The Deceived Read Online Free PDF Page B

disconnected the call. What the hell was that all about?
    He set the phone on the counter next to his laptop and replayed the conversation in his mind. Jenny out on a leave of absence? At the same time Markoff turns up dead? Granted, there was no direct connection between her personal leave and the end of Markoff ’s life, but Quinn didn’t like the timing.
    He heard a car pulling up in front of his house. It had to be Nate. No one else could get through the security gate without being buzzed in. A few moments later, the front door opened. Quinn walked over to where the kitchen transitioned into the living room as Nate entered from the foyer.
    “Come in here,” Quinn said. “I need you.”
    “Good morning,” Nate said.
    Quinn gave his apprentice a half smile. “Morning. Now, come in here.”
    He turned and walked back into the kitchen. Once Nate had joined him, Quinn explained what he wanted, then handed over his cell phone. He had already punched in the number for Guerrero’s Houston office, so all Nate had to do was hit Send.
    There was a brief delay while the call connected and someone answered. After a moment, Nate said, “Yes, good morning. This is Dan Riley from Overnight Advantage Delivery. I’m not sure if I have the right number or not, but I’m hoping you can help me.” Nate listened, then smiled. As he spoke, his voice took on the tone of a confiding friend. “Here’s my problem. Some people just shouldn’t be allowed to fill out shipping information by hand. I tell ya, the packing slip I’m looking at right now is a mess. About the only thing I can make out is the name of the addressee and most of the phone number. You’re the third person I’ve tried.” Again he waited while the person on the other end spoke. “Let me see. The name on the package is...Jennifer Funtes or Fentes.” Pause. “Fuentes? Yes. That’s it. So I do have the right number. Great. The most annoying part is it’s person-to-person. I had no idea what I was going to do if I didn’t find her. Is she in today?” This time, the person spoke for several seconds. Nate let out a few grunts of subdued surprise, then understanding. “That’s too bad. Do you know when she’ll be back?” The look on Nate’s face foreshadowed his words. “So you have no idea, then.” A pause. “I wish I could. But she’s got to be the one to sign. I guess we’ll try to track down the sender and see what he wants to do.”
    Quinn looked at Nate, waiting. His apprentice set the phone on the counter. “The lady said Jennifer Fuentes mainly works out of the
    D.C. office, but that according to the staff schedule, she’s on a leave of absence. The lady wasn’t sure when she was coming back. I guess I could have pushed more.”
    “No,” Quinn said. “You did fine. Pressing more could have drawn attention.”
    “Is Jennifer the girl in the photo?” Nate asked.
    Quinn had started to turn away, but paused, the question taking him by surprise. “What?”
    “The photo you took off the body yesterday. Was it Jennifer Fuentes?”
    Quinn stared at his apprentice for a moment. It wasn’t like what Nate was asking was such a mental stretch. Still, it wasn’t something Quinn was eager to discuss.
    “You knew the guy, too, didn’t you?” Nate asked. “Markoff, right?”
    “Drop it.”
    “I’m just trying to understand what we’re doing.”
    “This isn’t a job,” Quinn said.
    Nate shrugged, then opened the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice. “Seems a little like a job.”
    “We don’t have any clients right now.”
    Nate retrieved a glass from the cabinet, then filled it with juice. “Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve taken on a job without a client.” He lifted the glass and took a drink.
    Quinn drew in a slow breath, checking his emotions. “First, we don’t take jobs,” he said. “ I take them.” He started to say something more, then stopped.
    After a moment of silence, Nate said, “And