Chapter 2 Hasty Summons

D ave reached for Jillian’s hand as he drove his Corvette through the latticework of streets that comprised the downtown area of Heart Lake. It didn’t take long to reach the two-lane highway that circled the sparkling lake their hometown was named after.

The sun was directly overhead, sending white-gold rays into the water and making it shimmer like diamonds.

As he threaded their fingers together and rested their joined hands on his knee, he felt a nearly imperceptible tremor run through his bride. He gave her a sharp look. “What’s on your mind, babe?”

She drew a ragged breath before answering. “Heart Lake is a body of water I’ve spent my entire life driving past on my way to somewhere else. It feels, um…different to be going to it instead of around it.”

The angst in her voice made his heart sink. “Do you mind living on the lake?” Until now, he’d been so busy trying to impress her that it hadn’t occurred to him to ask her where she actually wanted to live .

“I don’t mind at all.” Her fingers tightened around his. “I feel like Cinderella right now.”

“Is that a good thing?” He frowned through the windshield at the picturesque old barns and farmhouses woven around the newer townhomes and lake houses, trying to see them through her eyes. Though he’d never given it much thought, the lake community was where the social elite of Heart Lake lived. Doctors, judges, town council members, and attorneys like himself called it home.

“Yes.” She gave a faint chuckle. “As long as the beautiful adventure we’re starting together doesn’t disappear when the clock strikes midnight.”

“It won’t.” He raised her hand to brush his lips against her fingers.

“I hope you’re right.” She gave him an angst-filled glance. “Either way, you’re going to need to be patient with me, Dave.”

His eyebrows rose. “Afraid I’m not following you.”

“I don’t expect you to understand,” she said quickly. “That’s why I’m begging for your patience up front, because it might, er…take me a while to find my place in your world.”

My what? He wondered if the pregnancy hormones were causing her sudden burst of melancholy. “We grew up in the same town, babe.”

“It might as well have been two different worlds,” she insisted. “There’s no way you could’ve missed the fact that Heart Lake is made up of the haves and the have nots . Even though my sister and I were raised in an apartment complex downtown and attended Heart Lake High, our single-income family put us solidly in the have nots camp. That’s why you and I never ran in the same circles.”

“Or maybe it was because you were a freshman while I was a senior,” he countered in a reasonable voice. “Also, your older sister wasn’t exactly a ball of sunshine back then. Still isn’t.”

“I can’t argue about either of those things.” Jillian sounded rueful. “But that doesn’t change the fact that we lived in the same town for nearly fifty years before our paths crossed.”

“Fair enough.” He lowered their hands back to his knee. “Just tell me what I can do to make your new life as Mrs. Phillips easier.” Man, but he enjoyed calling her that!

She was silent for a moment. “Please don’t assume I know anything about your friends, neighbors, or business associates. I’m going to need some introductions when the time comes.”

“Consider it done.” Since he’d purchased his lake home from Gil only a few months earlier, he hadn’t met all of their neighbors yet, either. However, he understood what she meant. He was best friends with the recently retired sheriff of Heart Lake and personally acquainted with most of the town council members. Because of his job, he was also well known around Town Hall, the local courthouse, and among the other biggest movers and shakers in town — business owners, ranchers, and the tribal leadership on the adjacent Comanche reservation.

“I might not fit in at first,” Jillian added in a shy voice, “but I’ll try my best.”

He snorted. “I think you’re forgetting that I’m the guy most folks only call when they need something. Then they complain when I send them the bill afterward. Serving as a criminal lawyer in no way makes me the town sweetheart.”

A smile tugged at the edges of her lips. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, it’s working.”

“Oh, I’m just getting started, babe.” While they were busy getting a few tough topics out of the way, he decided it was as good of a time as any to bring up one of the toughest topics of all. “Mind if we talk about money?” Since money problems were the biggest cause of divorce in the country, he wanted to start them off on the right foot in that area.

She blinked at him. “I thought we already established the fact that I don’t have much of it.”

