Page 41 of K-9 Prime Target

And later maybe he’d keep her company.

At her condo, he walked the dogs while Nina showered and changed. He studied the neighboring houses, searching for anyone who fit Nicholson’s description. Liam reasoned he would want to be as close to Nina as possible. And staying in her neighborhood would make it easier for her stalker to keep track of her comings and goings.

But none of the people he saw resembled Aaron Nicholson. When he returned to Nina’s house, she was dressed and had a flat cardboard box set out on the coffee table. “What’s that?” he asked.

“In exchange for searching the database, Raz’s friend wants to see my silver medal.” She lifted the top from the box to reveal a bright silver medal on a nest of velvet within. She lifted the medal and handed it to him. “You’ve seen it before,” she reminded him.

Yes, he had seen the medal, but he had forgotten how beautiful it was. On the surface of the cookie-sized medal, five concentric rings surrounded a concave center section engraved with the image of the Olympic rings. Beautiful designs reminiscent of Asian art were engraved on each of the outer rings. A little more than two inches in diameter, and less than an eighth inch thick, the medal still felt substantial. The whole thing was suspended from a wide red ribbon.

He returned the medal to Nina, who replaced it in the box. “That should impress her,” he said.

“It still impresses me,” she said. She tucked the box into a leather tote, then reached for her coat. “Come on. I don’t want to keep them waiting.”

Raz was waiting for them outside the resort offices—the same building were Doug and Marlena worked. Liam studied the six-story building. Most of the windows were dark, and the lobby when they entered was silent.

“My friend’s name is Stevie,” Raz said as she led them to the elevators. “She’s really excited about meeting you.”

The front door opened, and they turned to see who had arrived. Renee ran up to join them. “What are you doing here?” Raz asked.

“I just thought I’d come along. Say hello to Stevie.”

Raz frowned. “Okay.”

The elevator opened and the four of them walked into the car. “Did you really bring your medal?” Renee asked.

“I did,” Nina said.

The elevator opened on the third floor and they trooped out. Raz led them past rows of silent computers, headsets draped over the backs of chairs or resting on desks. “Stevie is way in the back,” she said. She raised her voice. “Hey, Stevie, it’s just me.”

A tall, broad-shouldered woman with short blond hair and an appealing heart-shaped face waved at them from over a cubicle wall. “I could hear you clomping your way back here as soon as you stepped off the elevator,” she said. “Nobody else walks like you, Raz.” Her gaze flickered to Renee. “Hello, Renee. Raz, I didn’t know you were bringing a party with you.”

Liam stepped forward and offered his hand. “I’m Liam. Nina’s friend. Just think of me as the bodyguard.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh, for the medal, right?”

“Something like that.”

“Can I see it?” Stevie asked.

Nina opened her purse and pulled out the box and handed it to Stevie. Stevie weighed the box in her hand. “Not as heavy as I thought it would be.”

“Open it already,” Renee said.

Stevie lifted the lid. “Ohhhh.” She looked to Nina. “Can I touch it?”

“Go ahead,” Nina said. “You can try it on if you like.”

Stevie lifted the medal from the box. Light sparked off the gleaming surface. “Is it really made of silver?” she asked.

“It is,” Nina said. “The bronze medal is mostly nickel, and the gold medal is silver with a thin coating of gold. But this one is a hundred percent silver.”

Stevie held the medal in the palm of her hand and admired it, then carefully placed it back in the box. “If I owned something like that I’d want to wear every day,” she said. “I’d want everyone to know what I’d done.”

“I’d worry about losing it,” Raz said. “Because you know I would.”

“You probably would,” Stevie agreed. She handed the box back to Nina.

“You two are welcome to look, too.” Nina passed the box to Raz. Renee moved in close to watch as Raz opened the box. Nina turned to Stevie. “About that search.”