Private Scandals

early. It came in during her fitting, and she left as soon as she was done.”
    Finn shoved open the door to Deanna’s office, took one quick scan. “Did you take the message?”
    “No, I was in with her when it came in. Jeff took it.”
    His eyes were like blue ice when he turned back. “Did he say he spoke to me?”
    “Yes—I guess. Is something wrong?” Fear began to gnaw through confusion. Cassie’s gaze darted from Jenner to Finn and back again. “Is something wrong with Deanna?”
    Rather than answer, Finn grabbed the phone and punched in his home number. Two rings later, he heard the answering machine click on. With his teeth set, he waited through the message. “Deanna? Pick up if you’re there. Pick up the phone, damn it.”
    “She’d have to be home by now. She left more than an hour ago. Finn, what’s going on?”
    “What did Jeff tell her?”
    “That you’d called, just as I said.”
    “Why didn’t you answer the phone?”
    “I—” Frightened, and not knowing why, she put a hand on the desk to keep her balance. “I didn’t hear the phone. I didn’t hear it.”
    “Where’s Jeff?”
    “I don’t know. He—”
    But Finn was already racing down the hall. He burst into one room, found Simon in consultation with Margaret. “Hey, Finn. Don’t bother to knock.”
    “Where’s Jeff?”
    “He wasn’t feeling well. He went home.” Simon was rising from the desk as he spoke. “What’s the problem?”
    “Finn.” Though her hands were stiff with cold, Cassie tugged on Finn’s sleeve. “I called for Tim myself. I talked to him. He met her downstairs.”
    “Get him on the line. Now.”
    “Mr. Riley.” Jenner spoke calmly as Cassie rushed off to obey. “I’ve got a black-and-white on its way to your house right now. Odds are Miss Reynolds wasn’t answering the phone. That’s all.”
    “What the hell’s going on?” Simon demanded. “What’s happened now?”
    “Tim doesn’t answer his page.” Cassie stood in the hallway, a hand at her throat. “I got his machine on his home phone.”
    “Give me the address,” Jenner said briskly.

Chapter Twenty-nine
    “ M r. Riley, I know you’re upset, but you’re going to have to let me handle this.”
    Jenner stood on the sidewalk in front of Jeff’s suburban home, aware he was only temporarily blocking Finn from storming the door.
    “She’s in there. I know it.”
    “Not to belittle your instincts, but we can’t know that. We only know that Jeff Hyatt delivered a message. We’re going to check everything out,” Jenner reminded him. “The same way we checked out the driver, Tim O’Malley.”
    “Who wasn’t home,” Finn ground out, staring at the windows behind Jenner. “And the company car wasn’t in the lot. And no one’s seen O’Malley since sometime in the afternoon.” His gaze, icy still, cut like a blade back to Jenner. “So where the hell is he? Where the hell is Deanna?”
    “That’s what we’re going to try to find out. I’m not going to waste my time telling you to get back in your car and go home, but I am telling you to let me handle this with Hyatt.”
    “So handle it.”
    His voice might have been cold, his eyes frosty, but Jenner recognized a powder keg ready to explode. The melodious sound of church bells rang out when Jenner pressed thedoorbell. Beneath his feet was a mat with the word WEL - COME woven in black. In the center of the door was a glossy Christmas wreath topped by a bright red bow. Colored lights had been neatly strung around the frame. Jeff Hyatt appeared ready for the holidays.
    He’d known they would come, and he was ready. Clad comfortably in a tattered sweater and baggy sweats, Jeff descended the stairs. He’d watched them arrive from his bedroom window. He smiled to himself as he paused before the door. This, he knew, was the next step toward freeing Deanna. Toward binding her.
    He pulled open the door. “Hey, Finn.” Confusion clouded his eyes as he looked at his visitors. “What’s up?”
    “Where is she?” Finn spaced each word precisely. Yes, there was a powder keg inside him, and only the knowledge that it could explode over Deanna kept it tapped. “I want to know where she is.”
    “Hey.” His grin tilted into confusion. Jeff stared blankly at Finn, then at Jenner. “What’s going on? Is something wrong?”
    “Mr. Hyatt.” Jenner stepped neatly between the two men. “I need to ask you some questions.”
    “Okay.” Jeff rubbed his fingertips