Guarding Miranda by Amanda M. Holt Read Free Book Online

begged and begged me to let him see you, before your Uncle Russ gave us the approved list of visitors.  There was simply no resisting a smile like his...”
    “Can’t wait to meet him,” said Miranda half-heartedly. 
    She knew that her words were a lie.
    The only man she had ever truly cared to see was Richard. 
    And now he was gone...
    Any other man would pale in comparison. 
    For her, there would never be another Richard. 
    Never.
    “The police will be here shortly,” said Sally, combing her fingers through her short blond hair. “Now that your dose has been lowered and you’re more intact and everything, they have a great number of questions they need to ask you, about the shooting.  Do you feel up to it?”
    “Not really but I’d better get it over with...”
    At the mention of the shooting, she was assaulted by images of all that had come to pass. 
    She willed the images away but was not all that successful. 
    With her mind’s ear, she heard the voice of her assailant.
    Say goodnight, princess ...
    “Goodnight, princess,” she mused aloud, with a grimace.
    “What was that?” Asked the cheerful young nurse.
    “Nothing.” Miranda replied. “Nothing at all.”
                                                                *          *          *
    Brian walked up to the dark red door of Fifteen Micmac Crescent and rang the doorbell. 
    The three story house was huge – more of a mansion, really, than a house – with a stucco exterior, brown wood accents and tall windows in which the curtains were all drawn shut. 
    The high peaked roof was Spanish tiled, as were many others in the ritzy cul de sac.  The front yard was of a more than generous size and immaculately trimmed.  Yellow and white chrysanthemums surrounded the house from the front.  The attached garage had room for three vehicles and a fourth vehicle was parked in the driveway, a red Mitsubishi Eclipse belonging, he knew, to Lynn Gundy, the Gundy’s daughter. 
    Miranda’s mode of transportation, the silver Lexus SUV he had seen her driving on many occasions, was parked inside the garage, waiting for her to come out of the hospital.
    At last, the door to the house creaked open and he was staring down at the tiny blond Nancee Gundy, a smile on her pretty face.
    “Mr. Logan,” she greeted him warmly, stepping aside to allow him entrance. “Please, do come in.”
    “Is Russ?”
    “In his study,” she answered. “He’s been expecting you.”
    Brian had been in the elegant house before but the interior of the place always gave him a moment of pause. 
    Decorated to Nancee’s incredibly tasteful eye for luxury, there were fine paintings hung on every wall and fresh flower arrangements on every table.  He took the grand oak staircase to the second floor and turned left, heading for Russ’ study.  He knocked once on the closed door and was called in.
    “C’mon in.”
    Upon opening the door, Brian saw that Russ wore a deep frown. He was sure that was not because of his Aussie presence so much as the purpose of his visit.
    “G’day Mr. Gundy.”
    “That’s it?” Asked Russ, of the large manila envelope Brian had in his hands. “All there is to it?”
    “All that I have.” Brian told him, though the truth was, he had kept a copy of the black and white photo of Miranda for himself.
    “Then let’s have at it.”
    “You won’t enjoy what you find.”
    “Still, I want to know, Brian.  I trust your judgment in the matter but I want to see it with my own eyes. Hear it with my own ears. Before I let the rabbit out of the hat so to speak.”
    Brian opened the manila envelope, withdrew the stack of photos and the disc unto which he had burned the videotaped meetings and recorded telephone conversations that Russ had wanted to hear, first hand.
    Russ sifted through the pictures, a frown upon his face. 
    He paused at the first one of Richard using cocaine