Dead Asleep Read Online Free PDF Page A

portico felt cool under her bare feet. She heard the leaves rustling in the trees and the frogs making their creaking up-and-down chirping sound. The ocean waves in the distance rushed against the sand, adding a rhythmic pulse. It felt peaceful. Idyllic. And foreign and elemental and ancient. It felt and sounded nothing like the modern world. She headed back to the garage at a fast clip. Carrow trotted along beside her.
    â€œWhat are you going to do?” he said. Emma scanned the area, watching for signs of the two intruders.
    â€œI’m going to protect my work.”
    â€œWhat if they’re still out there?”
    â€œThen I’ll deal with them.” For a brief moment Emma hoped that they were out there. She’d love to give them as deep a scare as they had given her.
    â€œAnd the machete man?” Carrow said. Emma held up the gun.
    â€œGets shot.”
    Carrow grinned. “Remind me not to mess with your work.”
    To Emma’s relief the garage area seemed deserted. Neither the woman nor the crazy man had returned. She stepped in, shoved the gun into the waistband of her jeans and reached down to right the table. Carrow put his bottle on another table and grabbed a corner to help her.
    They got the table back on its legs and Emma began rooting around in the broken glassware. The native plants, water samples from the mangrove, and three vials of natural algae were destroyed. A small container that held prepared slides was on the ground. The slides were cracked, as if someone had crushed them with a boot heel. She sighed and swallowed as she picked up shards of glass.
    â€œThese samples alone took me four full days to acquire. Some are from the mangrove. My company was hired to undertake an extremely lucrative contract to acquire, analyze, and report on them. It’s time sensitive, though. I don’t produce on schedule and we don’t get paid.” She shut off the lights, waved him out of the garage, and pressed a keypad. Ten seconds later the garage door closed. She’d leave it closed for the night.
    She swallowed both her anger and her fear. Carrow gave her a sympathetic look and stepped closer. The scent of cologne wafted toward her, mixed with sweat and a smoky smell that wasn’t from cigarettes. He showed her the bottle that he gripped by the neck. Emma leaned in to see it in the dark. The label said laphroaig.
    â€œWhiskey?” she said.
    â€œScotch. Single malt. One of the best. Try it.” Emma looked at the bottle and felt a moment of déjà vu. It seemed that every man she knew tried to push whiskey on her when the going got rough. She shook her head.
    â€œI’m not much of a drinker.”
    He cocked his head to the side. “Didn’t you just say that a man with a machete tried to kill you?” He used his tee shirt to wipe off the opening and held it up to her. His eyes were serious.
    â€œYou’ve got a point,” she said. She took the bottle and downed a swig. Unlike the whiskey she’d had in the past, this was smooth and rich. Still, she coughed. But only once. “That’s excellent.” She gave it back to him.
    His serious look softened. “Yes, it is. I’m Richard Carrow.” He put out his hand. Emma nodded.
    â€œI know. I saw you perform on the Grammy awards. I’m Emma Caldridge.” She shook his hand.
    â€œDid you call Island Security?”
    She nodded. “I should go to the front of the house to wait for them.” She started back, this time at a much slower pace, while scanning for any signs of movement. They reached the front door and both of them stepped into the foyer. Carrow’s eyes fell on the mess on the credenza.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œA voodoo offering.”
    Carrow took a swallow from the bottle. “Are you joking?” Emma shook her head. He moved in closer, peering at the feathers, and frowned. “Martin would know what this meant. Too