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a wicked stare. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?”
    “Maybe I don’t want to help myself,” he replied, and leaned forward. “Do you know how many jackasses June bug probably puts up with on a daily basis? Bad tippers, chronic complainers... What’s wrong with giving her a little ray of sunshine. It cost me nothing and made her smile.”
    She studied him for a long moment. “I’m not sure if I like you or not, Special Agent Revannaugh.”
    He grinned. “Don’t worry. You’ve really only known me for less than a day. I’ll grow on you.”
    “Right, like moss,” she said dryly.
    “Okay, just to get on your good side, we’ll talk about the case. You’re right. I think if we’re going to find answers they are going to be in Mystic Lake. There has been no ransom demand, so if they were kidnapped it wasn’t for money.”
    “They were kidnapped,” she said with a certainty. “That’s the only thing that could keep Amberly away from her son.” She frowned thoughtfully. “We don’t even know for sure who the intended victim was. One was probably the victim and the other was collateral damage.”
    “If Amberly was the intended victim, then we already have a suspect with a motive in John,” he replied. “We’ll see what we turn up in Mystic Lake and see if Cole might have been working on a case that caused somebody to want revenge of some kind.”
    “I still can’t believe that John would do anything to hurt Cole or Amberly,” she replied.
    “Yeah, but one of her coworkers mentioned that after Ed the potential killer was killed, John tried one last time to get back with his ex-wife,” Jackson reminded her.
    “But it obviously went nowhere and Amberly and John remained friends. Cole and Amberly got married and everyone moved on with their lives.”
    “At least on the surface,” he replied.
    The waitress returned with their drinks, flashing Jackson a wink as she placed his before him. “Burgers will be right up,” she said.
    “Thanks, June bug,” he replied.
    “Do you suffer from multiple personality disorder?” Marjorie asked.
    Jackson nearly snorted pop through his nose. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
    “When you were interviewing John earlier you were sharp, no-nonsense and on top of your professional game, but now you’re totally different. You’re a laid-back flirting machine.”
    “Flirting machine. Hmm, I like that,” he said in amusement and then sobered. “Maggie, if you play this game too long without being able to compartmentalize, you burn out quickly,” he replied. “If I were to make a prediction, I’d guess that you’re going to burn out fast if you approach all of your cases with the same intensity you’re already using to attack this one.”
    At that moment June arrived with their burgers, and for a few minutes they both focused on their food. Marjorie ate quickly, obviously eager to get back on the road and moving.
    “So, who are we talking to in Mystic Lake?” he asked as he dragged a French fry through a pool of ketchup.
    “Our point person there is Deputy Roger Black. He wasn’t at the scene last night but we’re to meet him in his office when we hit town. He’s acting sheriff until Cole is found,” she said.
    “Has he managed to get us any suspects? Mentioned anything Cole was working on?”
    “I’ve only had a brief conversation with him and we didn’t get into the details. I’m hoping he’ll have some information when we meet with him.” She looked at her watch and then quickly took another bite of her burger.
    “How long have you been on the job?” he asked.
    “Two years. I joined the FBI when I turned thirty. I was a cop before that.” She used a napkin to dab her mouth. “What about you?”
    “Seven years. I was twenty-eight when they tapped me for recruitment. And like you, before that I was working as a homicide cop and working with a behavioral unit to aid in profiling violent offenders. My work there caught the