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D uckie was gone. She’d placed her against the pillows that morning when she’d made up her bed.

“I think someone has been in my room,” Katherine said, glad for Tyler’s presence. “I’m sure of it.” She scanned the room, her gaze resting on her nightstand. “Damn!”

“What?”

Fear knotted inside her. “My notebook is gone!”

Tyler stared at her.

“You might as well know, since you have to do that doctor-patient confidentiality thing, right? You cannot repeat what I am about to tell you.”

“Whatever you tell me stays between us, Katherine. Personal and professional.”

“Sit.” She plopped on the edge of her bed and patted the space beside her. Tyler sat next to her.

“I’m an author. I write books.” Her leg shook uncontrollably. She pushed her boot into the plush carpet so he wouldn’t see how nervous she was.

“That explains how you’re able to work from home. I wondered if you worked or were just filthy rich.” He laughed. “I’m teasing about the rich stuff.”

“You shouldn’t, because I am what you said. Rich. Oil rich. Not sure about the filthy part,” she added, her voice laced with sarcasm. “My family left me their fortune and their business. I have people who take care of that part of my life. I don’t involve myself in its functions at all. I don’t have time, even if I wanted to, since I have my writing. And now, someone has my notes for my newest book. Someone has been in my house!” She raked a hand through her hair, twisting the ends around her fingers.

“Okay, then let’s call the police. Let them search the property,” Tyler said.

Katherine stood up abruptly. “No! I don’t want to call the police.”

Tyler spoke up, sounding a bit exasperated for the first time that evening. “Why? If someone broke into your home, you were here when it happened. Your life could be at risk, Katherine. I know a couple of officers I can call. They’re discreet.”

“No, Tyler. No police, discreet or not.”

She took a deep breath, sure he thought she was some criminal who was hiding out. She had to clarify her stance on the police. “Look, Tyler, if you think I’m a . . . fugitive or whatever, I’m not. I have my reasons for not wanting the police here.”

“Can you share them?”

“I don’t know if you’re a book lover. It doesn’t matter. I’m K.C. Winston, the author. I choose to keep it quiet, as I don’t want or need any publicity of any kind.” There. It was out.

He appeared astounded. “You’re serious? You’re K.C. Winston ?”

She raised her voice enough that Sam and Sophie came running to her side. “Why would I joke about my career?”

“Does anyone else know this?” Tyler asked.

She nodded, her thoughts all over the place. Frustrated, Katherine walked over to the window to see if there was a car or someone on foot, but it was so dark, she couldn’t see beyond a few feet. The outdoor lights only covered the outer perimeter of the property surrounding the house.

“I have an alarm,” she said, putting voice to her thoughts. “Though it hasn’t been on today. I leave the French doors open all the time.” Had someone slipped inside her house while she was in the kitchen? The shower? While the dogs were outside? She tried to force herself to remember if she’d heard anything unusual while she’d been busy prepping dinner, but she didn’t recall anything. Nothing had seemed odd or out of the norm.

“Do you think someone could’ve come inside, possibly hid, then slipped away without you knowing?” Tyler asked.

“I’d like to think not, but I can’t be one hundred percent sure. This place is huge. It wouldn’t be hard to find a hiding spot. Maybe when I was upstairs taking a shower? This is crazy. What would motivate a stranger to take my childhood stuffed lamb and the spiral notebook with my book, outline, and notes? Damn.”

Her biggest fear was the public finding her here, then all the accompanying publicity about Adam’s death and the men who’d killed him and maimed all those people in Boston. Her parents’ tragic ending. It would be a frenzy, with reporters and people prying into her life. No, she did not want her private or professional life made public. If she were being completely honest, her fear of leaving her safe space worried her more than the public knowing who she was and where she lived. It would force her to acknowledge publicly that she suffered from mental illness. Ernest Hemingway. Virginia Woolf. They both committed suicide. Sadly, there were those who already thought authors were just plain crazy. Jack London, the author of one of her favorite novels, The Call of the Wild , had also purportedly killed himself. She didn’t want K.C. Winston lumped into the insanity category. Not that her work was remotely comparable to theirs, but that’s where her mind was going. She paced the length of her bed, while Tyler remained seated.

“I don’t need this now. It’s crazy. I guess it’s fitting, when you think of it. Crazy author. Crazy break-in,” Katherine said.

