A Whisper in the Dark Read Online Free PDF Page B

conversation. “Look, Mr. Thornbrow, I’ve got a couple of visitors I need to take care of. No, I’m not trying to put you off. Fine. I’ll call you tomorrow. I promise.”
    His eyes did another slow, dangerous sweep of her as she climbed down the ladder, and all he could think was that she was innocence and sin rolled into one very intriguing package. But when she turned to face them, it was her eyes that sucked the breath right out of his lungs. She had the most incredible eyes he’d ever seen. Gypsy eyes, he thought, as bottomless and mysterious as the bayous surrounding New Orleans. They were large, fringed with sooty lashes and as blue as the Gulf of Mexico on a sunny day. Her hair was as glossy as mink and cut into a chic style that curved under at her jaw, a stark contrast to her magnolia-blossom complexion. Her mouth was sulky and full and painted the color of a wet hibiscus petal. It was the kind of mouth that could bring even the most impervious man to his knees.
    John had never cared for upper-crust sophistication when it came to women. Women like that were too much trouble, when most of the time all he wanted was a few laughs and an expeditious roll in the hay. Still, he thought Julia Wainwright might be worth a bit of trouble, and for a moment he wondered what it would be like to peel away those fancy outer layers and take a peek at the woman beneath all that class . . .
    Snapping the cell phone closed, she gave them her full attention. Her gaze swept from Wainwright to John. He saw a flicker of recognition. Her mouth opened slightly in an instant of surprise. Her eyes cooled a few degrees, and he suddenly knew that his wish of being off the assignment before he’d even really begun was about to become reality.
    “John Merrick?” Her gaze flicked to her father, then back to him. “Well, um . . . what a surprise.”
    John snapped out of his lust-induced trance and stuck out his hand. “It’s good to see you again.”
    A moment of hesitation, then she reached over the counter and accepted his handshake. He felt the contact like the heady shock of a first kiss. Her hand was small and soft, but her grip was surprisingly firm. Pleasure ran the length of his body, like a lit fuse burning short and a few degrees too hot.
    “What’s this all about?” She released his hand, and her gaze swept to her father.
    “Claudia told me about the letters you’ve been receiving,” Wainwright said.
    She blinked, and John knew immediately there had been some kind of confidentiality breach between the two sisters.
    “I was handling it,” Julia said.
    “I don’t think you can handle something like that on your own.”
    “I filed a report with the police.”
    “Which was the smartest thing to do,” John said.
    “But it’s not enough,” Wainwright added.
    Her eyes went from John to her father. A woman who sensed a conspiracy and had just realized she was outnumbered. “Dad, I’m handling this.”
    “And how are you doing that?”
    “For starters a beat cop from the eighth precinct stops in almost every afternoon for coffee,” she said.
    “What else?” John asked.
    Her expression cooled. “And this has what to do with you?”
    John smiled, but it felt stupid on his face. “We’re working up to that,” he said.
    “Working up to what?” she demanded, cool being replaced by outright suspicion.
    The elder Wainwright sighed. “Look, honey, I heard that John was back in town and between jobs, so I gave him a call and asked him to meet us here.”
    “Why would you do that?”
    Wainwright looked at a loss for an instant. “Well, I thought he could help out.”
    “I have a part-time clerk. I don’t need any help.”
    “I mean with security, darlin’.”
    She gave him a you’ve-got-to-be-kidding look. “Security?”
    “I thought he might start with a security check.” Wainwright turned to John. “Right?”
    Feeling like an idiot, John nodded. “A security inspection would be a good starting