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to.
    Just then, another sedan parked next to Sawyer’s, jerking my attention back there. I suddenly prayed as hard as I could that Barlow had called for backup. Maybe I should…my thought process halted abruptly as a figure exited the second car.
    Carlyle.
    A feeling of determination settled over me. I couldn’t let these two get away with murder.
    Sawyer and Carlyle stood next to the cement truck for a bit. It looked as if they were arguing. The lights that had been added for site security provided enough illumination that I could see Carlyle’s frantic waves of exasperation or anger. Sawyer pointed a finger at his companion and shook it, his face contorted with fury. Nope, these two definitely weren’t happy campers.
    My fingers tightened around my phone and I wondered if I should just go ahead and call 911.
    There really wasn’t any choice. I couldn’t risk that Barlow wouldn’t get here in time. My fingers tightened on my phone.
    Harsh fingers suddenly clasped around my mouth and I was hauled up against an unyielding body. My chest constricted with terror as the reality meshed fully in my mind. My phone slipped from my fingers. The cold steel barrel of a pistol bored into my temple. I could feel lips moving against my ear as whoever held me uttered words I could not hear.
    I wondered briefly if I should bother fighting him—and it was definitely a him. I could feel the hard male contours of his body. I braced myself for making a move for his weak spot, but he suddenly released me.
    I bolted but he manacled my arm with brute strength before I could get out of his reach. I whipped around to look into the face of my captor.
    Barlow.
    “What the hell are you doing?” I whispered, feeling that the sound was hoarse, with my heart straining against my throat as it was.
    He frowned. I…stay quiet. Backup…on…way.
    I struggled to catch his words, but in the dark and with him glancing around I missed parts. I managed to draw in a much-needed breath. Told myself to calm down. I considered what I’d gotten of his words and decided he wanted me to be quiet and that backup was on its way. I nodded, then pointed to the two men still arguing in the distance. “Sawyer dumped the body down there. I think he’s—”
    I get the idea.
    Barlow had moved closer, giving me a better view of his face. I felt glad for that, but at the same time uneasy with his nearness. I managed a nod of understanding. Obviously he’d been here long enough to figure out what was going on. But how was that possible? How could he have gotten here so quickly?
    “How long have you been here?” I asked. I wasn’t sure I kept my voice as quiet as I should have. Obviously I didn’t since he held a finger to his mouth.
    I put out an APB on your car. A cruiser spotted you thirty minutes ago and gave me your location. He followed you until I got into position.
    Just something else I hadn’t planned for. Damn. Maybe I wasn’t cut out for this work after all.
    He moved closer still. I just have to know one thing. How the hell did a file clerk…
    Reading his lips wasn’t difficult this close, but he turned his head to check on our two suspects and I missed that last part.
    I tapped his shoulder and he turned back to me. “You have to look directly at me when you speak,” I told him.
    Another of those weary frowns furrowed his brow. What?
    “I’m deaf, Detective. I have to be able to see what you’re saying.”
    For three fierce beats he simply stared at me.
    You’re kidding me, right?

Chapter 4
    W ho would have thought that finding out I was deaf would be news bad enough to overshadow bringing a murderer to justice?
    I slammed the file drawer shut and huffed an impatient breath. The look on Detective Steven Barlow’s face would stay with me for the rest of my life. Disbelief, shock even. He’d figured out in no time flat that I was a mere file clerk in Metro’s historical archives, but his source had evidently forgotten to mention that I