Mortal Faults by Michael Prescott Read Free Book Online Page A

laughed, and then somewhere in the dark a phone was ringing.
    “Who would call at midnight?” she asked.
    “Somebody official, is my guess. It’s a cell phone.”
    “I know. But is it mine or yours?”
    “Can’t tell.”
    “We really need to get different ring tones. One of these days you’re going to answer my phone or I’m going to answer yours ...”
    “And the cat will be out of the proverbial bag. I think it’s your phone,” Josh added. “It has that cheap, tinny sound.”
    “Thanks a lot.” Unfortunately he was right.
    Tess got out of bed and crossed her bedroom to the dresser. Her groping hand found her cell and flipped it open. Caller ID showed a 310 area code. Los Angeles. She didn’t recognize the number.
    “McCallum,” she answered.
    “Hey, Tess. How’s tricks?”
    “Oh, Christ.” She shut her eyes, feeling the sudden onset of a migraine.
    Abby’s voice teased her through the receiver. “Is that any way to greet an old pal?”
    Tess glanced at Josh, then carried the phone into the living room, where she hoped her end of the conversation would be out of earshot. “Sorry,” she said. “But—well, actually I’m not sorry.”
    “You sound kind of conflicted about this.”
    “No, not really. Truth is, I’m remarkably sure of things. I’ve had a lot of time to think, Abby.” She kept her voice low. “To think about the Rain Man case.”
    “Living in the past? Not a good idea.”
    Tess plowed ahead. “It was a mistake. I never should have hooked up with you. I regret it now.”
    “If we hadn’t hooked up, another two or three women might have drowned. We saved lives, soul sister.”
    “I’m not your sister. What we did was wrong. I knew it at the time. I was never comfortable with it. I can’t operate like you.”
    “Don’t feel bad. We can’t all be superstars. As they say at the beach, they also surf who only stand and wade.”
    Tess massaged her forehead. “Will you listen to me? I’m telling you that I cannot be dealing with you again, Abby. Not in any way, shape, or form. We can’t even be having this conversation.”
    “And yet we are. It’s just one of those paradoxes.”
    “I’m hanging up now.”
    “No, you aren’t.” Abby’s tone hardened. “You can’t act like we don’t know each other. You
owe
me, Tess.”
    “For what?”
    “A little thing called saving your butt, if you recall.”
    “That debt goes both ways—if
you
recall.”
    “I was hoping you’d forgotten that part.”
    “I haven’t. We don’t owe each other anything. We’re even.”
    “No, we’re
connected
. We’re like two paired electrons that continue to influence each other over vast distances.”
    Tess was losing the thread of the discussion, not an uncommon occurrence when speaking with Abby. “What are you talking about?”
    “Quantum entanglement. Or loyalty. Take your pick.”
    “It’s not an issue of loyalty.”
    “Sure it is. Didn’t you ever read about Androcles and the lion? Androcles took a thorn out of the lion’s paw. Years later he was thrown to the lions in the Colosseum. And one of those lions was the very same one he’d helped. And the lion didn’t care, and ate Androcles anyway.”
    “That isn’t how the story goes.”
    “I saw the director’s cut. Point is, that mangy lion showed no loyalty. Do you want to be a mangy lion, Tess?”
    Tess had forgotten how truly irritating Abby could be. “You’re not going to manipulate me into getting involved in another one of your cases.”
    “No involvement. You’re in Denver, I’m in L.A. How can there be involvement?”
    “Well, you didn’t call just to chat.”
    “I need only one tiny favor.”
    “I can’t do favors for you.”
    “Tess, I pulled a thorn out of your paw. That has to count for something. Anyway, it’s not a big deal. I just need to know if a given individual is enrolled in the witness protection program.”
    “The U.S. Marshals run that program, not the FBI.”
    “Yeah, like you