Page 79 of Diagnosis Attraction

“The baby book is in a box at the top of the closet—on the left,” she told Matt. He reached up to the shelf and brought down the book. It had a padded exterior covered with faded pink silk. In silver letters, it said, “My Little Girl.”

He handed it to Elizabeth, and she held it carefully.

“I guess my mom was excited about having a baby.”

Opening the cover, she flipped through the pages. In front was her birth announcement and then congratulatory cards.

She could sense Matt’s restlessness as she went through the contents.

“Bring it along. We’ll look at it later. I want to get out of here while the getting’s good.”

The words were just out of his mouth when they heard a door open and footsteps on the first floor.

They both froze, and she gave him a panicked look.

Did you lock the door behind us?Matt asked.

Yes. Do you think it could be one of Lang’s men down there?

I’m betting they got out of town—the ones who could still travel.

So who is that?

I’d like to know. But we’ve got one thing going for us. He’s taking his time. He must not know we’re here.

They listened as whoever it was pawed through kitchen drawersandthen ambled down the hall to the office. After rummaging around there for a while, he headed for the stairs.

It sounds like only one intruder.

Unless he’s got a lookout down there. Get behind the door.

Elizabeth flattened herself against the wall, waiting tensely as she read what Matt had in mind.

The man apparently didn’t know his way around the house. When he reached the second floor, he walked into the guest room, stayed for a few minutes, then headed for Elizabeth’s bedroom.

As he walked through the door, Matt hit him with a power bolt. He staggered back, but he stayed on his feet and pulled out a gun.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Elizabeth was behind the intruder.

“Over here,” she called out.

When he whirled, Matt hit him with another bolt, and Elizabeth added her strength.

This time, the man folded.

Matt leaped on him, stepping on his gun handandmaking the intruder scream. And Elizabeth picked up the lamp on the bedside table and brought it down on his head. He went still.

“What do you have that we can use to tie him up?”

“What about duct tape—like we used before?”

“Yeah.”

She hurried down the hall to the guest room and returned with a roll of tape, which Matt used to secure the man.

He groaned and blinked.

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