Page 40 of The Deputy's Secret Double

He bobbed his head around. It wasn’t as noticeable as it might have been had the room not been filled with tables, chairs, standing decorations and enough guests that the live music at the back of the room was competing with their chatter.

“Robertson. Maggie Robertson,” JJ reminded him. “Cassandra wants to start hosting events at the coffee shop and thought if we were friendly enough with her, we could do some kind of partnership deal in the future.”

Price nodded. His eyes continued to scan the room.

JJ was doing more of the same.

However, she wasn’t looking for Maggie Robertson or the head of the local event scene.

She was looking for Marty Goldman.

“The picture Corrie gave you isn’t helping me here,” Price said after a moment. “We need to move around so I can start reading name tags too.”

JJ felt a small pressure at her lower back as Price gently placed his hand there. He pushed a little. It put JJ in step beside him.

Once again, JJ struggled to rein in her focus.

“I’ll let you start the conversations, but let me know if you get tired of schmoozing and I’ll jump in,” he whispered, oblivious to her mental stumble. “Or I can help you escape if you need instead. I’m really good at diverting conversational attention.”

Somehow, JJ didn’t doubt that. With one hand and a slight push, he’d managed to divert her attention and scatter her thoughts.

If Price Collins put his mind to actively being distracting?

JJ let out a little laugh.

“Pick a code word and I’ll be sure to say it.”

Price nodded. She glanced over to see a smile had tugged up the corner of his lips.

“Let me think on it a bit. It has to be a good one.”

For the next half hour, they weaved in and out of partygoers, stepping into ongoing conversations and then starting their own. Everyone had business cards and together JJ and Price became a well-oiled machine in presenting the one from the coffee shop and accepting cards from the people they were networking with. Price also took it upon himself to put each in the pockets of his suit. It was a move that JJ found oddly touching.

They ebbed and flowed like that in a comfortable rhythm, despite not sighting either one of their targets, including Marty Goldman.

“Maybe they’re some of those people who like to be fashionably late or just have to make a dramatic appearance,” Price reasoned as they took a water break next to one of the caterer tables. “We can keep schmoozing around until we see one of them or try to get someone more exciting on our side.”

He looked absolutely mischievous as he openly scanned the crowd near them. He was covert when he nodded toward the group of people milling closer to the band.

“That guy there? The one with the brown suit and lady half his age on his arm? I’m pretty sure that’s the guy who runs the courier service the art lady we talked to last said was a good person to know. Why don’t we go accidentally bump into him?”

JJ agreed but, as they started walking that way, she had to scold him a little.

“What is it with you and not learning names? I’m not sure I’ve heard you say a name other thanthat manandthat lady.”

Price fell back a little as a group walking by forced him to slow down. It put JJ a few steps ahead of him. Still, she imagined his expression. He was probably smiling, laughing a little and ready to lob a cheeky remark back. JJ realized she was almost looking forward to turning to him once there was more room to see if she was right.

But she didn’t get the chance.

She had found something familiar in the ballroom.

Her feet kept going a few steps, unsure if her eyes really were seeing what they thought they were.

Who they thought they were.

There was no way, absolutely no way that her old life was here.

Not like this.