Silent Witness

Silent Witness
Leona Karr

Colorado detective Ryan Darnell found the quiet of his small mountain town shattered when a young, hearing-impaired boy witnessed a brutal murder. With the help of the boy's summer guardian, Marian Richards, protecting the child became his first priority. Yet as he closed in on the truth behind the crime, Ryan found that sharing long days and even longer nights with the beautiful, brown-eyed Marian was a temptation he couldn't resist.As both the investigation and the summer drew to a close, Ryan knew it was only a matter of time before Marian returned to the city…and left him wanting a future he'd never imagined possible.

Ryan had to resist putting his arms around her.

He settled for lightly tipping his chin up so he could look straight into those soft brown eyes. “It’s going to be all right.”

She nodded, but her eyes betrayed her fright. He was startled by a suddenly overwhelming need to protect her at all costs. More than that, he realized he wanted to draw her close and kiss those trembling lips. His gaze must have dropped to her lips, but instead of pulling away from his touch, her mouth seemed to part slightly with anticipation.

Then she suddenly did pull back as they heard a noise in the hall. And without much more warning than that, they were back to business.

Before turning away, she hesitated as if she wanted to say something more. Then she headed for the door.

“Good night, then,” he said, but all she gave him in return was a quick nod. And then she was gone.

The moment was over.

LEONA KARR

SILENT WITNESS

TORONTO • NEW YORK • LONDON AMSTERDAM • PARIS • SYDNEY • HAMBURG STOCKHOLM • ATHENS • TOKYO • MILAN • MADRID PRAGUE • WARSAW • BUDAPEST • AUCKLAND

To Leslie Pitz and Angela Hart, with thanks for their help,

encouragement and love.

Contents

About the Author

Cast of Characters

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A native of Colorado, Leona Karr lives near the front range of the Rocky Mountains. She delights in being close to craggy cliffs, dramatic peaks and hidden valleys. It is no surprise, then, that she chooses this setting for many of her books. She has been on the Waldenbooks bestseller list and received many awards as a multipublished author of novels of romantic suspense, gothic, historical romance, time travel and mystery.

Books by Leona Karr

HARLEQUIN INTRIGUE

574—INNOCENT WITNESS

623—THE MYSTERIOUS TWIN

672—LOST IDENTITY

724—SEMIAUTOMATIC MARRIAGE

792—A DANGEROUS INHERITANCE

840—SHADOWS ON THE LAKE

900—STONEVIEW ESTATE

949—CHARMED

973—SHADOW MOUNTAIN

1056—SILENT WITNESS