Stunner Read Online Free PDF Page A

demonstrated this evening that she’s a master at keeping the spotlight on the person she’s having a conversation with. That makes getting a fix on what she’s thinking kind of tough. Does she do that because she’s generous in spirit and truly interested in others, or does she herself have something to hide?
    Even though I try to feel happy for him, I can’t help wondering for the rest of the evening—who is this person Frank has brought into our midst?

Chapter Five
    Once everybody leaves the party later, Laura slips me the list of Scranton phone numbers that she got off Caller ID after the anonymous hang-ups. At home, online, I reverse those phone numbers, plus those I got from Juliana’s phone, to uncover the locations: a hotel, a diner, a baseball stadium, several bars. I still don’t know who was making the calls, but these locales tell me the caller was probably a guy.
    After my research, I doze off with my laptop next to me until the
ping
of a new email wakes me up. Laura has sent me her photos showing the contents of the white box. Looking at them reminds me of that awful smell. What kind of twisted person would create such a morbid display and then send it through the mail?
    In one close-up, I notice a small scrap of paper hanging out of the dead pigeon’s beak. I zoom in for a better look at the writing on the paper. The only words I can make out among the scribbles are
Teresa & Frankie
.
    ~~~~~
    After coffee in the morning, I throw a canvas cover over the front passenger seat of my Mustang. My dog jumps in, ready for me to snap on his canine seat belt. He’s excited, because he knows we’re going on a road trip.
    Warrior and I look for any excuse to take a drive, and we avoid the highways as much as possible. When you have the top down, the back roads are a whole lot more fun. I begin the twisty, scenic drive to Lambertville to visit an outdoor antiques market, where a leashed Warrior will walk around with me.
    Car time is also good thinking time, and now that Frank is home, I have a lot to consider. Having seen firsthand how over the moon my brother is for Juliana Wentworth, I feel uneasy. I guess Laura’s concern is contagious.
    Driving into the nearby village this morning, I reassess my several meager clues. Hang-up phone calls from Scranton. A white box with a dead pigeon on a bed of withered flowers covered in rotten eggs, also from Scranton. Laura’s photo showing a scrap of paper with the names
Teresa & Frankie
hanging from the dead pigeon’s beak. Numerous Scranton phone numbers on Juliana’s cell. Her pad with the initials
BT
scratched out. Finally, Juliana’s
you’ll-ruin-everything
cell call.
    Before I hire an investigator to look into this, as Laura suggested, I’ve decided to see what I can find out on my own. After all, how hard can playing detective and snooping around a little be?
    If Frank knew I was thinking along these lines, he would accuse me of overreacting, of being a way-too-interfering sister. And he would tell me to get a life. OK, maybe I do have too much time on my hands, freeing me to go on what is probably a wild goose chase.
    What about a real job? Had one. For a long time. A year ago I was downsized from my corporate position and fancy title (both of which I loved) at a national cable network in Jersey City. The idea to leave wasn’t mine, but theirs, due to the bad economy. And because I don’t have money issues, I’ve been in no rush to find a new full-time occupation. But I do think it’s time for a fresh chapter in my life.
    What about a husband? Had one of those, too. Was married for almost thirty years until the lawyers finalized our divorce six months ago. The split didn’t bring out the best in either of us.
    As for kids—they grew up too fast. I have to admit the empty nest has been the hardest adjustment of all. Yep, the empty nest was the one that threw me for a loop, especially when it became emptier than I’d expected.
    Don’t get me wrong. I