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“Oh, that would be so nice,” he said, reaching out a tentative finger to touch the man’s bulging bicep then thinking better of it. “And when do you think you’ll be able to make an arrest? Cause I don’t know if you’ve been following along but I only have three days left to live, Chase—is that what your friends call you? Or is it Chasey?”

“No, Chase is fine,” said the cop, glancing at his celebrity guest a little uncertainly.

Randy got the hint and stepped back, holding up his hands.“I’m invading your personal space, aren’t I? Apologies, Chase. Force of habit. When you teach an aerobics class you get into people’s personal space all the time. You need to get down and dirty if you want to improve people’s… posture.” My, the cop had amazing posture. Ramrod straight, extremely developed musculature, the works. A perfect specimen in every respect. “You know, when this is all over, would you mind taping a video with me?”

Chase cocked a curious eyebrow.“A video.”

“Not that kind of video, you naughty boy!” said Randy with a laugh. “A fitness video! I think you’d make an excellent model. Seeing as my own body has decided to fail me, I was thinking of assuming a role behind the scenes from now on. Direct fitness models. Like you!”

“I thought you wanted to retire?”

“Oh, sure. This would just be a passion project.”

“I don’t know, Ran-Ran,” said Chase. “I’m a cop, not a model.”

“So what? You could be a copand a model!”

Just then, Odelia breezed into the room, and Randy took another step back. Somehow the cop’s animal magnetism kept pulling him in—like a homing pigeon!

“I heard shouting,” said the reporter. “Is everything all right?” She glanced from Randy to Chase and frowned. Of course, thought Randy. She probably felt the sexual tension, all that sweet testosterone going through the roof!

He felt a little embarrassed. There he was, asking for this lovely young couple’s help, and all he could think about was what a handsome hunk Chase Kingsley was!

“Randy got another message,” said Chase, handing the phone to his girlfriend. “This time they’ve actually shown their hand: they want money. A lot of money.”

“Ten million!” said Odelia, and turned to the fitness star. “How do they know you have this kind of money?”

“I don’t know how they know, but they do,” he said simply, studying one of the many rings on his fingers. He looked up. “Oh, you mean that they must be someone I know?”

“Could be your accountant, manager, a business partner…” She thought for a moment. “Could you maybe make a list for me of all the people who know how much you’re worth—financially I mean? Tomorrow first thing I’ll start investigating these people.”

“I can tell you right now,” he said. “My manager Saul Garter, of course, my accountant Peggy Brook. I don’t have a business partner. And, um… Well, there’s my sister Anne. We’re very close so she knows a lot about my business and private affairs.”

“Can you write down their names and numbers?”

“Of course,” he said, giving her a look of admiration. “Will you look at you, going all amateur sleuth on me.”

“That’s why you came to me, isn’t it?”

“Why, yes, but I never thought…” He closed his mouth. He’d almost said too much. It was the presence of hunky Mr. McHunky. He made his mind get all scrambled up.

“How did you arrive on my doorstep if I may ask?” said Odelia. “Did someone give you my name?”

“Well, I was a huge fan of Passion Island,” said Randy. “And I followed what happened with those disappearances very closely.”

Odelia nodded.“That case got a lot of publicity.”

“It did! And you did such a good job finding those women, and exposing that abduction ring. So when I got that video, I just figured Odelia Poole is the person I need to find. She’s the only one who can help me—discreetly!”

“Don’t worry, Ran-Ran,” said Chase, placing his large and very warm hands on the fitness icon’s shoulders and giving them a tight squeeze. “We’re going to get to the bottom of this thing and we’re going to get you that antidote or my name isn’t Chase Kingsley.”

“Chase Kingsley,” he muttered in unison with the cop’s words, shivering a little.

“You’re shivering,” said Chase with a frown.

“Yeah, you look a little feverish,” Odelia chimed in.

He couldn’t tell them he was feeling feverish from that amazing man’s touch, now could he. So instead he said, “I guess I probably need to lie down. This ransom demand business has hit me harder than I thought.” And with a weak smile, he excused himself and returned to his room. Oh, he needed to liedown, all right. But not from the message but from Chase’s impromptu massage!

Chapter 14

Dooley was not himself as we traversed the streets of Hampton Cove on our way to the park for cat choir. He was looking a little dazed, and I thought I knew why.

“I’m sure Gran and Wilbur won’t get married,” I said now, in an effort to cheer him up. “You know Gran. She’s an independent woman, and not the marrying kind at all.”