“Maybe you didn’t an hour ago,” he drawled as he pulled into the driveway of their townhome, “but that changed the second you married the town’s biggest criminal lawyer.” Yeah, it sounded like he was bragging, and maybe he was. He was proud to bring his bride home to one of the newest, poshest houses on the lake. It was three stories of square roof lines, perfectly symmetrical walls of glass, and L-shaped balconies. The main paint color was charcoal gray, but a few outsets were trimmed in concrete that was stained to look like light oak wood paneling.

She stiffened and withdrew her hand from his. “Dave, I didn’t marry you for your money.”

He stared at her incredulously. “I never said you did. That was far from the point I was trying to make.” Reaching up to tap a button on his sun visor, he opened one of the middle doors of the four-car garage on the lower level of their home. There was a fifth garage door around the corner for either a golf cart or a small boat, neither of which he currently owned. The other half of the lower level was a finished-off basement that he was currently using as a movie room.

“But others will be saying it.” Jillian sounded upset by the idea. “You have to know that.”

He tried to choose his next words carefully as he drove into the garage. He parked between his Jeep and her faded blue Volvo that he had every intention of replacing soon. Turning off the motor, he swiveled her way. “I don’t normally make a habit of caring what others think, Jills. No, that doesn’t mean I purposely go out of my way to offend people. It means I avoid most of them altogether. Like I said before, folks are quick to pick up the phone and beg me to dig them out of trouble, but they never call back and invite me over for dinner afterward.” He shook his head at her. “Guess I should’ve warned you before you married me that nobody loves their attorney.”

“I do,” she assured him in such a heartfelt voice that his shoulders relaxed. “Not because of your money, though. It’s because of how you make me feel and because of who you are. My husband, my dearest friend in the world, and soon to be the father of my child. There’s no price tag you can put on stuff like that.”

“I’m not trying to.” He held her gaze steadily. “But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a wealthy woman now. Before the end of the day, I’ll log on to my bank app and add you as a joint account holder. Then I’ll put a rush on an order for a debit card in your name. Aside from wars and natural disasters, they should have it mailed to us within three business days.”

“A debit card?” she gasped. “Are you sure you want to add me to?—?”

“Very sure.” He trusted her wholeheartedly with his finances. “Sometimes I have to work long hours, pull all-nighters, and put out fires on very short notice. Can’t have you and the baby stranded alone at home with no money.”

“I don’t know what to say.” She looked uncertain. “What you’re suggesting is so generous that I can’t even begin to?— ”

“It’s not a suggestion. It’s happening.” He leaned her way to seal his mouth over hers. When he came up for air, he informed her huskily, “I’m really hoping you’ll put your new debit card to work soon, picking out furniture and decorating the house. Two things I’m not very good at. We’re also gonna need to set up a nursery.”

She chuckled breathlessly. “Can you give me an idea of what sort of budget we’re working with?”

“Get whatever you want, babe.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip. “We can afford it.”

“Dave,” she protested softly.

“I mean it, Jills.” He drank in her flustered expression, loving how easy it was to make her blush. “Since my mother’s arrival in town, she’s been complaining nonstop about my bare walls and half-empty rooms. I would be eternally grateful if you’d rectify the matter and get her off my back.”

“By buying a bunch of furniture,” she said slowly, as if seeking additional clarification.

“And paintings.” He winked at her. “Or whatever else you want on the walls.”

“Oh, wow!” She burst out laughing. “Being wealthy is going to take some getting used to. So, um…would you like me to run the purchases past you ahead of time?”

Not particularly. “Whatever makes you happy, babe.” Interior decorating was way outside of his expertise. He’d assumed she’d visited his place enough before they were married to figure that out for herself. “You’ll probably be better off running stuff past my mom. Better yet, take her shopping with you. She has great taste in furnishings.” Her villa in Italy was showroom worthy. Plus, she was highly skilled at haggling over prices. She was highly skilled at haggling. Period .

“Take her shopping with me?” Jillian looked surprised. “How long is she planning on staying in town?”

“No idea.” But he was starting to get the impression that his mother wasn’t in a terrible hurry to return overseas. “One thing’s for sure. She’s been hounding me for decades to give her a grandchild. Something else you should probably know…it’s her first trip back to Heart Lake since my high school graduation.”

