Burn: A Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

didn’t have time to wrestle with the door. Gripping the handle, she gave it one more tug and the door flew open, almost knocking her butt on the ground.
    “The first thing I do,” she muttered, “is get a new car.” It didn’t have to be a fancy car, just something
new
, without a single ding, and with nonsticking doors. And after that … she didn’t know. She couldn’t think much about “after that.” One step at a time, and the first step was getting the money organized and settled.
    As she drove she thought about calling Michelle, telling herwhat was going on. She even fished her cell phone out of her bag, thumbed in the first couple of numbers, before she hit the End button and dropped the phone back into the bag. Michelle would think she was just joking around, but … what if she didn’t? That wariness surfaced again. Jenner wanted everything settled and protected before the news got out.
    The Payne Echols offices were downtown, where parking was at a premium, but when she drove past she noticed the firm had a private parking deck attached, and watched over by a guard to keep the general public out. She pulled up to the orange barricade arm and rolled down the window. The guard looked at the Goose and she could almost see the doubt running through his brain. “I have an appointment with Ms. Smith.”
    “Your name?”
    “Jenner Redwine.”
    He punched a few keys on a small computer, evidently confirmed that her name came up on the approved list, and raised the barricade. Jenner drove though, parked in the first empty slot she came to, and hurried to the entrance.
    As soon as she opened the door, a sense of uneasiness rippled down her spine. The Payne Echols offices were cool, austere, and so quiet she could hear herself breathing. The main colors were gray and brown, as if the decorator had been deathly afraid of color. The abstract paintings on the walls each had a touch of blue, but even that was subdued. There were a lot of very impressive plants, so perfect they couldn’t be real, but when she poked her finger into a planter she found dirt. Hurriedly she stuck her hand behind her back and tried to dust the dirt from her finger as she crossed to a desk half-hidden behind more plants.
    Behind the desk was a slim, business-suited brunette, who lifted her head at Jenner’s approach and said, “May I help you?” Her tone was perfectly neutral, just like her surroundings, but once again Jenner had a sense of being sized up and dismissed.
    Keeping her own voice as blank and calm as the receptionist’s, she said, “Jenner Redwine. I have an appointment with Ms. Smith.”
    “Please have a seat. I’ll notify Ms. Smith’s assistant.”
    Jenner perched on the edge of an uncomfortable gray sofa. Straight ahead of her was one of the abstract paintings, which looked to her as if a blind monkey had painted it. How hard could it be? All that was needed was a couple of paintbrushes, a canvas, and whatever colors happened to be lying around. Haphazardly apply the colors, and presto, one big ugly painting.
    Some men in suits walked past, and she could spot a few people in the offices that were within her limited field of vision. They were all busy, focused, on the phone or poring over papers, or tapping on a computer keyboard. She didn’t see any women.
    Evidently Ms. Smith wasn’t in any hurry to greet her new client. Uneasily Jenner wondered just how trustworthy financial planners were. She’d have to trust her instinct when it came to deciding whether or not to use Ms. Smith, because no one she knew had enough money to know squat about investments and taxes and stuff like that. She had only the yellow pages and her common sense to guide her.
    Finally a stick-thin woman appeared from a carpeted hallway and approached. “Jenner Redwine?”
    “Yes.” Jenner quickly stood, gripping her bag.
    “I’m sorry to keep you waiting. I’m Ms. Smith’s assistant. If you’ll come this way …?” She indicated the