7c6cdd7d45cb035b54aafd3ac9eb9cc8

“Mh…” Dan repeated, and swiveled a little in his swivel chair. “I took a quick look at the women Kimmy claims have gone missing, and it strikes me that they’re all the same type: blond, slim and pretty.” He waggled his bushy brows. “Just like someone else I know.”

“Oh? Who?”

“You, of course! You’re the spitting image of the five women who’ve disappeared. So if there’s some kidnapper at work who likes to snatch women who’ve been on Passion Island he’ll grab you in a heartbeat.”

Odelia laughed.“No one in his right mind would try to snatch me, Dan.”

His response was another brow waggle.

“I’m not even pretty!”

“Oh, you foolish woman,” said Dan with a sigh. “Of course you are. And you have to wonder if you’re not putting yourself in harm’s way here, simply because Kimmy doesn’t want to hire a professional.”

“I am a professional,” said Odelia, expanding a little.

Dan gave her a warm smile.“A professional reporter, not a professional detective.”

“It would make for a great story,” she said, deciding to dangle the carrot. She knew Dan was a sucker for a killer story, whether it was related to Hampton Cove or not.

“It is a great story,” he agreed. “At least if the reporter writing it survives long enough to hand in her copy.”

“Nothing’s gonna happen to me, Dan,” she assured her boss. “Like I said, Chase will be there, and so will my cats.”

“Your cats won’t be able to stop anyone from grabbing you, and if I understand the concept of Passion Island, and I think I do, Chase will be dumped on a different island and not allowed anywhere near you. They’ll even take away your phone.”

“It’ll be fine,” she said with a careless wave of the hand. “I can take care of myself.”

“Mh…”

“I can do it in my spare time if you want! I have some vacation racked up.”

He studied her keenly, eyes sparkling with mirth.“Tell you what. You make sure you win this thing. Cause as far as I can tell, no winner of the show has been snatched, right?”

“Is that why you’re so worried?” She laughed. “You think I’ll allow one of those musclebound idiots to seduce me? Fat chance!”

“It’s not you I’m worried about, sweetheart,” said Dan, real concern lacing his voice.

She gaped at her editor, aghast.“You think… Chase will fall for some painted bimbo?”

“He’s a man, Odelia,” her editor declared solemnly, “and men are weak.”

“Not Chase. Uh-uh. Plus, we’re getting married in September.”

“Exactly. A man who’s about to be tied down for life is like a cat on a hot tin roof. He’s liable to make some very strange moves.”

She shook her head.“Nope. No way. Chase would never cheat on me.”

“If you say so.”

“Iam saying so! Chase doesn’t evenlook at other women. He’s absolutely faithful, and I have complete faith in him.”

Dan spread his arms.“Looks like you’ve got all your bases covered.”

“You mean… it’s a go?”

He smiled.“It’s a go.” But then he raised his finger, like a schoolteacher about to dispense some nuggets of wisdom. “Just promise me you won’t put yourself in danger, and the moment you see anyone act suspicious, tell Kimmy, so she can send in the cavalry.”

“Well, let’s hope the cavalry, in the form of Chase, won’t be too busy with his harem of seductresses to come running when the call goes out,” said Odelia with a grin.

Dan nodded seriously.“Let’s hope so.”

“I was kidding!”

“I was not,” said Dan. “For a couple that’s about to tie the knot, the last thing I would advise is to participate in a show like Passion Island.”

“Don’t worry, Dan,” said Odelia as she got up. “Both Chase and I are professionals. This is just a job for us, not an opportunity to go wild.”

But as she left the office, she had the impression Dan still wasn’t fully on board with the scheme. And she had to admit that his attitude had sown the first seeds of doubt in her mind. Maybe Dan was right. Subjecting Chase to six seasoned seductresses—some of the most beautiful women on the planet—eager to do anything and everything in their power to lurehim into their beds, maybe wasn’t the best idea for a man about to say ‘I do.’

But then she shrugged off Dan’s misgivings. The man was old and cynical. That’s what you got from being a newspaperman for forty years. You got jaded.

Chase would be fine, and so would she, and she’d get one hell of a story out of the whole thing. Even if Kimmy was wrong, and no foul play was involved, she’d still get the inside scoop on one of the most popular reality shows in recent times.

Three weeks in a tropical paradise, all expenses paid. Yippie!

Chapter 9