Sentimental Journey by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online

and stepped from the car.
    They had walked several feet toward the darkened building when a voice called out, "The place is closed. You'll have to come back tomorrow during regular business hours."
    "You're Art Mason, the security guard, aren't you?" Brodie questioned.
    "Yeah?"
    "I'm Brodie Hayes. I met you late this afternoon. I want to show the young lady around the place,"he stated in a voice that expected his wishes to be granted.
    "Sorry, Mr. Hayes," the voice answered immediately. "I didn't recognize you, what with it being so dark and all."
    "That's one of the first changes I'm going to make, Mr. Mason," Brodie walked forward, his hand on her waist drawing Jessica along with him. "We're going to have more adequate lighting for the nighttime."
    Changes? Had he bought the place? What was it? Jessica stole a glance at his face, but it told her nothing. She could only surmise that her guess was accurate.
    A uniformed man in his fifties emerged from the shadow of the building. "That sure will be a welcome change, Mr. Hayes. As it is now, a man's got to have cat's eyes to be able to see anything."
    Keys rattled on a metal ring as he bent to unlock the front door. He opened it for them and touched the bill of his cap when Jessica walked past him.
    "There's a light switch just inside the door on the left wall, Mr. Hayes," the guard instructed, and shone his flashlight into the building.
    Except for that stream of light, it was pitch-black inside the building. The squeezing pressure from Brodie's hand instructed Jessica to stand still, and she waited in the inky blackness until a click illuminated the interior, momentarily blinding her. Then he was by her side again, taking her arm.
    "Thank you, Mr. Mason."
    "When you leave, just honk your horn and I'll know to lock up," the man said, and closed the door.
    A series of offices were in the front of the building. Brodie bypassed them to lead Jessica down the hallway to the rear section. She looked around for something that would identify the business.
    "Is this your new restoration project?" she asked.
    "Officially it will be at nine o'clock tomorrow morning when I sign the final purchase agreement," he told her.
    "Forgive me for being so ignorant, but what is this place?"
    "Have you heard of Janson Boats?" Brodie opened a door to a blackened area. "Stay there a minute until I find the light switch," he added without giving her a chance to answer his first question.
    Jessica waited. "Janson Boats?" She frowned while he disappeared into the shadows. "I think one of our clients was just talking about the company not too long ago. They manufacture houseboats, don't they?"
    "That's right." A light was switched on to light up a massive assembly room with large square-shaped boats in various stages of construction.
    "The Janson family started it and sold out about five years ago," Jessica recalled aloud what she had heard. "Our client was a friend of the Janson's. He was saying they were lucky to get out when they did because the company has been steadily going downhill."
    "Janson had a thriving business when he sold it. The new owners traded on the reputation he'd established. They began cutting corners, constructing inferior boats and charging higher prices. They siphoned every dime they could out of the company and into their own pockets. Now that they've skimmed off the cream, they've decided to unload the company and take what they can get."
    Brodie was wandering through the assembly room. Jessica followed, picking her way through the debris scattered about the floor, dodging ladders and assorted equipment. The framework skeleton of a boat loomed beside them, and Brodie stopped to examine it.
    "Do you know anything about building boats?" She eyed him curiously.
    "Not a single thing, except maybe the bow from the stern," he admitted.
    Jessica frowned. "Then how will you ever make it a successful concern again?"
    Brodie glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled dryly. "That's the