Sleepy Hollow Isnt So Sleepy Anymore...
One night, New York FBI agent Aidan Mahoney receives a visitor in a dreaman old friend named Richard Highsmith. The very next day hes sent to Sleepy Hollow because Richards gone missing there.
MaureenMoDeauville now lives in the historic town and works with her dog, Rollo, to search for missing people. Shes actually the one to find Richardor more precisely his head, stuck on a statue of the legendary Headless Horseman.
Mo and Aidan, a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBIs unit of paranormal investigators, explore both past and present events to figure out who betrayed Richard, who killed him and now wants to kill them, too. As they work together, they discover that they share an unusual traitthe ability to communicate with the dead. They also share an attraction thats as intense as it is unexpectedif they live long enough to enjoy it!
Praise for the novels of New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham
Murder, intrigue, and some hot-and-heavy magnetism between Quinn and Cafferty make for a fast-paced read. You may never know in advance what harrowing situations Graham will place her characters in, butrest assured that the end result will be satisfying.
Suspense magazine on Let the Dead Sleep
Graham does an amazing job of bringing real-life elements into her fiction worlds [The] messages are subtle, expertly woven through a story that focuses on solving mysterious crimes using the Krewe members unique talents. Graham also brings the surrounding areas of Nashville alive, with vivid details and lush descriptionsso authentic you can practically see history happening.
RT Book Reviews on The Night Is Forever (Top Pick)
Bestseller Graham launches the third arc in her paranormal romantic suspense Krewe of Hunters series (The Unseen, etc.) with a rousing tale of the intriguing haunted town of Lily, Arizona. Readers will enjoy Sloan and Janes interactions as romantic partners and competent professionals, aided by Lilys ghosts.
Publishers Weekly on The Night Is Watching
Graham deftly weaves elements of mystery, the paranormal and romance into a tight plot that will keep the reader guessing at the true nature of the killers evil.
Publishers Weekly on The Unseen
Ive long admired Heather Grahams storytelling ability and this book hit the mark. I couldnt put The Unholy down.
Fresh Fiction
The very prolific and best-selling Graham has crafted a fine paranormal romance with a strong mystery plot
and a vibrant setting.
Booklist on Haunted
The paranormal elements are integral to the unrelentingly suspenseful plot, the characters are likable, the romance convincing.
Booklist on Ghost Walk
Also by Heather Graham
THE HEXED
THE CURSED
WAKING THE DEAD
THE NIGHT IS FOREVER
THE NIGHT IS ALIVE
THE NIGHT IS WATCHING
LET THE DEAD SLEEP
THE UNSEEN
THE UNHOLY
THE UNSPOKEN
THE UNINVITED
AN ANGEL FOR CHRISTMAS
THE EVIL INSIDE
SACRED EVIL
HEART OF EVIL
PHANTOM EVIL
NIGHT OF THE VAMPIRES
THE KEEPERS
GHOST MOON
GHOST NIGHT
GHOST SHADOW
THE KILLING EDGE
NIGHT OF THE WOLVES
HOME IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS
UNHALLOWED GROUND
DUST TO DUST
NIGHTWALKER
DEADLY GIFT
DEADLY HARVEST
DEADLY NIGHT
THE DEATH DEALER
THE LAST NOEL
THE SÉANCE
BLOOD RED
THE DEAD ROOM
KISS OF DARKNESS
THE VISION
THE ISLAND
GHOST WALK
KILLING KELLY
THE PRESENCE
DEAD ON THE DANCE FLOOR
PICTURE ME DEAD
HAUNTED
HURRICANE BAY
A SEASON OF MIRACLES
NIGHT OF THE BLACKBIRD
NEVER SLEEP WITH STRANGERS
EYES OF FIRE
SLOW BURN
NIGHT HEAT
Look for Heather Grahams next novel
AND THE DEAD PLAY ON
available soon from Harlequin MIRA
The Betrayed
Heather Graham
www.mirabooks.co.uk
For Washington Irving
I wish I could have known him!
And to the beautiful state of New York.
To Al, Mystery Mike and all those at Bouchercon, 2013.
To Connie Perry and Shayne Pozzessere for a wonderful trip into the shadows and forests of the Hollow and the mindIrvings cottage, the church, the cemeteryand all those places where wonder exists and the imagination can fly.
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
Praise
Booklist
Title Page
Dedication
Prologue
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Epilogue
Extract
Copyright
Prologue
Prologue
They got me, my old friend. They got me.
Aidan Mahoney woke with a start.
His room was dark; instinct made him reach for the Glock at his bedside and then remain dead still.
Listening.
Hed heard the words as clearly as if theyd been spoken directly in front of him. And when hed first opened his eyes, he could have sworn that thered been a formthe form of a man. A man beseeching himfor help. Tall, nicely dressed in a suit, leaning toward him.
But hed blinked.
And now...
Now there was no one.
He tensed, searching the darkness, listening carefully. He heard the hum of the heater, the noise of a car in the street below and, distantly, the blaring of a horn.
Nothing else. The usual sounds of New York City at night.
