Deadly Intent by Lynda La Plante Read Free Book Online Page B

said a word since she had collapsed. Her eyes were wide and frightened, and even her mouth seemed to have lost its color. As soon as the doctor went to her side, she closed her eyes. Cunningham had to ease Julia's fingers away; her grip had been so tight, it left white marks on her skin. Julia was in a state of shock and the doctor said he would give her something to help her sleep.
While Cunningham remained with Julia and the doctor, Anna busied herself, helping to clear up. The bright, happy family kitchen was full of children's toys and games, all so new and pristine. There were many photographs of the two little sisters as babies, then toddlers; there were also numerous wedding pictures of Frank with Julia, and the girls
as bridesmaids, as there were in the lounge. It was hard for Anna to reconcile the Frank she had known with this proud and happy man in a pale suit and a pink silk tie.
Mai Ling, who had come down from putting the girls to bed, was placing the children's dishes into the dishwasher.
"How long have you worked for Mrs. Brandon?" Anna asked her. "One year, six months. I have a work permit." "I'm sure you do. Do you understand the reason we are here this evening?" "No."
"Mrs. Brandon's husband has been found dead." The face remained impassive. "How did you get along with Mr. Brandon?" "He is a very nice man."
"Did you work for Mrs. Brandon before their marriage?" "Yes."
"Was she married before?"
"She had partner."
"But they weren't married?"
"I don't know; he was much older."
"Is this house Mrs. Brandon's?"
"Yes, she buy this house; we move in not long ago."
"After her marriage?"
"Yes."
"Do you know what work Mr. Brandon did?"
"No. He go out early; sometimes come home very late."
"But you don't know who he worked for?"
"No."
"So—the children are in bed?"
"Yes, we have tea and then I take them up for bath and bedtime." Anna picked up the photograph of Mrs. Brandon and the two pretty girls. "They are lovely. They were from Mrs. Brandon's previous relationship?" "I think so."
"What are their names?"
"Emily and Cathy."
"Does Mrs. Brandon work?"
"No, she at home." Mai Ling turned the dishwasher on. "He had a heart attack?"
Anna cocked her head to one side.
"Mr. Brandon? He has a gym upstairs and he work out every morning." The girl opened a cupboard to put away the jams from the table. It was filled with vitamins and health drinks. "He very fit man; he take all these with fresh orange juice."
Anna looked over the mass of jars and health-food supplements and shook her head. "No. It wasn't a heart attack. Thank you for talking to me."
Anna turned to walk out of the kitchen. From the array of vitamins, it was doubtful Frank would also have been pumping himself with drugs. She remembered how he was always working out; she recalled his massive shoulders and the overwhelming cologne he had always used. She was jolted out of it by the sound of the girl sobbing, sitting at the kitchen table, her head in her hands.
"Let's go." Anna jumped as Cunningham tapped her shoulder. "We'll need to come back and talk to the wife. She can't string two words together right now."
They returned to the patrol car.
Cunningham yawned. "What do you make of all that?" she said, not looking at Anna.
"Well, it's a very nice house; they only moved in after they were married. I think she has the money. She doesn't work, and that place must have cost a fortune to furnish. From what I could gather from the au pair, Mrs. Brandon's last partner was older—maybe he had the money originally. She didn't know what work Frank Brandon did; she just said he left early and often came home late. He also has a cupboard full of vitamins. It didn't look as if he was spoiling all that with drugs."
"I know someone who works out and takes speed every morning, so you can never tell." Cunningham tapped the driver to tell him to take her home, not back to the station. She then settled back and took out her BlackBerry, checking e-mails all the way to her home in