To Catch a Bad Guy Read Online Free PDF Page B

eyeing her intently. Baxter’s sharp nose must have caught the
scent of the food because he started to paw at Janet’s legs.
    “Here you go.” Janet
gave him a doggy biscuit. “But please don’t ruin my work skirt, okay?”
    Baxter sat back on his
hind legs, delicately taking the treat from Janet’s hand. Then, he quietly
chewed the biscuit and looked at Janet in anticipation of more food to come.
Janet caved in and gave him one more biscuit.
    “But that’s it or
you’ll spoil your appetite for dinner.” Although Janet doubted that was likely
to happen – given an opportunity, Baxter would eat anything in sight.
    Janet headed into the
alcove section of her studio, which served as a makeshift bedroom. The alcove
just fit a full-size bed, leaving a twenty-inch space from one side to get into
the bed. Some would consider the set-up claustrophobic, but Janet had never
been bothered by small spaces. In fact, at times, even her tiny apartment
seemed too large to her without Alex in it. But then, of course, the space
itself was not to blame – it was its emptiness that bothered her. As she took off
her work clothes, Janet stole a glance at the caller ID of her phone. No
messages. It had been six months, but she still harbored a secret hope that one
day Alex Kingsley would call. After more than four years together, he owed her
an explanation, and at times, Janet still hoped that the much-fantasized phone
call from Alex would bring about reconciliation.
    “Come on, Bax.” Dressed
in slacks and a windbreaker, Janet grabbed Baxter’s leash. “It’s time for your
evening walk.”
    Clutching the handle of
Baxter’s leash, Janet walked through the lobby of her building and headed in
the direction of Carl Schurz Park.
    It was the end of
September, and the muggy heat of the New York summer had finally retreated for
good, surrendering to the glorious autumn coolness. A night like this made one
wistful for companionship. When she and Alex were together, they would often
take a stroll along the park’s promenade at night with Baxter in tow.
    Janet felt Baxter
tugging on his leash impatiently and sent him a mental thank you for the
distraction. Slowly but surely, she was getting used to being on her own.

Chapter 4
     
     
    When Janet exited the
elevator of Bostoff Securities the next morning, she chose the correct set of
doors, expertly making her way through a network of corridors and thereby
avoiding the trading floor entirely.
    Once inside her office,
she looked at her watch – it was eight thirty, and Lisa had mentioned that she
did not get into the office before nine thirty. Janet opened her bag and took
out a pack of instant oatmeal she had brought from home to avoid the temptation
of pastries in nearby bake shops.
    She found the kitchen
easily enough and set out to prepare the oatmeal. It was hardly an exciting
breakfast to look forward to, but it was the right one – one could not continue
eating pastries every day and expect to stay a size six – yes, a size six, not
four, but given Janet’s height, she thought she was all right. Janet placed the
contents of the oatmeal package into a paper cup and debated between water and
skim milk. In the end, her determination relented and she caved in to the skim
milk option, but she decided to skip the sugar. Janet put her concoction into
the microwave and focused her attention on the microwave’s timer. If one were
not looking, the oatmeal would overcook and spill over, leaving an embarrassing
mess.
    “Hello there.”
    Janet turned around at
the unexpected sound of a male voice.
    “Hi.” Janet remembered
the IT guy she had found in her office the day before. It was impossible to
forget him. She had never seen anyone who was so incongruously good-looking and
clumsy at the same time.
    “It’s Janet, right?”
The IT guy focused his blue-gray eyes on her. “I’m Dean.”
    “Yes, I remember,”
Janet lied, making a mental note to commit Dean’s name to memory. “Do