The Nosy Neighbor Read Online Free PDF Page B

she had inquired, he’d wagged his finger playfully under her nose and said his business was the same as hers, confidential and client-privileged. She’d never asked again, but she had discussed it with her brother. Between the two of them they’d finally decided Jonathan was the man who brought the money boys together. A sheik in Saudi Arabia who wanted to buy some high-end real estate in New York without anyone being the wiser. Or, as Steven put it, anyone who wanted to conclude a high-stakes business deal without the facts leaking out to the opposition called on Jonathan St. Claire. And for his efforts, Jonathan was rewarded with a percentage of the deal.
    What could Jonathan possibly have done to make the FBI place him and, as a consequence, her, under their microscope? And why would her own life be in danger? Did the agents think she knew something damaging about Jonathan?
    Lucy finished the coffee in her cup. She herself was a free agent. Again. Nellie Ebersole, the popcorn lady, was leaving for Fort Myers, Florida, over the weekend, where she would reside until the end of March. That meant Lucy was out of her part-time job until the first of April. By April 1, she would be back from her honeymoon in Greece and be ready to settle down to being Mrs. Jonathan St. Clair. She shivered when she thought that the first day of April was April Fool’s Day. Tomorrow night was the going-away potluck supper for Nellie that the neighbors were throwing. Her contribution was to be Swedish meatballs. She wondered what Clueless Cooper’s owner would bring.
    If she wanted to, she could drive to Jonathan’s apartment in New York and take a look around. She could also drive to Winchester, Virginia, tomorrow. If she left at dawn, she could scout out the area and make the return trip home on the same day. How hard could it be to locate the house Jonathan said he grew up in? She could take the picture with her since it was in her album. She supposed she could fly to Spain if she had to. Checking out Jonathan’s parents shouldn’t be that difficult. She could go to the American embassy and ask for help. Or, maybe she could call the embassy for the information she needed.
    Why am I thinking like this? “I have to prove them wrong,” she muttered. “I know they have Jonathan mixed up with someone else.”
    Lucy bounced off the sofa and walked over to the window. The rain had turned to sleet. It was a horrible day for horrible thoughts.
    I would know, Lucy thought, if my fiancé was some kind of criminal. I don’t know any such thing. Why am I so willing to take the word of two FBI agents? Because…because…
    There were a few things. One slight disagreement she’d had with Jonathan a few months before Jason Riley had walked out of the courtroom a free man. Jonathan had been in town for five days. He’d begged her to take the case of a friend of his. She’d turned him down flat. He’d been perturbed but had tried not to show it. She couldn’t even remember what the case was about. Another time he’d said he could get her all the business she wanted. High billables on each and every case. She’d told him she had all the business she could handle, and she didn’t ever want to mix business with pleasure. He’d said he understood, but things had changed after that. Subtly, but still they’d changed.
    Then, a few weeks later, she’d told Jonathan that despite how unusual it was for a criminal defense lawyer to be considered for a judgeship position on the state supreme court, she was up for one. His attitude had changed again. He’d been practically euphoric at the news.
    But then had come the Justin Riley case and her decision to stop practicing law. When she had told Jonathan, he’d called her stupid, though he’d apologized immediately.
    Damn, did her decision to stop practicing law have something to do with what was going on? How could it? Her career or lack thereof didn’t affect Jonathan. Or did it?
    Lucy was staring