Nathan Kendall and her muscles tensed, as if she was certain he might have moved again.

He hadn’t.

She relaxed, then felt silly for worrying in the first place.

“Let’s get moving,” Diego said huskily. “An hour passes quickly.”

He looked at Brett, who looked back at him and nodded, and somehow she read the message that passed between them. Brett would stay in the apartment tonight, while everyone else was off doing things.

A sentinel.

“Have fun tonight,” Brett said. He smiled, turned and headed for his bedroom at the end of the hallway.

Scarlet followed Diego into her room.

And she quickly learned why he’d wanted her to be aware that an hour passed quickly.

*

Jane Everett was a beautiful dark-haired woman in a business suit. Diego and Matt picked her up at the Denver airport at seven.

She greeted Matt with a hug and told Diego she was delighted to have another Krewe member. “So, are we heading straight to the remains?” she asked.

“If you don’t mind,” Diego said.

“Wait ’til you see what Jane is able to do,” Matt told him. “You’ll be amazed.”

Jane smiled at Diego as Matt drove. “It’s beautiful out here. I love the East, but I’m from Texas, and I do miss the West.”

“Fill her in on what we know so far,” Matt instructed him. “You’re closest to the case.”

As they drove, Diego told her about Scarlet’s call, the strange photos on her camera and the way the statue had appeared in her bedroom. He related the history of the Conway Ranch and Nathan Kendall, and also explained that the man had nearly two hundred descendants, which might be a factor in the case.

“Adam told me that the Parker murders were essentially identical to Nathan and Jillian Kendall’s deaths. But he also told me that no one’s been able to determine how the man found up on the mountain died, whether it was violence or natural causes.”

“That’s true. But if we can find out who he is, maybe we can find out what he was doing up there and whether someone might have wanted him dead. Not to mention someone out there somewhere is looking for him,” Diego said.

Jane was studying his face as he spoke. “You have a feeling it’s all related, though, don’t you? And that finding out who he is will help you solve the Parkers’ murders.”

“Yes, I do.”

“I’ll get right on it,” she promised. “This has made the national news, you know.”

“I know it’s all anyone is talking about here,” Matt said.

“I picked this up in the airport,” Jane said, and pulled out a newspaper. A stock market downturn had taken the headline, but just below the fold was an article about the strange copycat murders in Colorado. The fact that the husband had been related to the husband in the original murder was mentioned, as well. So was the fact that the police seemed to have no suspects, and no clues.

“Well, the second bit’s true,” Diego said.

“Their car hasn’t shown up yet, but the assumption is that the murderer found them in town and forced them up the mountain. There was nothing helpful at the scene, either—no hairs, no fibers, nothing.”

“But we do have suspects,” Diego said.

“Diego thinks there’s a good chance it could be someone at the Conway Ranch,” Matt said. “Guest, staff, even one of the owners.”

“And you don’t?” Jane asked.

“I’m not willing to narrow it down yet. I definitely think it has something to do with the past, though what, I’m not sure,” Matt said.