Body of Lies by Iris Johansen Read Free Book Online Page A

checked the contents before closing the refrigerator door. Then he wiped the handle and moved toward the door.
    It was done.
    As he reached the street, his gaze was drawn to the doors of the church, as it always was when he was near it. He felt his stomach muscles clench as the tension and horror gripped him.
    No, it was only partly done.
    Hurry. . . .
    White.
    White everywhere. White walls, white sheets on her bed.
    “Do you want some ice chips? They said you’d probably want some as soon as you woke up.”
    A deep voice with just a hint of a British accent.
    Her gaze shifted to the dark-haired man sitting in the chair beside the bed. It took a moment for her mind to clear enough to recognize him. “Galen?”
    Sean Galen nodded. “The water?”
    She nodded. Her throat felt so sore and parched that one word had rasped it.
    He put the glass to her lips. “You’re hooked up to an IV to help the dehydration, but this should feel good.”
    The cold liquid slowly flowing down her throat did feel good. Even though the actual act of swallowing was painfully difficult.
    “What are you . . . doing here?”
    “That hurt, didn’t it?” Galen leaned back in the chair. “I’ll try to fill in the gaps. I have to ask a couple of questions. You nod or shake your head. Talk as little as possible. You’re at the Assisi Hospital in Baton Rouge. Do you remember how you got here?”
    She shook her head.
    “You contracted the granddaddy of all food poisonings. You nearly died. You were brought in after midnight, and it’s nearly four now. They had to work on you for a long time.”
    “Food poisoning?”
    He nodded. “That’s what they said. Did you eat in a restaurant last night?”
    She shook her head. “At the house. Marie . . .”
    “Who is Marie?”
    “Marie Letaux. Housekeeper. She made me stew.”
    “Did anyone else eat any of it?”
    She shook her head.
    “That’s good. What room did you eat in? Do you know if the rest of the stew is in the refrigerator at the apartment? We need to get rid of it.”
    “I ate in the kitchen.” She tried to remember. She had a vague memory of Marie putting foil over the bowl, but she didn’t recall her putting it in the refrigerator. “Probably.”
    “I’ll check it out.” He poured more water into her glass and held it to her lips. “Though it wouldn’t surprise me if she left it on the counter, if she’s this careless in her cooking.”
    “Don’t blame . . . Nice. Probably not her fault. Someone must have sold her some bad food in the market.”
    “Maybe.”
    “What are you doing here?” she asked again.
    “Logan gave me a call and asked me to go and see what was shaking with you.” He grinned. “What was shaking was your tummy. More like an earthquake. Right?”
    She nodded. “Logan? How did he know where—” She knew the answer. “Joe.”
    Galen nodded. “Logan said Quinn asked him to make sure you were all right. He was uneasy about the setup here and said the two of you were on the outs. Since Logan and Quinn are still not on the best of terms, Logan thought it must be serious enough to give me a buzz.”
    What had Joe been thinking about? Eve had met Galen only once before, but Logan had told her about his extremely dubious background. He had been everything from a mercenary to a troubleshooter for various corporations. She shook her head. “Don’t . . . need you.”
    “Well, Logan paid me in advance. I may as well stick around for a few days.” He smiled. “You’ll find me very useful. I’m fabulous company, I’m a great cook, and I promise I won’t give you food poisoning. What else could you ask?”
    “I don’t need company. I’ll be working.”
    “Not until you get over this case of food poisoning. The doctor won’t release you until tomorrow, and said you’ll be weak as a kitten for a few days.”
    She could believe it. She had just woken up but she could hardly hold her eyes open.
    Galen’s gaze narrowed on her face. “If you won’t