Free The Hidden by Heather Graham

on its pedestal at the bottom of the stairs when I went to bed after we finally got back from the police station. Ben and Trisha went with me to make sure the museum and the apartment were safe. I went back down with them and locked the door once they left. I woke up in the middle of the night, but I had a cup of tea and went back to bed. I’d had the feeling the whole time that I was being watched, though. When I woke up in the morning, Nathan Kendall was standing at the foot of my bed. Do you think someone got in and put him there without me hearing a thing?”
    “First, thank God you’re all right. And second, maybe. That’s certainly the logical explanation, and we always look for the logical explanation first.”
    “I don’t know which is scarier—the concept that a mannequin moved on its own, or that someone was in here and put it at the foot of my bed to scare me to death. You know me, Diego—I don’t get spooked easily. I’ve studied mummies and excavated grave sites—you name it. But that mannequin...and those pictures... Ben and I both saw them, but I have no idea how they got there and no idea how they disappeared.”
    “The cops have the camera now, right?”
    “Yes.”
    He shrugged. “Maybe we’ll be able to get our hands on it. I mean, I’m sure the cops here are great, but the Bureau has the best techs in the world, and from what I hear, the unit can get anything expedited.”
    “From what you hear?”
    “They asked Brett to join and annexed me to the invitation. I just accepted yesterday. After you called.”
    “After I called? So you accepted because of me?” she asked.
    “I wasn’t sure I wanted to, but when you called...” he said.
    “Oh, Diego, I didn’t mean to ruin your life. I was just so scared when the cops brought me in that I didn’t know what to do except call you.”
    “You hardly ruined my life, it’s an elite unit. And I was already on the verge of joining—this just helped me make the decision. I wasn’t sure about leaving Miami, but I figured what the hell, I’m not tied down in any way anymore, so it doesn’t really matter where I’m assigned so long as I like what I’m doing.”
    She couldn’t meet his eyes or he would be bound to read her relief at hearing he wasn’t seeing anyone seriously enough to want to stick around, so she just stared at her cup. All she said was, “But you love Miami.”
    “No, Scarlet, I’m not in love with a place. Love is something you reserve for people.”
    He rose, heading toward the living room. She flinched inwardly, then stood a moment later and followed him.
    When she caught up to him, he was examining the statue of Nathan Kendall.
    “Heavy, isn’t it? Whoever carved this did an amazing job. The artist caught real character in his face. He looks like a man who’s been through hell but come out with his soul intact,” Diego said.
    “It’s a good likeness. I’m hoping to find out who the artist was.” She looked hard at the mannequin herself.
    It was wood, just painted wood carved into the likeness of a man and dressed in period clothing.
    It suddenly occurred to her that someone could steal those clothes and wear them, and she shuddered.
    “Okay, I don’t want to scare you, because in the end this may have nothing to do with the ranch, but tell me about the people here,” Diego said.
    “Well, you met Ben and Trisha.”
    “The only other people who, as far as you know, have keys to the museum.”
    “I can’t believe either of them would do this. I’ve actually known them for years. I met them right after college, when I was working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Before I knew you, in fact. I trust them completely.”
    “I’m not saying you shouldn’t. It’s easy to get hold of a key and copy it. Who else works here?”
    “Angus Fillmore runs the stable. You’d know him if you saw him. Old guy, looks like something out of an old Western movie.”
    “I think I saw him,” Diego said. “Who