Truth Or Dare by Jayne Ann Krentz Read Free Book Online

hospital.”
    Branch frowned. “What about the young boys?”
    “They belong to Bonnie. Their father is dead, murdered about three years ago in LA.”
    Branch concentrated on the two men in the shot. “Who’s the bald guy in denim, the one who looks like he rides with a biker gang?”
    “His name is Singleton Cobb.” She was amused by Branch’s assessment of Cobb. “Appearances can be deceiving, as they say. He operates an antiquarian bookshop there in Whispering Springs. Deals in old and rare volumes.”
    Branch moved his head a couple of times; an android trying to assimilate data that did not compute.
    “Doesn’t look like a book dealer.”
    “No,” she agreed.
    “Got anything else on him?”
    “You didn’t give me enough time to do an in-depth background check on any of those people,” she reminded him. “You said your boss was in a hurry for the ID on the woman.”
    Branch tapped the photo. “Think this Cobb is personally involved with the subject?”
    She shrugged. “Just a friend, as far as I could tell. Want me to dig around some more?”
    “Not at this point. I’ll see if my boss needs more info on him.” Branch switched his attention to the next man in the picture. “What about him?”
    “Ethan Truax. The husband of Zoe. He’s a private investigator. Has a small office in Whispering Springs.”
    “An investigator?” Branch hardened all over. Muscles swelled in his upper arms. His neck got thicker.
    “My boss will want to know what the subject is doing with a PI for a friend.”
    “She’s not doing anything in particular with him as far as I could tell. Certainly not in a professional capacity. Like Cobb, Truax appears to be an acquaintance. He’s definitely not intimately involved with the, uh, subject.”
    Branch contemplated Truax for a while longer before pointing to the next photo. “The subject owns this shop?”
    “Gallery Euphoria, yes. It’s located in an upscale shopping arcade called Fountain Square in Whispering Springs. Features high-end gifts. Handmade jewelry, ceramics, artwork, that kind of thing.”

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    “A real change of pace for the subject,” Branch mused. “She used to be a financial trader.”
    “Mr. Branch, are you absolutely certain this is the woman your agency is looking for? I agree that she fits the physical description you gave me, but I’ve got to tell you that nothing else matches. I did a more thorough background check on her. Arcadia Ames appears to be a completely different person.”
    “She bought herself a new ID. Maybe a couple of them. Not that hard to do these days.”
    “I know,” Shelley said patiently. “But if that is the case, she got a very, very good package. I’ve been in this business a long time and I’ve never seen anything this complete. I tracked her all the way back through college, high school and grade school. I can tell you when she got her childhood vaccinations.
    That sort of detail is not typical of most fake identities.”
    “She made a fortune laundering money for terrorists and drug dealers,” Branch said softly. “She can afford the best.”
    “I just want to be absolutely certain that this is the person your boss is looking for, that’s all. This isn’t the kind of situation where you folks want to make a mistake.”
    “Don’t worry, Ms. Russell. My boss won’t make a move without being absolutely certain.”
    “What happens next?”
    “I’m not allowed to give out that kind of information.”
    “Never hurts to ask. I’m a little curious, that’s all. Not often the Feds come to a one-person operation like mine for assistance.” She paused a beat. “Not that I don’t appreciate the business.”
    Branch’s blond brows came together in a serious line. She knew that he was debating how much to tell her. The Feds always hated to answer questions from civilians. They preferred to work on a need-to-know