Vanishing Point (Circle of Spies Novella) by Laura Pauling Read Free Book Online

 
    That while she worked for him her family was safe.  
    She’d often debated telling Stephen the whole crazy story, but every time she tried, fear stopped her.  
    The phone rang, startling her.
    The fluttering in her stomach returned. She glanced at the cell on the nightstand. Finally after two more rings, she snaked out her arm and snatched up the phone. A bit breathless, she said, “Hello.”  
    “Ms. DeWilflower, be at the airport by ten o’clock. Pack for the weekend. I’ll meet you in Paris.” Then the bastard hung up.
    “Will?” Marisa’s voice wavered at first. “Will?”  
    “Who’s Will?” Her husband popped out of the bathroom door, rubbing his head with a towel.
    The lies slipped out easily. “Oh, well, you see, I met a new girlfriend a month ago at my karate class. Oh, that’s right. I signed up for a karate a few months ago.”  
    Stephen’s face registered his surprise at this tidbit of information. Marisa expected that, but many aspects of her life lately had been kept under wraps, the karate classes being one of them.  
      “Anyway, this really nice lady and I have become fast friends. Will is her…husband and he called to let me know that Susanna has…invited me away for a weekend of scrapbooking.” She stopped talking and took a deep breath.
    “Marisa, darling, you don’t scrapbook.”  
    Marisa jumped from the covers and started stuffing clothes into a suitcase. “Well, you see, Susanna is really into it. Even runs her own business she does and she’s been trying to get me into it since the day we met over some karate chops. I’ve putting her off for weeks. She simply won’t take no for answer.”
    “Marisa.” She continued to ramble on about Susanna until Stephen called her name louder. “Marisa!”
    “Yes?” Could he see through the lies?
    “Have a great weekend. I’ll wake Savvy and drag her along with me to breakfast. Prime Dad and daughter bonding. How can she resist bacon?” He threw on jeans and a T-shirt and left.
    Marisa sank onto the bed, her fingers shaky and her mouth completely dry. If only she was going to a scrapbooking retreat. But Paris? She needed something to make her feel brave.  
    After peeking to make sure Stephen wasn’t coming back, she opened her top dresser drawer. She dug toward the back and pulled out a black lace, matching bra and panty set that she’d bought for Stephen but hadn’t had the guts to wear. This would make her feel like Beatrice DeWilflower.  
    And not Marisa Bent.
    ***
    After a rather long flight during which Marisa fiddled with her reflective sunglasses that she’d purchased at the last minute from the airport gift shop, and in which she’d contemplated her sanity numerous times, she was a complete nervous wreck. How many middle-aged moms were sent on James Bond missions? This Will fellow was under the wrong impression that she knew what she was doing, that secretly she was some sort of spy.  
    The taxi ride didn’t help the state of her nervous system as the driver careened down the streets. The scenery blurred past but she was too exhausted to take it all in. Before she knew it, before she was possibly ready, Marisa stood in front of an apartment, suitcase in hand, a bit of her lace underwear poking out the side, trapped in her hurry to pack.
    Paris. Holy freaking cow. She couldn’t believe she was here. A sudden pang of guilt at leaving Stephen and Savvy behind plagued her. She hated lying to them and traveling when they’d always dreamed of doing this together. All the famous cities of the world. Thailand. Athens. Italy. And here she was without them.  
    Will had prepared for every step of her journey with instructions, passports, and money. She was officially Beatrice DeWilfower. Daring secret agent. Protector of the innocent. Alluring woman of mystery.  
    Except Marisa still had no idea why she was here and what she was supposed to do. More training? She took a deep breath and opened the door to the