Jenna Ryan - A Perfect Stranger

Crouching as she passed, Darcy tickled Podge’s tummy and received a yawning meow in response.

She realized with a twinge that she’d forgotten to set her house alarm when she’d left today. Foolish? Yes. But on the plus side, the front hedge had been trimmed as promised, and there was still a glimmer of light in the sky.

Her cell phone rang while she was climbing the porch stairs.

She glanced at the screen. “Oh, good. Perfect.” She flipped it open. “I thought you’d be long gone by now, Marlowe.”

“Guess we both thought wrong.”

“So are we talking choice here or police order?”

She imagined his faint smile. “You found the body, Darcy.”

“After you got us into the motel room.”

“What can I say? Val’s captain’s a fan.”

“Which means you’re staying by choice, then.”

“A dead client in a bathtub isn’t good enough reason to stay?”

She dropped her keys in a bowl, her purse and gym bag on a high-backed chair. “Aren’t you the one who said he didn’t give a rat’s ass about anybody—what was it your friend called you— M?”

“Val can’t get his tongue around my name after a few drinks. Calling me M is the simple solution.”

“Your friend had more than a few drinks last night if the coat I saw on his tongue today was any indication. I’m going out on a limb here, Marlowe, but I’d speculate that Detective Reade has some serious issues in his life.”

“And you know someone who doesn’t?”

Removing the bush hat she’d bought in Sydney, she shook her hair. “Tell me, have you always lived on the dark side?”

“You ask a lot of questions, Darcy.”

“To which you give very few answers.”

Wedging the phone between her shoulder and ear, she reached into the cupboard. “I saw your Land Rover at Hannah Brewster’s this morning. I’m sure she was delighted to talk and talk and talk to you, but I could have saved you the headache and told you she didn’t see or hear a thing Thursday night. If she had, the guy who attacked me wouldn’t have made it out of the yard.”

“Thanks for that.”

“No offense. She just goes into superhuman mode in times of trouble, which, frankly, I’m surprised she missed that night.”

“She misses more than you think.”

Darcy dropped three large ice cubes into a glass. “Sorry, I’ll need a hint for that one. Has something else happened?” When he didn’t answer, she frowned. “Marlowe?” Sighing, she opened the fridge. “Come on, it’s too hot for games. What is it you know that I don’t?”

“Look behind you, pretty lady. You’re not alone.”

Darcy’s heart leaped into in her throat. Her fingers froze on the handle.

The voice hadn’t come from her phone.

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