Speak No Evil Read Online Free PDF Page A

off the brakes for at least twenty minutes. Ahead, a battalion of police cars was slowing everything down.
    Seated in the passenger seat, Augusta craned her neck out the window, trying to get a better perspective as they wended their way through King Street traffic. “Jesus! It looks like they’re at Daniel’s!”
    “Why the hell does he keep his office in this part of town anyway ?” Savannah asked from the backseat.
    Augie turned to glower at her. “Maybe he feels he can help folks best by staying put—doesn’t he still do pro bono work?”
    “Yes,” Sadie interjected, eyeing Augusta with some exasperation. “But your sister’s right. That man’s fool-headed to keep his office up here. Anyway, seems to me you would fare so much better in life, Augusta, if you stopped picking up every torch you found layin’ ’round, eah!”
    Caroline braced herself for the full brunt of Augie’s wrath, but apparently Sadie was still the only person who could speak to her sister that way and get away with it. Caroline wasn’t brave enough to do it any longer and Savannah seemed beleaguered enough defending herself.
    As they neared Daniel’s law firm and could finally see past the throng of passersby, Caroline spotted Josh standing outside the doorway, talking with a few of CPD’s finest.
    Augusta stared curiously as they drove past while Caroline searched for a parking space. “They are at Daniel’s. . . .”
    Sadie sounded worried. “I wonder why.”
    This part of King Street had yet to benefit completely from the new influx of tax dollars. Not far ahead, beyond Marion Square, the lower streets had been mostly renovated, but this part of town still had some boarded-up windows and metal bars on businesses. Although there were a few trendy restaurants making a go of it, the homeless walked around talking to themselves and kids not much older than nine stood smoking on street corners. The closer you got to Marion Square, the better the neighborhood.
    They found a parking spot about a block up the street, where a scruffy teenager stood leaning against a telephone pole, sizing up their rims. Caroline tried not to pay him any mind. She took care of the meter and together they walked back to Daniel’s office, where Josh was still standing outside the doorway. He motioned them inside, where Daniel’s partner, George, greeted them.
    Sadie’s expression was full of dread. “What on Earth happened eah?”
    “Break-in,” George replied. “Maybe kids.”
    Caroline remembered the teenager leaning on the telephone pole.
    “Danny came in at four this morning because the alarm went off. Seems they hit him over the head with a bat, nearly cracked his skull. Luckily, they smacked him with the skinny end. They found the broken bat lying next to him on the floor.”
    “Oh, no!” Sadie exclaimed. “Is he okay? Where is he now?”
    “St. Francis. Banged up and lucky as hell, but mostly fine.”
    Sadie’s hand went to her breast. “Thank the Lord!”
    “You can visit him later,” George suggested with a wink. “He’d like that.”
    Caroline wasn’t sure, but she thought Sadie ducked her head and blushed.
    “We can reschedule,” Caroline told George. She looked at Augie, raising her brows, telling her without words to say nothing.
    “Not necessary,” he said. “I’d already offered to walk you girls through your mother’s will. It’s pretty straightforward. So come on back,” he directed. “We’re set to go soon as Mr. Childres comes back. Sorry about your mother,” he offered to the girls, and added, “The funeral was real nice.”
    “We appreciate your coming,” Caroline offered.
    They passed Daniel’s office, where papers were scattered all over the floor and bookshelves were toppled.
    “Wow, it’s trashed!” Savannah remarked.
    George nodded and turned to wink at her. “Good thing he left the will nice and neat in my office last night before heading home.”
    Once in George’s office, they lapsed into