had been murdered. Then his daughter had mentioned the letters at his funeral service. What did his murder and those old love letters have to do with each other? And why now? After all this time?
Another wave of hurt washed over Victoria. How could her husband have turned to another woman when Victoria had needed him so very badly?
James had always been like a rock, unshakable. He’d survived being a prisoner of war, had stood fast by her side when Jimmy had gone missing. How could she not have known that there was someone else?
Someone involved in the investigation, for God’s sake.
Carter had known. A new kind of ache welled inside her. He’d been so kind to Victoria. Somehow, he must have found out after James’s murder and hidden the letters to keep Victoria from finding them. To protect her. Her gaze moved to her new husband. Just as Lucas had protected her from what he had known.
He would do the same thing now. Lucas loved her, would do anything to save her from further devastation. That’s why she had to do this herself.
Victoria thought of her faithful staff and, without doubt, knew that any or all of them would do whatever it took to clear Jim’s name, ultimately protecting her.
No one wanted Jim cleared more than Victoria. But more importantly, she wanted the truth.
There was only one way to be sure she had the whole truth when all was said and done.
She would oversee this investigation personally. She would allow no one whose first priority was to protect her to be involved.
That left her with only one option.
CHAPTER TWELVE
AT FIVE MINUTES BEFORE two on Friday afternoon, Daniel Marks stepped off the elevator in the lobby of the revered Colby Agency.
The receptionist greeted him immediately and promptly called Victoria Colby-Camp’s personal secretary to come and escort him to his appointment.
Victoria met him just inside her office.
When the initial formalities were out of the way, she suggested they sit. He took a seat at the small conference table and she did the same. He’d declined any coffee, but two bottles of chilled water with accompanying glasses sat on a tray in the center of the table.
“What do you think of the Windy City?”
Daniel came prepared to answer that question. He’d all but made an offer on a loft less than ten minutes from the Colby Agency. “I’m impressed.”
Victoria nodded. “You found the information packet we sent you informative?”
“Absolutely.” He didn’t mention that he’d already scouted out his permanent residence. He didn’t have the job yet, though he fully suspected that’s what this meeting was about. Since his arrival, he’d decided that this was what he wanted. He felt comfortable here, liked the pace of the city. Its location midway meant that either coast was a simple two-hour flight away.
“Mr. Marks,” she began, “I thought I’d learned everything there was to know about this business. I’ve been operating under the assumption that I’d seen the worst it had to offer. But then, just today, I learned something new.”
It was more the expression on her face than her words that made him uneasy. The meeting had definitely taken a different turn than what he’d anticipated.
“How’s that?”
“Trust has always been a major foundation of my life,” she explained. “As long as I had trust, I had no fears where anything else was concerned, but it seems I was wrong.”
Daniel tried to reason how her recent revelations tied in with his consideration for a position within her agency but found no connection. Obviously, he would have to let her lay it on the table for him.
“I’ve reviewed your record thoroughly and checked your references. I’m fully convinced that you would fit in perfectly here,” she told him bluntly.
There was a but coming, one he couldn’t quite nail the motivation for.
“I appreciate your confidence, Mrs. Colby-Camp. I have to tell you that I’ve done the same. I’m confident your agency is where I’d like to begin my new career.”
Victoria opened a bottle of water and poured herself half a glass. She sipped it a moment before continuing.
Daniel couldn’t help wondering if this was a test of some sort. His work and personal history were impeccable, as were his references. Whatever was going on wasn’t about his qualifications.
“Mr. Marks,” she eventually went on, “I need your help.”
Now she’d lost him again. “Excuse me?” He studied her face, saw the lines of worry he hadn’t noticed at first. Had he arrived at a bad time? Though they hadn’t met before, they had spoken several times by phone. What he saw definitely didn’t mesh with what he’d heard in her voice previously.
“Not so very long ago, a very cunning man named Cole Danes taught me that things are not always what they seem and that at times human emotion can be a considerable weakness.”
Daniel flared his hands. “That’s true in a military setting, as well. There are times when one must set aside human emotion and react on basic instinct, much as an animal does when going after prey or making any other survival decision.”
She nodded. “Then you know what I mean when I say that I’m certain the most thorough investigations are conducted by those who have no personal stake in a matter.”
“Of course.” No question there.
The strength he’d sensed absent in her tone this afternoon was suddenly there, in her eyes. “Mr. Marks, there is no question that I will be offering you a position at this agency. Coming to terms on salary is only a technicality.”
Daniel relaxed marginally. “Excellent.” Now this is what he’d thought he was coming here for today.
“But first, an unexpected necessity dictates that I hire you as a private contractor to conduct an investigation outside the realm of this agency.”
His gaze narrowed as he attempted to read what he saw in her eyes now. She was too good. Whatever fear or uncertainty she felt, she kept it hidden. Was this some sort of test? “What kind of investigation?”
“My son is a suspect in a murder investigation,” she told him without elaborating. “I need you to find the truth.”
He found the way she summed up her needs rather interesting. “Do you have reason to believe he’s guilty?”
She moved her head from side to side. “To my knowledge, he doesn’t even know the victim.”
“But…” he prompted.
Visibly bracing herself, she responded to his prod, “But there are extenuating circumstances. A lapse in his memory has left him without an alibi.”
Daniel felt certain there
