Insidious by Catherine Coulter Read Free Book Online Page A

him. “I know you’re sure it’s poison. I know you’re scared and you’re angry and you feel betrayed. But we don’t know about any of it yet. Don’t jump ahead and make yourself crazy. We’ll be speaking with our forensics lab this afternoon, and I’ll call you. Do think about that list, Venus, do it now. And don’t forget, do not eat or drink anything given to you in this house. If you’ve been poisoned, you specifically have been targeted, no one else.”
    Venus pulled away. “It’s very difficult. Thank you, Dillon, Sherlock, for coming.” She walked with them to the door. “I’ll get the list to you as soon as I’m able. Now, though, I have to get to a board meeting at the office. Life must go on.”
    Sherlock said, “Be careful, Venus. Tell your driver, MacPherson, to be extra careful, all right? Have him escort you in and out of the building. And don’t worry, we’ll figure this all out.”
    “Yes, of course you will. I feel better now that you know. MacPherson will love playing my protector. He’s been complaining he has too little to do. This should keep him occupied.”

7
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    Sherlock laid her hand over Savich’s as he was firing up the Porsche’s magnificent engine. “I’m so glad we came, Dillon. How do you want to handle looking into Rob? There’s got to be something new happening between him and Venus, some reason she still seems to be protecting him.”
    “Which might be a mistake. First thing I’m going to do is find him, call him in for an interview.” He’d pulled away from the curb when Carrie Underwood sang out Two Black Cadillacs. It was Ollie with additional crime scene photos of the murders in Bar Harbor, Maine, he wanted Savich to look at right away. He pulled the Porsche over again as he went over them with Ollie. He’d just slipped his cell phone back into his pocket when three fast shots rang out from behind them. From the Rasmussen mansion.
    He slammed the Porsche into reverse and skidded to a stop in front of the house. He and Sherlock were out in a flash and headed for the garage on the far side of the house, Glocks drawn. They heard a fourth shot.
    They saw MacPherson in the Bentley first, saw him floor the car straight back toward a man who was standing next to the garage, agun raised, aimed toward him. The man leaped out of the Bentley’s path and fired twice more at MacPherson. MacPherson, no fool, was scrunched down low in the driver’s seat. The man had shot out the back window of the Bentley and now the driver’s window shattered. Where was Venus? Had he hit her?
    “FBI! Drop the gun, now!” The shooter jerked around to face them, fired two wild shots, then jumped through the ornamental gate that led to the gardens in the rear of the house, and out the service entrance to the alley.
    “Sherlock, stop him from getting to the service road. I’ll follow him.” He stopped a moment next to the Bentley. “MacPherson, are you all right? Is Venus all right?”
    “Yes, we’re both okay. Mrs. Rasmussen is down on the floor in the back.”
    Venus popped up, shouted, “Dillon, go get him!”
    “Stay with her. Call 911.” Savich jumped the garden gate and ran down the winding path bordered by cascading jasmine and trellised roses, past a beautiful Italian fountain and several stone benches. He stopped near the service gate and listened, heard the man still running, in the alley now. Had Sherlock made it around to the service road? He yelled, “Drop your weapon! FBI!”
    The shooter didn’t drop his gun, he whirled around and fired twice, wildly, then ran, bending over. Savich raised his Glock and fired back at him. He heard the sound of garbage cans flying, and a curse. He crouched low as he went through the open gate, heard two bullets hit the garden wall behind him, two feet above his head.
    Savich fired again toward the garbage cans. He heard a loud ping, then silence. He looked around the gate, but saw no one, not the shooter, not Sherlock. He