But something teased at the back of his mind. Something he should have realized, something he should have recognized about that whisper. His eyes adjusted to the shadows. No, there was nothing in his room. No one stood by his bed. He glanced to the side, but he knew hed slept alone the night before. He occasionally brought a woman home, but there hadnt been anyone regular in his life since his crush on Tina Hastings in high school and his passionate college romance with Kathy Flanders.
The passion had lasted until college endedand cooled almost overnight when their career choices clashed and Kathy had gone on to study anthropology in Cambodia.
Even then, hed been the one to keep his distance. Sometimes it was just best to be alone and to fight your own demons.
And right now he was definitely alone.
But hed heard the voice.
Hed seen something.
Cautiously, he crawled out of bed. He kept the light off and made a quick but thorough search of his immediate space, checking next to the dresser, quietly opening the closet.
From there, he left his room just as quietly. Nothing in the hallway. He kept moving, wearing only his boxers, inspecting the apartments second bedroomhis officethe kitchen, living room and dining area. No sign of anyone. Anywhere. Hed dreamed the words. He must have.
From down below, he heard the angry squeal of a cat; a garbage can was knocked over. A lot of street noise came into the apartment, since he was on the third floor of an old brownstone in the Village. But the voice hed heard hadnt come from the street.
He groaned aloud, setting his Glock on the kitchen counter and opening the refrigerator door, letting the cool air wash over him. He was always wary; training in various military and law enforcement branches had caused that. But he wasnt paranoid. There was no one in his apartment and he was sure of that now.
But, to his mind, the alternative was almost worse.
Hed known the voice. But he couldnt quite place it.
They got me, my old friend. They got me.
Aidan glanced at the clock over the fireplace. The time was creeping toward 5:30 a.m. What the hell? He might as well stay awake, shower, get dressed, then head on in to work.
He put coffee on to brew while he got ready, but checked the locks on his door before he went to shower. By 5:35 he was dressed and pouring a cup of coffee. With his gun in its small holster he went to the door to get his newspaper. He still liked reading the Times in its old-fashioned form.
When he picked up the rolled bundle, he saw the headline: Highsmith Missing!
It suddenly seemed that his blood really did run colda physical impossibility, of course, but for a moment he felt frozen in place. He felt a distinct chill coursing through his body.
Then his phone rang.
And, of course, he knew that call presaged a hell of a day. Just as he now realized that the voice hed heard had been that of Richard Highsmith.
Mahoney, he answered, aware of how terse he sounded.
From the caller ID hed seen that it was his new unit chief, Jackson Crow. He liked Crow, all right, and working for him wasnt going to be a problem. But...
Hed known Richard since they were kids. Once, theyd been great friends. But time went by, people got older. Life and work intruded. Obligations kept old friends from being together, kicking a ball around or playing video games, but that didnt change the fact that a few hours grabbed for a football game or a quick dinner wasnt damned good. And yet even those occasions became less and less frequent.
Richard was missing.
This was going to be about Richard.
A phone call from Crow was new for Aidan. Hed been working as an FBI field agent out of the largest office in the countrythe New York City officefor the past ten years. Hed worked briefly with Crow on a case that had included the D.C. offices. Then theyd gone in different directions. Now, Crow was heading up a special unitand that unit was opening new offices in NYC.
Aidan hadnt asked to transfer to the new unit. He hadnt wanted it. And when hed received a call from the director of the bureau, hed known he could refuse the transfer. If he did, however, his career with the agency might well be at stake.
But this call? He was almost certain it would be about Richard. He wanted to work Richards case; he desperately wanted to find his old friend. And find him alive.
He was afraid he wouldnt.
And he still wasnt sure about the new coworkers hed wind up with on the case.
Aidan reassured himself that theyd be fine. Hed been afraid theyd be a bunch of freaks bearing crystal balls. The truth couldnt have been more different. The new offices in a small Federal building just down the streetcloser to St. Pauls and Trinitywas state-of-the-art. Five seasoned Krewe members had been sent to help with the setup.
They certainly seemed normal. Theyd read all the books, gone through all the rigors of training. Theyd passed the academy classes. Everyone hed met seemed bright, efficient, competent. Nice. Hed liked them all.
But they had a reputation for being called in on the weird cases. And weird was an area hed rather avoid.
The new base for the NYC Krewe unit had only recently come into existence. Before Aidan had seen the paper todayheard the voice!he hadnt expected to be in the field anytime soon. Hed been told by his old superior that Jackson Crow had been watching him, noting his methods and his work, and had specifically asked that Aidan be brought in when the Krewes New York office was formed.
Aidan was still getting to know his new unit, accepting that he was part of it.
Weve got some serious trouble, Crow said.
Yeah, Aidan thought. Richards dead. But he didnt speak.
The New York office got a call from the sheriff up in Westchester County, Crow said. The director called mesince youre part of the Krewe now. Youre the man he wants. I understand youre from the area. Plus, hed like to cover all the basesthe usual aspects of an investigation into a disappearance like this...and, shall we say, the unusual ones. There was a brief silence. This one could be described as unusual in that Richard Highsmith apparently disappeared into thin air. He was in Tarrytown for a fund-raiser yesterday. He disappeared around dusk. He was thereat the center where he was scheduled to speakand then he wasnt. He still hasnt made an appearance and his staff is worried sick.