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Mr. Baby Blues. And she could . But she’d really hoped she was wrong about Colin being a criminal. She believed he’d been a nice guy once, and she couldn’t help wondering what had happened to him to make him change so drastically.
    Shaking her head, she took her father’s cell phone from her pocket. She placed it into Colin’s hand. “For years, ever since we left San Francisco for New York City, I’ve sensed my father’s been keeping things from me. He took a job, he claims, as an insurance salesman. But I know for a fact that he was never interviewed in an office. At first, I thought he might be dealing drugs, and I followed him to this underground club. I couldn’t see the man he was meeting with, but I do know it wasn’t the only time he went there. Ten years later, we reside in the boonies, and my dad is still working past midnight. Late night hours and secret meetings never really struck me as the norm for an insurance salesman. I’m telling you this because I think that you’re involved. In fact, I think you might be the mastermind behind this whole thing.”
    Colin’s deep-blue irises grew three sizes. He laughed, causing Julia’s back muscles to stiffen. “I assume I’m the only person you’ve told about your so-called theory. If you’re right, and your father is working for some sort of criminal venture, he could be facing prison time. Why risk exposing him by even having this conversation?”
    Julia crossed her arms. “If you didn’t come here to confess, tell me what you’re doing on my doorstep on a Saturday morning.”
    “Maybe I’ve come back for more.” His smile was viperous, and it caused the fine hairs on her arm to rise.
    She sucked in a breath. “Well that’s too bad because you’re never going to get more . I’m sorry you wasted your time driving all the way over here, but last night was a one-shot deal. Guess your dreams will just have to suffice.”
    “You have quite a sharp tongue. It’s a shame I didn’t get to examine it more thoroughly last night. I only want to talk. Undo the lock. Please.”
    “Well, since you said please.” She smiled coyly, pulling back the chain. She removed it from the slider.
    Having decided, apparently, to invite himself in, Colin strode past her. He entered the living room, and his eyes drifted immediately to the sofa. Julia could swear he was actually tsking as he stepped beside it.
    Her place was small, and it felt even less spacious with a six-and–a-half-foot man in a suit looking it over. The furniture, which she was beginning to regret ever purchasing, consisted of a coffee table, a well-worn couch, and a television. She tapped her foot as Colin looked them over with a cynical eye.
    “Are you planning on telling me what you’re doing here and how you learned my name? Or did you come by to inspect my place for dust mites?”
    He turned, smiling in her direction. “A woman who cuts to the chase. No foreplay, just straight to the bottom line. Which is precisely what I plan to give you. I want to make an exchange.”
    She didn’t like the sound of that. It was as though he’d mapped out an entire game plan before coming there. Which meant whatever he intended to offer her was probably one hundred percent selfish. “An exchange?”
    His smile was secretive, stance far too confident. “I want to help you locate your father.”
    “And supposing I decided to humor you, I imagine you’re going to want something in return.” Julia tapped a finger against her cheek. “So, what is it you’re after, Dr. Westwood? My silence? My word that I won’t mention your name to the cops when all this is over?”
    His stare sent goose bumps down her arms. “For a woman who sneaks into men’s bedrooms, you sure are uptight.”
    She fumed.
    “All I want is you by my side, where you can watch every moment of the good stuff from a front-row seat.”
    “That doesn’t sound so bad. But I have a feeling there’s a little more to it than