Scent of Roses Read Online Free PDF Page A

to hear from. He’d kind of thought Liz was the sort of woman who’d be able to see through a man like his brother. Then again, there was no accounting for people’s tastes.
    Carson said no more, just returned to the stack of work on his desk. Zach left the study without a goodbye and headed for his car. He was surprised Carson knew he had been seeing Lisa Doyle and he didn’t like it that he did. He didn’t like Carson knowing anything about him. He didn’t trust his half brother and never had.
    Whatever Carson might think, Lisa wasn’t really his type. But she liked hot, raunchy sex, no strings attached, and so did Zach, and they had been sleeping together off and on for years.
    And he didn’t have to worry about getting a motel room when he was in town and Lisa didn’t have to worry about picking up some stranger in a bar when she wanted to get laid.
    It was a good deal for both of them.
    Â 
    Elizabeth looked up at the sound of a knock at her door. The door swung wide and her boss, Dr. Michael James, stuck his head through the opening. Michael, just under six feet tall with sandy hair and hazel eyes, had a Ph.D. in psychology. He had opened the office five years ago. Elizabeth had been working for him for the past two. Michael was engaged to be married, but lately he seemed to be having second thoughts and Elizabeth wasn’t sure he was going to go through with the wedding.
    â€œHow’d it go with Raul?” he asked, another of the young man’s supporters. Raul had a way of endearing himself to people, though on the surface he seemed to do his best to achieve just the opposite.
    â€œHe’s decided to enroll in the program.”
    â€œThat’s great. Now if he’ll just stick to it.”
    â€œHe was excited, I think. Of course, Sam could sell sour milk to cows.”
    â€œSo you were impressed with the farm. I thought you would be.”
    â€œIt’s really coming along. Carson has done a wonderful job.”
    â€œYes, he has. Though it seems to me everything he does is a bit self-serving. Lately, I heard a rumor he may be running for a seat in the state assembly.”
    â€œI don’t know him very well, but he seems community-minded. Maybe he’d be good for the job.”
    â€œMaybe.” Though Michael didn’t seem completely convinced.
    They spoke for a moment more, then Dr. James left the office and the phone rang. When Elizabeth picked it up, she recognized Raul Perez’s voice.
    â€œI am calling about my sister,” he said simply. “I saw her this morning after Miguel went to work. She was very upset. She tries to hide it, but I know her too well. Something is wrong. Do you think you could stop by the house sometime today?”
    â€œActually, I’ve been meaning to get over there to see her. I’ll stop by this afternoon. Will your sister be home?”
    â€œI think so. I wish I knew what was wrong.”
    â€œI’ll see if I can find out,” Elizabeth promised and as she hung up the phone she wondered what it could be.
    In a job where she dealt with family violence, drugs, robbery and even murder, it would take a great deal to surprise her.

Three
    I t was after five o’clock, and the office was closed by the time Elizabeth was able to leave. She made the drive through town in the after-five traffic, nothing like the bumper-to-bumper, endless line of cars on the L.A. freeways she used to battle when she lived in Santa Ana, but enough to keep her stopped on Main Street through two sets of red lights.
    Downtown San Pico was only ten blocks long, some of the store signs printed in Spanish. Miller’s Dry Cleaners, perched on the corner, had a laundromat attached. There was a JC Penney catalog store, several clothing stores, and a couple of diners, including Marge’s Café, where she had worked part-time in high school.
    As she drove past the coffee shop, she could see the long Formica