No One Left to Tell Read Online Free PDF Page B

the room. Only the steady crackle of the blaze persisted. Fiona pressed, "Now that I've conveyed my meaning adequately, I assure you, it is far better to work in concert with me than against my wishes. So do we have ourselves a bargain?"
    "Do we have a choice?" Detective Mackenzie's resentment was unmistakable.
    "None, actually. I'm glad you've seen the light. I'm sure your delightful Chief Markham will be most happy. He and I have known one another for years." She reminded them of the political pressure she wielded.
    Breaking the stalemate, Benjamin entered the room with a silver tray, setting down the coffee and tea service on the table in front of the detectives. "Is there anything else, madam?"
    "Everything looks lovely, Benjamin. Thank you. Detectives, please. Join me." In a peace offering, Fiona extended her hand, then reached for her cup of tea. Detective Rodriguez poured some coffee, with his partner eventually following his lead.
    "So who is our new comrade in arms?" Detective Mackenzie asked, stirring a spot of cream into her coffee. "And he'd better like long hours and lousy coffee. We can't use an eight-to-fiver."
    "Christian Delacorte is head of Dunhill Security, and I can assure you he is strictly twenty-four/seven. I wouldn't have it any other way. He's more like family. And as for his cultivated taste in coffee, I'm sure you'll find he doesn't compromise."
    "Great! Nothing like breaking in a rookie. So where can we find Juan Valdez, connoisseur of Java?" The young woman's wit amused her partner. The man nearly choked on his coffee. But Fiona suspected her security head would find difficulty tolerating it. Especially given the fact Raven Mackenzie carried a badge.
    "I am certain at this hour, Christian is working off some steam with his men. He won't be pleased with his new assignment. So I'll have to finesse his cooperation. Maybe even order him to work with you, if it comes to it."
    Seeing a spark of hope in Detective Mackenzie's eye, Fiona interceded, "Before you ask the obvious, Detective. Let me clarify. If Christian chooses not to take this assignment, I won't force him. But you won't get my cooperation, either."
    "But you're his boss. Ordering is what bosses do. Only they call it delegating or a paradigm shift in responsibility—whatever the new corporate buzzword," Raven asserted.
    "Let's just say that Christian is his own man. And I trust him implicitly. He always has my best interest at heart. He's been a part of this family since he was a boy of ten. But you should be aware he has a past where law enforcement is concerned, I'm afraid."
    "A criminal record?" The young woman's eyes flared.
    "No, Detective, nothing so mundane. And I won't be talking out of school. Not about that. He is a deeply private man." Images of Christian emerged in Fiona's mind, flashes of him as a child and the man he'd grown to be. "You'll discover his nature soon enough. I've had the pleasure of getting to know him better over the past twenty-five years, and he's still a fascinating puzzle."
    "You said he was blowing off steam. Where is he? The spa? The tennis court, maybe?"
    Taking a sip of her tea, Fiona hid her enjoyment of Detective Mackenzie's assumption. She ignored the implication that Christian was a kept man.
    "I shall escort you to the war room, so you can see how he amuses himself with a few of his men. Christian constructed it for his use, and named it appropriately. I have to warn you. He's not expecting you. I'll have to convince him to do my bidding. But I can be most persuasive."
    "Yes, ma'am, we can attest to that." Detective Rodriguez nodded.
    "Persevere, Detectives, and he'll cooperate when he's ready." Fiona stood, allowing them to set down their coffee cups. "Follow me."
    "This way, Detectives." Mrs. Dunhill directed them with a wave of a hand. Her genteel voice echoed down the long corridor.
    Oversized tapestries and ornately framed oil paintings adorned paneled walls on the second floor. Raven hadn't