Cry Mercy Read Online Free PDF Page B

game.”
    “I know.” Emme sighed, trying to come up with something better. How to explain to a child that it was a matter of life and death?
    “Do you like the way it sounds better?” Chloe had asked, saving her.
    “I do.”
    “I do, too.” Chloe had begun to sing, ad nauseam, “Chloe Caldwell, Chloe Caldwell, Chloe Caldwell …”
    Nice of her to have bailed her mother out on that one. Emme still didn't know what reason she'd have ended up giving for the change, but was grateful not to have had to go that route.
    She cleared her throat and smoothed the lapels of the white shirt she'd ironed in the hotel room just an hour ago. With some trepidation she watched Chloe disappear into the kitchen with the older woman—the cook? the housekeeper?—and wondered at the wisdom of permitting Chloe to go off into this huge house with a total stranger, however benign and grandmotherly she might have appeared.
Surely it would be okay
, she told herself. Would Robert Magellanhave someone of questionable character working in his home?
    The kitchen door closed with a whoosh that was audible even at this distance. She was half-tempted to follow, just to make sure, when a tall, good-looking man with dark hair stepped into the hall from a door at the very end.
    “Oh.” He seemed surprised to see her. He glanced at his watch. “Two o'clock. You're here for Mallory.”
    He took several steps forward and rapped on a closed door before pushing it open.
    “Mal, your appointment is here.”
    “Thank you.” Emme had expected to be nervous—she generally wasn't nervous by nature—but suddenly the import of where she was and what she was doing hit her. She started down the hall in his direction. “You're Mr. Magellan, aren't you?”
    “Robert.” He nodded, then as an afterthought, extended his hand. “It's Robert. You must be … ah …”
    “Emme Caldwell.”
    “Yes. Right.” He gestured in the direction of the office. “Mallory?”
    “Yes. I'm here.” A pretty blond woman appeared in the doorway. “Come in, Emme.”
    The woman stood aside for Emme to enter, then turned to Robert and asked, “Did you want to sit in?”
    “No, no.” He appeared horrified at the thought. “Your job. Your decision. It's in your hands.”
    “Right. I'll see you later then.” Mallory closed the door behind her. “I am Mallory Russo, by the way. We spoke on the phone.”
    “Yes. I should apologize for the short notice.”
    Mallory pointed to a chair and Emme sat.
    “I have to admit I was surprised to hear you were in Conroy,” Mallory said as she seated herself behind her desk. “I haven't had time to finish reviewing all of the applicants and as you can imagine, we need to vet—”
    “I do understand,” Emme told her. “I've been thinking about moving east for some time now, but when I saw your press conference and then went to your website, I thought the foundation was worth looking into. You said you were looking for good investigators, I was looking to make a move in this direction and I was going to need a job. I figured, why wait?”
    Emme smiled as if there was no need to state the obvious.
    “We're looking for the best in the business.”
    “I believe I qualify. If you check with my former chief of police—”
    “I already did that,” Mallory cut her off. “She gave you the highest recommendation. But you understand, we have hundreds of applicants for this position.”
    “I was under the impression that there were a number of positions open. Mr. Magellan's press conference seemed to imply that he was looking for more than one investigator.” Was Mallory always this cool, this businesslike to everyone, or has she simply taken an immediate dislike to me? Emme wondered. “And that he was very eager to take on that first case.”
    “That he is,” Mallory conceded. “But Robert has never worked in law enforcement, and he might notbe the best person to judge an applicant's qualifications.”
    “Then by all means,