Obsession Read Online Free PDF Page B

being much of a coffee drinker, Toni nursed the cup of liquid caffeine until it was tepid as she pored over the Julie Greene file with the attractive, attentive police detective. For the most part, she managed to keep her mind focused on the file rather than on Abe's nearness. But every now and then she would look up and catch those dark, penetrating eyes gazing at her. The concentration and concern for what she had to say was obvious, but was there more? Or was she reading something into his attentiveness that wasn't there? If so, why was she doing it? Certainly she wasn't interested in pursuing a relationship with him, nor did she wish to encourage any interest he might have in her, beyond their discussion about her father. Each time she found herself thinking along these lines, she immediately turned back to the discussion at hand, determined to block everything but professional thoughts about the charming, charismatic law enforcement officer sitting beside her.
    “It all comes back to this,” she said, pointing once again to the notation in the file that read Eagle Lake, 6 A.M., Wednesday. “I could ignore the rest of it, except for this. It just seems to be too much of a coincidence that Dad was—that he died—at Eagle Lake on a Wednesday morning. Then, when you start adding up all the other notations in the file—a missing teenage girl, a strange man named Carlo, Dad's suspicions about an illegal baby-selling ring and Carlo's involvement in it—not to mention the urgency in Julie Greene's grandmother's voice when she called and her belief that Dad had just been on the verge of finding out what happened to Julie….When you tie all that in with the fact that Julie left her parents a note when she ran away, saying she was heading west to start a new life with Carlo, whoever he is…” She took a deep breath and looked up at the detective, who this time was gazing intently at the notations in the file.
    “Detective—Abe—do you think my dad was on to something, that he was somehow getting too close to discovering something illegal, and—” She stopped herself, still unable to voice her suspicions.
    Without looking at her, Abe rose from his chair and began to pace slowly across the small, windowless room that served as his office. A half-dozen strides took him to the other side, where he stopped for a moment, his broad shoulders straining against his white dress shirt. He turned back toward Toni. His face seemed chiseled in stone until she saw his jaw muscles twitch. For the first time since she'd met him, his eyes seemed expressionless. “I really can't say.” His voice was slow and deliberate as he answered her unasked question. “But there's always an outside possibility, even though there really isn't anything concrete to suggest it.” He walked back to his chair and sat down beside her. His face softened, and Toni's heart skipped a beat. “He had a heart attack. There's nothing suspicious about that, especially with what you've told me about his medical history. Without something more than your hunch, there's no sense calling in the county sheriff at this point, even though Eagle Lake is his territory. Still, if it will make you feel better, I'll be glad to help you any way I can—although strictly on a personal basis at this point. Nothing official.”
    Toni felt relief wash over her. So she wasn't just some emotional female overreacting to her father's death and letting her grief override her reason. As slim as the possibility was, there really might be something to her suspicions. And now there was an experienced, knowledgeable person willing to help her get to the truth. On the other hand, she realized how much easier it would be if Abe—or anyone, for that matter—could convince her that there was nothing to this Julie Greene connection, and she could just let the whole thing go. Deep inside, however, she sensed that she couldn't let it go, not until she knew for sure. And for now, at least,