Garden of Secrets by Barbara Freethy Read Free Book Online Page A

false alarm.”
    “Obstetrics isn’t on this floor, is it?”
    “I wanted to see how Theresa was doing,” she admitted.
    His jaw tightened. “That wasn’t a good idea, Charlotte.”
    “That’s what the mayor just told me.”
    Joe looked even less happy to hear that. “Want to fill me in on what else he said?”
    “Not much. He just wanted me to leave. Do you have any leads?”
    “Unfortunately, no.”
    “Really?” she asked in disappointment. “No fingerprints? No shoe prints in the mud? No tire tracks?”
    “You’ve been watching crime shows, haven’t you?”
    “I got hooked while I was taking care of Annie’s baby a few months ago. There was nothing else on in the middle of the night. You really didn’t find any clues? No other eyewitness reports besides the housekeeper?”
    “Not yet, but Jason is in the early stages of the investigation.”
    “Jason is a good officer, but he’s a new detective, and you have a lot of more experience. Why aren’t you leading the investigation?”
    “I was at the party. We’ll have a better, cleaner case if I stay out of it. I have complete faith in Jason, but I am watching from a distance.”
    “I hope you don’t watch me get arrested from a distance,” she said dryly.
    A smile played around his lips. “I wouldn’t stand by and let that happen. I’m hoping Theresa will wake up and be able to give us a lead.”
    “If you’re staying out of it, then why are you here?”
    “The mayor asked me to give him a personal report.”
    “I saw the guard. You don’t think Theresa is in any danger, do you?”
    “I hope not. It’s possible that her injury came from a shove and a slip on the marble floor. If that were the scenario, it’s unlikely the thief would show up here at the hospital, but then again, it depends on whether she can identify them and how badly they want to cover their tracks.” He paused, his expression all business. “Don’t go back to the ICU, Charlotte. The fact that you could get past the guard and into Theresa’s room will not work in your favor.”
    “I’m a doctor here. I can go anywhere I want in this hospital.”
    “Exactly. And that ability will make you more of a suspect if something else happens to Theresa.”
    “I understand. But I want to help find out who did this to her.”
    “I appreciate that, but you’re going to have to sit this one out.”
    “I’ll try,” she said.
    “Do better than try,” he said forcefully. “You were the only person spotted near the crime scene. Youhave an alleged grudge against the victim. That gives you motive and opportunity, not a bad start to any case.”
    A shiver ran down her spine at his very serious words.
    He put his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her eyes. “I’ll do everything I can to keep you out of the line of fire.”
    The strength of his touch and his vow reassured her. Joe would protect her. That’s the kind of man he was. He stood up for what was right.
    “Thank you.”
    His hands gently kneaded the tight muscles in her shoulders. “I’ve made you tense.”
    She was more tense now that he was touching her. She swallowed back a sudden knot in her throat as she remembered the last time they’d been this close, his hands threading through her hair as he angled his head for a deeper kiss.
    His massage stopped abruptly, his gaze meeting hers, as if his memories were taking him down the same path. The air between them sizzled with anticipation. They were close but not close enough.
    Then the elevator dinged, and they jumped apart.
    A woman stepped out, wearing black jeans, spike-heeled boots, and a black leather jacket over a white silk top. Her dark blond hair was long and thick, drifting past her shoulder blades. Her legs were skinny, her bust a triple D.
    Charlotte’s heart began to pound. She knew that body—that face—those eyes that had once mocked her.
    “Oh, my God,” the woman drawled, recognition flashing in her eyes. “It’s Charlotte Adams,