The Darkest Kiss Read Online Free PDF

arrived at the office.”
    “Do you always start so late?”
    “No, but last night he was at a fund-raiser, so he gave me the morning off. We were going to work late to make up for it.”
    “So the office was all locked up when you came in?”
    “Yes.” She took a sip of coffee, then added, “I have a set of keys, because I’m usually here before him. He likes—liked—a cup of coffee to be ready as soon as he arrived.”
    “What time was he due in, then?”
    “Not until three, but he’s usually fifteen minutes early.” She hesitated, her pale blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “I went into his office to put his coffee on the desk as usual. And that’s when I saw—”
    She stopped and took a large gulp of air. Her hands were trembling so hard the coffee was threatening to spill over the sides of her cup and scald her fingers. I reached out, gently plucking the Styrofoam cup and placing it back on the table. But I couldn’t help wondering if the depth of her reaction was due just to shock, or if it was something deeper. Something that wasn’t actually sexual, because from everything I’d heard about Gerard James, I very much doubted if Rosy would be his type. But that didn’t mean Rosy couldn’t have had a thing for him. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time a PA had fallen for her boss. And, after all, there was probably little more than ten years or so between them. Not much, in the scheme of things.
    “Was there anything unusual, or out of place, that you noticed?”
    She shook her head. “Just him, on that desk.” Her lip quivered, and a lone tear tracked down her pale check. “It was such a shock, seeing him like that, you know?”
    “I know.” I hesitated. “Did you notice his clothes anywhere?”
    I certainly hadn’t, but maybe Cole’s crew had already bagged them.
    “No,” she said, “but they’re probably hanging in the bathroom. He was always neat like that.”
    Even when in a mating rut? I found that hard to believe, but then again, he was a politician. They were a breed far different from the rest of us. “What function did he attend last night?”
    “It was at the Crystal Palace in St. Kilda. Some charity fund-raiser he was asked to speak at.”
    “Do you know who his date was?”
    Her snort was disparaging. For the first time, I saw something more than sorrow in her face. “Alana Burns. She was one of the Toorak Trollops.”
    Amusement twitched my lips. No need to ask Rosy what she thought of the “Trollops,” because it was right there in the tartness of her voice. “Who are?”
    She waved a hand, coming perilously close to knocking over her coffee. I reached forward and slid it out of the way again. “They’re a dozen or so single or divorced Toorak ladies who make themselves available to attend all the best functions. With only the best-bred men, of course.”
    “So they’re high-priced hookers?”
    She frowned. “No. Money doesn’t change hands, as far as I know. Can you imagine the scandal that would have caused Mr. James? No, they’re just well-bred, well-connected sluts, pure and simple.”
    I smiled, but I had to wonder if she’d voiced such sentiments to her boss. Somehow, I suspected not. “And did he go out with Alana often?”
    “Quite a few times, although I think he was getting a little tired of her.”
    I took a sip of coffee, then asked, “Why?”
    She hesitated. “He generally preferred to keep things casual.”
    And if Alana had started making demands and had gotten the wrong reaction, it might just explain his murder. Dumped women didn’t always resort to chocolate. Some of them got angry—and others got even. “How did he usually dump his lovers?”
    “With flowers the next day. I usually order them, which is how I knew he was getting tired of Alana. He asked me to check the prices on the roses.”
    Well, at least he didn’t dump her with daffodils. “But they went out last night?”
    “Yes. I rang her that afternoon to confirm