Merciless Read Online Free PDF Page B

would faint on the floor if I ever did such an odd thing here.”
    â€œI wouldn’t faint,” Jon said indignantly. He paused. “I’d have heart failure.”
    â€œFortunately I know CPR,” Joceline said. “You’re safe with me, sir.”
    Jon glared at her.
    â€œDon’t make an enemy of her,” the public defender suggested. “If you drink coffee like this for long, you may have need of her medical training.” He made a face and put the cup down on Joceline’s desk.
    â€œPlease don’t do that,” she told him. “I’m not responsible for unsupervised beverages. If it spilled on a computer, the agency would have to ask you to replace it.”
    â€œHow would it spill on a computer?” he asked.
    Joceline’s hand moved toward it. “It’s sitting in a very bad place,” she said, and indicated the laptop computer just inches away. “If my hand slipped…”
    The public defender removed the coffee with a grimace. “I never,” he began.
    â€œGive me that.” Jon took the cup of coffee, walked down the hall and dumped it into a potted ficus plant.
    â€œHow cruel!” Joceline accused when he returned and tossed the empty cup into the trash can beside her desk. “What did that poor plant ever do to you?”
    â€œNobody ever waters it,” he muttered. “It won’t complain. And don’t you dare,” he added narrowly.
    She cleared her throat. “I don’t even know anyone who has connections to plant abuse societies.”
    â€œWith my luck you’d start one,” Jon muttered. “Come in. Harris, isn’t it?” he asked the public defender as he opened his office door.
    â€œBill Harris,” the defender said, nodding.
    â€œHave a seat. Now what is it you need to discuss?”
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    Joceline was late because she had to finish typing up three letters, and then print them out since Jon needed hard copies of them. The printer ran out of ink and it took her forever to find the cartridges. Then it ran out of paper and she had to open another carton. She was looking at her watch and grimacing when she finished. She only had ten minutes to get to the day care facility before it closed. The owner was going to be furious. She’d been warned about this once before.
    â€œWhat is it?” Jon asked when he noticed her expression.
    â€œI have ten minutes before the day care closes,” she began.
    â€œGet out of here,” he said easily. “I’ll finish up.”
    She hesitated.
    â€œGo on!”
    She grabbed her purse. “Thank you, sir.”
    â€œNo problem.”
    She made it, but with only two minutes to spare. The taut expression on the owner’s face when she arrived spoke volumes. Joceline was worried even more because there had been complaints about Markie’s behavior at the day care.
    â€œIf this happens again…” the woman began.
    â€œIt won’t,” Joceline promised. “I’ll arrange for someone to pick him up, if I’m ever asked to stay late again.”
    The owner sighed. “You work for a federal office. I suppose you can’t keep regular hours.”
    â€œIt’s difficult,” Joceline agreed. “I need the job too much to refuse overtime.”
    â€œMy husband was a federal agent, many years ago,” the woman said surprisingly. “He was always on call.”
    â€œI suppose it was rough for you, too.”
    The woman looked surprised.
    â€œI know the wives of a couple of our agents, including our Special Agent in Charge. They bite their fingernails when we’re on dangerous cases.”
    The woman smiled. “I had two children and I couldn’t afford to put them in day care, so I stayed at home until they started school. Then I couldn’t find day care I could afford afterward, so I started my own business.”
    Joceline smiled. “A wise