Read Online 5 Deal Killer by Vicki Doudera - Free Book Online

bring it up, I did have an email from Hideki Kobayashi a few weeks ago, asking me to check on possible locations for his company in New York. I suppose that counts, right?”
    Miles’s rugged face wore a triumphant look. “That’s my girl, always ready to make the next deal. So your wealthy Japanese businessman wants a slice of the Big Apple, eh? How will you get up to snuff on what’s available in the city?”
    “I won’t completely—not in a week, anyway, but I can sure give it a shot. Of course, there’s the small matter of licensing, too. I’ve managed to make deals in Maine and Florida, but I’m not accredited here.” She waited as the waitress set their check in the middle of the table and discreetly departed. “I have a few leads on Manhattan brokers, including a guy from Maine who’s a partner in a new start-up. I’ll do my own research on properties, and then make a few calls. If I like what one of them has to say, I’ll invite that broker to work with Hideki and me.”
    “Isn’t Kobayashi the one who bought the island estate down in Florida?”
    Darby nodded. “Yes. He fell in love with a waterfront compound that had belonged to a pro golfer.” She pictured the acres of manicured grounds, guest house, pool house, and killer views of the Gulf of Mexico, and smiled. It had been one of her biggest sales to date, and had launched her friendship with the high-powered pharmaceutical executive.
    “Don’t you run the risk of losing Hideki to this chap if you refer him?”
    “Me, lose a client?” Darby laughed before the memory of the Davenports and their displeasure flitted into her mind. “I’ll refer him for this transaction only. Besides, Hideki is a friend, and very loyal.” She took a sip of freshly squeezed orange juice and savored the sharp, clean taste. Her stay in Florida a year earlier had spoiled her as far as citrus was concerned, but this juice was every bit as good as what she’d enjoyed off the tree while staying on Serenidad Key.
    She glanced at her watch. “Hadn’t you better get to your class, Professor Porter? Your students will be waiting anxiously.”
    “Suppose so. I wish I didn’t have to leave you to your own devic es. You sure you’ll be okay?”
    “I’ll be fine.”
    “Right. I’ll be busy until mid-afternoon or so. Where should we meet? At the flat, or somewhere more exotic?”
    “Let’s talk later on and see how your day has gone.”
    “Fair enough.” Miles paid the bill and leaned toward her. “Goodbye, my little real estate detective,” he said, planting a kiss on her cheek. “One night in the city and you have a murder to solve.” He shook his head. “Wish I didn’t have to run but I’ll speak with you soon.”
    Darby watched as he walked past the tables and exited the restaurant, a tall, good-looking man who never failed to turn female heads. She thought of Natalia, wondering if she had a little crush on Miles. Then the image of the crudely constructed death threat popped into her head.
    She shuddered. How would I feel if I received a note like that? Most likely, terrified …
    Rodin’s killer was out there, somewhere, and so was the person who had written that note. As Darby picked up her purse and prepared to leave the restaurant, she wondered if Miles was right and they were one and the same.
    _____
    From the wooden bench that creaked beneath his considerable weight, Sergei Bokeria watched the door to Schermerhorn Hall, waiting for Natalia Kazakova to emerge. The day was shaping up nicely, he thought, feeling the sun warm against his face. It reminded him of his boyhood in the Ural Mountains, playing outside in the first nice days of spring. There had been a small seasonal creek behind his house, brimming with muddy water once the winter snows melted, and the little boys of his village often congregated there. They’d gather stones and try to dam up the creek, and he remembered the feeling of the icy water as it splashed over his hands, the