Deadline for Murder Read Online Free PDF

going on. And I sent you a card to let you know I was safe."
    "One poxy card in nine months! I could recite it from memory. 'Weather stunning. Natives friendly. Hope to get over to London to see you soon, but life is hectic right now. Be patient!' " Cordelia flashed back sarcastically.
    "I was trying to protect you. I didn't want them leaning on you to turn me in," Lindsay replied defensively.
    "How noble!" Cordelia retorted, grey eyes cloudy with anger, generous mouth uncharacteristically pursed.
    "I did what I thought was right. I didn't expect you to jump into bed with someone else the minute my back was turned," Lindsay accused.
    "What the hell was I supposed to do? Answer me that! How long was I supposed to wait before I started to put my life back together again? Have you any idea how much time, energy, and money I spent trying to find you? I rang everyone I could think of, I went everywhere I thought you might be. I even went to bloody New York!"
    "And how long did it take you to steal Jackie's girlfriend?"
    Both Claire and Cordelia looked shocked by Lindsay's question. But it was Claire who collected herself first and said in conciliatory tones, "It wasn't like that. I was looking for you, and a mutual friend introduced me to Cordelia, who was in Glasgow at the time, also trying to get a lead on your whereabouts. So we joined forces and spent a lot of time trying to track you down. But you made a good job of your disappearing act."
    "And what the hell business of yours was it where I was?" Lindsay snapped, stalling while she took in what Claire had said.
    "Jackie asked me to find you."
    "So why couldn't she look for me herself, if she was so desperate?" said Lindsay defiantly. She remembered Jackie Mitchell well--a hard-working, hard-bitten journalist, well capable of fighting her own battles. If Jackie had wanted to find her, she wouldn't have delegated her mission to this toffee-nosed yuppie.
    "It's a bit hard to scour the world for someone when you're behind bars," Claire replied ironically.
    "Behind bars? You mean... in prison?" Lindsay asked, confused.
    "That's right. She's serving life for the murder of Alison Maxwell."
    Lindsay stared at Claire, unbelieving. "This has got to be some kind of sick joke," she muttered. Lindsay turned to Sophie. "Tell me she's making this up."
    Sophie shook her head. "She's telling you the truth. The trial was just before Christmas. I'm sorry, I didn't think to tell you."
    "Jesus," Lindsay sighed, dragging out the syllables. "Alison? What the hell happened?"
    Claire took over in businesslike fashion, perhaps because she sensed that Cordelia was too shaken to deal with Lindsay. "Alison was found strangled in her flat. Jackie had been there with her shortly before she was killed, and in the absence of any other obvious candidate, the police chose her. Unfortunately, the jury agreed with them. Shortly after her arrest, Jackie asked me to see if I could find you. She knew you'd been involved with a couple of murder investigations before, and she was very impressed with your courage over the Brownlow Common spy scandal. And of course, because you're gay, she thought you'd be more sympathetic. She believed that if anyone could prove her innocence, it was you. While I was searching for you, I met Cordelia. I'm sorry if our relationship outrages you, but you can hardly have expected Cordelia to take a vow of chastity till you deigned to show up."
    Lindsay stared miserably at Cordelia. It was all too much to take in. She had lost the one woman with whom she had ever formed an equal relationship; a former lover was dead; and a former colleague was in prison for her murder. Once she could have turned to Cordelia for the love and support to carry her through those moments when the roof caved in on her life. But it was too late for that now. She gradually became aware that Claire was talking to her. "I'm sorry," Lindsay said. "I didn't catch what you said."
    "I said I'd like to discuss with you