The Edge of Doom by Amanda Cross Read Free Book Online Page A

an architect; he plans the restoration of old buildings; he’s been married and has two adopted sons. He hasn’t a lot of money though he claimed to have, to persuade Laurence that money wasn’t his motive in wanting to meet me. I’m sure there’s more, but that’s quite a lot, isn’t it?”
    “What was his motive in wanting to meet you?”
    “You don’t consider finding a long-lost daughter sufficient motive?”
    “It may be sufficient, or it may not. Why wait all this time?”
    “He’s past seventy. People do look back and try to tie up loose ends at that age, surely. Why does anyone do what they do when they do it and not at another time? What are you getting at, Reed?”
    “That I’d like your permission to investigate him further. You may be right about him; he may be exactly who he says he is. But I’d like to have a look, all the same. I don’t want to do it unless you agree it’s sensible, and understand that love for you is my chief motive.”
    Kate laughed. “I think you’re jealous of a man who’s turned up as my father, and whatever you doubt you don’t doubt that. Reed, I’m really moved to know that you feel that way. I used to have no relation in the world but you; I can hardly count the Fansler brothers, as you know. Now I have a father as well as a husband, and you seem to mind.”
    “Perhaps I do. Perhaps this is all the most errant nonsense, and cover for my nose being out of joint. But will you humor me all the same?”
    “It does seem a bit like going behind his back, sneaking—not quite above board or honest.”
    “True, but I shall be discreet. And if he gets word of my inquiries, I’ll simply say that as your husband I felt the need to protect you. Of course, I wouldn’t say or do any of this if you object.”
    “My impulse is not to object, but to insist that I know nothing about it.”
    “That doesn’t sound like you.”
    “Oh, dear. Being discovered by one’s father seems exciting at first, but perhaps it’s more burdensome than I realized. All right; but don’t go too far. If your first investigations pan out, just let it go, will you?”
    “Let’s put it this way. I’ll let you know whatever I discover, and we can decide what I do next.”
    “Or what we do next.”
    “You’re the detective, Kate, deny it as you will. By now I think you can claim the title, even if you’re never paid for your work. You may want to take over at any moment.”
    “Or not.”
    “Or not.”
    And they dropped that subject; Reed fixed them another drink before they moved to the kitchen and the preparations for dinner. But Kate had great difficulty getting Reed’s suspicions out of her mind; she had to admit, in honesty, that she rather wished he hadn’t had them. On the other hand, would they not, in time, have occurred to her?
    Still brooding on this, she finally decided, later that night, to return to the subject of possible detective work about Jay, his past and, if it came to that, his present. She walked from her study to Reed’s and stood in the doorway, waiting for him to look up.
    “Come in,” he said. “Don’t lurk there as though you were plotting a quick escape.”
    Kate walked into the room and plopped down in Reed’s large leather chair. He swirled toward her from his desk.
    “I
was
plotting a quick escape,” Kate said. “I just wanted to offer a suggestion.”
    “Suggest away.”
    “About Jay, you know.”
    “I had guessed.”
    “Yes. Well, instead of donning your detective cloak and galloping off down various investigative trails, why don’t you just have lunch with him?”
    Reed smiled. “Tell me about your life, I’ll say. Start at the beginning and go on till you get to the end—which is this very moment. Is that what you had in mind?”
    “More or less. Either he’ll give you the truth, or most of it, or he’ll refuse, or what he gives you won’t be the truth. It seems to me that puts you further ahead in your search than you might be