“You’re truly K.C. Winston?” Tyler asked again. “I know a kid who reads your books. A former patient of mine.”

Katherine stopped, standing in front of him. It didn’t matter who she was at this point. “Why would I lie to you? Doc Baker knows. That’s why he calls me K.” She watched him, a range of emotions changing him from the Tyler she barely knew to a stranger. Maybe this was Dr. Newlon? Admittedly, it was flattering to know her books were known to him.

“I believe you, Katherine. I wasn’t trying to imply you weren’t K.C. Winston.” He took a deep breath. “I was thinking. When I took the dogs out and we went to the barn, I told you the horses were fine. But looking back, I don’t believe they were. I’m not a veterinarian, but I’ve been around horses enough to know their normal body language. Both horses kept flicking their ears. Numerous times. It’s possible they saw someone then.”

“I don’t understand.” She sat beside him on the bed, what little fight she’d had in her sizzling out like a deflated balloon.

“I read once that when a horse moves their ears back and forth, more often than not, it’s an indicator of fear, anxiousness. For humans, our hearts race,” he explained. “Our antennae shoot up. Doc and Carson would know better, but they’re not here. It could just be something Carson’s horses normally do. Are you sure you didn’t hear anything? Did you leave the room?”

“No, I was in the kitchen cleaning the dishes while you were out. But wait—I did jot down a note. I left the pad on the counter in the kitchen.” She couldn’t explain why she’d written down the number from the burner phone, then deleted it. She knew how silly it would sound, especially to a psychiatrist. Katherine still had the number in her pocket. She doubted there was a connection to Karrie or her Friendlink page. What would that matter now? Surely a wrong call on a burner cell from a number she didn’t recognize wasn’t linked to this break-in. It all seemed absurd.

“Let’s check your desk,” Tyler said.

“Why?”

“Possibly whoever was here also took something from your desk. I assume it’s where you do all your writing. It could be someone knows who you are.”

Katherine didn’t like being put on the spot. This Karrie situation wasn’t any of Tyler’s business. She wasn’t his business. Katherine didn’t want to go into a full-blown explanation. He’d really think she was a loony toon.

“I don’t see how anyone could even know where I live. I’ve managed to get by all these years without any problems,” she said. It was odd that just now, when she’d decided to make drastic changes to her lifestyle, her identity may have been discovered. She thought there was more to this than being a well-known author or some deranged person prying through her possessions. Her gut instinct was kicking in, as it used to all those years ago.

Tyler stood and jammed his hands in his jeans pockets. Katherine found him devastatingly handsome; she’d bet all his patients fell just a tiny bit in love with him.

“Let’s go downstairs and see if anything is missing,” he said again.

She took a deep breath, feeling anxious. “All right,” she said, heading downstairs, both dogs at her heels. “I want to check my alarm system first.”

Once downstairs, she set the alarm in the kitchen and then turned the outside security lights off. If anyone were lurking on the property, let them do so in the dark. “I should be able to see if anyone was outside. The cameras are backed up on a website.” Then she headed into the dining room. She instantly knew someone had been there. “This is not how I left my desk, dammit!” Beyond alarmed, she explained to Tyler, “I left my computer on.” Her laptop was now closed, and several handwritten notes that had been beside her computer were gone, too.

“Hang on,” she said, pushing papers around the desk. “The flash drive I use to back up my work isn’t here, either.”

“You’re sure?” Tyler questioned.

“Of course, I’m sure! I always use a flash drive, a new one for every book. It’s not here.” She searched her desk again to ensure the flash drive wasn’t hiding underneath anything. “I use different colors. This one is fluorescent pink. It stands out.”

She chewed on her fingernail, debating if she should call the police. Let them have a look around the property. Whoever did this could ruin her if word of who she was were to be made public. Any reporter who could dig deep would discover her secrets. Her life as she knew it now would never be the same. Her family tragedy would be a headline again. Adam, too. And other things she could not allow to become public. Such as it was, she didn’t want her reputation ruined. “I’m going to call Doc. He has a friend that might be able to look into this.”

“This isn’t my business, but if you’re in trouble, I want to help. If you’ll trust me,” Tyler said.

