Blood Relations Read Online Free PDF Page A

the door and held it for Callie.
    In the parking lot Frank waved, forcing a nonchalant expression on his face.
    Joe was grinning as he climbed in behind the wheel. Frank slid in beside him and slammed the door.
    "Say, Frank, you're not jealous, are you?" Joe asked, his eyes twinkling. "You don't actually think Callie would even consider throwing you over for Greg, just because he's smart, good-looking, rich, wears sharp clothes, and has a new red Porsche convertible?"
    "Callie and I have an understanding. We don't have to worry about each other. We trust each other," huffed Frank.
    "Uh-huh," said Joe, and his grin grew even wider as they watched Greg's convertible whiz out of the Bayport Mall ahead of them, with Greg and Callie in the front. "You know, I find that kind of trust really beautiful. You have to tell me how you achieve it sometime."
    "Would you just drive, please," Frank said, watching the convertible zoom out of sight in front of them. Greg obviously drove the Porsche as fast as he legally could.
    "Don't worry about Callie, Frank," Joe said. "After we solve this case, you can tell her all about it. Remind her that you're a hero. That'll do the trick. The trouble is, you two have started to take each other for granted. That can be fatal."
    "Don't be silly. Callie doesn't need a he-man bit from me. Our relationship's more mature than that," Frank said. At the same time, though, he was thinking that he just might share some of the details of this case with Callie. She might be interested to know how Greg came to him for help. Then she'd understand who needed help and who could give it when the chips were down.
    When they reached the Rawley house and Frank saw again the mansion Greg lived in, he decided he'd definitely clue Callie in. After all, Callie was only human. Seeing all this wealth could turn the most level of heads.
    Forty-five minutes later, still waiting in the driveway of the Rawley house, Frank wondered what Greg was doing with Callie. Probably chauffeuring her from store to store, or maybe he and Mike had invited her to have a Coke. Greg knew Frank and Joe were waiting, but from the way Greg had looked at Callie, he could have been detoured by any request or invitation Callie made.
    "Wish they'd show up," Frank muttered. "We don't have all day."
    "Well, you know how pretty Callie is," Joe couldn't resist saying. "Maybe Greg got distracted."
    "Look, Joe, why don't you — " Frank started to say when Greg's Porsche roared into the driveway and left a strip of burning rubber. Greg, Mike, and Callie scrambled out of the car.
    "What the — ?" said Frank as he jumped out of the van.
    "Callie, what are you doing here?" Joe asked, finishing the question.
    "Some guy drove up behind us on a deserted street and tried to run us off the road," she said, breathless with excitement. "The first time the car came up beside us, Greg stepped on the gas, and you should have seen the Porsche accelerate — it went off like a rocket."
    "I've done a little work on the engine," Greg said. "Nothing much, really, but it gives it a few more horses. It was pretty easy to get away."
    "Don't be modest," Callie said. "You drove like an Indie Five Hundred winner. But what was really great was how you kept your head when he did catch up with us and smashed into our rear."
    "Smashed your car?" said Joe.
    "He just dented the fender some," said Greg.
    "But whoever it was meant business. He tried to cut us off, but we got away."
    "Thanks to the way you maneuvered the car," said Callie. "It was really cool. He almost went off the road himself once. And the way you took those turns to finally shake him. I wouldn't mind having you on hand to drive me anytime."
    When Frank saw how she was looking at Greg, it was hard for him to turn his attention to the case.
    "So somebody was out to get you," he said. "I wonder why." He turned to Callie. "I know you might not like this, but we can't go to the police. We're in the middle of a case, and it