THE doorbell rang, and again Maggie had her Smith & Wesson in her hand before she realized it. She tucked the revolver into what was becoming its regular spot, the waistband of her jeans.

She didn’t recognize the petite brunette standing on her portico. Maggie’s eyes searched the street, the shadows created by trees and bushes, before she moved to disarm the security system. She wasn’t sure what she expected. Did she honestly believe Stucky would have followed her to her new house?

“Yes?” she asked, opening the door only wide enough to place her body in the space.

“Hi!” the woman said with a false cheerfulness.

Dressed in a black-and-white cardigan and matching skirt, she looked ready for an evening out. Her shoulder-length hair didn’t move in the breeze. The diamond necklace, earrings and wedding ring were modest and tasteful, but Maggie recognized how expensive they were. Okay, so at least the woman wasn’t trying to sell anything.

“I’m Susan Lyndell. I live next door.”

“Maggie O’Dell.”

“I saw you at Rachel Endicott’s house.” She sounded uncomfortable, and it was obvious she wasn’t here to welcome Maggie to the neighborhood.

“Oh.”

“I’m a friend of Rachel’s. I know that the police…” She stopped and glanced in both directions. “I know they’re saying Rachel may have just left on her own, but I don’t think she would do that.”

“Did you tell Detective Manx that? He’s in charge of the investigation. I was simply trying to lend a hand as a concerned neighbor.”

“But you’re with the FBI, right?”

“Yes, but I wasn’t there in an official capacity. If you have any information, I suggest you talk to Detective Manx.”

All Maggie needed was to step on Manx’s toes again. However, Susan Lyndell didn’t seem pleased with her advice.

“I know this is an awkward introduction, and I apologize, but if I could just talk to you for a few minutes. May I come in?”

Her gut told her to send Lyndell home. Yet for some reason she found herself letting the woman into her foyer.

“I have a flight to catch.” Maggie allowed impatience to show. “As you can see I haven’t had time to unpack, let alone pack for a business trip.”

“Yes, I understand. It’s quite possible I’m simply being paranoid.”

“You don’t believe Ms. Endicott just left town for a couple of days?”

Susan Lyndell’s eyes met Maggie’s.

“I know there was something in the house that suggests Rachel didn’t do that.”

“Ms. Lyndell, I don’t know what you’ve heard—”

“It’s okay.” She stopped Maggie with a wave of her slender fingers. “I know you can’t divulge anything you may have seen. Look, I know it’s not routine for three police cruisers and the county medical examiner to come rescue an injured dog. Even if it belongs to the wife of Sidney Endicott.”

Maggie didn’t recognize the man’s name, nor did she care. The less she knew about the Endicotts, the easier it would be to keep out of this case. She crossed her arms and waited. Lyndell seemed to interpret it as having Maggie’s full attention.

“I think Rachel was meeting someone. I think this someone may have taken her against her will.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Rachel met a man last week. I don’t want you to get the wrong impression. It’s not something she’s in the habit of doing. It just sort of happened. You know how that is.” She waited for some sign of agreement from Maggie. When there was none, she hurried on. “It was strictly a physical attraction. I’m sure she had no intention of leaving Sidney,” she added as though needing to convince herself.

“Ms. Endicott was having an affair?”

“God, no, but I think she was tempted. As far as I know, it was just some heavy-duty flirting.”

“How do you know all this?”

Susan avoided Maggie’s eyes. “Rachel and I were friends.”

Maggie didn’t point out that Susan had suddenly switched to past tense. “How did she meet him?”

“He’s been working in the area. On the phone lines. Something to do with cable that’s going to be laid. They’re constantly putting in something new in this area.”

“Why do you think this man may have taken Rachel against her will?”

“It sounded like he was getting serious, trying to escalate their flirting. You know how guys like that can be. They really just want one thing—” She stopped herself, realizing she may have revealed more than she intended. “Well, let’s just say,” she continued, “that I have a hunch this guy wanted more from Rachel than she meant to give him.”

The image of the bedroom came to Maggie. Had Rachel Endicott invited a telephone repairman to her bedroom, then changed her mind?

“So you think she may have invited him in and that things got carried away?”

“Isn’t there something in the house that makes it look that way?”

Maggie hesitated. Were Susan Lyndell and Rachel Endicott really friends, or was Susan simply looking for some juicy gossip?

Finally Maggie said, “Yes, there is something that makes it look like Rachel was taken from the house. That’s all I can tell you.”

Susan paled beneath the carefully applied makeup. This time, her response seemed genuine.

“I think you need to tell the police,” Maggie told her again.

“No.” Immediately her face grew scarlet. “I mean, I’m not even sure she met him. I wouldn’t want Rachel to get in trouble with Sid.”

“Then you need to at least tell them about the telephone repairman so they can question him. Have you seen him in the area?”

“Actually, I’ve never seen him. Just his van—Northeastern Bell. I’d hate him to lose his job because of my hunch.”

“Then why are you telling me all this, Ms. Lyndell? What do you expect me to do?”

“I just thought…well…” She leaned against the wall, and seemed flustered. Yet, she made a weak effort to continue. “You’re with the FBI. I thought maybe you could do a check…you know, discreetly…well, I guess I don’t know.”

Maggie let the silence hang between them as she examined the woman’s discomfort.

“Rachel’s not the only one who’s flirted with a repairman, is she, Ms. Lyndell? Are you afraid of your husband finding out?”

She didn’t need to answer. The anguished look in Lyndell’s eyes told Maggie she was right. And she wondered if Lyndell would even call Detective Manx, though she promised to as she turned and hurried away.