THREAT OF EXPOSURE
Someone wants reporter Madelyn Sawyer to leave the small coastal town sheâs just arrived inâeven if it takes hurting her. But she wonât give up her goal of investigating Watermanâs Reachâs new police chief that easily. Madelyn assumes that former big-city detective Zach Davisâwho some believe is a murderer involved in a drug-trafficking ringâis behind the threat. Who else would have a motive? But as bullets fly Madelynâs way, itâs Zach who keeps saving her life. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she wants to tell the handsome lawman why sheâs really in town. But if she does, will she lose his trustâ¦and any hope of surviving long enough to bring the real killer to light?
âAre you trying to hide something?â Madelyn asked.
Zachâs cheeks warmed with irritation. She was overstepping her boundariesâbig-time. âYou need to tread carefully, Ms. Sawyer.â
âIs that a threat?â Her hands went to her hips.
That text message had done its job, it appeared, because the woman obviously didnât have any faith in him.
âBy no means is it a threat. I just think youâre not doing yourself any favors storming into town and making accusations.â
Flames lit in her eyes just as fireworks began exploding over the water. âWell, maybe youâll believe me now that I really was attacked last night.â
He stared back, not one to back down. âI never said I didnât believe you.â
âYou didnât have to. I could see it in your eyes.â
He crossed his arms, growing agitated. âSomeone must really not want you here.â
âExactly!â
âBut why?â Why would someone feel this threatened by her? Thatâs what didnât make sense. There were obviously things about Madelyn Sawyer that he didnât know yet. âWhat arenât you telling me?â
They stared at each other another moment. Tension crackled between them.
CHRISTY BARRITTâs books have won a Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Suspense and Mystery and have been twice nominated for the RT Reviewersâ Choice Best Book Award. Sheâs married to her Prince Charming, a man who thinks sheâs hilariousâbut only when sheâs not trying to be. Christyâs a self-proclaimed klutz, an avid music lover and a road trip aficionado. For more information, visit her website at christybarritt.com.
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
âMatthew 6:34
This book is dedicated to all of the fine folks
over on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. Iâve truly enjoyed getting to know you all as Iâve been researching the area for the past several months.
ONE
Madelyn Sawyer glanced into her rearview mirror again and her pulse spiked. The white truck with the dent in its front bumper was still there. Still following her.
She drew in an uneven breath as she dragged her eyes back to the highway in front of her. The road ahead was fairly empty aside from a tractor trailer that had passed her a few minutes earlier and an old school bus full of migrant workers that had just pulled onto the street.
Madelyn was still ten minutes away from her end destination: the small bay town of Watermanâs Reach. Would the truck follow her all the way there?
As the sun continued to sink lower on the horizon, her thoughts raced. Was someone trying to scare her, keep tabs on her or harm her? None of the options made her feel better.
There was already enough secrecy surrounding her assignment in the small fishing community. The last thing she needed was to draw unnecessary attention to herself. Apparently, she already had.
She glanced in the mirror again. Each glimpse of the truck ratcheted up her nerves. What was she going to do?
The truck had been behind her for the past twenty miles. Madelyn had tried to blow it off by rationalizing that many people traveled this route straight from Maryland all the way to Norfolk, Virginia. The region, known as the Eastern Shore, was a strip of land, a peninsula that was surrounded by the ocean on one side and the Chesapeake Bay on the other.
Sheâd gotten off the highway twice to test the truck. The vehicle may have disappeared for short periods, but it always appeared again behind her. She didnât know what was going on or why someone would follow her.
But she had to end this. Now.
With her grip tight on the steering wheel, she swerved onto a side street. She hoped her GPS would reroute her to the duplex where she was staying and that being on a secluded road with the truck wouldnât lead to more danger. Losing the truck was all she could think of.
Unfortunately, sheâd been trained as a journalist and not in defensive or evasive driving techniques. Maybe she should add those to her bucket list. At times like this it would come in handy.