In Harm's Way (Heroes of Quantico Series, Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

time"
    She turned to retrieve her coat, and Nick pondered his strategy. The smart thing to do ... the reasonable thing ... was let
her leave. She'd admitted she would do as much herself. Yet he
found himself reaching out, touching her arm.
    "Before you go, would you do one favor for me?"
    She angled toward him, her expression wary. "What?"
    "Pick up the doll:"
    Her complexion went a shade paler and she took a step back.
"I'd rather not"
    He pinned her with an intent look. "Ms. Sutton, I'll be honest. I've had my share of tips like this through the years. None
amounted to anything. That makes me skeptical. On the other
hand, you strike me as an intelligent, rational person. I'm curious
to see this reaction you describe. Physical evidence is difficult
to refute:"
    She hesitated. Caught her bottom lip between her teeth.
Darted a glance toward the shopping bag. Tightened her grip
on the strap of her shoulder purse.
    Nick waited her out. If this was an act, she was very good.
He'd buy her indecision, her dread-her fear-in a heartbeat.
    At last, wiping her palms on her slacks, she let the strap slide from her shoulder. Setting the purse beside her coat, she took
a step toward him. "All right:"

    In silence, he picked up the shopping bag and held it open.
    She walked to the bag. Sucked in a lungful of air. Her spine
stiffened, and she reached in and withdrew the doll.
    What happened next was like nothing Nick had seen in all
his years of law enforcement.
    The little color remaining in Rachel Sutton's complexion vanished, revealing a faint dusting of freckles across her nose. Moisture broke out on her upper lip. She held the doll away from her,
arms rigid, and her whole body began to tremble. Her respiration
grew shallow and rapid, and she had to struggle for breath. If he
checked her pulse, Nick was sure it would be racing.
    A few minutes ago, she'd described her reaction to the doll
as terror.
    She hadn't been lying.
    This was real.
    Nick didn't want to accept that. But he doubted even a superlative actress could fake the physiological reaction Rachel
was having.
    Yet it made no sense.
    All at once Rachel's knees gave way, galvanizing him into action. He grabbed her upper arms and backed her into the chair
she'd vacated sixty seconds ago, easing her down. Without taking his eyes off her, he tugged the doll from her shaking hands
and set it on the table.
    The transformation was immediate-and startling. Her trembling subsided, her breathing steadied, her muscles began to
relax. Color crept back into her face.
    It was the weirdest thing he'd ever seen.
    "Let me get you some water" He took a step toward the
door.
    "No. I'll be okay." She resettled her glasses with fingers that weren't yet steady and aimed a probing look in his direction.
"Now do you believe me?"

    In all honesty, he didn't have a clue what to believe. He couldn't
deny what he'd witnessed, but neither could he explain it. Picking up the doll, he examined it, searching for some explanation.
But the smiling face offered no answers. Nor did he experience
any reaction when he touched it. Only Rachel seemed attuned
to its vibes.
    He set the doll back on the table, took his seat again, and
picked up his pen. "Why don't you give me some contact information, Ms. Sutton? Let's start with address and phone
number"
    "Does that mean you're going to check into this?"
    He thought about spewing the standard line. That all tips were
taken seriously and would be given due consideration. Instead,
he decided the clear-eyed woman across from him-who he
suspected had come here against her better judgment, knowing
she faced ridicule-deserved honesty.
    "I don't know what I'm going to do:" He tapped his pen on
the wood-grained surface of the table. "I saw your reaction to
the doll. It was unsettling. But whether it indicates a third-party
crime or just some very idiosyncratic response ... I have no
idea. I want to think about it"
    After a moment, she gave a