Jillian searched his face, frowning. “Are you telling me she hasn’t paid you a single visit in over thirty years?”

“Not in Heart Lake. We met up at other places.” Not often, though. He’d spent the last thirty years pretending he didn’t care, but he did.

“Is it because of your dad?” Jillian ventured in a soft voice.

“That’s my theory.” Jillian and Gil were the only two people he ever let his guard down with this far. “Though she’s never come right out and said it, I think I remind her too much of him.”

Jillian sucked in a breath. “She must have really loved your dad.”

“She did.” The lack of judgment in Jillian’s voice was downright endearing. “Losing him during my teens pretty much wrecked her.”

She reached across the console for his hand, gripping it in both of hers this time. “I’ll ask her to go furniture shopping with me.”

He felt like his heart was melting straight out of his chest and pooling on the floorboard. “Have I told you today how much I love you?”

“A few times.” She smiled dreamily at him.

He angled his head at the stairs leading up to the main level. “We should probably go inside.” Though he’d been given careful instructions to show up to their wedding reception fashionably late, he didn’t want to stay away too long and put her family in an even more sour mood than they’d been in earlier.

He pushed open his door and hurried around the car to assist Jillian to her feet.

She gazed around them, looking a little dazed. “Home sweet home,” she murmured with a catch in her voice. “I’m going to keep telling myself that until I wrap my brain around the fact that I actually live here now.”

You do that, babe. He bypassed the elevator and led her to the stairs, preferring to show off a little for her instead of taking the easy way out. At the base of the stairs, he reached down to hook an arm under her legs.

She squealed as he hauled her into his arms. Instead of fretting about her weight like she had the last time he’d carried her, she threw her arms around his neck and clung to him, giggling, as he carried her up the stairs.

“Welcome home, Mrs. Phillips.” To make things easier on them, Gil had already cracked the door open. Jillian either didn’t notice or chose not to comment on it.

Since her face was conveniently turned his way as he stepped across the threshold with her, Dave took the opportunity to plant another kiss on her. It was something he was never going to get tired of doing. He’d waited a very long time for her to come into his life. If there was a contest for the happiest man on the planet, he was sure he’d win it hands down.

“Surprise!” A chorus of voices made Jillian jolt in his arms and break off their kiss. She whirled her head around to see what was going on.

Dave carried her further into the kitchen, which connected seamlessly with the open dining room and vaulted great room. Other than the Justice of the Peace, everyone who’d attended the wedding was present.

They’d outdone themselves, too. The normally bare granite countertops in the kitchen were covered with tiered white porcelain platters, clusters of red and white roses, and strands of flickering white lights. The charcuterie style array of food was so pinkies up that his mother might as well have signed her name to it. Regardless of the fact that the Harrises had left his office building first, the feast in front of them was entirely her doing.

He caught her eye, nodding gratefully at her. She was wearing a tight expression that seemed to be aimed more at the Harrises than at him. Her lips softened momentarily into a smile, presumably for his benefit. Then her pinched look returned.

Yep, there was most definitely some bad blood brewing between her and Jillian’s family. It didn’t take him long to figure out why.

“General Phillips tried to twist our arms into blowing up a balloon arch,” Julia trilled in a falsely sweet voice. She waved a hand languidly at the sliding glass doors overlooking the balcony off from the great room. “I’m sad to say, all three of us are asthmatics.” She didn’t sound the least bit sad about it.

“Hmm. I never would’ve guessed,” Eloise Phillips retorted in a deceptively pleasant voice.

“Nobody would’ve,” Jillian whispered to Dave as he lowered her gently back to her feet, “on account of all the hot air they give off.”

He muffled a chuckle as he nuzzled her temple. Then he spun her in a full circle so he could watch her reaction to the pile of gifts on the coffee table in the great room. His mother had gone to the trouble of special ordering a massive cake-like centerpiece that was primarily made of white diapers. They were rolled up and tied with white satin ribbons. Next to the coffee table was an oak bassinet he’d assembled the night before. It had a white glaze finish that offset the frilly white blankets his mother had laid inside it to perfection.

