Friends and Lovers Trilogy 02 - Charmed Read Online Free PDF Page A

over the visor, exploring another theory. Underneath that goody-two-shoes façade lurked a bitch on wheels. A woman who’d somehow pissed off the wrong people.
Wrong people
being Bogie’s specialty. Normally, by now, he would’ve made a few calls. Checked into her background. But not knowing how she tied into Bogie complicated matters. Specifics would help.
    For now, Murphy would have to play it by ear.
    Dusk loomed, the sky fading from cool blue to dismal gray. Still, he had no trouble making out her form as she wiggled and shimmied, trying to maneuver her overstuffed tote bag out of the backseat. He lost his mind for a second and imagined her wiggling and shimmying out of that gown. Imagined her, of all things, naked.
    Get a grip, man. She’s a freaking kiddy-heroine. You don’t do kids. You don’t do women who carry pink poodle purses and live on Mars.
    With a squeal she yanked the bulging bag free and shut the door with her hip. When she tried to step away, she faltered. A significant chunk of her skirt had caught in the door. He shook his head as she gingerly worked the fabric. Either she’d locked her keys in the car or she’d jammed the lock. She dropped the patchwork bag and bent down to jiggle the handle. That’s when Murphy saw a dented blue Lincoln zip by and slide into a parking place a few doors down from Lulu’s house. A squat, bruiser of a man wearing a rumpled suit and a long trench coat emerged with a box tucked under one arm, double-chin lowered, gaze intent on Lulu.
    Shit.
    Seconds later, Murphy was at her side. “Need some help?”
    She yelped and straightened, her hands pressed to her corseted middle. “You scared the daylights out of me!”
    Not quite as bubbly as earlier today, he thought, but still pretty damned chipper. Especially for an adult who’d just spent two hours entertaining a large group of little kids. Attention span: zero.
    “Sorry.” He placed himself between her and the suspicious subject who was now a few feet away.
    What in the hell was in that box?
    “Did you lock your keys in the car?” he asked, ready to drop the grunt when he finally diddybopped into range.
    “No, I …”
    “Lulu!”
    She peeked around Murphy and groaned.
    “You know that guy?”
    “Sam Marlin. He lives at 111 Lark Street West. We’re at 111 Lark Street East. Sometimes the delivery man confuses us.”
    That would explain the box. Still, Murphy held his position. Marlin was a suitable name, he decided. The man resembled a bloated fish.
    Fleshy lips curled down in a bitter pout, rounded shoulders hunched, Marlin grunted and thrust a white cardboard box at Lulu. “Another one.”
    Murphy intercepted the package. “Thanks.”
    Lulu shot him a baffled look and then smiled at the Marlin character. “Yes, thank you for bringing it over, Sam.” She studied the mailing label while giving her skirt another tug. “Hmm. No name, just
Girl of My Dreams.
No East or West, just 111 Lark. It
could
have been a gift for your mother. You have to admit, this time it wasn’t entirely the deliveryman’s fault.”
    “Mother doesn’t have any admirers.”
    “How do you know?”
    The man stuffed his hands in the pockets of his coat, once again pricking Murphy’s unease. He’d once witnessed an innocuous civilian hauling an AK-47 from behind a billowing
Dishdasha.
Dangerous suspects came in all forms. “What about all the other times?” Sam asked with a sullen huff.
    “No one’s perfect,” she said calmly.
    Except maybe you,
Murphy thought.
This guy was a prick. Lulu was not only patient, but kind.
There went his bitch theory.
    “I called your number several times,” Sam complained.
    “Sofie and I were out all day.”
    “You’re always out. And I’m always getting your packages.”
    “Not my packages,” Lulu said. “Sofie’s. And you’re not always getting them. It’s just that lately there have been more deliveries than usual, so it seems like a lot.”
    Sam’s hands shot out of his