building. Fifteen granite steps got her to the street level. From there it was a short dash to her car. Only when she was inside with the doors locked did she fill her lungs with a deep breath.
Then Callie drove as far and as fast as she dared. When she finally stopped running, she was on a ferry that would take her to the city of Victoria, British Columbia.
By then she’d left Marie Antoinette far behind, had turned into someone else, a gutsy young woman who didn’t live in fear but took on the next phase of her life with dignity and pride. One who accepted challenges as a way to prove she’d changed.
But that woman was a charade.
And every so often a voice from the past would whisper through her head reminding her that the real Callie Merton had gone undercover.
ONE
Present Day
“We have a mission for you, Callie.”
The owner of Finders Inc. had a reputation for directness. Callie met Shelby Kincaid-Austen’s scrutiny head-on and forced herself not to flinch at the flicker of compassion she glimpsed in the other woman’s eyes.
“Great. I was hoping you’d have something for me.” Since Shelby didn’t ask about the time she’d taken off, Callie allowed herself to relax just a little.
“I’m assuming you have no preference about location?”
“As long as it’s not Australia again. I’m really tired of the Outback, mate.”
“I’m sorry that one took so long.” Shelby nodded, but her face remained neutral. “I only agreed to assign it to you because you said you needed something that would keep you out of the country for a while.”
Callie noted Shelby’s pause, meant to allow her the opportunity to discuss what had happened to cause that request. Callie remained silent, unmoving. After a moment Shelby shrugged, continued.
“You’re one of the best locators we have so this assignment shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“None of them start out that way.” Callie leaned forward. “What should I know?”
“Finders Inc. has been hired to locate a man named Josiah Harpnell as quickly as we can. He’s the recipient of a substantial legacy. There are certain papers that require his signature—legal technicalities but necessary nonetheless. Though several messages have been forwarded to Mr. Harpnell’s last known address, he has not responded to any of them.”
“Messages—so you didn’t talk to him? I’m guessing that means he has no access to a phone. Any idea where he is now?”
“Alaska.”
“Well, that’s pinpointing it.” Callie grimaced. “From the front burner of the Outback to the freezer of Alaska. What more could a girl want?”
Quite a lot, actually. But since it was highly unlikely she’d ever get back the one thing she longed for, Callie focused on business and Shelby.
“I know it’s not much to go on. It’s a big area and our Intel is sketchy at best.”
“I’m listening.”
Shelby leaned her elbows on her desk, tented her fingers.
“From what we understand, Mr. Harpnell lives in the wilds, off the land—by choice. The last mailing address we had for him is in Ketchikan but his current physical location isn’t certain and you may need to change destinations along the way. If you can be ready in two days, I’ll arrange passage for you. A friend of mine is cruising up the coast and has agreed to take you.”
“Sail?” That was new.
“I’ll explain in a minute but let me say now that your journey north will give us time to update our information. Tomorrow you can visit the estate, learn exactly what’s at stake.”
Late September hardly seemed the time to sail north, though Callie suddenly remembered Max had once said sailing the Inside Passage in the fall was—
Like a shutter she clicked those thoughts out of her mind.
“What else?”
“I can’t tell you much more until research has finished their part. Once you’re in Ketchikan, you’ll be in a better position to decide the next step for yourself. The important thing is to find this man and get his signature on the documents.”
It sounded fairly straightforward. Callie nodded. “Okay, I’ll do it.”
“You may need some kind of cover story. I’d thought perhaps you could start out as if you’re a tourist, maybe an Aussie backpacker. You’ve picked up the accent like a native, better than anyone I’ve ever seen, so you should be able to ask a lot of questions about the area without being suspect.”
“If this Harpnell fellow isn’t there, you want me to keep following the trail, right?”
“It’s urgent that we locate him, Callie, and soon. If something should happen to him before the papers are signed, since he has no legal heir, the government will take over his estate. A lot of historical artifacts in that house will be sold off for a pittance.”
“Okay.”
Shelby stared at the file in her hand, then lifted her gaze to center on Callie.
“Understand that Harpnell doesn’t have to come back. Once the paperwork is in place, he can assign someone to look after things or dispose of them as he wishes. Apparently that’s what his half brother intended. He’s the one who left him the place and everything in it.”
“Is there a Mrs. Harpnell?”
“Josiah was married briefly many years ago but they divorced a year later. She had a child from an earlier marriage but Josiah never adopted him so the child has no legal standing with the courts as far as we know.”
“Okay.” Callie rose, grabbed her bag and headed for the door. “I’ll get down to the briefing room and take a look at the file. The estate info is in it?”
“All the details we have are there. There’s just one more thing.” Shelby’s voice brimmed with warning. “We have reason to believe that someone else knows about this inheritance and that they will make an attempt to somehow acquire it. You could experience some danger. Briefing will relate the problems two other agencies have experienced so far, but I’ll tell you this, there have been several unusual occurrences.”
Callie understood what she meant. Someone was trying to upset the apple cart. Money did that to people.
“That’s why you want your friend to get me up there via sailboat, I’m assuming.”
“Yes.” Shelby nodded, her expression serious. “Ordinarily we’d attempt to get his signature by mail, but that’s already been tried—and failed. Miserably. These problems are the reason we need you to hand carry the necessary documents and bring them back. As a notary you’re licensed to witness Mr. Harpnell’s signature, which will satisfy the legal requirements. That’s another
