Secret Star by Nora Roberts Read Free Book Online Page B

Potomac house twice before when I was away. The first time, I tolerated it. The second, she enjoyed the facilities a bit too enthusiastically for my taste. We had a spat about it. She left in a huff, and I removed the spare key. I should have thought to change the locks, but it never occurred to me she’d go to the trouble of having copies made.”
    â€œWhen was the last time you saw her or spoke with her?”
    Grace sighed. Dates ran through her head, people, events, meaningless social forays. “About six weeks ago, maybe eight. At the health club. We ran into each other in the steam room, didn’t havemuch conversation. We never had much to say to each other.”
    She was regretting that now, Seth realized. Going over in her head opportunities lost or wasted. And it would do no good. “Would she have opened the door to someone she didn’t know?”
    â€œIf the someone was male and was marginally attractive, yes.” Weary of the interview, she turned back. “Look, I don’t know what else I can tell you, what help I can possibly be. She was a careless, often arrogant woman. She picked up strange men in bars when she felt the urge. She let someone in that night, and she died for it. Whatever she was, she didn’t deserve to die for that.”
    She brushed at her hair absently, tried to clear her mind as Seth simply sat, waiting. “Maybe he demanded she give him the stone. She wouldn’t have understood. She paid for her trespassing, for her carelessness and her ignorance. And the stone is back with Bailey, where it belongs. If you haven’t spoken to Dr. Linstrum yet this morning, I can tell you that Bailey should be meeting with him right now. I don’t know anything else to tell you.”
    He kicked back for a moment, his eyes cool and steady on her face. If he discounted the connection with the diamonds, it could play another way. Two women, at odds all their lives. One of them returnshome unexpectedly to find the other in her home. An argument. Escalating into a fight. And one of them ends up taking a dive off a second-floor balcony into a pool of glass.
    The first woman doesn’t panic. She trashes her own home to cover herself, then drives away. Puts distance between herself and the scene.
    Was she a skilled enough actress to fake that stark shock, the raw emotion he’d seen on her face the night before?
    He thought she was.
    But despite that, the scene just didn’t click. There was the undeniable connection of the diamonds. And he was dead sure that if Grace Fontaine had caused her cousin’s fall, she would have been just as capable of picking up the phone and coolly reporting an accident.
    â€œAll right, that’s all for now.”
    â€œWell.” Her breath was a huff of relief. “That wasn’t so bad, all in all.”
    He stood up. “I’ll have to ask you to stay available.”
    She switched on the charm again, a hot, rose-colored light. “I’m always available, handsome. Ask anyone.” She picked up her purse, moved with him to the door. “How long before I can have my house dealt with? I’d like to put things back to order as quickly as possible.”
    â€œI’ll let you know.” He glanced at his watch. “When you’re up to going through things and doing an inventory to see what’s missing, I’d like you to contact me.”
    â€œI’m on my way over now to do just that.”
    His brow furrowed a moment as he juggled responsibilities. He could assign a man to go with her, but he preferred dealing with it himself. “I’ll follow you over.”
    â€œPolice protection?”
    â€œIf necessary.”
    â€œI’m touched. Why don’t I give you a lift, handsome?”
    â€œI’ll follow you over,” he repeated.
    â€œSuit yourself,” she began, and grazed a hand over his cheek. Her eyes widened slightly as his fingers clamped on her