Bone Deep Read Online Free PDF Page A

forward again, leaving her no choice but to step aside. The only thing he needed was out of here.
    A water fountain hung on the wall near the elevator. Paul walked straight to it and took a small sip of water. The cool liquid provided a glimmer of relief. After another sip, he splashed some onto his face. Shake it off .
    He sensed her tension, even a little genuine concern. That she didn’t throw out any more questions was good because it took every ounce of willpower he possessed to board the elevator and then to cross the parking lot under his own steam.
    He paused near the hood of his Land Rover and tossed her the keys. “I think maybe you’d better drive.”

Chapter 3
    Jill divided her attention between driving and watching the man in the passenger seat. Was this part of his act? A mix of frustration and uncertainty twisted inside her. If he was acting, he deserved an academy award.
    Though he’d discarded the jacket and turned the SUV’s air conditioning to high, perspiration still lined his grim face. He looked unnaturally pale and drawn. She’d noticed his hands shaking when he’d fastened his seat belt. Jill moistened her lips and focused on navigating through the noon day traffic. What happened in that morgue? Had the chief said something Phillips intended to keep from her? Had the chief figured out the man was a fake?
    Dammit! “You’re sure you’re all right?”
    “Just drive.”
    Frustration won out over the uncertainty. Who was she kidding? Most likely his hangover was catching up to him. What the hell was she supposed to do now? The only place she could think to take him was her childhood home. Her mother wouldn’t like it. Like the rest of the town, she would resent an outsider’s intrusion. At least that gave Jill and Phillips something in common.
    She stole another glance at her passenger. His eyes were closed but his breathing had calmed. If this wasn’t an act, did she really want to know what happened back there?
    Neither the chief nor Randy had behaved as if anything unexpected or untoward had taken place. The terms burnout and breakdown kept echoing through her head. Clearly Phillips waged serious internal battles. Just further proof that this was a total waste of time. Her lips trembled with a jolt of outrage. She was not a stupid person. Why the hell couldn’t she do this right? All she had to do was find her nephew and prove her sister’s innocence.
    Before her emotions could get the better of her, she forced her attention back to the street. With a right turn onto Washington, she put forth an extra effort to regain her composure. Giving her mother a glimpse of weakness would only make bad matters worse.
    Jill braced for the inevitable feelings of inadequacy.
    The Ellington house reigned over prestigious Washington Street like a regal matriarch. None of the other homes on this historic street stood quite as grand or meticulously maintained as her childhood home. Brick painted a pristine bride white was accented by classic black shutters. Massive fluted columns supported the sprawling two-story verandah.
    The need for freedom and with ambition burning like hot coals in her belly had sent Jill running from this place, no matter how grand, a decade ago. She’d wanted to become who she was. Not just Kate’s twin. Or the Judge’s daughter. She’d needed to make her own way as Jillian Ellington, the student, the woman, and now the attorney at law.
    Though she’d accomplished her goal, her actions had driven a wedge between her and this place. Another memory surfaced past the barrier she used to keep the less pleasant parts of her past at bay. She and her father arguing. Jill banished the images. Some things were too painful to remember. And too late to amend. Those were the regrets she would take to her grave.
    The past was done. Now was her chance to prove she was just as good and as selfless as Kate. That she could be a good daughter and fix this horrific tragedy.
    Truth was, she’d