A wooden sign with the words WELCOME TO CANYON FARMS greeted her as she steered with quivering hands. She took a deep breath and began the quarter mile drive toward the building. Even though it was before seven, it looked as if there were people already working. She noticed there were three trucks similar to the one she’d spotted the day before, and everyone was wearing green shirts. What she didn’t notice was another car on the property with someone inside snapping photos.

  A young man walked over to Luna’s vehicle after she had parked. “Morning, miss. We don’t open for another few minutes. Anything I can help you with?”

  She hesitated and took a deep breath. “Actually, I’m looking for an old friend from college. His name is Brendan Nelson.”

  The young man squinted. “Nobody by that name works here.”

  Luna pulled out her phone and showed him the photo she’d taken the day before.

  “Oh, you mean Boyd Wilson?” the young man asked.

  Luna laughed nervously. “We called him Brendan in school.” She wasn’t sure if that was a good recovery, but the young man didn’t seem to question her. “Let me go see if Boyd is around. Be right back.”

  “Boyd Wilson,” she whispered out loud. “Huh. Well, if it isn’t Brendan, then he surely has a twin.”

  A few minutes later, Brendan’s body double came around to the driver’s side of the car. He didn’t recognize her at first.

  “Brendan. It’s me. Luna.” Tears started to well up.

  He went pale. “Luna. You can’t be here.”

  “But why? What happened?” she pleaded.

  “Luna, please. Get out of here. Do not tell anyone you saw me. You have to go.”

  “But . . . but . . .” She was sputtering.

  “Please, Luna. Just go.” His voice was stern, almost harsh.

  “Okay. Okay.” She started her car and drove off the property, more tears streaming down her face. “Why? Why? Why?”

  As she exited, she didn’t notice a second car that had been parked on the other side of the entrance. When she returned to the B&B, Gail was reading a newspaper with the television on in the background. “Hey, chica. Where were you off to so early this morning?”

  Luna looked pale. “I . . . I . . . went out to Canyon Farms.”

  “Canyon Farms?” Gail looked very confused. “Why?”

  Luna sat down across the table and let out a long breath. “Don’t be mad, but when you were in the grocery store yesterday, I thought I saw Brendan again, this time getting into a truck. I took a photo.” She scrolled through her phone and showed Gail the picture of the man Luna claimed was her friend. “I just couldn’t stand it. I had a feeling it was him, and it is him.”

  Gail almost dropped her coffee mug. “Holy guacamole. Wow. But why? How? What?”

  “When I got to the farm, I asked if Brendan Nelson was there. A young guy said no one by that name worked at the place. Then I showed him the photo. He said the guy’s name was Boyd Wilson.”

  “And then?” Gail’s eyes were like saucers.

  “And then the kid went and got Boyd. He didn’t recognize me at first, but then told me to go away, I shouldn’t be there, blah, blah, blah. He was almost mean about it.”

  “How long did you talk to him?”

  “Two minutes. Tops.” Luna’s eyes welled up again.

  “So you didn’t have a chance to ask him about the boating accident?”

  “Nope.” Luna twisted her mouth. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “I think you should do nothing. Maybe he’s in some kind of trouble and doesn’t want to be found.”

  “True, but Brendan was never one for getting into trouble. I don’t think he ever got a speeding ticket.”

  “Sweetcakes, you need to put this away. Out of your head. You can’t go snooping—” Gail was cut off by a news break on the TV.

  “A thirty-seven-year-old man was run off the highway just outside of Canyon Ranch. He was one of the ranch employees. By the time the police arrived on scene, the other vehicle was found abandoned, and the victim was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. If anyone has any information regarding the accident, please contact the local police department.”

  Gail and Luna were frozen, holding their coffee mugs midair. Finally, Gail grabbed Luna’s mug from her shaking hands. “You don’t know if it was Brendan. . . Boyd . . . whatever.”

  “No. It was him. I just know it. We have to go to the hospital.”

