The 8th Circle Read Online Free PDF Page A

here?”
    He flashed her a smile and realized he was way out of practice. “Are you a cop?”
    “I can call a cop. Who are you?”
    “A friend of Michael’s.”
    “Funny. I’m a friend of Michael’s, and I never met you.”
    He took a step toward her and held out his hand. “Danny Ryan. Michael and I worked together.”
    Her eyes widened. “You’re Danny Ryan?”
    Normally, he would have had some kind of snappy comeback, but his repertoire was limited these days. He dropped his hand.
    “Sorry, I didn’t mean that quite the way it came out. Kate Reid. You just look so different from the paper.”
    “I’ve lost some weight.” He forced a laugh and thought he sounded a little insane. Why yes, I’ve had a fucking mental collapse . He tried to picture her with Michael but couldn’t. “You dated Michael?”
    She gave him a tentative smile. “No. We were friends.”
    “Are you a writer?”
    “I’m a legislative aide. In fact, I believe you know my boss.”
    “Oh?”
    “Yes. Senator Robert Harlan. He’s here today. You should come say hello.”
    Jesus, she just got better and better. Danny didn’t know how much of his loathing showed. He was good at keeping a poker face under normal circumstances, but his former father-in-law stretched his limits.
    Big Bob Harlan. He’d gotten miles of column inches out of the senator. A mutual hate society.
    When they’d first married, Beth had taken great delight in the fact that someone finally stood up to her father. By the end, she would read Danny’s column, hurl the Sunday paper at him, and say, “Danny, please. Give it a rest just once, would you? He’s my father, for God’s sake. I have to deal with him.”
    He told himself he had too often given it a rest when he and Beth had married and he’d caught a glimpse of that other world, the one rumored to exist behind the doors of gated estates and clubs shrouded in exclusive secrecy. When he’d attacked her father in print, Danny had never used anything he’d learned in those rooms. Beth had looked at it differently. She’d believed he betrayed her. It would always haunt him.
    “Excuse me?” Kate looked at him a little oddly. “Are you all right?”
    “No. I mean, yes. I’m sorry.” He’d lost track of the conversation.
    Kate gestured toward the closet. “What were you looking for?”
    “I don’t know. Michael was coming to see me the night he was killed. I guess I feel responsible.”
    Her eyes narrowed like she was trying to decide whether or not he was hustling her. At last she fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a business card. “I don’t know everything Michael was into, but if I can help, give me a call.”
    “That’s very nice of you.” He knew he sounded snarky. “Why did you come here anyway? Did the senator send you?”
    “I told you. Michael and I were friends.”
    “So you did.”
    “As far as I know, he was doing a piece on Philly nightlife. Clubs, restaurants.”
    Danny touched the box in his pocket. Michael was working on something more than restaurant reviews, something that most definitely could have gotten him killed. “He didn’t say anything to you? If you were friends, that’s hard to believe.”
    “If you were friends with Michael, you know how secretive he could be.” She was annoyed now. The color rose on her cheeks. “Michael also said you could be a real prick.”
    “No, he didn’t. You did.” Danny shrugged. “You’re right too. Look, I need to get back.”
    Kate blew out a breath. “I’m sorry if I offended you.”
    “You didn’t.”
    He started past her, then paused. Something about her face seemed slightly askew, as if the skin were pulled a little too tight orshe’d undergone extensive cosmetic surgery—much more than a nose job. Weird. She couldn’t have been older than twenty-six or so.
    “Is something wrong?”
    Christ, he felt like an asshole. “It was nice meeting you.”
    She tucked her card into his breast pocket, and the faint aroma