Celestial Bodies Read Online Free PDF

cat, and she moved with the natural sensuality of a woman who enjoyed her body. That made him wonder how much he would enjoy it—if he weren’t so admirably disciplined. She was as colorful as a spring sunrise, with that strawberry-blond hair, those green eyes, that alabaster skin, and those soft, pink lips. She did have freckles, just the faintest suggestion of them across her checks, giving her a gamine look. Did she have a light dusting of freckles across her high, round breasts, too? He’d like to kiss every single freckle he could find...
    “Discipline,” he reminded himself. “She’s a suspect. Like her father.”
    There was nothing unusual in the accounts ledger. All expenses seemed logical, all income was accounted for. Still, he realized that Diana wasn’t careless. If she had something to hide, she wouldn’t leave it out where he could get his hands on it.
    He decided he had better do some of the chores Diana had assigned to him, if he didn’t want to have trouble on his hands when she returned. He knew a plenty about electrical equipment, since security and alarm systems were part of his business. The House of Ishtar had one of the oldest electrical systems he had ever seen.
    He was examining the tofu packages with a profound feeling of distaste when Mrs. Bouvier walked into the shop much later. She had changed very little since the Montreaux case. He supposed she was in her late fifties by now.
    “Can I help you, ma’am?” Nick approached the front of the shop where she waited expectantly. He wondered if she would recognize him. He hoped not. They had met only briefly five years ago, and he had dressed differently and used a false name for that case.
    “Why, yes, I—” She stopped speaking and raised a delicate hand to her chest. “Do you work here?”
    “Yes, ma’am. Diana and Felix hired me a few days ago.”
    “Well, my goodness me! It’s about time Diana got some help. She’s been workin’ much too hard.” She smiled sweetly at him. “I’m here for my appointment with Felix.”
    This is it . “An astrology consultation?”
    “Yes. Have you had a consultation with Felix yet?”
    “No, there hasn’t been time.” Diana had kept him busy every moment of the day. He had seen a number of clients enter Felix’s inner sanctum, but he had yet to learn what went on in there.
    “You must! Felix has changed my life. He’s put everything into perspective, helped me understand my own nature, and taught me how to deal with the problems in my life. He sees the secrets around us, in our past, our families, our work. He senses who our friends and enemies are.”
    Her enthusiasm was overwhelming. Claude Bouvier was right, Nick realized. His mother was absolutely hooked. Felix didn’t need to court or marry her. He probably already had more power over her than any normal husband would have, if this effusive speech was any indication.
    I need to know what goes on in that room .
    “I’ll tell Felix you’re here.” He already knew better than to ask if he could sit in on the session. On Nick’s first day here, Felix had explained to him the confidential nature of his work.
    Felix came out, greeted Mrs. Bouvier, led her into the study, and, as usual, firmly closed the heavy wooden door behind him. Nick paced outside, muttering with frustration. He was within a few feet of his suspect and his client’s mother. If it weren’t for the door, he could probably learn within minutes whether or not Claude Bouvier should be seriously worried about his mother’s fascination for Felix. He stopped his pacing and pressed his ear to the door, focusing every ounce of energy on trying to decipher the soft murmurs he could hear on the other side.
    The clanging of the door chimes made him jump.
    “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Diana demanded, storming into the shop.
    Since she had caught him red-handed, he decided to brazen it out. “I heard such strange noises coming from inside there, but I