“I’m an FBI agent and you’re under arrest,” she said, desperately trying to tread water and maintain control of her weapon. “Swim for the steps and get out slowly.”
The man stared at her in confusion, watching her struggle. For a good few seconds he said nothing, narrowing his eyes, running his gaze across every part of her face.
“Marigold?” he said finally. “Is that really you?”
She kept her gun aloft, heart hammering. Nobody called her Marigold anymore. She’d left that old life behind. “Who wants to know?”
The man pushed his mousy hair from his forehead. “It’s me, Ezekiel. How long has it been? Twenty years at least.”
“Zeke?” She could scarcely believe it. “You gotta be kidding me.”
Could this tall, beefy man really be Ezekiel Miller, the sweet boy she’d once thought she’d marry when she was just seventeen years old? The same boy who’d promised to whisk her away from her horrible home life? The boy who refused to answer her letters and did nothing to try to find her when her father suddenly moved their entire family from the small town of Glenside, Pennsylvania, to Ohio after he’d been discovered embezzling money from his accounting firm to pay his gambling debts?
“What are you doing here?” she asked, finally beginning to recognize his features, the way his eyes seemed to disappear into slits when he smiled. “This house is off-limits to civilians. Strictly law enforcement only. I could’ve shot you.”
Breathless with exertion, she clung to the edge of the pool, gun still in her hand, taking no chances with this man she’d once loved with her entire being. Having been part of the same church since babyhood, Goldie and Zeke had grown up together, forming such a tight bond that they were often referred to as “Ezigold.” But just like God, Zeke had abandoned her when she needed him the most.
“I am law enforcement, Marigold,” he said, hauling himself onto the steps and reaching into his pocket to pull out an ID badge. “I’m with the Bureau in New York. They sent me here to cover for an agent whose wife went into early labor last night. Since I know Philly pretty well, they thought I’d be a good fit.”
Goldie’s partner’s wife, Lilly, was due to give birth in three weeks, but Goldie had no idea the baby had decided to make an early appearance. Nobody had told her.
Zeke clearly noticed her concerned expression. “Everything’s okay,” he reassured her. “David left a message on your cell when you didn’t pick up. The baby was born this morning. It’s a boy.”
“I noticed a missed call from him, but I didn’t think it was important.” David was something of a stickler for detail and often called to discuss minor points of a case. “He’s got a baby boy, huh? That’s great.”
But try as she might, Goldie simply couldn’t bring herself to feel the level of joy that should accompany news of a healthy newborn baby. All she could think about was Zeke and how on earth she was going to handle her sudden and jumbled mess of emotions.
“Here,” he said, wading into the water to extend a hand. “Let me help you out. You look a little shell-shocked.”
She took his hand and allowed him to pull her onto the graduated steps, where she stood with shaking legs. “I have so many questions right now, Zeke,” she said. “You are the last person I expected to see today.” She shook her head, wringing out the water from her long red curls. “Why did Officer Diaz tell me that David was here? She must’ve looked at your ID, surely?”
Zeke frowned. “Yes, he checked my ID thoroughly. Officer Diaz is a man.”
“What are you talking about? I met her a couple minutes ago. She’s petite with dark hair and...” She stopped, slapped a hand to her forehead. “Oh no! No, no, no. I let her into the house to get a drink of water.”
The shakiness in her legs dissipated in an instant as she leaped from the steps and onto the warm patio tiles. If Officer Diaz was a man, then exactly who was the woman Goldie had just admitted into the house?
“We have to find Mrs. Volto,” Zeke said, running toward the house, leaving his weapon on the bottom of the pool. “If she’s in danger, you’ll have to do the shooting.”
All thoughts of Zeke’s abrupt and shocking return to her life now had to be put aside. He was her partner for this assignment and whatever history they shared had to be forgotten, or at least buried deep. Goldie was a professional adult now, not a scared teenager who desperately needed Zeke’s support and reassuring arms around her. She was a strong and capable person.
Following his wet footprints through the patio door, she made a grab for his elbow and put a finger to her lips, encouraging him to stop and listen for a moment. From upstairs came the sounds of voices, raised and angry. Then a heavy thud sounded on the floor and a woman cried out, “No!”
Both agents went into immediate action, tearing toward the stairs and vaulting them two at a time. A specially built panic room had been installed in a corner of the upstairs hallway, but Mrs. Volto had clearly not been able to take advantage of it. The steel door was open, the reinforced chamber empty.
“Here,” Zeke called, pointing to a door that Goldie guessed must lead to Mrs. Volto’s bedroom.
With a swift kick from Zeke’s foot, the door flew open to reveal Mrs. Volto on the floor of her lavish bedroom, bleeding from a cut to her lip and clutching her belly. Meanwhile, the phony Officer Diaz was standing over her with a heavy, crystal vase in her hand, an expression of absolute hatred on her face.
“Stop right there!” Goldie held her gun aloft. “Back
