The phone clicked off in Molly’s ear. She put the device down on the counter and took a deep breath. “I’m happy to report that Singing Crystals has been saved from a near-death experience.”
Newton chortled and bounced a little, responding to the profound relief in her voice. She patted him on the head.
Clement grinned. “We’ve still got the contract?”
“Yep. Ms. Bell reminded Claude that she had been through a similar business disaster.”
“That’s true,” Clement said. “And look what happened. They made a movie out of her experience down in the tunnels. Guild Boss is going to be released the day after the wedding.”
“I know. Leona and I are planning to see it with the moms.” Clement started to say something but changed his mind. He nodded,
his eyes bleak and sympathetic, and went back to sweeping up broken flowers.
“My sister is alive, Clement,” Molly said quietly. She touched the yellow crystal she wore around her neck. “I’d know if she wasn’t.”
“Right,” Clement said.
Molly started out from behind the counter, intending to give Clement a hand with cleaning up the shop. She stopped when her phone rang again. Returning to the counter, she checked the screen. Charlotte Griffin.
Molly stopped breathing for a beat. Her intuition flashed a high-rez warning in bright red lights. She warned herself not to read too much into a call from one of the moms. It could be bad news. It could be the worst possible news.
Or it could be a break in the case.
She grabbed the phone off the counter.
“Please tell me you tracked down Joshua Knight,” she gasped. “Looks like it.” Charlotte’s voice was infused with cautious optimism.
“If our information is right, he’s living off the grid in the desert a few miles outside of a little town called Outpost. There’s no official address or coordinates, but the locals in Outpost are all well aware of the house and can provide directions.”
“I’ll find it,” Molly vowed.
“I’m told you can’t mistake the place. It’s the only house on that stretch of the river.” Charlotte paused. “And get this. It’s made of fireglass.”
Startled, Molly held the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a second. “Someone built an entire house out of fireglass? I didn’t know it was used for construction work.”
Eugenie responded on the other end of the connection. “Generally speaking, it’s not. Evidently this particular house is the exception.”
“According to our source, it has picked up a lot of energy over the years,” Charlotte continued. “The locals who live in and around Outpost believe it sits over a hot zone. They call the mansion the Funhouse.”
“Any idea why?” Molly asked.
“No, but I got the distinct impression the name was intended to be ironic. Something to do with the energy, I suppose.”
Molly tightened her grip on the phone. “I can handle it.”
“Eugenie and I are not worried about your ability to handle the house,” Charlotte said. “The problem is Joshua Knight. According to the hospital records, he didn’t simply discharge himself against medical ad- vice. He escaped from a locked ward and stole a few things while he was at it. He was diagnosed as paranoid and prone to hallucinations and delusions. He may be dangerous.”
“That’s interesting,” Molly said. “How did you get access to his medical records?”
“Don’t ask.”
“Right.”
“I reviewed his matchmaking agency records, as well,” Charlotte continued.
“He’s registered?”
“Not anymore,” Eugenie said. “The agency dumped him when they found out he had been locked up in a para-psychiatric hospital.”
“No surprise.” Molly glanced at the time on her phone. “Outpost is a long drive. I need to get on the road if I want to get there by nightfall.”
“Definitely,” Eugenie said. “I’m told you need to arrive during the daytime. Apparently you can’t get close to the house after the sun goes down. Something about the fog.”
“Who, exactly, is your source?”
“A Ms. Sandra Abernathy,” Charlotte said. “She runs the Outpost Public Library. She was very helpful. Told me a man matching Knight’s description has dropped in to the library to use the online computer a couple of times. He’s also been seen at the general store. According to Ms. Abernathy, the locals refer to him as the Mad Doctor.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Molly said. “Knight is a navigator, not a doctor. Are you sure he’s the right man?”
“Ms. Abernathy verified the photo I texted,” Charlotte said. “She wasn’t clear on why they named him the Mad Doctor. But she did say that even in a town filled with loners and eccentrics, he has made an impression. Molly, please be careful.”
