[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Steven s tanned face was flushed with the brisk
morning air. Like Elliot, he wore jeans and a sweatshirt.
Unlike Elliot he had not showered or shaved.
 Late. Elliot led the way to the kitchen.
 Yeah? You re having a lot of late nights lately.
Elliot threw him a curious glance.
Steven smiled cheerfully.  I m just glad you re feeling
so much better. It s been a long road, man.
True enough, even if it wasn t the most tactful
comment in the world.  You don t happen to have any
bread, do you?
 Bread like money or bread like food?
 Bread as in toast. I don t have enough for two.
 That s okay. I don t need toast. Toast gives you
writer s ass.
Elliot threw him a curious glance. Steven was slightly
shorter than Elliot and a couple of years older, but he was
in tiptop shape. It had to be all that bicycling and
kayaking compensating for sitting on his butt writing all
88 Fair Game
day. Assuming that s what Steven did all day. Elliot
hadn t seen much in the way of results.
In the kitchen, Steven helped himself to coffee and
leaned against the sink, staring down the pine-covered
hillside past the top of his cabin to the blue water of the
bay below.
 Looked like killer whales down in the harbor this
morning. Elliot whisked the egg yolks for the
Hollandaise sauce over the double boiler. He liked his
leisurely Saturdays. Liked the smell of frying ham and
perking coffee and his long walks in the wood and the
soothing glow of sunlight on the kitchen cabinets. He d
never owned a home before. He d always rented
apartments and condos when he worked at the Bureau.
 Yeah. I saw them playing with a dead porpoise.
Steven noisily sipped his coffee. He said suddenly,  You
ought to get a dog.
 Why s that?
 Company, Steven said vaguely.  Protection.
 Who s going to keep the dog company while I m
gone all day? It sounded like Steven wanted a dog but
wanted Elliot to pay for it.  Besides which, I can protect
myself just fine.
 Yeah, I know, man. It s just& deserted up here.
Elliot studied him.  Did something happen to spook
you?
 Nah. Steven shrugged.  The woods play tricks with
your mind at night. The pines whisper, the floorboards
creak.
 You got to stop reading those scary stories before you
go to bed.
 No shit. Hey, Steven added casually,  I heard a
couple of kids disappeared from the PSU campus.
Josh Lanyon 89
 Where did you hear that?
 It was on the news. The aunt of one of the kids was
giving an interview on the local TV station. She said the
university is trying to hush it up.
 Great, Elliot muttered. He hadn t seen that coming.
 So it s true? Steven seemed to be waiting for
something. What?
 It s too soon to say. They re young guys. And it s
college. If they don t show up for class for a couple of
days it s not necessarily an indication of foul play.
Ironically, he was using the same argument Tucker had
used on him.
 The rumor is the FBI was called in.
Shit. The Hollandaise sauce had separated. He d let the
water at the bottom of the boiler get too hot. Elliot
reached for the carton of cream that Steven had not
returned to the fridge.  What else are they saying?
 That one of the kids is the son of an influential local
family.
 Did they name the kid?
 Somebody Baker.
Elliot was conscious of Steven s too-alert gaze. The
true crime writer looking for a scoop.  What else?
 That one of the boys was having an affair with a PSU
instructor.
Elliot s eyes jerked back to Steven.  Did they name
the instructor?
 Nope.
He said neutrally,  That s a lot of rumor and innuendo
for local TV.
 You re involved in the case, aren t you?
 Steven& 
90 Fair Game
 Yeah, you are. Steven was grinning.  I can see it all
over your face. You get that sphinx look when you re
trying not to give anything away. The Baker family
brought you in, right? You re going into the private
investigator biz.
 The hell I am. Look&  Elliot removed the double
boiler from the stovetop.  My involvement is totally
unofficial. The Bakers are friends of my dad s.
 Then what s the big deal? If it s all unofficial 
 Let it go, Steven. You re sure they didn t give the
name of the PSU instructor allegedly having an affair with
the Lyle kid?
 Allegedly. Steven smirked.  You re such a cop,
Elliot. How did you know it was the Lyle kid involved
with his teacher?
 Lucky guess. He needed to call both Charlotte
Oppenheimer and Tucker. He was surprised Oppenheimer
hadn t already phoned. Elliot glanced at the wall phone
and the answering machine s red light was flashing. Shit.
He got so few phone calls these days he was out of the
habit of checking for messages.
Steven s smile was sardonic.  Yeah, right. Listen, we
could work together on this, Elliot. It s a great opportunity
for both of us.
 What are you talking about?
 I can read the signs. There s a big murder case
brewing here. And we re in on the ground floor. I ll write
about the investigation from your perspective.
Elliot shook his head, mildly surprised when Steven
persisted.  Why not? I m telling you, it s fate the way this
thing dropped in our laps.
 What happened to the book on Charles Mattson?
Josh Lanyon 91
 That s old news. No one is ever going to know for
sure who murdered that kid, but this is current. It s hot,
it s contemporary and it could still have a happy ending.
Although frankly& But, anyway I could sell it right now
with one phone call to my agent.
 No. My involvement is strictly informal. The FBI is
taking point on this, and believe me, you do not want to
get in the way of the special agent in charge of this case.
 Who s in charge?
It was a matter of public record, so there was no point
in hedging.  SA Tucker Lance.
 Tucker Lance? Your Tucker Lance?
Elliot s face reddened. He focused his attention
determinedly on the sauce he was salvaging. He didn t
remember how much he d told Steven about Tucker.
Ordinarily he wasn t one for sharing much personal
information, but he d been depressed and at times more [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

zanotowane.pl

doc.pisz.pl

pdf.pisz.pl

skierniewice.pev.pl