Explosive Attraction Read Free

bomber was toying with the police, and Darby, by sending the picture and timer. He’d probably assumed Darby would open her mail early this morning, and that the police would have spent all day futilely trying to find and save the victim. Since she hadn’t opened her mail until late in the day, unfortunately the police had never had a chance to search for the victim.
    And thebomber hadn’t gotten his anticipated thrill out of watching the chase.
    That had Rafe worried the bomber might feel cheated, and he might pick another victim sooner than he otherwise would have. Would the bomber send Darby another envelope? Had he fixated on her as his audience, or was she the next intended victim? Rafe stepped away from Jake and led Buresh to the open doorway.
    “Did yousend someone to Dr. Steele’s office to keep an eye on her?”
    Buresh nodded. “Daniels is there now. He’ll watch the building, make sure no one goes in or out.”
    A small crowd had gathered at the edge of the warehouse’s parking lot. Rafe swore when he recognized a familiar figure behind the police line—Darby Steele. “Too late. What was she thinking coming over here? I specifically told her not to.”
    Across the street, Officer Daniels sat in his police car outside Darby’s one-story office building. She must have left right after Rafe had, before Daniels arrived. The woman needed to learn what the term stay put meant.
    “She shouldn’t be out in the open, not until we know why the bomber sent her that envelope,” Rafe said.
    His boss held his hand in the air, waving for Danielsto join them. “I’ll have Daniels take her back to her office. You think she’s a target?”
    “Possibly, or she’s someone the bomber knows and he wants to brag about his accomplishments. Either way, she’s central to this case. We’ll interview her, see if she knows something she doesn’t even realize she knows, then keep an eye on her until we get this guy.”
    Rafe was about to go back insideto help Jake when he realized Darby wasn’t standing where he’d seen her a moment ago. He scanned the crowd, looking for the petite brunette in the baby-blue business suit—the woman who’d tilted his world on a crazy angle earlier. The simple act of grabbing her wrist, of feeling her soft skin beneath his, had sent a zing of awareness slicing through him, straight to his groin.
    Which made absolutelyno sense, because he didn’t even like Darby Steele.
    Daniels reached Buresh, a smile of greeting on his face. “Hey, Captain, Detective. What’s—”
    “There she is,” Rafe interrupted. “Where’s she going?”
    She was walking away toward the dock at the end of the street. A man was walking beside her, his head covered with a black baseball cap. The two of them were so close there was almostno sunlight separating them.
    An uneasy feeling swept through Rafe. He looked back toward the crowd where Darby had been standing just a moment ago. A large manila envelope was lying on the curb. He clawed for the Glock holstered to his side and jerked his head back toward the dock.
    Darby and the man she was with were about to get into a small, red speedboat, bobbing in the water. Sunlightglinted and Rafe saw what he hadn’t seen earlier.
    A knife pressed against Darby’s side.
    He took off running. “That’s the bomber,” he yelled back over his shoulder. “He’s got Darby!”

Chapter Two
    The man with the knife shoved Darby into the small boat, making her fall to the floor, scraping her knees against the nonskid fiberglass. Ignoring the flash of pain, she scrambled back to her feet and lunged toward the side to jump in the water and escape.
    “Oh, no, you don’t.” The man grabbed her ankle and yanked hard, making her fall back to the bottom of theboat again.
    He crouched over her, pressing the knife against her side. “Try that again and you’re dead.”
    A violent shiver shook Darby. Her breath caught in her throat. The man’s eyes were concealed behind a pair