Web of Deceit Read Online Free PDF Page A

takes a deep breath.“Odell
said it didn’t look like anyone even went near the office.”Frank moves
one of his hands to scratch his balding crown.“Chip and Odell are
checking the cash box.”
    “What’d you guys
find?” Frank asks, shouting toward the small office door at the back of the
kitchen.
    Ten seconds later
Chip pops out of the small office and throws his hands up.“Nope, no
sign of a robbery here.The cash box wasn’t missing a penny.That’s
about the only thing I have found out of place so far.Back when I was
in school, I worked at a gas station and everyone’s cash box was always off by
at least a few …”
    Frank butts in.
“Now’s not the time for a ‘way back when’ story.”
    “I’m just saying
…”
    “Actually, that’s
a good point, Chip.” Beth stands in the kitchen doorway.“Doesn’t it
appear odd that nothing is out of order? Did Kelly have an ex?You know,
‘psychoooo.’ What did Odell say about the girl?”
    “She’s late all
the time,” Chip says.“She hasn’t worked here long.One of those
country girls comin’ to the city to make it big.”
    “Kinda sounds
familiar, doesn’t it?” Frank asks.
    “No sir, it does
not,” Chip responds.“If you’re saying that’s why I came, you’re wrong.
I came to the city to clean it up.And make it more like back home.People
like her are just looking for trouble.They want to get rich by
exploitin’ themselves and …”
    “All right, all
right,” Frank interrupted, rolling his eyes.“You can talk about how
sinful the world is later.”
    Beth and Elliot
exchange blank stares, both wondering exactly where this is going.They
agree without words: It isn’t helping find Kelly.
    “We’ll have to go
to her apartment and see what we can find out about her.What’s her
address, Elliot?” Beth asks with her pen already in hand.
    “I don’t know.Kelly
told me she walks to work.”
    “I’ve got all her
information right here,” Chip says proudly.“I’ve got it in my PDA.I
can send …”
    “Wait a minute,
Chip.” Frank cuts Chip short.“I hate to say it, Elliot, but you’re a
suspect.I know you didn’t do it.But you’re all we’ve got.You’ll
have to leave it to us.”
    “ You’ve got
to be kidding me,” Elliot says.
    Unsatisfied, Beth
says, “But Frank.You can let Chip send it to me, right?”
    “Well.”
    “Well what?” Beth
burns a hole through Frank’s forehead with her gaze.
    “How about I call
you if we find anything?”
    Beth reconsiders
and softens her stare. Vicky. I’ve got an appointment. Kelly is missing, but
so is an eleven-year-old girl. “Frank, did you hear anything about a
missing Freedman kid?”
    “Freedman kid?”
    “Yeah, an
eleven-year-old girl that’s missing.”
    “News to me.”
    “I can’t believe
it.You guys should be all over it.I figured the high-ups
decided a news blackout would protect her.”
    “Hold on, Beth.I’ll check into it.It may just be one of those domestic-custody
disputes.” Frank braces himself, apparently waiting for another death glare
from Beth, but it doesn’t come.
    “I’ll call Mrs.
Freedman and reschedule, Elliot.”
    “No.I’m
good,” Elliot says.“Anyone got the time?”
    “Nine-fifteen,”
Chip responds.
    “We’re late, I’ll
have to call her on the way,” Beth says.
     
    *   *   *
     
    Beth and Elliot
hurry out the back door of Odell’s Coffee Bar.Elliot strides to the
passenger door of his red Corvette parked in back.
    “Oh, you’re
finally going to let me drive ‘the car.’ ” Beth smiles and gestures double
quotation marks with her fingers.
    “Does ‘a cold day
in hell’ ring a bell?” Elliot asks, motioning Beth to get in the passenger
side.
    “I don’t know.
We’ll have to ask sister Sarah about that,” Beth says, disappointed.
    Elliot smirks . “It
will take a lot more than a nasty bump on my head to get anyone other than me
behind the wheel of ‘the car.’ ”
    “Oops,” Beth says,
slamming the passenger