Deadly Holidays by Alexa Grace Page A

home to you."
     
    Unless we don't find him alive, Tim thought, as he quickly rose from the table and hugged them goodbye.  He grabbed his coat and headed outside to his car to think.  This was the third day Shawn was missing.  How likely was it that they'd find him alive?
     
     
     
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    The county prosecutor's office holiday party was one the staff looked forward to all year.  Held at Anne and Michael Brandt's home, the event was formal and the evening included a cocktail party, with a lavish meat and seafood dinner. 
     
    Dressed in an elegant black velvet cocktail dress that hugged her curves, Anne looked beautiful.  But then, thought Michael, Anne was beautiful, with shoulder-length, auburn hair with streaks of gold, and the pale, soft skin he loved to touch.  Earlier as she'd straightened his tie, lust hit him so hard his knees weakened, and it took impressive control on his part to not carry her to their bed right then and make love to her.
     
    Anne went through the motions of having a good time, but Michael knew her heart wasn't in it.  Her perpetually bright smile didn't fool him.  There was sadness in her eyes that he hadn't seen in a long, long time.  Something was wrong.  And Anne being Anne, she was holding whatever was bothering her deep inside.
     
    Michael watched her as she stood near the gaily decorated Christmas tree talking with the mayor, who was telling one of his usual, long-winded stories.  Anne nodded as if she were listening, but her eyes wandered the room until they settled on their children, Michael Jr. and Melissa, who were sitting on either side of Harley on the staircase, stroking the dog's soft fur. 
     
    She bit her lip to stifle a smile, making Michael realize that she longed to join them.  Setting his champagne glass on a nearby table, he started across the room to save her from the mayor, when he noticed she'd pulled out her cell phone.  Since when does Anne carry around her cell phone?  She'd never been one of those people whose cell was super-glued to her hip.  In fact, half the time, she didn't even know where it was.  Why would she accept a call during a holiday party? 
     
    Anne lifted a finger to excuse herself, and headed toward the back of the house.  Hands in his pockets, Michael slipped into the hallway to follow her.  Finding her peering out the kitchen window as she talked on her cell phone, he eavesdropped as he leaned against the doorframe.
     
    "Listen, I can't talk long.  It's Michael's holiday office party and I have to go back," said Anne.
     
    A moment passed as the person on the other end made a statement.
     
    "No.  That's not going to happen," she blurted, then lowered her voice and continued.  "Michael doesn't suspect a thing.  I'm not telling him anything until after the holidays."
     
    Another moment passed before Anne whispered, "Love you, too."
     
    Michael's body stiffened as the icy fingers of shock seized his heart.  The jolt of discovery slammed into him.  The woman he loved more than life itself had a lover.  Worse than that, she was waiting until after the holidays to leave him.
     
     
     
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    Sitting in his office, Blake glanced from his computer to the window where the light was fading.  It would soon be dark.  Seventy-two hours had passed, and there was no sign of Shawn.
     
    He'd spent the day researching John Isaac's family tree to see if there was a relative who could have abducted Shawn.  He'd found that John literally had no family.  His mother had died of brain cancer, and his father had died after a fight he lost in prison.  There were no brothers or sisters, nor were there aunts or uncles he could find. 
     
    Although a deputy had been assigned to search hospitals and morgues, Blake contacted them again.  But none of the facilities had admitted or received a five-year-old boy in over a year.  And every sexual predator in the county had been interviewed, to no