Too Far Gone by Debra Webb, Regan Black Read Free Book Online Page A

face. She closed her eyes, trying to remember where she’d seen that face before. “What’s the best case scenario?”
    “Unfortunately, I can’t see one yet.”
    “We have to find her and talk to her.” Lauren searched her memory banks again. Where had she seen that woman? The image of a bar... then the woman’s face. “Wait.” She replayed the images again. “She works in a bar, I think. Maybe she’s a bartender or a waitress.” Her thoughts immediately turned to the long list of Desmond’s favorite clubs.
    “I’ll put Claudia on the search for LA bartenders and waitresses, but you need to keep your expectations real. The task will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
    “How real?”
    “The criminals think you’re a threat. The police think you’re a potential suspect. The woman is only a wildcard. You don’t know what Desmond was involved in.” He ticked each point off on his fingertips. “You need to stay here, out of sight, until we figure this out. It could take some time.”
    “There has to be another way.” She shook her head and forced herself to stand. This time, she managed to do so without swaying. “I have professional obligations.”
    “Your show isn’t shooting right now.”
    “An acting career isn’t that simple.” She’d never been a passive person. A small voice in her head reminded her she’d been way too passive about Desmond. She shut it down and moved away from the desk. “There’s a community event I’m supposed to attend tomorrow. An interview next week. I can’t just skip those. Someone has to plan Desmond’s funeral. He has no other... family.”
    “First, Trinity’s body won’t be released for a while so no rush on a funeral. Second, a public appearance is out of the question. Besides, no one expects you to carry on as usual right now. Your longtime lover has been murdered. You’re grieving.”
    She wanted to argue with him, but he was right. Instead, she started to pace the room as another approach popped like a light bulb in her mind. “A public appearance might be exactly what we need. I can draw the bad guys out. It’s a classic strategy.”
    “Absolutely not.”
    “I know Desmond’s passwords. If we go by the office maybe we can figure out what he was doing for those men.”
    “Not today.” He shook his head, his eyes tracking her movements like some kind of predatory cat. “Your car just blew up. You’re a person of interest in a murder case. People will see you in every petite blonde in the city. And let’s not forget the Trinity office is a crime scene. His computer has probably already been seized as evidence. The police likely have the office as well as the house under surveillance.”
    “If we wait, the woman could disappear... or end up dead.”
    “It’s possible,” he said. “But the cops as well as the bad guys are looking for you. The risk is too great.”
    She rubbed her hands up and down her chilled arms. If he needed a plan or direction, she’d find something plausible he couldn’t argue with. “If the woman wasn’t with Desmond by chance, maybe she was the distraction that allowed them to catch Desmond at an inopportune time.”
    “Maybe.”
    “You’re not going to go with any of my suggestions. Got it.” Enough. Lauren stalked out of the office. Faced with the kitchen and bar, the marvelous view, or sulking in the bedroom, she opted for the bar. It was far too early, but she poured vodka into a glass and added enough cranberry juice to give it some color. The first sip burned away the frayed edges of her nerves and shushed the little voice in her head threatening to erupt into panic.
    What in the hell was Desmond into that someone would kill him? Why that woman? Angry all over again, Lauren went to the kitchen and dumped the remainder of her drink down the drain. The last thing she needed was to have her brain fuzzy. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she hadn’t eaten since late yesterday. If they