Say You Love Me Read Online Free PDF Page A

killer. At least, he knows you. ”
    She lifted her chin a notch. “A lot of people who
     write into the magazine think they know me.”
    â€œYou’re hiding something, Miss Berger.” He leaned
     across the desk, so close his face was only a breath away. So close he
     inhaled the hypnotic scent of her perfume.
    So close he felt the tension vibrate in her lean
     muscles.
    â€œBut
     secrets have a way of coming out. And before this investigation is over, I
     will find out exactly what you’re keeping from me.”

CHAPTER
     THREE
    â€œI WILL FIND OUT exactly
     what you’re keeping from me.”
    Detective Dubois’s warning echoed in
     Britta’s head as she searched her memory for any confession letters that
     might have hinted at violence or murder.
    What if the killer had written to her in advance
     and she had ignored the warning or completely missed it? Maybe she could
     have saved this woman if she’d paid more attention….
    Disturbed by the thought, she bagged
     the last two months’ submissions to carry to the police station the next
     day. For now, she had to take a walk. Clear her head.
    The stench of beer, alcohol, smoke,
     sweat, urine and garbage permeated Bourbon Street. The raucous laughter and
     horny, groping drunken strangers were a dreaded experience.
    But living on the streets had taught
     her how to deal with them. The thought of holing up in her apartment above
     the office with back copies of the magazine—alone with her own demons—was
     something she couldn’t face yet.
    She’d walk to the Market, lose herself in the
     local musicians and artists, grab a bite of supper. Her stomach growled,
     reminding her she’d missed lunch. The possibility of a nice crisp crab salad
     or bowl of seafood gumbo made her mouth water.
    She checked over her shoulder for the hundredth
     time to make certain no one was following her as she wound through the
     chaotic crowd. A man wearing a patch over his right eye whispered an
     invitation for her to join him in the pub next door, but she rushed past,
     aware the man tracked her as she disappeared into the throng. Next door,
     another club offered half-priced drinks along with pole-dancing, featuring
     the mammoth-breasted Moaning Mona. Two dregs wearing ratty T-shirts that
     read “I fuck like a Mack Truck,” grunted an invitation for drinks and a
     threesome. And a group of bikers boasting tattoos of snakes and tribal
     symbols huddled around an outdoor table, guzzling beer and making catcalls
     to the girls flashing their boobs for free drinks and beads.
    She plunged through the tawdry mob,
     south toward Jackson Square and the French Market where the less seedy side
     congregated in the outdoor cafés, finer restaurants, the open market and
     shops that comprised the Vieux
     Carre. Although street musicians and artisans normally
     flocked to the area, now an open-air festival had been set up with artisans
     showcasing their creations, demonstrating techniques, offering sketches for
     the tourists and squabbling over prices for their treasures.
    A clown created balloon animals for
     the children in one corner, a mime entertained in another and a long-haired
     hippie rasped out music on a washboard for pocket change. Down the street,
     the famous jazz music of Louis Armstrong flowed from a restaurant while
     blues tunes paying homage to Fats Domino wailed into the steamy sultry air.
     Patio gardens and flowerboxes from the delicately carved balconies added
     color and a sweet fragrance. This was the N’Awlins she loved.
    She seated herself at her favorite
     outdoor café, ordered a glass of pinot grigio and a crab salad, then studied
     the crowd as she sipped the wine.
    But the hair on the back of her neck bristled.
     Someone was watching her.
    She scanned the streets again. Oblivious to her unease, the air
     buzzed with activity and excitement, celebrating life and the renewal of the