“Oh, Dave,” Jillian breathed. “Look at all of this!” She drenched him with an awed smile. “Can you believe…?” She broke off the question, chuckling. “But of course you can! You were in on the surprise, weren’t you?”

He shrugged, grinning. “I might’ve had a clue there was something in the works.”

“This is so amazing,” she gushed, spinning in another circle. “Thank you, all of you.” Her blue gaze sparkled with appreciation. “I had no idea you were planning a full-blown wedding reception for us.”

“And baby shower. Just glad I didn’t accidentally say or do anything to blow the surprise.” Dave made a show of wiping the imaginary sweat off his forehead. His antics drew a few chuckles. “We figured it made sense to wrap both events into one, while both families are in town.”

“If we’d known about the surprise sooner,” Nell Harris whined, “we?—”

“Time to start the food line,” Eloise Phillips interrupted briskly. She waved Dave and Jillian forward imperiously. “As the guests of honor, you get to go first.”

Dave led Jillian to the front of the line. Before he reached for their plates, he bowed his head. “Let’s say a blessing.” Without waiting to see if anyone else closed their eyes, he launched into a prayer of thanksgiving for the food, gifts, and their guests. As far as he knew, his mother hadn’t darkened the door of a church for decades, and the Harrises certainly weren’t radiating Christian charity .

Jillian’s fingers were nestled warmly against his while he prayed. That was all that mattered to him. “Amen,” he concluded, raising his bride’s fingers to his lips. He kissed them unashamedly in front of everyone else. “Let’s eat,” he announced.

The next hour passed in a flurry of feasting, opening gifts, and trading veiled barbs. The barbs weremostly exchanged by their two mothers, though Julia plunged into the fray a few times. The rest of the time, she watched the byplay between the two women without bothering to hide her smirk. She was clearly enjoying their exchange of unpleasantries.

“What an adorable set of onesies,” Eloise Phillips sang out after Jillian opened her parents’ gift. “I saw something exactly like that on an end-of-season clearance rack at Carter’s.” Her meaning was clear. She was calling Mr. and Mrs. Harris cheap.

One of her own gifts to Dave and Jillian was a delicate ivory blanket with a scattering of tiny pink, blue, and yellow baby toys stitched on it.

“Let me guess,” Nell Harris ventured airily. “A bargain find from a flea market?”

“I think the term you’re looking for is heirloom.” Dave’s mother spoke in an equally airy voice. “I embroidered it myself.” Her smile was triumphant as she snapped a bunch of extra pictures of Jillian trailing her fingers over the soft blanket.

“It’s lovely. Thank you.” Jillian gave her a grateful look that went straight to Dave’s heart.

His mother continued snapping pictures as fast as she could to capture each moment of his bride’s happiness.

The tension in the air notched up a few more degrees. Jillian had to be aware of what was going on, though she was doing her hardest to ignore it. Now and then, her smile would freeze or her hands would pause while untying a ribbon, but those were the only tells Dave was able to pick up on.

As they reached the bottom of the pile of gifts, one of the phones in his back pocket vibrated with an incoming call. He ignored it. Or tried to. Just as soon as it stopped, it started back up again and again and again. It soon became apparent that whoever was trying to reach him had no intention of giving up. They weren’t staying on the line long enough to leave a voicemail. They were hanging up and hitting redial to keep his phone vibrating.

He glanced across their huddle to catch Gil’s eye. His friend was perched on the dark leather loveseat with one arm slung casually around his wife’s shoulders. He’d left his Stetson on the hall tree by the front door, revealing wavy auburn hair that he’d been wearing a few inches longer since his retirement. He was sporting a short layer of scruff threaded with frost, too. Retirement definitely suited him.

Gil gave Dave a sympathetic look as his business cell phone continued to vibrate. He knew a thing or two about getting called away on business in the middle of family time. He’d probably welcomed the interruptions while married to his first wife. She’d been in the process of divorcing him when she was diagnosed with cancer. Like the trooper Gil was, he’d torn up her request for a divorce and stuck it out until the bitter end.