  “Oh no, we do not,” Gail insisted. “You need to leave well enough alone.”

  “Well enough? Well enough?” Luna’s voice was at an all-time high volume. Even Max barked in response.

  “Listen, if there was foul play, you don’t want to go anywhere near it. There is nothing you can do except send him good vibes. If it even is him.”

  Luna began to cry. It was a waterfall of grief and relief.

  “Oh, sweetie, they said it was non-life-threatening injuries. So take some comfort in knowing he’s not dead.”

  Luna wiped her nose and face with a napkin. “I don’t think I’ve cried this much in years.”

  “Old memories. Shock. Plus, you know your relationship with Chris is going to morph into something else, and not knowing what that is can bring on a lot of anxiety.” Gail got up to grab a box of tissues and put a kettle on. “Tea. The Brits think it’s a cure-all for everything.”

  Luna laughed. “That’s exactly what Ellie said when I told her about Brendan’s death notice.”

  “Tea and Brendan. Is he a Brit, by any chance?” Gail was making an effort to lighten the mood.

  “Irish.”

  Gail laughed. “Well then, I’ll make some Irish breakfast tea.”

  “Maybe a shot of Irish whiskey, too!” Luna joked.

  “Don’t tempt me. It’s not even noon!” Gail laughed as she lit the gas stove. “How about we take a ride to Oak Creek Canyon, where you can walk along the river and on the river rocks. I don’t think we did that the last time you were here.”

  “Sounds refreshing.”

  Gail served up the tea, and they watched the TV intently for any more updates on the mysterious accident. Convinced there was nothing more to be learned, they piled into the Jeep with Max in the back.

  The rhythm of the briskly moving river was indeed comforting. It matched the fluid lines of the canyon rocks. Opposite in material but equal in beauty. Luna was surrounded by the nurturing layers of Mother Nature. Everyone should have this kind of experience, Luna thought. But despite her newfound sense of calm, she had to admit that Boyd—or whoever the heck he was—had rattled her to the bone.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Federal Law Enforcement Center

  Glynco, Georgia

  Six Hours Later

  Marsha Christopher Gaines was finishing up his training for WITSEC when he got a call from his home office. “Chris, Frank here.”

  “Hey, Frank. I was just packing my stuff. Training went well. I’m excited about this new situation.”

  “Yes, I heard you did a bang-up job,” Frank replied. “Listen, we have a situation. I figured it would be a good opportunity for you to get your feet wet.”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “The deputy director wants you to stop by his office.”

  “Everything alright?”

  “We’re not sure yet, but he has something he wants you to look into.”

  “Sure, boss. I’ll head over right away.”

  Chris grabbed his gear and returned to the main office. He showed the security guard his identification.

  The gate opened, and Chris drove to the visitor’s parking area. It was the closest to the front of the building. By the sound of Frank’s voice, it seemed to be an urgent matter.

  Gaines walked down the hall to the deputy director’s office. The director was standing outside, speaking to several other marshals.

  “Gaines. Glad we caught you.”

  “Sir. What’s going on?”

  “We may have a breach with one of our witnesses. He was seen talking to a woman this morning, and an hour later, he was run off the road. Couple of cuts and bruises, but we have him in protective custody. His handler got word that there might have been a security breach, so he was tailing our witness to see if anyone was following him. Turns out there was another car on the premises besides the woman. He couldn’t follow both of them, so he made a judgment call and shadowed the guy in a black sedan, who followed our witness. Good thing, because he was on scene when the accident happened, called it in to the local police, and the perp was apprehended.” He paused to let the information sink in. “The news media is telling a slightly different story, and that’s the way we want it to remain. No ID of the guy they apprehended. They’re grilling him now to see how he discovered our guy.

  “We don’t know if they are in it together, but our agent has the person of interest in an interrogation room. We need to find this woman.” He pushed a button on his laptop, and the photo of a woman’s face appeared on the screen. It was a little grainy. Gaines blinked several times. He squinted and furrowed his brow. He stared at the face for several moments. Different hair. Different glasses, he thought to himself, but the resemblance was astounding. Without missing a beat, he asked, “Where did this take place?”

