Endangered: A Delecoeur Mystery #1 Read Online Free PDF Page A

time.”
    “It's not that simple. If I tell them to
back off on this, it’ll look like I’m in your pocket. It looks bad for
everyone.”
    “Meanwhile resources are being wasted
while my wife is who knows where?” Desperation grew. He launched his coffee cup
across the room. It hit the wall shattering in to a million pieces, just like
his heart.
    Springer ignored the outburst. “I have
men covering other bases too. We've done a complete search of the conference
building and are now re-interviewing people at the conference.”
    It was all of the same, Max thought. And
all the same was producing nothing.
    Springer’s phone rang. He stepped away,
but Max studied his face to see if he could glean any information from the
call.
    “When? … Is she okay?….Yeah, go ahead
and talk to her….We’ll be right there.”
    “That was about Madeleine. Where is
she?” Max demanded.
    “Across the bay in Menlo Park.”
    “Menlo Park?”
    “There was some sort of accident. She’s
in the hospital. One of my men is with her now, waiting to question her.”
    “No doubt about me,” Max said as he
grabbed his coat and headed out the hotel door.

Chapter Four
     
    M adeleine knew
the minute he was there without having to open her eyes. She could feel him,
his strength, his love. She opened her eyes wanting to see him; his beautiful
deep blue eyes and mischievous smile.
    “Hey you,” he said.
    “Max.” She looked up into his tired
face. He was unshaven. She knew he had probably been up all night. The worry
was still etched in his face even though she was fine. She reached a hand up to
him.
    He took her hand, kissed it and then
held it against his heart. “You gave me a hell of a scare.”
    “Me too.”
    “Do you need anything? Are you in pain?”
he asked.
    “I’m sore, but I don’t want anything. I
don’t like feeling like I have cotton in my head. Besides, you're all the
medicine I need.”
    “The doctor says everything is okay. No
permanent damage.”
    She touched her head with her free hand
and saw the bandage around her arm. “I’ll take your word for it.”
    "You have a minor concussion and
bruises. You'll be sore, but you'll live. What happened?”
    “Somebody drove me off the road.”
    “On purpose?”
    “It seemed like it to me.”
    “Did you get a look at him?”
    She shook her head. “No. He was in a
truck, like a moving truck. That’s all I could see through my rear view
mirror.”
    “What were you doing out here?”
    “Some people at the conference told me
about a wildlife reserve out here. I wanted to see it. On the way back, by the
Dumbarton Bridge, this truck came up and rammed me until I went into the bay.”
The shock of it and the fear as she hit the icy water still rocked her.  “I
remember breaking glass and water, really cold water. I remember getting out of
the car through the passenger side window, but the car must have drifted
because the bank seemed so far away. Next thing I know I’m here and a police
detective is asking me questions.” She looked at him. “About you and Julia.”
    His eyes darkened in annoyance.
    “I see they questioned you too,” she
said. “I told them you wouldn’t have done this to me. In case you were
wondering.” She gave him a gentle jab to lighten the mood. She didn’t like
seeing the darkness that fell over his face. She knew him well enough to know
that it was like putting salt on a wound to suggest that he'd done something to
her.
    He smiled sheepishly. “I walked into
that one didn’t I?”
    Madeleine shrugged. “You know how it is
with people and gossip.”
    “I don’t see how anyone would ever
question my love for you.” He kissed her hand again.
    “You have to admit, Julia is a beautiful
woman. A beautiful old flame. And your wife was out of town.”
    Max grinned. “At least the photographer
caught my best feature.”
    “Not quite,” Madeleine said waggling her
brows, then wincing from the pain.
    “I didn’t want to go to lunch