Free Millionaire M.D. by Jennifer Greene

car and climbed out, a witch-bitter wind bit his cheeks and stung his eyes.
    â€œJustin!”
    He’d already recognized the other two members of the Texas Cattleman’s Club—and their practical, sturdier vehicles—but for a second, the look of the private jet had stunned him into staring. At the sound of his name, though, he promptly pivoted and hiked toward his friends. Typically, Dakota Lewis didn’t seem to notice that the January morning was mean-freezing; his jacket was gaping open. At least Matthew Walker had a red nose and cheeks like his own.
    â€œI’m sorry to be late,” he grumped. “I started out early enough, but the Porsche does what the Porsche wants to do.One of these days, I’m going to turn into a grown-up and get a serious car.”
    â€œWe’ve only been waiting a few minutes,” Dakota assured him.
    Again, Justin looked around. “Hell. If this isn’t enough to put chills up your spine.”
    Just like the others, he’d hightailed it to exactly this site when the plane had first gone down, but it wasn’t dark now; there were no flames, no crying passengers…there was no sound at all but the shriek of a winter wind. Acres of Texas flatland stretched in all directions, bleached of all color and life at this time of year, and in the middle of that ice-gray desert was the mirror-silver of the plane, just sitting there. She was listing a bit, but she didn’t look as if she’d crashed or had an emergency landing. She just looked like an alien vehicle in the middle of a Star Trek episode. Big. Silent. A scream of high technology in a land of rattlesnakes and coyotes. And the door to the small jet gaped open like a mouth waiting for a dentist’s probe.
    â€œI’m still surprised that the cops called us.” Matthew brought up the rear as they all strode toward the metal plane stairs.
    â€œI don’t believe it was the cops’ idea that we were called in. I suspect it was Princess Anna’s family. No one in Asterland or Obersbourg has any real contacts in America except for the Texas Cattleman’s Club, so I think it’s pretty natural they’d want us as part of the investigation. They know us. They trust us.” Dakota led the way inside the plane. “It’d be different if some clues had surfaced as to the cause of the emergency landing. Of course, a fire’s the best way in hell to destroy evidence. But right now, I think everyone’s still worried about sabotage. If some answers don’t surface real soon, I’d be surprised if Asterland doesn’t send over its own team of investigators.”
    â€œWell, I hear you, but you’re retired from the Air Force,” Matthew said to Dakota. “If anyone belongs here, you do.God knows, I’m willing to help, but I can’t imagine anything I can really do.”
    â€œSame here,” Justin said. “But I think the point is to get a fresh pair of eyes on the site. Experts have already been over the place with a fine-tooth comb, but we’re the only ones who knew all the people on board. I think they’re hoping we’ll find something that no one else had any reason to notice.” He frowned. “But I thought Aaron and Ben were going to join us?”
    Dakota nodded. “Ben is. In fact, he should be here shortly. He cell-phoned a few minutes ago just to let us know he’d been tied up. Not Aaron, though—Aaron took off for Washington a couple days ago and he isn’t back yet.”
    â€œHe went to Washington? Related to this problem?” Matthew asked.
    Dakota shook his head. “I don’t really know what Aaron’s doing there, but when he was home over the holidays, I knew there was some problem with his job. I understood that he’d taken a leave of absence from his diplomatic work, so I figure he’s at the embassy in Washington—but all I really know was that he was