  “Sedona, Arizona.”

  The words churned the bile in his stomach. He didn’t want to believe it was her. She looks so different. And why? Why would she do something like that? He turned to the director, and without hesitating, asked, “You got a plane for me to catch?” Before he left the building, he downloaded face recognition software to his laptop. It was going to be a long flight.

  Within the hour, Gaines was given instructions and who his contact person would be when he landed in Flagstaff. His mind was racing. It’s just not possible. As soon as he got back in his Jeep, he called Luna. She answered right away.

  “Hey there! What’s doin’?” She sounded very chirpy.

  He hadn’t rehearsed what he was going to say to her. He couldn’t come out and ask her if she’d been wearing a disguise earlier that day, or if she’d encountered someone in WITSEC.

  “Hey, dollface. Just checking in on you.” Gaines tried to sound casual.

  “I’m behaving.” Luna smiled. It was good to hear Chris’s voice. Her encounter with Brendan had left her rattled. “Gail and I watched the sunrise yesterday at Bell Rock and then took a quick ride to Airport Mesa.” She didn’t dare tell him how she’d started her morning.

  “Sounds energizing.”

  “Physically exhausting, but spiritually energizing.”

  Chris wasn’t sure whether he should tell her he was about to board a military jet to Arizona. He decided he would wait until he got there and had more data. No sense in starting anything over the phone when he didn’t have all the information. “What are you doing the rest of the day?” he asked.

  “We’re going to go back to the artist studios and finalize the plans for our holiday display. We found so many great things. I think the exhibit is going to be quite excellent.”

  “No doubt with you working on it.” Chris thought her voice sounded normal. It couldn’t be Luna in the photo, unless she was leading a double life. And wouldn’t he have figured that out by now? “When are you planning on getting back?”

  “Day after tomorrow. I thought I’d spend a couple more days here and enjoy more of the terrain, landscape, and the vibe. We may venture over to the Kachina Woman if we have time later. But it’s a bit of a hike. What about you?”

  He hesitated for a second. “I’m heading out in a little while.” It wasn’t a total lie. Just an omission of some very important information.

  “How’s Carter enjoying baseball camp?” Luna asked.

  “He’s loving it. I have to pick him up this weekend.” Then he clenched his teeth. What if he wasn’t back in time? That meant Lucinda would have to pick him up. And the hearing was just weeks away. Swell.

  “You’ll have a lot to catch up on,” Luna said merrily.

  “Yes, we will. You and I will, too.” All sorts of things were running through his head. Would they be catching up in a jail cell? He shuddered. “Listen, I’ve gotta jump. Talk to you later tonight?”

  “Sure thing. Safe travels. Love ya.” With that, Luna signed off.

  Chris stared at his phone. This couldn’t be happening. The next chore was phoning Lucinda and putting her on notice that she might have to pick up Carter. Ever since she was served the papers for the custody hearing, she’d become a screaming banshee. He decided to send her a text instead. At least that way, he wouldn’t have to hear her screeching voice. Not for a while, anyway. He decided to make it a group text and include Carter. She would behave much better if she knew her son was included in the communication. He texted:

  Hey. I have to go out of town. Not sure if I’ll be back in time. Lucinda, you might have to pick Carter up. Will keep you posted.

  He could practically hear her phone exploding. Heaven forbid her schedule was tilted a bit. Not even for her son. Chris Gaines was not in a good mood.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Arizona

  Face to Face

  Chris boarded the military jet and settled into his seat. He dreaded opening his laptop, but he knew he had to do it. His career and his relationship were hanging in the balance. He uploaded the photo of Luna he had saved in his phone and then had it cross-referenced with the photo of the woman in the car. It took less than a minute for all the markers to match. The blood drained from his face. Think, Chris, think. There has to be a logical explanation for this.

