Zeph Undercover Read Online Free PDF Page B

That could be a good sign. Guilty people didn’t often leave doors unlocked, and much as he wanted to catch the guilty party, he really, really didn’t want it to be Allie’s dad. Bad idea. It meant he had to keep reminding himself to stay neutral.
    He slipped inside the room and considered possible escape routes. Not good. No other doors, and the windows could be seen from the front porch. He’d have to go out the way he’d come in, and if anyone came in the front door, he’d be plainly visible. His blood pressure shot up a notch, and he settled into the zone, trying not to imagine what Allie would think about this.
    The neatness of the room didn’t surprise him after what he’d seen upstairs. His response to the room did—everything about it fit some vision he’d never known he held in the back of his mind for a perfect place to work—big desk, the scent of leather from the walls of books and comfortable-looking chairs flanking the fireplace, the age-blackened wood of what he’d swear was a Jacobean library table. He could imagine sitting in this room, with a fire in the fireplace, taking time from the work in front of him to look out the window at those mountains. Yeah, right, Granger. Pretty enough, but it ain’t red-carpet Hollywood. He grimaced at the flight of fancy and got back to work.
    The lack of a filing cabinet surprised him, too. Apparently Wentworth didn’t keep anything important at home. A quick inspection of the room didn’t reveal a hidden safe, though he remained convinced Wentworth would have one. Clever not to have it in the master bedroom or office.
    Desk drawers held enough nothing to make the search a waste of time. Except the bottom right one wouldn’t open. When he bent to look at it, he saw a serious lock. Bingo.
    Another glance at his watch showed him he’d better hurry. In the interest of caution, he stepped into the hall, closing the door behind him, while he made sure he still had the house to himself. If he’d had a lucky rabbit’s foot, he’d have kissed it when he looked out the window just in time to see Wentworth start up the front steps. Zeph opened the door.
    “Granger.”
    “Hello, Judge. Just checking to see if I needed a jacket to go out.”
    “Late afternoon’s always brisk at this altitude. Going to go back to Allie’s?”
    Zeph shook his head. “She said she’d be busy for a while. Thought I’d take in the town while I wait for her.”
    “Good idea. Don’t imagine you’ll get lost. Remember, dinner’s at six thirty. Martha gets testy if people are late.”
    “Can’t have that.” Zeph grabbed his jacket and left for a quick survey of the town and a chance to call Allie privately. She’d have to act a lot friendlier than when they’d parted if she didn’t want to blow his cover. Depending on a civilian—not the way he liked to work. But Allie...he’d take her any way he could get her. The thought made him smile as he strode down the tree-lined street.
    Stone’s Crossing turned out to be bigger than he’d thought. Visiting with Luke and Hannah, he’d seen only the business strip and the rodeo grounds outside the town limits. Who would have expected the streets of old-fashioned houses surrounding the central, magazine-perfect square? Norman Rockwell country, for sure, with wide lawns and playing children. A shaggy brown dog cruised by, clearly on a mission, and a cat observed him from the top of a fence. Animals. He’d had enough animals for ten lifetimes since he’d met Allie.
    He stepped back to let the dog pass and walked a wide path around the cat before he cut back to the business district. The old-fashioned architecture must date from Gold Rush Days—lacy balconies, board sidewalks, fancy brickwork.
    He paused to admire the town square, an entire block of smooth grass, tidy flower beds pinched and gray in the autumn chill, and a picture perfect gazebo-like structure with lots of wooden gingerbread painted a blinding white. The place