Baltimore [3.5] Broken Silence by Karen Rose Read Free Book Online Page A

home. ‘In the office on Maggie’s desk, if you don’t mind. But don’t the police need it for evidence?’
    ‘It’s already been processed,’ Sophie told her. ‘The cops identified the prints as the killer’s. One of Joseph’s men cleaned the mess that Latent left behind and polished the wood for you.’
    Vito brought in the guitar case and laid it on Maggie’s desk. ‘The waterproof cases sure were heavy back in the eighties. They weigh half as much now.’
    For a moment the three of them stood, staring at the case. Then Vito cleared his throat meaningfully. ‘Sophie, time to go.’
    ‘This all seems a little anticlimactic now,’ Sophie said, giving Daphne a hug. ‘Look inside the case when you’re ready. There’s a letter with the guitar, along with a cassette tape. They have your name on them. Take care.’

Chapter Three
    Tuesday, December 24, 11:45 A.M.
    A mber chewed on her nail, watching the driveway to the horse farm. ‘Here they come.’
    Brock’s hands were white-knuckle tight on the wheel. ‘Shit. There’s even more cars now.’
    Before there had been two vehicles – the car that carried Lana, her social worker, and two cops, and the big black Escalade with tinted windows that made it impossible to see how many cops it held. Now they were followed by a pickup truck with Pennsylvania plates. The driver had the look of a cop, too. The passenger was a woman.
    ‘We should have hit them on their way in,’ Brock said. ‘Dammit.’
    Amber didn’t think it wise to say she’d told him so. ‘We’ll have to shoot our way in.’
    ‘No. Three cars of cops is too many. We’ll wait. Maybe they’re not going the same way.’
    ‘Brock, we have to get her out now. We might not have another chance.’
    He shot her a furious look as he pulled out behind the pickup. ‘Do not tell me what to do.’
    ‘Then give me one of the rifles. I’ll be prepared to shoot if they don’t separate.’
    He reached behind his seat and tossed her one of the semiautomatics he’d brought from the gun locker in their home in Minnesota. ‘Fine. But wait for my signal.’
    ‘Whatever. She’s on the right side of the car, so slam from the left.’
    ‘I have eyes,’ Brock snapped. ‘I can see for myself.’
    They drove for several minutes, the tension ratcheting higher until the Pennsylvania truck turned at the sign for the interstate going north. The other two vehicles continued.
    Brock made a satisfied grunt. ‘Told you so. You would have gotten us killed back there.’
    ‘Oh for God’s sake,’ Amber muttered under her breath.
    ‘Don’t take that tone with me,’ Brock growled. ‘If you’d done your job, we wouldn’t be getting ready to fight the goddamn FBI. You’re a fucking nurse. How hard is it to dope up a six-year-old?’ He was puffing like a bull ready to charge. ‘If you’d shoved a pillow over the face of the sick bitch at the beginning – like I told you to – we’d be rich by now. Hell, you couldn’t even manage to seduce her bastard of a husband. He would have paid through the nose to keep his dying wife from knowing he’d been screwing the help! ’ He roared the final three words.
    Amber felt the fury boiling inside her. ‘What makes you think I didn’t?’ she asked quietly.
    Brock went still and the only sound was the tires on the road. ‘What?’ he whispered.
    ‘Misha was rich, successful, had a nice body, and didn’t spend all day in a gym showing off to the other losers. He had a job . He spoke four languages. He read books. What makes you think he didn’t want to screw the help ? What makes you think the help didn’t want to be screwed?’
    Another tense silence. ‘Did you?’ he asked.
    ‘Yeah. Just once.’ Amber’s eyes suddenly blurred with tears. ‘I’d found him drunk out of his mind. He’d just found out that his wife’s treatment wasn’t working. I don’t think he even knew it was me. But somehow Tatiana knew. I thought I’d get fired, but she . . .