Truth & Lies: A Queen City Justice Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

expected a long, in-depth application and background-check process. But the site only requested his photo, name, his address, his employer—which he listed as City of Cincinnati—his income, and email address. He also specified what kind of bride he was looking for, not unlike a foray he made into Match.com some years before. He hoped that applicants who actually went to meet the women were better vetted. 
    Unfortunately, he didn’t have many recent photos where he wasn’t in his marine uniform, so he was forced to upload a selfie.  It wasn’t great, but he more or less looked like himself. Not that it mattered.
    Once he’d filled out his profile and paid his fee, he clicked through pages and pages of potential brides. One photo, a woman from Croatia, in a bright floral-print blouse, attracted his attention. She was cute, even though that wasn’t his usual type.  She had brown wavy hair, dark eyes, freckles, and dimples. 
    A big button at the top of the page read “Make My Dreams Come True,” not unlike Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button.
    “What the hell.” He clicked the button.
    Four photos came up, and the text on the page read, “We’ve determined that these brides have the most in common with what you’re looking for.”
    Photo number three was Freckles. Almost without thinking about it, he clicked her photo and began to read her profile. “ Hello, my name is Draghana, and I am looking for love match in Southwest Ohio where I have a University Visa. I am looking for man who knows his own mind and who looks for someone to share his life with. I am good at cooking and house cleaning and I am looking for a caring provider who I can make life comfortable for. My English skills are improving .”
    At least she hadn’t said her English skills were good .
    After perusing the rest of her profile, he clicked back to the first of the “Make My Dreams Come True” matches. “ I am Danica. My mother says I have father’s character, but being strong, I am staying feminine and loyal and very sensual. Anyway, emotions in my life in general plays an important role. I am cheerful woman, a great dreamer and optimist .” Deck was pretty certain, based on the photos that she was or at least had been at one time, a man.
    The second photo led to a page that read, “I am Svetlana and I want a man to love me and spoil me. I like it when a man looks after me and brings me gifts. I am a woman! Men simply have forgotten that only when they look after their women—they can truly feel like gentlemen!” So she was looking for a sugar daddy.
    The last was Karina, who was listed as simply, “Never married lady with green eyes and blond hair.” She was blonde and pretty in a fake way with extremely improbable proportions.
    He went back to Freckles’s photo. Something about it called to him.  Even recognizing that it wouldn’t further his investigation, Deck clicked on the “CONTACT NOW” button.
    
    Thursday, November 13—1:30 p.m.
    Kavana Dubravka, Brsalje ul, Dubrovnik, Croatia
    By day four, Dana recognized that she’d made Kavana Dubravka her home base. The café had all that she needed: Wi-Fi, a great view, and an endless supply of coffee. Plus, if anyone tracked her IP address, it would be perfectly reasonable that a local girl would use a café’s Wi-Fi. If she were using her hotel room, someone might get suspicious as to why she was staying in a hotel.
    After a morning spent interviewing the frightened and frustrated family of yet another missing girl and learning nothing new, the quiet open air of the café was a balm to her weary soul.
    She opened up PravaLjubav.com to her profile page.  Eva had helped her to present herself as appealing and low-hanging fruit.  She emphasized that she had a student visa, and would be coming to the US in a couple of weeks. Eva also recommended that Dana knock a few years off her age.  The photo she selected made her look young, pretty, and submissive.