A Body to Die For by Kate White Read Free Book Online

others?”
    “Cordelia,” she said after a pause. “She’s one of the girls who’s been with me the longest, and she’s very, very good. She’s
     an earth mother type, strong as an ox. But, you know, it’s not always strength that matters. Sometimes a therapist has something
     else—a hypnotic technique, for instance—that people love even more than powerful hands. I suspect too that Cordelia may be
     a bit chatty, and most people can’t bear that.”
    As I listened to her, I saw that she looked exhausted, even tinier than usual, and it was clear she needed sleep. I suggested
     that we turn in and talk again first thing in the morning. She agreed, suddenly seeming distracted.
    “Danny, what is it?” I asked. “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
    She looked at me, her brow furrowed in confusion.
    “Yes and no,” she said finally. “Something
is
bothering me, but the reason I’m not telling you is that I don’t know what it is. For the past few months, I’ve felt as if
     something odd is going on at the spa. I’ve tried to spend more time over there, but I haven’t come up with anything concrete.”
    Ah, so this was what my mother had tuned into when she’d sensed distress on Danny’s part.
    “Can you be more specific?” I asked.
    “Mainly it’s this vibe I started picking up. From Josh, but also from a few of the others, including Piper and Anna and this
     other girl Lauren, though she moved to Hawaii in August. I’ve caught them shooting glances at each other when I’m over there,
     as if they had some secret they’re keeping. If I offer to help in any way, they discourage me from staying.”
    “Did you mention this to the police?”
    “No, because what could I
say
—that I had a bad feeling?”
    “How’s the spa business?”
    “It’s excellent. And that’s why I haven’t said anything to Josh about this. He’s been here just two years, and he’s made the
     spa a huge success, especially this past year since we redid some of the interiors. So there’s no question of them slacking
     off or not doing their work correctly. Josh is very prickly, and I’m afraid he’ll be furious if I accuse him of something
     so vague.”
    “I wonder if they’re skimming money? Do you review the bills and paperwork?”
    She said she did, but not nearly as closely as she should. I told her that one of the first things I’d do tomorrow was take
     a look at the financial records and see if anything odd popped out. It would give me something concrete I could attack immediately.
    “When does George get back, by the way?” I asked as she switched off lights.
    “Tomorrow. I tried to reach him on his cell phone tonight, but he’s obviously turned it off for the night.”
    The room Danny had taken for herself was on the first floor. After waiting for the door to close behind her, I hurried down
     the corridor and up the front staircase to the second floor. Though the lights were on along my corridor, the far end was
     thick with shadows, and I unlocked my door quickly, slammed it behind me, and turned the dead bolt.
    As soon as I had the door to my room locked behind me, I kicked off my shoes, tore off my clothes, and flung myself onto the
     end of the bed. I felt overwhelmed with so many emotions, it was hard to tell which ones were dominant and which had just
     decided to home in on the action. The alpha feeling was clearly the distress and
guilt
I was experiencing about Anna’s death. If I’d only reported the thud. It might not have saved her life, but her killer might
     have been apprehended. I was also highly distressed about Danny. If the police didn’t arrest someone soon, this event really
could
end up harming her business. I wanted to do everything in my power to help her.
    And it wasn’t just for Danny’s sake. It was because of my mother, too. What can I say? She’d asked me to help, and I have
     an endless need to please her. It’s not that she’s ever pressured me to be