Book 02 - Bitter Gold Hearts Read Online Free PDF

along.”
    She got pale.
    “Get her a chair, dope,” Morley said. “You
have the manners and sensitivity of a lizard.”
    I got her into a chair, not without a glare for Morley. The man
was bird dogging, making his points for the time Amiranda and I
went our own ways. Not that I blamed him. 1 was developing the
feeling that she was worth it. On mainly intuitive evidence
I’d decided she was a class act.
    “What are you into this time, Garrett?” Morley
retreated to his chair, came up with a flash of brandy from
somewhere behind his desk. He held it up questioningly. I nodded.
He produced a single cup. He knew I preferred beer. He didn’t
touch alcohol himself. I was mildly surprised that he would have it
in his place. For his ladies, I supposed.
    I took the cup and passed it to Amiranda. She sipped.
“I’m sorry. I’m being silly. I should have known
it wouldn’t be as simple
as . . . ”
    Morley and I exchanged glances while pretending we hadn’t
heard her murmur. Morley asked, “Is it a secret,
Garrett?”
    “I don’t know. Is it a secret, Amiranda? Might be
worth telling him. It won’t go any farther if that’s
what you want, and he might do you some good down the line.”
I raised a fist to Morley’s smirk, silently cursing myself
for that brilliant choice of words.
    Amiranda pulled herself together. Not a girl for the traditional
waterworks. I liked that. I was liking Amiranda more all the time.
Damsels in distress were fine, and good for business, but I was
tired of the kind who clung and whined. Much better the woman who
got up on her hind legs and stood in there punching with you after
she put you on the job.
    Though in this case I didn’t have a job, strictly
speaking. I had a dispute with somebody who sent ogres around to
thump on me. Amiranda thought a bit and made a decision. She told
the kidnapping story. She told it so damned good I smelled a rat.
She told Morley exactly what I knew, and not an iota more or
less.
    “It’s not a pro job,” Morley said. “Have
you gotten yourself into something political, Garrett?”
    Amiranda looked startled. “Why do you say that?”
    “Two reasons. There’s nothing shaking in the
kidnapping business right now. And the pros wouldn’t touch
that
family. Raver Styx may not look as nasty as her
father and Molahlu Crest, but she is. In her own quiet way. Nobody
who lives on the underside of TunFaire society would think the
potential payoff worth the risk.”
    “Amateurs,” I said.
    “Amateurs with enough money to hire head crackers and
tails, Garrett. That means uptown. And when uptown does dirty
deeds, it’s always political.”
    “Maybe. I’m not so sure. It don’t have that
stink. I’ll wait before I make up my mind. There’s
something cockeyed in the whole mess. But I can’t see where
the profit lies. That would clear it up. But I’m not on a job
and looking. I’m just trying to watch out for me and
Amiranda.”
    Morley said, “I’ll peek in the closets and look
under the beds and get back to you tomorrow. Least I can do after
the stunt I pulled in that vampire business. You still living with
the Dead Man?”
    “Yeah.”
    “You’re weird. Let me get back to work.” He
grabbed his end of the tube connecting with the bar. “Wedge.
Send Alan and Sarge and the Puddle up here.” I shepherded
Amiranda toward the door.
    “See you.” We went down and out, easing past three
high-class bone crushers headed up. I call them high-class because
they looked smart enough to be trusted with work more
intellectually demanding than skull busting. My old buddy Saucerhead Tharpe had come in downstairs while we were up. He wanted me
to join him for a pitcher of carrot’s blood and some yakking
up old times, but I begged off. We had to keep moving if Morley was
going to do us any good.
    I told Amiranda, “You ever feel like you need protecting,
you come down here and hire Saucerhead Tharpe. He’s the best
there is.”
    “What about the other one?