You’re a better man than me, bro. Gil’s miserable first marriage was one of the biggest reasons Dave had stayed single for so long.

He tried to ignore the next incoming call, half-tempted to toss his work phone out the nearest window.

The Harrises were lounged on the leather sofa across from the two dining room chairs his mother had insisted on placing him and Jillian in. They were pretending to snap photos of the two of them opening gifts. Their engrossed expressions, however, were a dead giveaway that they were preoccupied with something else entirely — reading emails, playing games, anything other than the celebration they were supposed to be taking part in.

To her credit, Dave’s mother was doing everything in her power to make up for their inattention by hopping around the room like an energetic cricket. She was snapping photos from every possible angle.

“Sweetie, you might as well take that call,” she chirped as she took a knee in front of them to take another picture. “Whoever is trying to reach you sounds mighty persistent.”

“I know.” He grimaced. “Sorry about that.” He leaned closer to Jillian to brush his lips against her cheek. “I won’t be gone long. Promise.” He hoped like crazy he’d be able to keep his word.

“Take as long as you need.” She stopped unwrapping the next gift to give him a smile infused with understanding. “I’ve got this.” The guilty look she darted toward her parents felt like a silent apology for their chilly, distant attitudes.

For an answer, he lightly tapped the tip of her nose. “I’ll make it up to you later,” he promised in a whisper. She had nothing to apologize for. His mother was acting every bit as poorly as her parents were. He bent closer to her ear to add, “after everyone leaves.”

The pink color that spread across her cheeks made his heart swell with happiness.

As he strode across the great room, he lifted his work phone to his ear and finally accepted the call. “Dave Phillips speaking.”

“Oh, thank goodness, Dave!” The woman on the other end of the line sobbed out his name. “You may not remember me, but this is Jan Jacobson. Jordan’s mom.”

Jan Jacobson? Dave reached the double glass doors to his office and pushed them open. The Jacobson name was one he hadn’t heard in a good long while. “Of course, I remember you.” Her son, Jordan, had been one of his and Gil’s high school classmates. He’d left town in his early twenties to race horses. Shortly afterward, his parents had sold their farm and gone on the racing circuit with him. “What can I do for you?” Since she’d called his work number, he had to assume it wasn’t a social call.

“We lost Jordan’s father last month.” Her voice grew choked. “It’s been ruled a suicide, but…” a sob erupted from her. “I don’t believe it. Not for a second!”

Whoa! Dave’s mind instantly slammed into lawyer mode. He shut his office doors and strode to the wide picture window overlooking Heart Lake. “I’m sorry for your loss, ma’am.” Like his mother, Jan Jacobson and her late husband, Jason, were in their mid-seventies. Old enough to die of natural causes. It made him sad to find out that Jason Jacobson’s death had been anything but natural. Did Mrs. Jacobson have grounds for her refusal to accept it was suicide? Or was she simply a grieving loved one in denial of her newly widowed status?

“Loss?” The word came out as a near shriek that made him hold the phone a few inches away from his ear. “This wasn’t simply a loss. Sure, Jason was under a certain amount of stress. Who isn’t? But he wouldn’t have abandoned me and Jordan like this. He just…wouldn’t have.” By now, she was sobbing so hard that Dave could barely understand what she said next. “There has to be…more to it. ”

He waited for her to compose herself, silently sending up a prayer for her peace and comfort. As soon as he finished praying, his mind began to reel with questions. It was in his nature to question everything.

Only after Jan Jacobson’s sobs subsided to sniffles did he speak again. “What can you tell me about the events leading up to your husband’s death?”

“Plenty,” she spat, “but not over the phone. I need to speak with you in person. Today, if there are any flights available. I’ll pay for everything — your plane ticket, time, and legal representation. I’ll wire you the retainer fee right away. Just let me know how much and where?—”

“Hang on a sec, Mrs. Jacobson!” Dave held up a hand as he strove to halt her avalanche of frenzied promises. For starters, he had no idea what she required representation for. Secondly, now wasn’t a good time to add anything new to his calendar.

“Just Jan,” she cut in quickly.

