White Hot by Carla Neggers Read Free Book Online Page A

the authority figures in his life.
    “What about you?” she asked Griffen, who’d immediately kicked off her sandals. “Do you have anything on tonight?”
    “A small cocktail party in Boca. Everything’s supposed to be low-fat and ultra-fresh.”
    “Sounds like fun.”
    “I guess it’s a challenge, if I don’t dawdle here too long and have to race around like a maniac. Maybe our cat burglar will make an appearance and liven things up.”
    Mollie sat up straight. “Cat burglar? What cat burglar?”
    Deegan squatted down beside the pool, scooping up stray impatiens blossoms floating on the water. He cocked a grin at Mollie, his eyes a blue somewhere between that of the sky and the pool. “We’ve got to get you tuned in to Palm Beach gossip. You were at the Greenaway last night. You didn’t know a jewel thief struck?”
    She could feel the blood draining from her face and thought, Tabak. “No. I left early.”
    “It was in the morning papers,” Griffen said. “It wasn’t a big headline. The papers are still playing this one safe. But local gossip says we’ve got a serious cat burglar on the prowl.”
    Deegan got to his feet, flicking the dead, soaked blossoms into the grass. “He swiped a jewel-encrusted salamander out of Marcie Amerson’s Armani jacket pocket last night. Supposedly her insurance company has launched an investigation.”
    So that was it, Mollie thought, trying to retain her composure. Jeremiah was on this cat burglar story. That explained why he was at the Greenaway last night. And he had tracked her down this morning for the same reasons he had plopped down next to her towel ten years ago: access, information, a way into a world where he didn’t belong. Then, it was college students. Now, it was Palm Beach society. In both cases, Mollie was an outsider in a unique position. And oblivious.
    “Any leads?” she asked.
    “Not that anyone’s saying publicly,” Deegan said. The jewel thief, however, didn’t hold his interest. “Mind if I sneak upstairs a minute? I left a few threads dangling. It’ll make work tomorrow easier if I deal with them now. Door’s open?”
    Griffen frowned. “I’ve got ten minutes to spare, tops.”
    “No problem,” he said, and blew her a kiss. “Mollie?”
    “Door’s open,” she said, and he took off at a half-trot, his irrepressible energy making her feel enervated. What was she going to do about Tabak?
    Nothing, she told herself. She’d already called his bluff. With any luck, he wouldn’t be back.
    “You look preoccupied,” Griffen said. She was at the shallow end of the pool, dipping in her toes. “Perfect. I’m such a baby—I hate cold water. Hey, everything okay?”
    “It’s just been one of those days.” Part of her wanted to tell worldly, savvy Griffen everything, but Mollie had become accustomed to keeping her affair with Jeremiah to herself. It wasn’t an easy habit to break. Not even Leonardo, the one person in her life who would understand a mad, doomed affair, knew. Her parents would have understood intellectually, but not in their gut. “Do you really think there’s a jewel thief on the loose?”
    She shrugged. “Could be. I’m not worried. I only wear costume jewelry and not much of that. I hate having stuff hanging from my neck and earlobes, especially if it’s heavy. Gets on my nerves.”
    “Then our thief’s not likely to make you his next target,” Mollie said, amused.
    “Damned straight.”
    Griffen had both feet in the water now, standing on the top step with her sundress hiked up to her knees. She was born and raised in south Florida, but not of a wealthy family. Her rise as one of Palm Beach’s top caterers was her own doing. She was hard-working, creative, a natural self-promoter, and fun to be around—and scrupulous about the food she served. Mollie felt they were friends as much because of their differences as in spite of them, but she and Griffen shared an entrepreneurial spirit that allowed both to