“Tyler, this isn’t a question of me not trusting you. I have issues from my past. I’ve isolated myself from the world because of them. I can’t talk about it all yet. I know I sound crazy. But I’m not in the kind of trouble you’re thinking.” She spoke in a harsh whisper, not caring how it came out. Someone had been in her home, and she wanted to find out who was brazen enough to do it.

“Then call Doc Baker. Tell him I’m here, so he’ll know you’re safe,” Tyler added, speaking gently.

She felt a second of remorse for her rudeness. But he’d have to get over it; he was a doctor, after all. He should be used to crazy people.

Katherine nodded, focusing her attention on her cell phone to make the needed call. But she stopped when she heard glass shattering and pounding footsteps on the deck.

Frozen in place, holding her finger to her mouth, Katherine motioned to the stairs with a quick tilt of her head. She took the stairs two at a time, Tyler and the dogs racing behind her. She locked the door as soon as they were back inside her bedroom with the dogs. She leaned as close to Tyler as she could, whispering in his ear, “I think they’re on the deck.”

His blue eyes grew serious with concern. “I can hear them running.”

Katherine mouthed, “Follow me.”

When they were safely inside the adjoining primary bathroom, she locked the door. The scent of her orange-blossom shampoo lingered in the air. Water droplets rivered down the glassed-in shower, evidence of her preparation for the evening. It had not turned out as planned.

Still whispering, though this time she didn’t step in as closely as before, she said, “The computer at my desk was off, and I have the settings adjusted so it doesn’t shut down automatically. Someone must’ve turned it off when I returned to the kitchen.” Her hands trembled, her throat tight from fear. “They had to have been in the house for a while.” Just the thought made her sick to her stomach.

Tyler nodded but didn’t speak.

“I’m still afraid to call the police,” she whispered. “I’m going to call Doc. He’ll know what to do . . . he has a connection.” She took her cell phone out of her pocket, glad she’d put Doc on speed dial. He answered on the first ring.

“What’s up, kid?”

She told him about the break-in, asking if his CIA friend could help. “I don’t want to call the local police. I want to keep this as private as possible. We think someone has been in the house, and they’re still on my property.” She knew he wouldn’t question her about the details until they were face-to-face.

“We heard glass breaking and footsteps.” She spoke as quietly as possible, although she wanted to scream as loudly as she could. Katherine knew if she didn’t get her act together that maybe next time something like this happened—and she prayed there wouldn’t be a next time—she might be alone.

“I’ll call Ilene and see if she’s available. Stay put, don’t touch anything, and don’t move until I get there,” Doc ordered.

Katherine looked at the time on her phone. Half past nine. Not too late, though she had no clue if Doc’s friend went to bed early. “Okay, but hurry. Tyler is here with me now.”

“Good. You can trust him, K, with your life. Now I’ll get back to you as soon as I can,” Doc Baker said. “Remember, stay put. Keep your alarm on.”

She hung up, unsure of her next move.

“You said you have cameras? Can you access them on your phone?” Tyler asked.

Katherine’s hands shook as she typed in the web address on her phone, then logged into her account. “These aren’t super clear. They’re small, but all the cameras are here.” She held her phone out so they could view the images. As they were time-stamped, she forwarded to the images from the early afternoon and to the camera that focused on the French doors and the deck. There were seven surveillance cameras outside, each directed at the entrances. The most obvious entry point for an intruder were the doors she always left open for the dogs. Nothing looked unusual until 4:45.

“Look at that,” Tyler said. “Do you recognize this person?”

Katherine took the phone from him, replaying the image. A person—she couldn’t tell if they were male or female—ran through the open French doors. They wore a camouflage jacket with a hoodie and dark denim jeans. She replayed the video again, then hit stop and could see dark boots. The intruder’s head was lowered. Based on how they’d disguised themselves, the person must have known she had security cameras, even though they weren’t visible unless one knew where to look.

“Forward that time to half an hour ago,” Tyler said.

Katherine used the slide bar on her cell phone touch screen, stopping at nine o’clock. That would’ve been about when they’d heard the glass shatter and the footsteps running across the deck. She let the video play for a few minutes, and then an image of the intruder appeared, a flash of black racing across the deck.

