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Julie said sweetly. “No, no, I think I can manage one meal with a McCoy.”
    But that same curious warmth that had traveled her spine seemed to have spread.
    Was she going to share much more than one meal with this man?
    For a moment, she saw darkness and shadows. And the silhouette of a man, a lover, walking slowly, surely toward her through those shadows …
    The moon rose. She saw a scar etched across the man’s shoulder.
    And she felt the danger …
    She shivered fiercely. All pictures faded away.
    â€œMiss Hatfield?”
    His voice was deep, sensual.
    â€œI’m fine, Mr. McCoy. I was just wondering …”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œDo you have a scar on your shoulder?”
    He was very still. She wondered at first if he had heard her.
    â€œWell, Miss Hatfield, if you ever see my shoulder bare, you’ll get to find out, won’t you?” he said, turning his attention to the road.
    And she was left to wonder.

Chapter 3
    M cCoy was, Julie decided later, the ultimate professional. She watched him speak with the officers who would be assigned to wait patiently at various points in the region. There was a tremendous network of communication going on, for in a period of less than ten minutes, it was possible to go from West Virginia to Maryland to Virginia to West Virginia, and back through all three again.
    And they were surrounded by countryside where a man could easily get lost among the foliage. Forests carpeted the mountainsides. In the darkness, movement could be tricky business. In certain areas, rock was sheer, with precipices that led nowhere—except straight down to more rock.
    McCoy made it clear to the force working that night that they were in a difficult—perhaps in a no-win—situation. The girl’s life was most important, and they must do nothing to jeopardize little Tracy.
    Sitting in the back while McCoy spoke to Petty, who would be manning phones and radio, and the six officers who would be assigned the task of trying very hard to be in the right place at the right time, Julie was startled by McCoy’s knowledge of the region.
    â€œHow does he know this place so well?” she whispered to Pettigrew.
    He grinned. “He grew up here, just the same as you did. Except he comes from a Maryland mountain and you come from a West Virginia mountain.”
    Julie frowned. Putting all the mountains together, they still hailed from a small region.
    â€œWhy haven’t I ever seen him before?”
    He took so long to answer, she wondered if Petty heard her. “Well, he’s been gone for a long time, that’s why.”
    â€œThen—”
    â€œAny more, Miss Hatfield, and you’ll have to look into that crystal ball of yours.”
    Julie sighed. He just didn’t want to tell her any more about McCoy. Well, that was all right. All she had to do was get through the night with the man. Then she’d never have to see him again.
    No. She would see him again. She knew it.
    It was a quarter to six when they finished at the station and headed to the restaurant.
    â€œSince you’re from this area, why didn’t you pick your own restaurant?” she asked him in the car.
    â€œBecause restaurants change constantly,” he told her. “And it’s been a long time since I’ve been home. Is this it?” He pointed to the sign advertising the best steaks anywhere in the state.
    â€œYes.”
    â€œIs the advertising true?”
    â€œI doubt it, but the food is good.”
    He smiled, pulled off the street and parked. To Julie’s surprise, he walked to the passenger side and opened the door for her.
    The beast came with manners on occasion, she thought.
    Julie greeted the hostess who seated them, then smiled to the cute, young brunette, Holly, who waited on them.
    The restaurant was brightly lit for a dinner place, with booths surrounding the walls, and tables covered with snow-white linen cloths. Julie was