“We’ve been working on this new game for years,” she said as she stared across the desk, pleading for help from Shawn and Gus. “It’s Mack’s dream, a completely interactive three-D action game with an entirely new interface. It’s going to change the world of gaming. It may even change the rest of the world. And there’s no way he’d leave just before the launch.”

“Unless the stress got to him,” Gus suggested. “People do strange things when they’re under that much pressure.”

Brenda sighed and picked her purse up off the floor. Before she could get up, Shawn jumped to his feet.

“Excellent work, Gus,” Shawn said. “You knew exactly what the police told her and you were able to repeat it word for word.”

Brenda turned her cool green eyes on Gus. “Is that what you were doing?”

“Sure,” Gus said. “It couldn’t possibly be true.”

Shawn took one of Brenda’s hands in his own and looked at her. And he saw. Saw the sheen under her eyes where she’d put on cream to reduce tear-induced swelling. Saw the faint pale shadow on her ring finger.

Shawn closed his eyes and put his fingers to his temples. “I see him,” Shawn said.

“You do?” she said. “Is he all right?”

“He’s on an altar,” Shawn said. “It’s some kind of bizarre ritual.”

“Oh, my God,” Brenda said. “Are they going to sacrifice him?”

“No, wait,” Shawn said. “He’s not on an altar. He’s in front of it. And you’re there next to him.”

Brenda let out a gasp. “No one knows about that,” she said. “We were only married for days back in college. Then we realized we were made to be best friends, not lovers, and we had it annulled.”

“I’m sensing a greater love than that,” Shawn said. “At least from you.”

She blushed. “He’s still the only man I’ve loved completely,” she said. “And I guess he likes me, too. We still go on vacations together twice a year as man and wife. Which is the other reason I know he didn’t just wander off on his own without telling me.”