The Dakota Man Read Online Free PDF Page A

house…oh, somewhere around the turn of the century, I think. It was several years after he had established his bank here and married the daughter of one of the partners or managers or executives or whatever of the Home-stake gold mine.”
    “They own the bank, too?”
    “No.” Karla shook her head and frowned. “The way I understand it, Mitch’s great-grandfather sold out the business in the twenties, when he got into buying real estate. Then the bank went under when the market crashed. Apparently, it was the land holdings that kept the family from ruin during the depression, for they managed to hang on to everything.”
    “Including the house that’s now an apartment,” Maggie inserted.
    Karla nodded. “And this property.” She waved a hand, indicating the casino building. “Both of which are under Mitch’s control.”
    Wonderful. Maggie was hard-pressed to keep from groaning aloud. What to do? she asked herself, reluctant to go back into Mr. Grainger’s office. While living in the same building as Karla would be nice, Maggie wasn’t sure she wanted to both work for and rent from her employer. Besides, if her suspicions about Karla and him having an affair were correct, even though they somehow didn’t seem to fit together, the idea of being around to witness their “togetherness” didn’t appeal to Maggie in the least. And yet, she needed a permanent address, the sooner the better.
    “I’ll go talk to Mitch now,” Karla said, settling the matter for Maggie by pushing herself out of her chair and turning to tap on his door.
    Maggie opened her mouth to ask Karla to wait a moment, but before she could utter a sound, Karla had opened the door and slipped inside the office.
    To her surprise, Maggie didn’t have time to fume or to fidget, for within minutes, Karla was back, a triumphant smile on her face. She raised her hand to display a key clipped to a case dangling from her fingers.
    “We’re outta here,” she said, motioning for Maggie to follow her as she skirted the desk and moved toward the outer hallway.
    “But…” Maggie began.
    “He gave me the rest of the afternoon off,” Karla cut in breezily. “He told me to take his truck to run you out to have a look at the apartment. I’m to call him from there. If you like the place, I’m to use the truck to help you move your stuff…if you need help.”
    His truck? Frowning, Maggie scrambled out of her chair to hurry after the surprisingly agile woman. Should Karla be driving a truck in her advanced pregnancy? Never having been pregnant, she didn’t have a clue.
    They didn’t go through the casino to the front entrance. Instead, at the base of the narrow stairway that led to the second floor, Karla turned to traverse another narrow hallway, leading to a steel door at the rear of the building. A burly uniformed guard stood posted next to the door.
    “Hi, Karla, late lunch?” The guard smiled and gave Maggie a curious once-over.
    “No.” Karla grinned and shook her head. “The boss gave me the afternoon off.” She turned to smile at Maggie. “Maggie, this is Johnny Brandon.”
    “Mr. Brandon,” Maggie said, extending her right hand to be swallowed up in his.
    Karla switched her glance back at the guard.“Johnny, this is Maggie Reynolds. She’ll be working here starting Monday.”
    “Pleased to meet you, Ms. Reynolds…and please, call me Johnny.” The guard gripped her hand for a second, inclined his head, then shot a grin at Karla. “You’ve finally found someone to suit Mr. Grainger, huh?”
    “Yes.” Karla heaved a dramatic sigh, but ruined the effect with a giggle. “Finally. And now we’re outta here, before he changes his mind about the afternoon off.”
    Chuckling, Johnny moved to open the door for them. “I can’t see that happening. Nice to meet you, Ms. Reynolds.”
    “Maggie, please,” she said, smiling as she followed Karla from the casino.
    The exit led directly onto a parking lot. Trailing Karla, Maggie