Death Wears a Beauty Mask and Other Stories by Mary Higgins Clark Read Free Book Online

long as she promised to go directly to bed.
    â€œShe’ll be very sore tomorrow,” he warned Mike. “Incidentally,” he added, “there’s a policeman waiting outside who wants to talk to you. He has to make a report on the accident.”
    In the lobby the policeman asked Janice how she was feeling. “From the look of that car, it’s a miracle either one of you is alive,” he said. “We have the driver who sideswiped you. He was extremely intoxicated. When he wakes up, he will find out how much trouble he is in.”
    â€œI hope his insurance is up-to-date,” Mike said tersely. He brought out his license and the registration, silently thanking the fates that Alexandra had kept the registration in the glove compartment.
    â€œIt’s not only that he nearly killed us. This isn’t our car. It belongs to my sister-in-law.”
    Mike hailed a cab outside the hospital. He opened the door for Janice before putting Alexandra’s luggage, which the police had removed from their car, in the trunk. The rain had diminished and now it was a thin, chilly drizzle. Mike gave the cabbie Alexandra’s address. The man was just starting to snap the flag down to begin the meter. When he glanced in the mirror and saw Janice, he spun around. He flipped the backseat light on and stared at her. “What’s the matter?” Mike demanded. “Don’t you know where that address is?”
    The cabbie snorted. “Are you kidding, mister? I drove the young lady here only a couple of hours ago. Don’t you remember me, miss?”
    Janice gripped the seat. A wave of dizziness washed over her and she was afraid she was going to faint. “What did you say?” she demanded. To her own ears her voice sounded hoarse and strained.
    The cabbie pulled away from the curb, then glanced into the rearview mirror. “Gee, miss, don’t put me on. I even said how much I liked that dress and asked you if it was real expensive or would I be able to buy it for my wife, remember? You told me it was a . . . some foreign name.”
    â€œA Pucci,” Janice whispered. “Alexandra,” she said. “Mike, he must have driven Alexandra today. Remember I told you she bought the same one for herself.”
    â€œWhere did you pick that woman up?” Mike demanded.
    The cabbie sounded uneasy. “Wow, maybe I’m wrong. It’s just you look so much alike . . . and that long blonde hair . . . and that dress . . . and you’re going to the same place. Say, could you be related to her?”
    Janice felt her knuckles whiten as she dug her nails into her palms. “Please,” she said. “Please. Where did you pick up the woman who looked like me?”
    â€œAt Kennedy Airport. Tonight . . . around eight o’clock. I’d just dropped a fare off there and she hailed me. Was I glad that she was coming to my territory. Told her what a break it was for me. That’s how we got to talking.”
    â€œKennedy Airport,” Janice said. “Could we have just walked past Alexandra? We were all there around the same time.”
    â€œYeah. This lady asked me to take her to the address on Riverside. She looked all upset and worried, so I kept up a conversation. I’m kinda good at getting people to talk and relax. Anyhow, she said she was meeting two people on the London flight. They were supposed to come in at eight this evening from Europe but never showed. She told me she checked at the airline and found out that their flight came in at eight this morning.”
    â€œEight this evening . . .” Janice felt giddy. She remembered that last phone conversation with Alexandra. Alexandra had been so distracted and upset about not making the wedding. Janice remembered how she’d repeated the airline and the time twice.
    â€œAnyhow, she was rushing home to see if you were waiting at that