It felt strange calling a high school friend’s mother by her first name, but okay. “I know you had no way of knowing this, Jan, but today is my wedding day. Tomorrow, my wife and I are leaving on our honeymoon.”

A stretch of silence met his announcement. Then Jan Jacobson’s quavering voice wafted across the line again. “Congratulations, kiddo!” She rushed to add, “Is there any chance you have a business partner you can send in your place? We’re desperate, Dave. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be asking to meet on such short notice.”

“I don’t have a business partner, ma’am, and I don’t normally take out-of-town cases. I’m sorry. I’d be happy to recommend someone else to represent you, though. I know attorneys all over the great state of Texas. Good ones.” To date, there hadn’t been enough crime in Heart Lake to justify working any way besides solo. There were, however, enough cases to keep him from having to accept out-of-town clients. The last time he’d done so was over twenty years ago, right after he’d first opened his private practice. He’d quickly discovered it wasn’t worth the added expense of all the required overnight traveling.

“That might not be as easy as you think,” Jan Jacobson declared bitterly. “The person suing us has already called every reputable legal firm in a hundred-mile radius for an initial consultation. There’s no way it’s an accident. Somebody must have coached him into doing it.”

It sure didn’t sound like an accident. Or the work of amateurs, for that matter. Whatever trouble the Jacobsons were in, they were going to need a good lawyer for sure. “So your family ended up in Dallas, eh?” That was news to him. So was the fact that they were involved in a lawsuit. He still wasn’t convinced that their problems needed to become his problems, though.

“We did. My husband and I bought a few acres on the outskirts of the city and opened Triple J Ranch.”

No surprise there. They’d always dreamed of owning a horse ranch. “Is Jordan still on the racing circuit?”

“Clearly, you don’t follow horse racing.” Jan sounded mildly offended. “Otherwise, you’d already know that our son and his horse have been winning races all over the country for two years straight. We honestly believe he has a shot at a Triple Crown if the current allegations don’t get him disqualified.”

The way she kept using pronouns like our and we strengthened Dave’s theory that she was in denial over the loss of her husband. “Something tells me there’s a story behind the name of your ranch.” He already had a solid guess what it was .

“Of course.” There was a bittersweet edge to her voice. “We named it after the three J’s in our family — Jason, Jan, and Jordan.” She drew a shaky breath. “Being down to two J’s feels really strange…and wrong.”

I bet. He wasn’t sure what to say to make her feel better, so he kept silent.

“We’re going to lose everything if you don’t help us, Dave.” Her voice grew pleading. “Jason received a death threat exactly one week before he died. I received one a little over an hour ago.”

Wait! What? He squared his shoulders. “Ma’am, you need to hang up and report this to the police immediately!”

She gave a humorless laugh that ended on another sob. “You think I haven’t already done that?”

“What did they say?” He gripped the phone tighter.

“That the threats aren’t related to my husband’s death. The police think the person sending them is someone they’re calling the Prophet. They’re not sure if it’s a man, woman, or group of teenagers. All they know is the Prophet reads up about ongoing cases in the news and muddies the evidence with prank calls and messages — everything from death threats to kidnapping threats. Oh, and they’re almost always accompanied by some sort of demand if you want them to go away. Otherwise,” she paused dramatically, “they assure you it’s lights out for the victim.”

As he listened, Dave leaned over his desk to open his laptop. He did a quick online search on the Prophet. Sure enough, there was all sorts of chatter about the mysterious digital prankster. Cartoon memes in his honor were flooding social media and going viral. Dave scanned a full page of them, shaking his head at how humorous a few of them sounded .

Gimme your lunch money, or it’ll be the last baloney sandwich you choke down your windpipe.

Send me $10,000, or I’m gonna punch you so hard in the mouth, you’ll have to unbutton your shirt to say hello.

You’d better liquidate your retirement account and send me half, or I’ll hire a professional boxer to slap you silly for the rest of your life.

Some of the memes weren’t funny at all. Just bizarre. One thing was apparent. Whoever was behind the Prophet’s threats wasn’t being taken seriously by law enforcement.

“Are you still there, Dave?” Jan Jacobson’s voice grew thready.

