Inner Harbor by Nora Roberts Read Free Book Online Page A

Daum china, she’d been devastated.
    She should have expected it, she told herself now. It had been classic Gloria behavior. But she’d believed, had needed to believe, that they could finally connect. That the child would make a difference. That she could help.
    Well, this time, she thought as she tucked the photo away again, she would be more careful, less emotional. She knew that Gloria was telling at least part of the truth this time. Whatever she did from this point on would depend on her own judgment.
    She would begin to judge when she saw her nephew again.
    Sitting, she turned on her laptop and began to write her initial notes.
    The Quinn brothers appear to have an easy, male-pattern relationship. From my single observation I would suspect they work together well. It will take additional study to determine what function each provides in this business partnership, and in their familial relations.
    Both Cameron and Ethan Quinn are newly married. It will be necessary to meet their wives to understand the dynamics of this family. Logically one of them will represent the mother figure. Since Cameron’s wife, Anna Spinelli Quinn, has a full-time career, one would suspect that Grace Monroe Quinn fulfills this function. However, it’s a mistake to generalize such matters and this will require personal observations.
    I found it telling that the business sign the Quinns hung this afternoon contained Seth’s name, but as a Quinn. I can’t say if this disposal of his legal name is for their benefit or his.
    The boy must certainly be aware that the Quinns are filing for custody. I can’t say as yet whether he has received any of the letters Gloria has written him. Perhaps the Quinns have disposed of them. Though I sympathize with her plight and her desperation to get her child back, it’s best that she remain unaware that I’ve come here. Once I’ve documented my findings, I’ll contact her. If there is a legal battle in the future, it’s best to approach the matter with facts rather than raw emotion.
    Hopefully the lawyer Gloria has engaged will contact the Quinns through the proper legal channels shortly.
    For myself, I hope to see Seth tomorrow and gain some insight into the situation. It would be helpful to determine how much he knows about his parentage. As I have only recently become fully informed, I’ve not yet completely assimilated all the facts and their repercussions.
    We will soon see if small towns are indeed a hotbed of information on their inhabitants. I intend to learn all I can learn about Professor Raymond Quinn before I’m done.

T HREE
    T HE TYPICAL VENUE for socializing, information gathering, and mating rituals, small town or big city, Sybill observed, was the local bar.
    Whether it was decorated with brass and ferns or peanut shells and tin ashtrays, whether the music was whiny country or heart-reeling rock, it was the traditional spot for gathering and exchanging information.
    Shiney’s Pub in St. Christopher’s certainly fit the bill. The decor here was dark wood, cheap chrome, and faded posters of boats. The music was loud, she decided, unable to fully identify the style booming out of the towering amps flanking the small stage where four young men pounded away at guitars and drums with more enthusiasm than talent.
    A trio of men at the bar kept their eyes glued to the baseball game on the small-screen TV bracketed to the wall behind the bar. They seemed content to watch the silent ballet of pitcher and batter while they nursed brown bottles of beer and ate fistfuls of pretzels.
    The dance floor was jammed. There were only four couples,but the limited space caused several incidents of elbow rapping and hip bumping. No one seemed to mind.
    The waitresses were decked out in foolish male-fantasy outfits—short black skirts, tiny, tight V -neck blouses, fishnet stockings, and stiletto heels.
    Sybill felt instant sympathy.
    She tucked herself