Low Country Liar by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page A

at close quarters.
    That was something she hadn't noticed about him at the office where Slade Blackwell had kept himself aloof and impersonal, crisply professional except for that one taunting remark about her red hair. Correction—Ann Eldridge's red hair.
    "May I fix you a drink, Lisa?" Slade Blackwell asked smoothly, not faltering even slightly over the use of her given name.  
    "Lisa drinks gin," Mitzi Talmadge inserted, turning to Lisa to add, "Slade has a bartender's touch with mixed drinks."
    "Gin?" Slade looked at her, waiting for a confirmation of her choice.
    "No, I think I'll just have some juice." As tired as she was, Lisa knew the last thing she needed was an alcoholic beverage to muddle her thinking.
    "Are you sure?" He gave her a chance to change her mind.
    "Quite sure," Lisa nodded positively.
    He walked to an ornate wooden trolley cart that was used as a serving bar. "There's tomato and orange juice in the icebox," he said without looking. "Which would you prefer?"
    "Tomato." Lisa watched him pour the tomato juice over the ice cubes in a glass, add a dash of tabasco sauce and a wedge of lemon. Never once did he falter over the location of an item. "You know where everything is, don't you?" she commented, letting an inflection of sarcasm creep into her voice.
    "I drop in quite often." He shrugged offhandedly, carrying her drink to her, but his dark gaze was probing her expression for the reasons he had used that tone.
    "But not often enough to wear out your welcome." Her tongue seemed to be running away with her, maybe because she had held it in all day.
    "I hope not." But this time his smile didn't reach his eyes, eyes that had gone blank and shuttered.
    "You couldn't possibly do that, Slade," Mitzi laughed, missing or overlooking the tiny barbs in Lisa's remarks. "Mildred and I love having you here. You couldn't come often enough. I would be delighted if you looked on this as your second home. You should. After all, you're responsible—directly and indirectly—for all that's been done here."
    "Of course, how could I have forgotten?" The words were out before Lisa could check them.
      She seemed bent on a course of self-destruction, making Slade an enemy and arousing his suspicions. Maybe it was true that those who do wrong really want to be caught.
      Lisa only knew she had gone too far to reverse direction now. "Mitzi told me that you persuaded her to reopen the house and supervised the remodeling and redecorating. Naturally you would be familiar with everything, wouldn't you?
    "A house in this neighborhood of Old Charleston is an investment. Besides, it would have been a shame to let this beautiful home become a derelict of the past," Slade replied.
    "I agree with you completely," said Mitzi. "In fact I did the first time you suggested it, Slade, but I would never have attempted it on my own. Not that I couldn't have done it, but it's so time-consuming. You know how I dislike details, Lisa," she laughed at herself. "If Slade hadn't intervened to take charge of the workmen and various trades, I doubt if I would have fixed the old place up simply because I don't like the hassle that's inevitable."
    "Yes," Lisa agreed. "You were lucky to have Slade take care of all that." She turned to him, a saccharine smile curving her mouth. "Ever since Mitzi has moved back to Charleston, all her letters have been singing your praises. You've become quite indispensable to her."
    "I think Mitzi and I have become good friends. The purpose of friendship is to help each other when help is needed." There was a challenging set to his jaw although his voice remained quite calm and steady. "Now that Mitzi's on her own, without a man to look after her, I try to do what I can to help."
    "I'm sure you do," Lisa taunted softly, and his gaze narrowed with piercing thoughtfulness.
    "Believe me, I appreciate it," Mitzi stated. "I'm not interested in business and finances. I don't want to be bothered with investment credits and