Dead River Read Online Free PDF

nodded. He definitely wanted the specialists handling this.
    Averly walked over to an arched entrance leading out of the foyer and peered inside. “This your living room?”
    Adam joined him at the entrance. “Yes.”
    Like the rest of the house, the living room was warmly decorated in earth tones: various shades of beige, cobblestone brown, light olive green, and what the decorating consultant, Priscilla Barrymore at Ethan Allen, referred to as natural eggshell. Adam couldn’t resist asking her during the in-store consultation: “Do you have an unnatural eggshell”? A polite but unamused smile was offered as a reply.
    “Do you use your living room much, Mr. Riley?” Averly asked.
    “Not as much as our family room. Is this where you want to set up your equipment?”
    “If you don’t mind. But I don’t see a phone. Is there a phone jack in here somewhere?”
    Adam pointed across the room. “There’s one over there—by that end table. Go ahead and use the room if you like.”
    Averly nodded. Carillo asked where all the phones were in the house. Adam gave him the five locations. Averly said he was going outside to check where the phone line came into the house, and Carillo began setting up the equipment, which included a notebook computer, his own folding table, chair, and telephone, a pair of headphones, a tape recorder, and several other components in gray metal boxes that Adam didn’t recognize. A few minutes later Averly returned, joining Carillo in the living room.
    Carillo made the final connections to the equipment and then tested the entire system. Adam and Averly looked on in silence. Finally the bald detective stepped back, surveyed the whole rig one last time, and gave Averly a thumbs-up.
    Averly turned to Adam. “Mr. Riley, I need your entire family to join us here in the living room,” he said, as he adjusted his pants at the waist. “I want to go over some procedures, and your entire family needs to be aware of what’s going on.”
    “My older daughter and wife are upstairs, but I don’t think my wife’s in any shape to come down right now,” Adam explained. “I put her to bed earlier. She’s taking this pretty hard.”
    “Okay then, have your daughter come down and join us. You’ll have to fill your wife in later.”
    Adam introduced Dawn, and then the two settled into the beige leather couch in the living room and clasped hands. Carillo sat in the matching chair angled beside the couch. Averly started detailing what was expected of the family, the dos and don’ts for an effective wiretap.
    “Now if someone calls, talk in a calm and non-threatening tone, and —”
    All four jerked in unison as the phone rang.
    Adam froze, and Dawn gripped her father’s arm with both hands. Carillo leapt from his chair and headed for the equipment. He flipped up the notebook screen and donned his headphones. Averly swung his body around and faced the small table covered with equipment.
    The phone rang again.
    Adrenaline surged through Adam’s body, and his head pounded. Dawn’s fingers dug into her father’s arm, but Adam barely noticed.
    “Answer the phone here, Mr. Riley,” Carillo said, as he pointed to the phone on the table.
    Adam slowly raised himself off the couch. Adrenaline spears were still flying.
    The third ring sounded and rattled around inside Adam’s head.
    He finally reached the phone. He lifted the receiver to his ear. “Hello.”
    Only silence on the other end.
    “Hello,” Adam said again.
    “Hello, Adam?”
    The fear that gripped Adam washed away and was replaced with annoyance as he glanced at Carillo.
    “Yes, Jessica,” Adam said, “this is Adam.”
    Dawn let out the breath she was holding, and Averly looked puzzled. Carillo motioned to Adam to continue talking.
    Adam palmed the phone’s receiver and continued to look toward Carillo. “It’s my neighbor,” he whispered.
    Averly snapped his fingers to get Adam’s attention. Adam turned. “Tell her everything’s