Never Sleep With Strangers Read Online Free PDF

that he might not want to hear the answer, he hurried on. “Joshua Valine is good. What an eye for detail.”
    â€œRelax, Brett. It isn’t Cassie,” Jon said, a dry smile curling his lip. “It’s Dianne Dorsey. You can see her face if you look at the tableau from the other side.”
    â€œDianne…well, yes, of course. I guess I thought of Cassie because of the black hair, but Dianne is dark, too….” Brett murmured, clearing his throat. He looked at Jon uneasily.
    â€œCassie’s over there, Brett,” Jon said, indicating a figure praying in front of mullioned windows. “Joshua used her for his Mary, Queen of Scots, contemplating the morning of the day of her execution.”
    â€œYes, yes, that’s definitely Cassandra,” Brett said, staring for a long moment. His eyes jerked back to Jon’s. “Doesn’t that…bother you?”
    â€œThey all bother me—they’re so real,” Jon admitted. “But Josh is an artist, and that’s how he works. Besides, I think Cassie makes a good Mary, Queen of Scots.”
    â€œThey’re all women, the victims,” Sabrina commented.
    Jon smiled. “Well, historically, it seems, lots of men were monsters. But I assure you, we have some lethal ladies here, as well.” He pointed across the room. “There you have Countess Bathory, the Hungarian ‘blood countess.’ Allegedly she sacrificed hundreds of young women so she could bathe in their blood to retain her youth and beauty. V. J. Newfield is the model, as you might notice.”
    â€œOh, you’re in trouble there!” Brett warned.
    Jon laughed. “V.J. will get a good laugh out of it. Besides, the countess was supposed to be quite beautiful as well as bloodthirsty.” He pointed out another tableau. “There you have Lady Emily Watson, who poisoned no fewer than ten husbands to get their worldly goods. So you see, we do try to be an equal-opportunity chamber of horrors.”
    â€œWho’s the model for Lady Emily?” Brett queried.
    â€œAnna Lee Zane. And her victim is Thayer Newby.”
    Brett laughed. “Thayer, downed by a woman! He’s going to love that.”
    Jon shrugged. “There’s Reggie Hampton as Good Queen Bess, signing the death warrant for Mary, Queen of Scots.”
    â€œWho are the others?” Sabrina asked, indicating the rest of the tableaux receding into the shadowy depths of the castle’s basement.
    â€œNaturally Tom Heart and Joe Johnston are in here, but I’ll let you find them. Joshua used a few of the household staff, as well, so don’t be surprised if you find your breakfast being served by Catherine the Great.”
    â€œSabrina,” Brett puffed, “we really should remarry, and quickly! Jack the Ripper could arrive for your laundry!”
    â€œOh, I think I can manage my own hand laundry, and I’ll make sure to have breakfast with a crowd,” Sabrina told him. She wanted to kick him when she saw that Jon was studying her again.
    Jon merely shrugged and seemed to ignore the exchange. “Joshua had lots of people working on this project for more than a year. We’ll be donating the sculptures to a new museum in the north country when we’re done here.”
    â€œYou’ll need releases from the models,” Brett warned him.
    Jon smiled. “I think I’ll get them. The publicity will be phenomenal, you know.”
    â€œGreat, I’ll go down in history as a maniacal torturer!” Brett moaned, but the word publicity had won him over.
    â€œDon’t feel bad. One way or the other, I go down as a wife murderer. Well, if you’ll excuse me, I have a few things to attend to. Enjoy yourselves. Brett, you know your way around. Ms. Holloway, please make yourself at home, as well. I’ll see you at cocktails.”
    He turned and walked away with strong strides. In a moment the shadows swallowed