  They were the longest four hours of his life. The only upside was that Lucinda couldn’t reach him. Once they landed, he was surprised to see a single text from her saying Okay.

  Okay? Nothing was ever okay with Lucinda. She had to be up to something. His nerves were on edge, something he was not accustomed to. Another text had come in from Carter: Okay Dad. Miss you.

  That gave him a modicum of comfort.

  As Chris deplaned, he recognized the agent who was waiting for him at the gate. They gave each other a nod as Chris approached him. “Marshal Gaines? Desmond Legend. Let me grab that for you.” He took charge of Chris’s duffel.

  “Good to meet you, Desmond. Boy, it really is hot here.”

  Desmond chuckled. “But it’s a dry heat.”

  “So I’ve been told.” Gaines grinned.

  “We’ve got a chopper waiting to take us down to Sedona. That should get us there in about thirty minutes.” The agent escorted Gaines to a golf cart that brought them to the helicopter pad on the other side of the small terminal. As soon as they boarded, the chopper was up and over the sandstone canyons. “Too bad you didn’t get here early to see the scenery.”

  Or to stop the woman I love from getting mixed up in who-knows-what, Chris thought to himself. “Maybe on the way back,” Gaines shouted above the noise of the whirring blades.

  Legend gave him a thumbs-up.

  Before Chris knew it, the chopper was settling down on the tarmac at the minute Sedona airfield, too tiny to accommodate anything but a small private plane. A large black SUV was waiting for them at the equally small terminal building. The driver introduced himself as Buck from the Phoenix office. “Nothing like jumping in feet first, eh?”

  More like headfirst, Chris thought to himself.

  “Well, now that you’re fresh out of training, maybe you can finish up this job, so we can all have the weekend off.” Buck shoved Chris’s duffel into the back.

  “That would be great. My son is getting out of baseball camp this weekend.” Chris decided to be as casual as possible. He wasn’t sure if he was ready for what was ahead. In all his years of law enforcement, this was the most frightening situation he’d ever found himself in. “I don’t want the ex to have to pick him up. She’ll make a big stink.” More idle patter.

  “You too?” The driver looked up into the rearview mirror. “Must come with the job.”

  And a girlfriend who just might help me lose that job. Chris realized his palms were sweating. “So where are we staying?”

  “Arroyo Pinion,” the driver replied. “Not a spa-type resort, but not bad, either. You ever been here before?”

  “Just Tucson and Phoenix. Never made it up this far.”

  “Wait until you see it in the daylight. It’s pretty spectacular.”

  “So I’ve heard.” From my girlfriend, whom I suspect of breaching a witness.

  “You’re probably hungry after your trip. I think the restaurant is still open at the hotel. We can grab somethin’,” Buck suggested.

  Chris’s stomach was upside down. Food was the last thing he needed. “Sounds good.” He had to play along. Maybe get some soup.

  It was a quick drive from the airport to the hotel. The person at the front desk was an older gent with silver hair. “Welcome to Arroyo Pinion. How can I help you?”

  All three men took out their fake identification. No one was to know who they really were, what they did for a living, or why they were there. Chris Gaines was now Charles Gannon, Desmond Legend was now David Lamont, and Buck was Bill Cunningham.

  “I have all three of you on the same floor, as requested.” The desk clerk handed them their key cards. “Enjoy your stay. If there is anything we can do to make your visit more pleasurable, please do not hesitate to ask.”

  Chris refrained from saying, “Can you make this nightmare go away?”

  They dropped off their bags in their rooms and agreed to meet up in twenty minutes. Chris stripped off his clothes. He was in need of a shower. He smiled when he pulled out his Axe body wash and thought about taking Carter to the drugstore. He really hoped they could wrap this up in a couple of days. He missed his kid, the only stable thing in his life at the moment. And even that relationship was on shaky ground. He was in and out of the tub in less than ten minutes and then decided to give Luna another call.

  “Hey! What are you doing up so late?” Luna asked, thinking he was on the East Coast, where it was midnight.