“Hey, Griffin women can take care of themselves.” “I know, but—”
“We talked about this, remember? We decided that of the three of us, I’m the best equipped to handle Joshua Knight. By the way, Ms. Bell re- fused to let Mr. Claude cancel the contract with Singing Crystals.”
“Smart woman.” Eugenie snorted. “I’ll bet Claude was not happy.
Serves him right. Pompous ass.”
“Clement holds the same opinion of Mr. Claude,” Molly said. “Got to go. Love you both.”
“Love you, too, hon,” Eugenie said.
“Love you,” Charlotte added. “But be careful. One missing daughter is enough.”
Molly ended the call and looked at Clement. “The moms located Joshua Knight. I’ve got to talk to him immediately. That means you’re in charge here.”
“What about the wedding?” Clement asked, alarmed. “It’s in two days.”
“I’ll be back to set up the crystal arrangements.” I hope. She headed for the stairs that led to her apartment above the shop. Newton bounded along beside her. “I’m going to pack. I’ll be away overnight. Knight is living near a little town called Outpost.”
“Long drive.”
“I know. Apparently I have to arrive before sundown. There’s a lot of fog.”
“Good luck,” Clement called. He did not hide the concern and the worry in his voice. “Be careful, boss.”
“I’ll be okay.” She took the stairs two at a time. “This is the break the moms and I have been waiting for. Knight is the man who lost my sister. He’s the only one who can tell me where to find her.”
“According to the media, whatever happened in the Underworld fried his senses,” Clement called. “That makes him unpredictable. Possibly dangerous.”
“That doesn’t mean that on some level he doesn’t have the answers I need to find Leona. It’s our only hope.”
Excerpted from People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle Copyright © 2024 by Jayne Castle. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Harmony
Two people desperate for answers wade through smoke and mirrors within the alien world of Harmony in this new novel by New York Times bestselling author Jayne Castle.
His name is Joshua Knight. Once a respected explorer, the press now calls him the Tarnished Knight. He took the fall for a disaster in the Underworld that destroyed his career. The devastating event occurred in the newly discovered sector known as Glass House—a maze of crystal that is rumored to conceal powerful Alien antiquities. The rest of the Hollister Expedition team disappeared and are presumed dead.
Whatever happened down in the tunnels scrambled Josh’s psychic senses and his memories, but he’s determined to uncover the truth. Labeled delusional and paranoid, he retreats to an abandoned mansion in the desert, a house filled with mirrors. Now a recluse, Josh spends his days trying to discover the secrets in the looking glasses that cover the walls. He knows he is running out of time.
Talented, ambitious crystal artist Molly Griffin is shocked to learn that the Tarnished Knight has been located. She drops everything and heads for the mansion to find Josh, confident she can help him regain control of his shattered senses. She has no choice—he is the key to finding her sister, Leona, a member of the vanished expedition team. Josh reluctantly allows her to stay one night but there are two rules: she must not go down into the basement, and she must not uncover the mirrors that have been draped.
But her only hope for finding her sister is to break the rules…
Romance Paranormal [Berkley, On Sale: May 7, 2024, Hardcover / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593639887 / eISBN: 9780593639900]
Where is Molly's missing sister?
A disgraced explorer, a crystal artist and a Zing Chip loving Dust Bunny await you on this adventure
Another Dust Bunny adventure – with a human romance included!
Jayne Castle, the author of Guild Boss, Illusion Town, Siren's Call, and a variety of other novels set on the futuristic world of Harmony, is a pseudonym for Jayne Ann Krentz, the author of more than fifty New York Times bestsellers. With more than 40 million books sold, she is one of the most successful commercial fiction authors writing today. She writes contemporary romantic suspense novels under the Krentz name, as well as historical novels under the pseudonym Amanda Quick.
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