Soul Meaning (A Seventeen Series Novel: An Action Adventure Thriller Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

death, somehow.’
    It was the only logical conclusion I had reached. I could not, however, fathom the why.
    I first met Olsson in England, in the late nineteenth century; at the time, I was living in London and working as a reporter for The Times. In those days, the broadsheets were full of frenzied news about The Whitechapel Murders and the puzzling identity of the serial killer who would eventually come to be known as Jack the Ripper. Olsson wrote for the Morning Post. London’s East End was our beat and we often found ourselves sharing pints of ale and gruesome stories in the local pubs. We became firm friends but drifted apart ten years later, as friends sometimes do. It was not until I met him again in New York in the 1960s that I realized that he was an immortal. Olsson was similarly shocked. We kept in touch and eventually went on to form our detective agency in 1990. As immortals who had yet to meet their soulmates, having another immortal companion to pass the years with was a great solace.
    Then, one night ten years ago, everything changed. I received a frantic call from Olsson and reached his house to find the front door forced open and a trail of blood leading all the way to the backyard. Though I searched for weeks, I never found his body.
    ‘There was nothing in the house to suggest the identity of his killer?’ said Reid skeptically.
    ‘No.’
    ‘And the cops never found out who did it?’
    I shook my head.
    Reid drummed his fingers on the desk. ‘Did he have any enemies?’
    I sighed. ‘If he did, he never told me about them.’
    He frowned. ‘You suspected the Hunters?’
    I shrugged. The immortals were the only ones who could have executed such a smooth assassination. Although I had no proof of this, I had been pretty certain that Bastian or Crovir Hunters had been behind Mikael’s disappearance.
    ‘Was it to get to you?’ Reid asked.
    I ran a hand through my hair. ‘I don’t know. If they knew about Mikael, then they must have been aware of our association. But they never came after me.’
    Reid studied me for a while longer before rising from his seat. ‘Well, the rent ain’t gonna pay itself if we just sit here playing twenty questions.’ He shrugged into his coat and headed for the door. ‘I’ll call Novak and Price. You take Kaplinsky.’
    I narrowed my eyes. ‘You’re giving me the cat?’
    Reid gestured at his wounded leg. ‘Do I look like I’m fit to chase felines up trees? Besides, we need the money.’
    We didn’t really, but that was a subject I had yet to broach with Reid; I was pretty certain he would adamantly refuse any financial help I offered. I also sensed I would jeopardize our friendship if I did suggest it.
    I pursed my lips. ‘Admit it. You just dislike cats.’
    Reid scowled. ‘Yes, I do. They’re smug and they always look like they’re up to no good.’
    Miss Kaplinsky was a retired school teacher who lived in a quiet neighborhood in East Boston. Her cat, a silver tabby, had gone missing two weeks previously. Despite actively canvassing the streets and advertising for a reward in the local paper, she still had not heard any news about the absent feline.
    Reid dropped me at her address before driving off to meet with Price.
    Golden Leaf was a retirement complex built in the early 1970s. The four tired-looking, redbrick, garden-style buildings were arranged around a central courtyard lined with sycamore trees and rhododendrons. Sunlight streamed through the swaying branches and cast dappled shadows on the walkway as I made my way across the grounds.
    Apartment 12B was a first-floor corner unit with views over the park across the road. The retired teacher greeted me in a respectable tweed skirt and a long-sleeved cream blouse. The apartment was small and neat, the air redolent of vanilla.
    ‘He never usually strays, you know.’ Miss Kaplinsky showed me to a seat. ‘He’s a good cat.’ A sigh escaped her lips. ‘I do hope nothing bad’s happened to