Double Dealing Read Online Free PDF Page B

right
breast and left thigh.”
    Brushing aside the image, Samantha hurried into a further
description of her work. “I supply my subscribers with news and information
which might affect their businesses. Sort of a glorified librarian. Through a
computer I can collect a huge amount of information and process it down to a
manageable level. It’s like being paid to sift through Forbes, The Wall Street Journal , and Business Week with a yellow highlighter and a pair of scissors,”
she summarized.
    “Your system is computerized?” he demanded, frowning slightly.
    She nodded quickly, wanting to get of the subject and on to
more important things. “There are literally hundreds of computerized
information retrieval services that anyone with a good home computer can
subscribe to. Indexes to all the major newspapers, for instance, lists of
research being done in almost any field you can imagine. Analyses of stock
market activity that go back to the beginnings of the exchange…. And a lot of other miscellaneous information,”
she added with deliberate vagueness as she realized the direction of his questioning.
    “The sort of miscellaneous information that helped you track
me down?” Gabriel drawled with far too much perception.
    There was no point denying it. “Yes, as a matter of fact,”
she admitted with a cool smile. “That sort of miscellaneous information. But if
it’s any consolation to you, there was very little to be had on you, Gabriel.”
    “Just enough to make you guess I might be interested in a
deal involving the Buchanan Group?”
    “Just enough.” Samantha felt as if she were walking on eggs.
“Was I right?” she finally dared to breathe after a moment.
    “I will have to know a great deal more before I can give you
that answer. Tell me about this real estate venture you’re trying to involve me
in,” he instructed calmly.
    Samantha took a deep breath and crushed down her disappointment.
“It has to do with a site assembly project which is currently underway in
Phoenix for the Buchanan Group’s latest development.”
    “Buchanan is picking up properties in Phoenix? How did you
find out about that?” They both knew that Buchanan and others like him usually
stayed well hidden while their people quietly acquired the individual parcels
needed for a development. Once the individual owners who occupied the
properties realized just how important their particular hunks of land might be
they were more than likely to ask an astronomical price.
    “Of course he tries to keep his company’s name out of sight,”
Samantha replied with a small grin. “Even one holdout owner can ruin a
multimillion-dollar deal if the land he’s sitting on is needed for the
development.”
    “I think I’m beginning to get the drift,” Gabriel murmured. “You
haven’t answered my question, though. How did you find out Buchanan was
involved in an assembly project?”
    Questions, questions, questions! Didn’t the man ever just
jump ahead to the important things without climbing each individual step along
the way? Samantha closed her eyes briefly, taking a tight rein on her own
restless anticipation.
    “Buchanan is well hidden on this project, as usual,” she
said in what she hoped was a sedate tone. “I would never have found out about
his plans if a few odds and ends of minor information hadn’t cropped up in a
couple of the data bases I routinely monitor.” She saw no point in telling
Gabriel that she automatically devoted a portion of her time each week to
searching for any and all information on the Buchanan Group. It would be difficult
to explain, in light of the fact that the company was not among her subscribing
clients. Fed even a small tidbit like that, a man like Sinclair would
immediately start sniffing around for further information, and Samantha had no
intention of explaining her personal interest in Drew Buchanan.
    “So”—Gabriel sat back and gazed at her interestedly— “You
managed to discover