The Heart of Lies Read Online Free PDF Page A

was obviously not who he said he was. The proof is in those fake passports I found, all that cash, and the mysterious gun.”
    Isabel nodded sympathetically.
    “That gun has to be the key to something . Evan had several guns at the house, so why would he have stuck that one away in a safe deposit box if there was nothing to hide? There had to be a reason.”
    “If you leave it lying in the safe deposit box, you’ll never know what that reason was,” Isabel said.
    “Are you saying I should turn it over to the authorities and have it tested, see if it’s connected to any open murder cases?”
    “Perhaps. Why don’t you mention it to Jethro—hypothetically, of course,” Isabel suggested, raising her eyebrows at Emily, as if asking if she understood.
    “Oh, yes, of course, hypothetically, right.” Emily caught on. “I appreciate your setting up the meeting.” She patted Isabel’s hand. “I’ll owe you.”
    “I’ll remember you said that.” Isabel flashed a wide grin as she picked up her burger. “Now let’s eat. I’m starved.”
    “Hey, y’all,” Maggie’s lilting Southern drawl sang out as she and Lucas approached the table.
    “Maggie,” Emily responded as she and Isabel looked up from their plates.
    Maggie’s hand was threaded through the crook of Lucas’s arm.
    “Hello, ladies,” he said. “You both are looking beautiful today.”
    “That’s slick,” Isabel mumbled to Emily as she wiped a napkin across her mouth.
    “What’s that?” Maggie asked, batting her big blue eyes.
    “Nice lipstick, I said to Emily,” Isabel covered. “I love the color.”
    “Oh, thank you so much,” Maggie gushed. “We were just havin’ lunch over there with my brother and Lucas’s new assistant,” she pointed to the other side of the spacious patio. “You know Fiona.”
    Emily and Isabel nodded.
    “I happened to see you girls across the deck, and Lucas suggested we come over and say hello. Wasn’t that sweet?” Maggie looked up at him with adoring eyes.
    “Yes, like pure honey,” Isabel said with a straight face.
    “Yes, very sweet.” Emily gave Isabel a kick under the table.
    “Ouch!”
    “Oh sorry, was that you? My foot must have slipped,” Emily apologized.
    “Well, we won’t keep you.” Maggie seemed to be clueless, but Lucas shot Isabel an almost imperceptible frown for a fraction of a second, then it was gone. “We need to get back to our party, I mean, our business lunch. Talkin’ about the Whitetail Resort and all,” Maggie said, beaming.
    “So nice to see you ladies again.” Lucas plastered a polite smile across his face as they turned and began to make their way back to their table. Maggie stopped short and hurried back to the girls’ table with Lucas close behind.
    Emily thought she caught a glimpse of a quick rolling of his eyes, then the polite smile again.
    “I almost forgot,” Maggie said, “I wanted to remind y’all about the presentation Tuesday night for the Whitetail Resort. The Hilton Hotel at seven o’clock. You’ll get to see all the gorgeous images of the whole project—the lodge, the condos, the lake, the golf course—all those beautiful places. Say y’all are gonna come, please .”
    “Yes, I’d love to come,” Emily told her, thinking it would be a good opportunity to observe Lucas in action.
    “Isabel?” Maggie inquired.
    “Yeah, I’m sure I can drag Alex there after a long day at the office. Why not.”
    “Great! Y’all are gonna love it, I promise!” Maggie took Lucas’s arm again.
    He cast Isabel a suspicious glance over his shoulder as they cut their way through the crowded patio.
    Once Maggie and Lucas were out of earshot, Isabel bent and rubbed her calf. “Why did you kick me?”
    Emily glared at her. “Are you kidding me? I can’t believe you’re asking me that. If we’re going to investigate this character you can’t be giving him clues that you don’t like him. You, better than anyone, should know we can’t tip our