The Good Girl's Guide to Bad Men by Jessica Brody Read Free Book Online Page B

teased.
    She shrugged apathetically. "I requested an appointment to see the property alone, and once we reached the bedroom, he just went for it. It's all in the report. I'll e-mail it to you by five."
    "Great," I said, making a note on the blank page of my legal pad. "I only have one for you this week." I pulled a glossy crimson folder from the top of the pile, double-checked that the front page was inscribed with Teresa's name, and slid it across the table. Teresa caught it adeptly under the tip of her index finger without so much as a flinch.
    "A businessman from Chicago," I explained as she leafed through the file. "He's staying at the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. He likes to hire a private masseuse from a local Asian massage parlor when he's in town. His wife is afraid it's more than just a massage. I've made arrangements for you to go instead. Find out what he does— or tries to do—behind closed doors. Hadley located a geisha costume for you. It's hanging in the prop closet."
    Teresa nodded ever so slightly and closed the folder. "Done."
    I turned to my left. "Cameron, how'd it go yesterday with Jocelyn Sandover, the housewife in Santa Monica?"
    "Pretty basic, really. We met up at her child's school, talked for a while, and then she invited me for coffee and eventually back to her place. It seemed to take her some time to get comfortable, but once she did, it was over pretty quickly."
    I made another note on my pad. "Okay, and how'd you make your exit?"
    Cameron took a sip from a Starbucks cup in front of him. "I told her I thought I'd left my lights on in my car."
    Katie rolled her eyes and popped her gum. "How creative," she mumbled.
    Cameron's hand shot up in protest. "Hey . . . it was the best I could come up with spur of the moment."
    "Whatever works," I replied diplomatically.
    In my days as a sole proprietor, I usually made a habit of telling the subject to his face that the entire night had been a setup, that I had been hired by his wife or girlfriend to test his ability to remain faithful, and that he had failed. Then I left behind a card with a toll-free phone number on it that the subject could call for more information. But because that approach sometimes got me into trouble, not to mention jeopardized my safety on a few rare occasions, I decided to abandon that practice and the cards when I started the agency. Now my associates were instructed to "make an exit" and never come back, leaving behind no explanation and no proof that they were even there to begin with. It was for their own protection. Plus, it allowed time for them to report back to me with the results. If the subject knew what had just happened, there's a chance he (or she) might try to interfere before I'm able to deliver the news to the client.
    The assignment files that I distribute at staff meetings all contain more or less the same contents. On the first page is always the client and subject biography outlining the background and relevant information of the man or woman who hired us and the person we've been asked to inspect. Following that is the assignment report, charting out all the details of the associates' forthcoming inspection. Where to go, what to wear, who to be, what to talk about, and any other facts or particulars that I feel are relevant to the case at hand.
    I pulled the next folder from the stack and handed it to Cameron. "Another housewife. The client is worried that she gets 'bored' during the day while he's gone and wonders how far she'll go to remedy that."
    Cameron groaned as he took the file. "Please don't tell me I have to wear that damn UPS uniform again."
    I flashed him an affectionate smile. "No uniform this week. But you will have to take your shirt off. You're going in as the new pool boy."
    Everyone in the room snickered. Katie nearly choked on her bubble gum.
    "Seriously?" Cameron said, leaning forward to get a closer look at the file.
    I nodded. "You'd be surprised what bored housewives will do when a