Page 17 of The Cowboy's Magic Touch

“I remember Patty Henderson. She won a Country Music Award for Best New Artist and was killed that same night in a car accident.”

“Exactly…” Annie whispered.

“No! Are you suggesting he was behind her death? Was the makeup artist insinuating that?

“I don’t know for sure, but it felt like a veiled message. Brody, why was Patty out driving by herself at three o’clock in the morning? I think she was trying to escape.”

“Oh, my God. What exactly did this make up person say?”

“She said, Annie, you’ll win the award this year, and you have Geoff to thank for it. Such a shame Patty Henderson died so suddenly, but it was her own fault.”

“Wow. She was telling you not to mess with Geoff.”

“That’s exactly how I took it. This happened just a couple of weeks ago and things had become completely insane. He was insane. He kept telling me I couldn’t be trusted. I wasn’t even allowed to answer the house phone. Then about…I guess it was three, maybe four nights ago, he was suddenly different.”

“Different how?”

“We’d been to a big birthday party. Everyone was there. I was used to him never letting me out of his sight, but when we got home he was quiet. He hardly said a word, and he kept looking at me. When I asked him if anything was wrong, he accused me of flirting with Kenny Diamond. I’m sure you know who he is. He’s had three number one hits in the last six months.”

“Sure.”

“Then…uh…”

“What,” Brody asked anxiously.

“Geoff told me I was going to be his wife. He started rambling about how we’d be Nashville’s power couple, how happy we’d be, and that I had to save myself for him and I’d better not get any ideas about Kenny. Then he said…”

“Annie, what’s wrong? What did he say?”

“Patty Henderson could have had it all but she’d blown it.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

As Brody watched Annie lift her glass and take a drink he felt a cold chill ripple through his body. It was almost impossible to fathom. Yet thinking about the snide, arrogant man he’d just encountered he could easily imagine him being a tyrant. But a murderer?

“I know. It’s hard to believe,” she murmured as if reading his mind. “I lived it, and it’s hard for me to wrap my brain around it too.”

“Thank God you got away,” he muttered, moving his arm around her shoulders. “No wonder you were so scared and came into town wearing that wig.”

“If he’d found me he would have dragged me into that limo and flown me back to his mansion of horrors. And there’s something else. Over this last month, when we’d go out, I think he was spiking my drinks. He probably wanted me to appear wasted so if I said anything—”

“People wouldn’t take you seriously,” Brody muttered.

“Exactly. But he needn’t have bothered. Nobody would have believed me anyway. He’s so warm and friendly, everyone loves him. He’s a real life Jekyll and Hyde.”

“Annie, what we’re dealin’ with here is an obsessive freak. If he can’t have you, he doesn’t want anyone else to either, but you’ve made it clear you have no interest in him. The problem is, I have a very bad feelin’ he hasn’t chased you here to take you back. He wants to make sure you don’t tell anyone he’s a complete psycho.”

“Brody, you’re right! He wants to find me to shut me up, just like he did Patty Henderson.”

“Do you remember anything about the cause of her accident?”

“Apparently she was under the influence—oh, my God! He must have drugged her before she took off. Maybe he even told her she could leave knowing whatever he’d given her would kick in.”

“Damn,” Brody muttered. “You could be right. From everything you’ve just told me, I honestly believe he’d be capable of something like that.”

“But what happens now? I can’t hide forever.”

“You’re safe here, at least for the moment, but you’ve been through hell. You need to take some time to relax and unwind.”

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