A Father's Duty. Joanna Wayne

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ Georgette. Be very, very careful.”

      “Then you think he’s dangerous.”

      “All I know is that sometimes when the images are so strong that they won’t let you go, the danger can reach out for you, too.”

      “What should I do, Momma? Please. You must tell me.”

      “Talk to this man. Spend time with him, and go where the images lead you.”

      “Are you saying I should go into a swamp and look for her?”

      “It might help. All I know for certain is that you must let the visions guide you. Follow them, but don’t let your guard down. Not for a second.”

      The tiny kitchen seemed to be closing in on Georgette, and she hated that she was here, that she was talking of spells and curses and psychic visions. Hated that her insides were tumbling around and making her nauseated. Hated that she’d been sucked back into a life she’d tried so desperately to escape. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore.”

      “You’re right. I’ve probably said enough for now.”

      Even Isabella seemed relieved to let the subject drop. Georgette drank her tea, then said a hurried goodbye. If she were half-smart, she’d go back to her office, bury herself in her work and not give any more thought to the blond woman in the swamp. She’d pretty much convinced herself to do just that when she turned on the radio and heard the latest news.

      A young woman’s body had been pulled from the Mississippi River in Plaquemine Parish. She’d been identified as Simone Billings, a prostitute who’d been listed by her friends as missing a month ago.

      …her blood will be on your hands.

      Isabella’s warning echoed in Georgette’s mind as a new plan formed in her mind. Swerving into a U-turn, she headed toward Tchoupitoulas Street and another visit with Tanner Harrison.

      Chapter Four

      Tanner had spent half the night searching for leads, and he was bone-tired when he got the message that Georgette Delacroix was in the front office of Crescent City Transports and asking to see him—again. For some reason the news didn’t surprise him, maybe because the exotic beauty with the strange habit of blacking out on him had been on his mind far too often since she’d swayed against him in the conference room.

      One of the weird things about being a man. No matter what was on your mind, your libido could come into play at the first touch of a seductive woman’s body. But Georgette had concerned him more than she’d aroused him. Something was going on with her, though she obviously wasn’t going to explain it to him.

      Whatever her reasons, she was zeroing in on him, so once again Tanner grabbed his uniform from the hook on the back of the door and went off to meet the intriguing and very inquisitive attorney.

      GEORGETTE LOOKED UP when Tanner walked into the conference room.

      “We’ve got to stop meeting like this,” he said, offering a half smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

      “I won’t keep you but a minute.”

      He looked at his watch as if he were going to time her. “How can I help you?”

      “I seem to have lost a notebook, and I thought perhaps it fell out of my briefcase when I was here the other day.”

      “If it did, I didn’t see it. I can check in the office to see if anyone’s turned it in.”

      “Thanks,” she said. “I’d appreciate that.”

      “So what are we looking for? Small? Large? Some kind of binder?”

      “Letter-size with a black leather cover,” she lied.

      “Make yourself at home. I’ll be right back.”

      She slid onto one of the chairs and opened her briefcase. She’d scribbled some notes after driving over, mostly impressions from the nightmare. She couldn’t tell Tanner about her visions, but her operational plan involved more than a fictitious notebook.

      If Sebastion found out about this, he’d raise all kinds of hell, scream that she was overstepping her bounds and that she should be spending her time concentrating on the cases she had going to trial. But then Sebastion was frequently in a foul mood these days even if she didn’t give him reason to complain.

      Georgette pulled out the pencil sketch she’d done in the parking lot before coming inside to see Tanner. It was a recognizably close match to the young woman from the visions. Long straight hair, petite, probably no more than a size four. Big eyes. Full lips. Light brows, not too thick. A classic nose. Face slightly oblong, almost regal. And very young. Now all she had to do was study Tanner’s reaction when he saw the drawing.

      But while she was sitting there, a new image flew into her mind. This time it was a dark-haired, Hispanic man with slicked-back hair and tattoos all over his biceps.

      She started to draw, filling in the features, her fingers flying as she transferred his likeness to the page, so lost in what she was doing that she didn’t hear Tanner when he walked up behind her.

      “What do you know about Lily?”

      The pencil dropped from Georgette’s hand and rolled to the middle of the table. She turned and stared at Tanner. Anger darkened his face and clamped his jaw tight. There was no doubt she’d hit a nerve.

      “Lily?”

      “You know damn well who I’m talking about.” He reached behind him, hooked the door and slammed it shut. “The girl in the picture. Where is she?”

      “You’re asking me?”

      He grabbed her arm and tugged her to her feet. “Don’t play games with me, Georgette.”

      “I’m not playing.”

      “So what do you call it? You come in here in your little power suit, flash a business card that says you’re from the D.A.’s office and ask me the same questions over and over.” He picked up her drawings and shook them in her face. “Now you show me a sketch of my daughter and some muscular thug.”

      His daughter. Surely not, but when she met his gaze and saw the distress in his eyes, she was almost sure he was telling the truth.

      “I didn’t know she was your daughter.”

      “Why else would you be here with this picture?”

      “I thought…” She caught herself before she blurted out too much. “I had information you were linked to the young woman in the drawing, but I never realized…”

      “I don’t give a damn what you’ve heard about me. I’m only interested in one thing. Do you know where Lily is?”

      She shook her head. “Not exactly.”

      He tapped his finger on the burly ruffian she’d drawn. “Is she with this guy?”

      “She could be.”

СКАЧАТЬ