Stand-In Wife Read Online Free PDF Page A

Bill?”
    The second cop forgot his reserve and came closer. “Yeah. You got carried to safety by that other guy…the hero what was his name? Held off an attack until reinforcements arrived.”
    Viv could tell by his rigid posture that Ross was furious. You don’t out SAS ever, but she was frantic.
    “Nathan Wyatt,” she answered for him, listening for another summons from the baby.
    “Yeah,” Bill interjected, taking a seat. “What did he get again…the Victoria Cross?”
    “New Zealand Medal of Honor.” Viv glanced between the two law enforcers, as animated as schoolboys, whileRoss gave cursory answers. It had worked, she’d distracted them, but she felt sick. Two men had died in that ambush, one of them—Steve—had been her cousin. Thank God her brother, Dan, hadn’t been on duty.
    “It’s important my identity stays confidential,” Ross cautioned the cops. “Meredith shouldn’t have said anything.” He shot her a glance that caused Viv to shift down the couch. “Do you have any further questions about Linda?”
    Officer Wright looked to his colleague who shook his head, but Viv’s relief was short-lived. The baby cried again. Imperative, demanding. “Excuse me.” Standing, she headed for the stairs.
    “Based on the paramedics’ assessment—and our report—it’s unlikely the coroner will order an autopsy,” she heard Officer Wright say to Ross. “In which case Mrs. Coltrane senior can be transferred to a funeral home tomorrow. We’ll leave you to contact your brother.”
    Viv climbed the stairs, thinking fast. Charlie would rush home from school camp with Tilly. Her niece was what…six or seven now? Still a believer in Santa and the Easter Bunny, Viv should be able to fool her for one more day until Merry got transferred back here to Auckland Hospital.
    Of course the two of them would then have to fudge the details of her accident and injury—delaying it by twenty-four hours for a start—but Merry worked at Auckland Hospital, there had to be favors she could pull. And Viv could think on her feet. They’d work something out.
    Charlie had only known Viv as Monroe blonde but he’d be harder to convince she was his estranged wife so she’d minimize their interactions. And she’d kept her Kiwi accent—it made her unique in the U.S. in a profession where it paid to stand out. She and Merry even had the same enunciation, courtesy of an exclusive girls’ boarding school.
    She was on top of this. It would be fine.
    Tracing the crying to a bedroom at the end of the corridor she opened the door. The wailing stopped and a flushed face peered through the bars of a crib. She took in Harry’s appearance: big tear-filled brown eyes, fringed by lashes like a giraffe’s—thick and straight; his dab of a nose; and a shock of fluffy golden hair, sprouting in the same pattern that his daddy was losing his.
    Viv closed the door behind her. “Hey,” she said, approaching with caution. “You’re awake.” An acrid smell hit her nose and she recoiled. Either someone had left the top off a bottle of ammonia or this guy was sitting in a wet diaper.
    He wore a “little man” outfit obviously chosen for Linda’s benefit—navy bibbed overalls and a striped collared T-shirt bulged over his diapers and baby belly. His baby fists clenched the bars.
    Looking from the crib to the change table, she realized Nana Linda had quite the nursery going here. No wonder Merry had worried about custody. “Good nap?”
    Brow furrowed, Harry stared at her.
    “It’s Mommy,” she prompted. Bustling over, Viv picked him up and registered that the kid was a lightweight. Harry continued to eyeball her. Surely he couldn’t tell?
    “Did you see Mommy…I mean… Mummy’s cardigan?” Positioning the baby awkwardly on her hip, she waved a green sleeve in front of him but his unblinking gaze never wavered.
    “Fine.” She lowered her voice. “Since I blew it by saying mommy. ” She made a mental note to guard against