“I am.” The more he heard about the case, the less he was interested in taking it. Yeah, he’d been friends with her son in high school, but a lot of time had passed since then. For all he knew, Mrs. Jacobson had snapped after losing her husband. He was sorry about her loss, but nothing he did would bring the man back. And since she wasn’t being very forthcoming over the phone about why she needed legal representation, it was possible her family was as guilty as sin about whatever they were being accused of. Even good people made mistakes sometimes.

While he was trying to come up with the right words to inform her he was going to pass on the case, a knock sounded.

He glanced toward the double glass doors and was surprised to see Jillian standing, white-faced, on the other side. “Hang on a sec, Jan.” Without waiting for an answer, he mashed the HOLD button and tossed his work phone on his desk. Hurrying across the room, he flung open the door on the right.

Jillian fell into his arms. “I’m sorry to bother you while you’re working, but…” The words tumbled out of her like a tidal wave. What concerned Dave the most was how pale her heart-shaped face was.

“What’s going on, babe?” He cuddled her closer. His job could wait. Whatever was upsetting her, he would make time to handle it, even if he had to call Jan back later.

“I just received the weirdest text message.” Her voice trembled. “A ransom note, actually, for a kidnapping that thankfully hasn’t taken place yet.”

“You’re right. That’s weird.” It was especially weird that his new wife had received such a bizarre message so soon after he’d found out about the mysterious Prophet. “Who’s getting kidnapped?”

“Our unborn child.” A silent sob shuddered through her.

His insides grew cold. “Let me see your phone, please.” If this was yet another one of those digital pranks currently blowing up the Internet, it was one of the not-funny ones. He couldn’t have felt less like laughing.

Why contact us? Why now?

Questions burned like wildfire through his mind, not the least of which was how the prankster had gotten hold of his wife’s cell phone number. Was the incident in any way related to the Prophet? Or the threats Jan and Jason Jacobson had received? The call he currently had on hold was starting to feel less and less like a coincidence.

“Gil has my phone.” Jillian shivered. “As soon as I saw the text message, I passed it over to him, and he left the room with it. My mother pitched a fit, demanding to know what was going on. When I told her I wasn’t sure, she lost her religion, claiming I’ve been shutting my family out of my life ever since I met you. She stormed out of the house, and my dad and sister followed her.” She drew a shaky breath. “I don’t think they’re coming back.”

Good riddance! Jillian looked so distraught about it, though, that Dave kept the comment to himself. “Did you see where Gil took off to?”

“I’m right here.” Gil popped his head around the door, looking grave. He waved Jillian’s cell phone in the air, making the crystals on her floral phone case flash in the sunlight. “I’ve reached out to both Luke and Lonestar Security.”

Dave nodded, frowning. Luke Hawling was the newly elected sheriff of Heart Lake, Gil’s replacement. He was a good guy, but… “I hear a but.”

“You know how it is.” Gil handed Jillian’s phone back to her. She passed it on to Dave in one fluid movement. “There’s not much law enforcement can do before a crime is committed, other than document it. The number’s untraceable. They checked.”

“Shocker,” Dave intoned as he scanned the text message Jillian had received.

“They’re not sure it’s even a real threat.” Gil looked troubled. “Apparently, there’s something new trending on social media right now. It’s called?—”

“Lemme guess,” Dave cut in. “The Prophet?”

“Bingo.” Gil pointed at him with both forefingers. “How did you hear about it?”

Dave mimed zipping his lips closed. “Attorney-client privilege.” A potential client, at any rate.

“Anyhow,” Gil continued in exasperation, returning his attention to Jillian, “The Prophet might be nothing more than a hashtag. A joke, basically. Not a real person. Just a stupid idea someone pulled out of the air and thought it would be funny to make it go viral on social media.” He dug his own cell phone out of his pocket and waved it at her. “If you google it, you’ll find all sorts of bizarre memes flooding the Internet.”

Jillian looked puzzled. “Memes about what?”

“Mostly threats about crimes yet to be committed, which is why the police are calling him…or the idea…the Prophet.” Gil shook his head in disgust. “Not sure why anyone ever thought a prank like that would be funny.”

