Invasion of Justice (Shadows of Justice) Read Online Free PDF

them in, but it fried the 'do not disturb' code on the lock. Oh, well. He'd think of something later, if necessary. Aiming the bag toward a corner, he closed the door with his boot and then carried Petra into the bedroom, dropping her onto the bed. She was becoming a big pain for a simple babysitting assignment. He gave serious thought to just killing her himself when she woke up.
    Working through a sudden, gripping headache, Gideon lit up her monitor and then checked the equipment he'd planted in her suite. Seeing it all still in place, he began to hack her files for more dirt on this glorified astrologer.
    "You must be Agent Kincaid," a cultured male voice stated from the doorway.
    Gideon stifled an ugly oath. He'd forgotten about the broken door. Turning, he gave the man his best attempt at a friendly smile and extended his hand. "A pleasure to meet you, sir."
    The woman with him blew Gideon's attempt to improvise. " Randall, that is not Agent Kincaid."

Chapter Three
     
    Petra's Rules of Conduct
    Rule Number One: No touching!
     
    Not only did the evidence officer shout at me, but so did the evidence. I merely hoped for a closer link to the missing girl, but picking up her comb sent me reeling with the residual from the victim and her kidnapper. Returning to the shrill voice of the irate officer wasn't the sort of homecoming I prefer.
    –From the crime scene profile journals of Petra Neiman
     
    Instantly, the mood in the suite shifted. Gideon hadn't felt so trapped since his recent career-stalling field op.
    "Your name and purpose, sir," the woman demanded, with a meaningful glance at the lingerie spilling out of the bag near her feet.
    "I have business here," Gideon said politely. "And you?"
    Gideon held his ground as the woman approached. In a classy suit and pearls, she wasn't dressed for a fight, but she looked fit enough and Gideon knew the value of a good disguise.
    "Well, now your business here is finished." The woman brushed past him. She shut down Petra's laptop and straightened the notepads and pencils beside it. "Make him leave, Randall."
    "Easy, Pamela," the man soothed, coming to stand near her. "I'm sure the young man would like to explain."
    "The young man is in your daughter's hotel room with enough trashy lingerie to outfit a brothel," she snapped.
    "She's having classic mother issues," Randall said with a shrug.
    The man stood a head taller than Pamela, and though the temples were gray, Gideon noticed a strong resemblance to Nate. If these were the Burkhardts how the hell did they relate to Petra? And why hadn't that tidbit been in her file?
    "Your daughter is fine. She's just resting in the bedroom." When Randall's brows rose and Pamela shot off to confirm his story, Gideon realized he'd offered the wrong assurance. He held up his hands in mock surrender. "I swear I haven't touched–"
    "Randall!" Pamela's cry cut him off. "Oh, God. I think she's lost."
    When Randall dashed away to join his wife, Gideon wasted no time escaping the potentially lethal situation. He didn't want to arrest or do something worse to Nate's folks. He took the stairs two at a time to his own suite. Once the door was secure, he lit up his monitor, selected the split screen option showing all the camera angles, and cranked the volume on the microphones in Petra's suite.
    "I know what she's doing," Pamela was saying.
    "You don't know, Pamela. Neither of us knows."
    "Of course I know. I'm her mother. She wouldn't hesitate to go flying off to find Nathan. She's alone. That man couldn't ground an outlet. I won't lose both my babies, Randall, I simply will not."
    So, Nate and Petra were siblings. A detail his superiors had effectively smothered. He made a note to find out why she didn't use the family name. Burkhardt carried some serious weight in a variety of legal and security circles.
    Gideon watched Randall walk over to cradle his wife's face. Using his thumbs to dry her tears, he kissed her forehead.
    "They're grown ups, love.