“At least I know they’re not inside now. I hope,” she said, her voice a bit high-pitched as she tried to steer her thoughts away from what she’d seen. This was the most horrific scare she’d had in a very long time. In all her years of living alone on the mountain, she had never been frightened like this inside of her own home, other than her panic attacks, which were internal. Now, even with all her security cameras, her home violated by this . . . person . She wouldn’t feel comfortable until they were caught. Without calling the police, she knew the chances of the intruder being arrested were slim, unless Doc’s CIA friend could help.

“Let’s go downstairs, if you’re ready,” Tyler suggested. “Your prowler must be gone by now.”

“Wait. From what I remember, once you turn off Red Oak Road, it’s what . . . a mile or so leading up to the house? I need to warn Doc. He could still be out there.”

“It is about a mile, I guess,” Tyler agreed.

She speed-dialed Doc again. “Listen, whoever was in my house has left. They’re on foot and could be hiding. Be careful. Watch out for a tall person wearing a camouflage jacket with a hoodie and a backpack.”

“Damn it, K! You need the police. I’m getting ready to turn off Red Oak Road now. I’m bringing Ilene with me. If she tells you to call the cops, you better do what she says.” Doc ended the call. Katherine knew he was angry with her for not doing what any normal person would do in the same situation.

“Doc will be here in a few minutes,” Katherine said. “Come on. I’ll make a fresh pot of coffee.” Making coffee was the last thing she wanted to do. Now, more than ever, she needed to check her Friendlink page. Surely the break-in wasn’t connected to Karrie? But she needed to verify it for herself. Together, Katherine and Tyler made their way, silently and extremely carefully, out of the bathroom. They left the dogs inside to prevent them from racing around. They then crept out of the bedroom and down the stairs. They paused every few feet to listen and observe, but there were no sounds or signs or any other activity in the house.

Finally, they made their way back into the kitchen. After a thorough inspection that didn’t turn up anything new, Tyler went upstairs to release the dogs. Katherine waited for the familiar physical sensations that indicated an oncoming attack. Other than a rapid heartbeat and a bit of sweat under her arms, she seemed to be dealing with this. She rinsed out the coffee pot and refilled it from the tap. She dumped the grounds from earlier into the sink, added fresh coffee, then hit brew. She found the mindless task she performed daily comforting, and it helped steady her still-trembling hands. Turning to face Tyler as he reentered the room with the dogs close behind, she said, “I need a minute. Be right back.”

“Of course,” Tyler said.

Sam and Sophie at her heels, Katherine slipped inside the small powder room under the stairs. “Come on, you two. Now sit,” she commanded. The dogs obeyed. Sitting on the edge of the toilet seat, she took her cell phone from her pocket and logged onto her Friendlink page.

Bigfan216: Hey!

HotandCool: WTF girl! Where you been?

Bigfan216: Just busy.

They were the only two on the page at the moment.

Bigfan216: Any newbies? No one here!

HotandCool: Nope. Same peeps.

This was getting nowhere fast, and she didn’t have much time. She wanted to ask about Karrie without coming off as a weirdo.

Bigfan216: Karrie been online?

HotandCool: Nope. Just me and you.

Bigfan216: She was supposed to call. Kinda worried...

HotandCool: So call her yourself!

Bigfan216: Sure, I can do that, I’ll TTYL.

Katherine logged off the site, flushing the toilet in case Tyler was listening. She looked at her image in the mirror, barely recognizing this version of herself. Her long hair was loose, and she saw fear in her eyes. Yet it wasn’t the same fear she’d become accustomed to. “Come on, you two,” she said to the dogs and then turned the light off. Returning to the kitchen, she avoided looking at the French door, where the glass was shattered in pieces all over the floor, inside and out.

“You feeling okay? I can give you something for your nerves if you want,” Tyler said.

She must’ve looked as bad as she’d thought. “No thanks, I’m managing.” She wasn’t really, but he probably knew that already, given his profession. “I hate that this happened while you were here. Not the best evening you’ve had, huh?”

“I’ve had much worse, Katherine. I’m just glad I was here with you.”

She took two clean mugs from the cupboard, poured coffee into each, and handed one to Tyler. “So am I. Who knows how I would’ve reacted on my own?”

“My guess is pretty damn well.” He smiled, his eyes twinkling.

Katherine realized again that she could fall for Tyler, big time. The question was—could he fall for her?