Dave jumped back into the conversation. “According to one online article I skimmed, a few pranksters have taken it a step further and started texting threats to individuals.”

“Like me.” Jillian pointed at her cell phone that he was still scrutinizing. She looked pretty unnerved by it, and he didn’t blame her.

His eyebrows rose at the amount listed in the ransom demand she’d received. “Looks like we can make all of this go away for a measly one million dollars. Good to know.”

“I’m so sorry, Dave,” Jillian babbled in distress. “I don’t know how I got on this person’s radar. I don’t make many online purchases and?—”

“Don’t you dare apologize!” He ran his hands up and down her arms to soothe her. Pregnant women didn’t need this kind of stress, did they? “Nothing about this is your fault. Not one blessed thing.” He gentled his voice. “I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to you or our baby, you hear?”

She nodded, still looking pale.

He took a screen shot of the ransom demand, then forwarded it to his cell phone for good measure. “To make things even weirder about the whole situation, I’ve got an old friend on hold. She claims her family has been receiving grisly messages, too.”

“More ransom demands?” Jillian squeaked.

“Death threats, actually.” He shot Gil a grim look over her head.

His friend scowled. “All feathers and no chicken?”

Dave slowly shook his head. “Unfortunately, this one comes with a body. Might be a suicide. Might be something else.” He was beginning to fear it might actually be something else.

Gil gave a long, low whistle. “If that’s true, it may be the first prophecy that came true.”

Dave was thinking the same thing. He spread his hands. “I won’t know unless I take the case.”

“Of course, you’re taking the case!” Gil looked at him like he was crazy. “Why wouldn’t you?”

Dave blew out a breath. “It would require flying to Dallas tonight, and we’re supposed to start our honeymoon in the morning.”

“It’s definitely not ideal.” Gil ran a hand through his hair, tousling it in all directions. “But someone’s threatening Jillian and the baby, the police aren’t taking it seriously, and this case could be your inside ticket to what’s really going on. Can you honestly afford not to take the case?”

“Good question.” Dave felt like a heavy weight was pressing down on his chest as he caught and held Jillian’s gaze. “Any chance you’d be willing to give me a raincheck on our trip to Hawaii? We might have to delay it for a few days or even a few weeks.” He’d purchased refundable tickets, so the dates could easily be adjusted.

“To be honest?” Her voice had a suspicious catch in it. “ I’d rather wait and go to the beach when I’m no longer pregnant.”

That was over three months from now! “Really?” It didn’t sound like her sentiments on the topic had anything to do with the case. They were purely female. How had he missed this?

“Really.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “I didn’t want to say anything before, because you were so excited about our trip, but…” Her voice dwindled uncertainly.

I’m an idiot. He gave a mirthless guffaw. “I take it you don’t relish the idea of being in a swimsuit while five-and-a-half months pregnant?”

“Or in the middle of winter,” she added wryly. “I’d much rather go next summer, hire a babysitter, and enjoy our honeymoon alone. Just the two of us.” Her voice grew shy. “If that’s okay with you?”

“Uh…yeah. More than okay.” Just the thought of having her alone like that made his heart thump harder. He let out a resigned breath as his last excuse for not taking the case went up in smoke.

“Guess I’ve kept my client on hold long enough.” He reluctantly left her side and returned to his desk to lift his phone to his ear. “Are you still there, ma’am?”

“I am,” Jan Jacobson assured quickly. “Still on the line and still begging the Lord to change your mind. I know I’m asking for a tremendous sacrifice on your part, but I wouldn’t ask it of you if I had anyone else to turn to.”

“Well, it looks like your prayers have been answered.” One of them, anyway. He still couldn’t bring her husband back. And despite how cool Jillian was being about everything, Dave deeply regretted the necessity of postponing their honeymoon. “I’ve decided to take the case.”

Gil was right. If there was even the slightest chance that the Jacobsons were being hounded by the same person threatening Jillian, this was their best chance of tracking the thug down before he did any more harm.

Jan Jacobson was tearfully thanking him in the background, laughing and sobbing at the same time. It might be a while before they got around to purchasing his plane ticket.