Trapped In Shadow (Shadow Walker Romance Series Book 4) by Caryn Moya Block Page B

joining the team Miss Holland.”
    “Stacey, please. I haven’t been Miss Holland since my mother was killed.” Hugh squeezed her hand.
    The awful feelings that usually came up when she mentioned her mother’s death seemed to be held at bay by Hugh’s touch. Stacey smiled at him. The group sat around a table. Raven at the head.
    “This is what we know, right now,” Joe Running Bear said. He sat on Raven’s right side. “Tessa Langdon is thirty two, a single mom. She’s an MIT graduate who met and married her late husband while in residence. We hired her soon after graduation. There are no red flags in her financials. She’s never received a large unexplained deposit. She is well liked and from the outside looks like a normal everyday working mother.”
    “What about from the inside?” Dasan asked.
    “She’s a sweetheart,” Charlie spoke up. “One of the nicest people I know. Loves her daughter like she’s the sun rising. Tessa is kind and supports the local charity drives Isanti sponsors. I can’t see her as an industrial spy.”
    “You said she was on leave?” Hugh asked.
    “That’s the troubling part,” Raven said. “Katherine made inquiries and was told a man called in saying Tessa asked him to let them know she needed to take a couple of days off. Cassidy was ill. Tessa normally calls in herself, but the girl in human resources thought it might be Tessa’s new boyfriend so she didn’t worry about it.”
    “Do we know if Tessa has a new boyfriend?” Stacey asked. Her intuition told her Tessa Langdon was in trouble.
    “No. In fact, everyone I spoke to said Tessa doesn’t date,” Joe said. “The only person she’s ever shown an interest in is Dr. Rick. She makes him chocolate chip oatmeal cookies and takes them to the clinic. I think Rick likes her, but doesn’t know what to do about it, and there is her daughter. Rick wouldn’t know what to do with a three-year-old.”
    “I think you need to get over there. She could be in trouble,” Raven said rising.
    “I agree,” Stacey said, joining the others as they moved from the table.
    “Joe will take point and lead you through Shadow. Tessa lives in apartment #309. Good luck,” Raven said.
    Charlie flipped off the lights and Joe opened a door into Shadow. Hugh took Stacey’s hand.
    “You think Tessa’s in trouble?” Hugh’s voice filled her head.
    “Yes. My intuition is screaming at me.”
    Hugh nodded. “Stay close to me.”
    Raven stood watching as they walked into Shadow.
    Cold and darkness wrapped around Stacey. She too was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt; she’d decided not to steal another leather jacket from Hugh. Now, she wished she taken it anyway. She began to shiver as she felt that strange shifting motion that meant they were traveling through Shadow.
    She blinked and when she opened her eyes, they stood inside a courtyard that held a pool. No one sunbathed on the patio. Joe opened a door and they all stepped into the weak afternoon sunlight of February. Stacey rubbed her arms trying to get warm. Hugh wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. His welcome warmth surrounded her.
    “The stairs are over there,” Joe said, pointing.
    Charlie took the lead and they all tramped upstairs. The third floor apartment they looked for was situated in a corner of the building. Charlie knocked on the door. The curtains were drawn on the windows.
    “Tessa? It’s Charlie.” There was no answer.
    “Go in through Shadow and open the door,” Joe said.
    Charlie found a shadow near the corner and quickly disappeared. The door opened and then they heard him swearing. Joe pushed in, followed by Dasan.
    Hugh paused in the doorway. “Are you sure you want to go in. It could be ugly.”
    “If you can handle it, then I can.” Stacey pushed her way into the room, Hugh on her heels.
    The smell hit her first, bodily fluids and death. The light filtering in from the door made a beam that led right to the figure tied to a chair.