Deadly Gamble Read Online Free PDF

him, and she didn’t mince words about it. Around the same time, Ham, Lillian’s husband and Jolie’s father, had been diagnosed with liver cancer, with all the attendant sorrows for all of them. And Greer had been too involved in stealing her rich doctor husband away from his former wife to care much what was going on in my life, so I’d coped as best I could.
    I swiped away a tear with the back of one hand.
    Clive took out his wallet, produced a card, and laid it beside my coffee cup. It was official, with raised print and the Arizona State Seal in the upper right-hand corner. “When you’re ready, Mary Jo,” he said, “give us a call.” He pushed back his chair, soundlessly this time, and stood. Collected his jacket from the armrest of the seat next to his. Waited.
    I finally realized I was supposed to reciprocate with my own information. I took the pen he offered and wrote my cell number on one of the napkins that came with the coffee. I guess I should have added the address in Cave Creek, but I was afraid he’d MapQuest it when he got the chance, and find out I lived over Bad-Ass Bert’s. Maybe before the next mini family reunion, I could swing a decent place.
    â€œThanks,” my uncle said. He took the napkin, folded it carefully and tucked it into the pocket of his coat, now draped over one arm. “It’s so good to know you’re all right, Mary Jo,” he added gruffly. “I used to worry that Geoff might have found you…”
    I swallowed, felt the soft fur of a cat brush against the underside of my chin. A cat I didn’t remember owning.
    Chester , whispered one of innumerable wraiths haunting the depths of my subconscious mind.
    Clive, who had been about to turn and walk away, paused and frowned. “Are you all right, Mary Jo?”
    â€œMojo,” I corrected. “Nobody calls me Mary Jo.”
    He registered this information with a half nod, his eyes still narrowed with concern. “Just then, you looked—”
    â€œI’m fine,” I insisted. Like I’d wanted to tell Tucker, the truth is not what it’s cracked up to be.
    Still, he hesitated. “You’ve had quite a shock. Maybe I should walk you at least as far as your car.”
    I shook my head. “I need a few moments to work through all this,” I said.
    Score one for the truth.
    â€œThe memories must be tough to deal with,” Clive ventured.
    I favored him with a thin, wobbly smile. “That’s the problem. There aren’t any memories.”
    Uncle Clive looked taken aback, and sympathetic. “No memories?”
    â€œZip,” I said.
    He surprised me then. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head, just lightly, the way I’d kissed Lillian at SunsetVilla. Something in my heart locked onto the feeling, like a heat-seeking missile, and launched itself into unknown territory.

    W HEN I GOT HOME an hour later, still shaken, but with a copy of The Damn Fool’s Guide to Tarot under my arm and a spanking-new deck in my purse, the parking lot was full of Harleys and pickup trucks, and Bad-Ass Bert’s was jumping, even though it was still early afternoon. I probably should have rescued Russell from the steady flow of pepperoni and hot dog scraps, but I was already upstairs before I really focused on the idea.
    I would take a shower, I decided, fall into bed—Nick or no Nick—and sleep until I could face the world again. After that, a couple of hours at the computer, coding and billing, and I could meet my quota, hold on to my various jobs and reasonably expect to pay next month’s rent when the first rolled around.
    I fumbled for my keys, dropped one of the Tarot cards Lillian had pressed on me in the process, and watched as it slipped between the boards of the landing and fluttered to the ground beneath.
    With a groan, I unlocked the door, tossed my purse and the book inside, and went back down the steps to