Tina Whittle_Tai Randall Mystery 01 Read Online Free PDF Page A

saw nothing out of the ordinary, for even though the word Phoenix appeared a lot, and the name Marisa, Eliza Compton was nowhere to be found.
    I peered at the computer screen. One of his folders was entitled Phoenix Confidential. I clicked on it. But before I could get a good look, I heard a noise in the kitchen—the swift open and shut of the back door, then footsteps coming toward the office.
    I jumped up, and hot coffee tumbled all over my shoes. Panicked now and lacking any better idea, I snatched down one of the Japanese swords hanging above Eric’s desk. The footsteps came closer, coupled with a masculine voice, low and indecipherable.
    I hefted the sword. I knew the thing wouldn’t cut warm butter, but it was shiny and intimidating. I tightened my grip. The blade shook violently.
    And then he stepped through the doorway right in front of me.
    Trey.
    I pointed the sword right at his throat. “Stop right there, you son of a bitch!”
    He froze. “You’re not supposed to be here.”
    “It’s my house, I get to be here if I want!”
    “No, it’s your brother’s house, which means—”
    “Shut up!”
    I wrapped both hands around the sword, trying to hold it steady. He was dressed differently than at the Ritz—black nylon pants and a long-sleeved black shirt—and he looked stiffer, less graceful. Exactly like a burglar caught in the act.
    I pointed the sword. “You followed me!”
    “I did not. I was here first.” He cocked his head. “Did you follow me?”
    “No!”
    “I didn’t think so.”
    He still hadn’t moved, was just standing there examining me, just like he had at the hotel.
    I waggled the sword. “You make one move and I
will
run you through.”
    “I know.”
    “Do you? You don’t seem to be taking me very seriously.”
    He held out his right hand. It shook with the slightest of tremors, even though his expression remained blank and neutral.
    “Adrenaline,” he said.
    “Hands behind your head,” I shot back.
    He complied just as his cell phone started ringing. I pointed at it with the sword. “Who’s that?”
    “Probably Simpson. He’s tech support.” The phone stopped ringing. “Since I didn’t answer, he should be calling my supervisor, who should be calling back in approximately thirty seconds. Assuming he’s following protocol.”
    The phone remained silent. Trey shook his head slowly. I reached for Eric’s phone and started to dial 911.
    “Wait,” Trey said.
    “Why? So you can steal something else?”
    “I haven’t stolen anything.”
    “Right. What else would you be doing here?”
    He just looked at me some more.
    “Fine,” I said, and reached for the phone.
    “Wait.”
    I sighed. “Look, here’s the situation. You lied to me at the Ritz.”
    “I did not.”
    “You told me you worked there, but you don’t, and now here you are, breaking and entering at my brother’s place.”
    “I’m not breaking and entering, and what I told you was—”
    “Your name probably isn’t even Trey, is it?”
    “Yes, it is, but—”
    “And now you’re stalking me, aren’t you?”
    “No, I—”
    “Stop interrupting! And keep your hands where I can see them!”
    He closed his mouth and put his hands back up.
    “Give me one reason I shouldn’t call the police,” I said.
    He thought about that for a second. “It would be the next logical step, of course. But if you’ll call Detective Dan Garrity—”
    “Who?”
    “Dan Garrity, with the APD. He’s a friend of your brother’s. He’ll vouch for us.”
    “Us?”
    “My team.” He frowned. “If I still have a team. He’ll vouch for me, though, regardless. And Phoenix.”
    “Phoenix? As is Phoenix Corporate Services?”
    “Yes. I’m one of their agents. Your brother is one of our consultants.”
    Eric. Trey. Phoenix. Things weren’t making sense yet, but I could feel some sense forming beneath the chaos and weirdness. I checked the clock. Almost two A.M. Detective Dan Garrity was most likely asleep. But