Read Online A grave denied by Dana Stabenow - Free Book Online
Authors: Dana Stabenow
Tags: Fiction, General, detective, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Detective and Mystery Stories, Mystery Fiction, Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths, Women Private Investigators, Fiction - Mystery, Crime & mystery, alaska, Crime thriller, Shugak; Kate (Fictitious character), Shugak; Kate (Fictitious chara, Women private investigators - Alaska - Fiction., Alaska - Fiction., Shugak; Kate (Fictitious character) - Fiction., Women private investigators - Alaska
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he boomed cheerfully, “I live to serve. What do you need?”
“Anything you can dig up on a Len Dreyer.”
“Got a Social Security number?”
“Nope.”
“Got a date of birth?”
“Nope.”
“Got a driver’s license number?”
“Nope.”
A brief pause. “Well, if it was easy, everybody^ be doing it.”
“Jim shipped the body to the ME yesterday. It was stuck in a glacier. His prints ought to be fairly well preserved.”
“Freeze-dried,” Brendan said respectfully. “Who do I call?”
Bobby nudged Kate to one side. “Brendan, this is Bobby.”
“No offense, Bobby, but I’d rather be talking to Kate.”
Bobby laughed. “You and me both, bubba. I’m on-line nowadays. When you get what she wants, email it to Bobby at parkair-dot-com. That way I can print it out for you,” he told Kate.
Kate, who liked computers, said, “Just like downtown.” She raised her voice. “Thanks, Brendan.”
His voice sank to a lecherous purr. “Come to town and you can thank me in person.”
Kate laughed. “I’ll be on the next plane.”
“You’re cutting into my action, McCord, I’m cutting you off,” Bobby said, and cleared to the sound of Brendan’s laughter. He cocked an eyebrow at Kate.
“Cut it out,” she said. “You’re starting to sound like Dolly Levi.”
“I didn’t say a word,” he said virtuously. “You working for Jim on this?”
She nodded, careful to keep her expression neutral. “Usual rates.”
She waited grimly for the ragging to start, but all he said was, “Hmmm. Didn’t you owe me some money?”
When the door closed behind her he checked on Katya, who had fallen asleep with her head beneath the coffee table, her little butt stuck up in the air, which inspired him to scoop his wife out of her chair and into his lap. The kiss that followed was long and enthusiastic. She squirmed halfheartedly before giving in.
He pulled back to look down at her flushed and smiling face. “Promise me you’ll never leave me.”
She laughed. “Where’s that coming from?”
He jerked his head at the door.
Her laugh faded. “You mean her and Jim?”
“Who else?”
“Ethan’s totally out of the picture?”
“What I hear, his wife’s got him on a leash so short he hardly ever gets off the homestead anymore.”
She was silent.
“What?”
“I don’t want Kate hurt,” she said.
“Hurt? Kate?” It was his turn to laugh.
She shoved herself off his lap and sat back down in front of the computer. Even the line of her spine looked angry, so he wasn’t surprised when her voice was curt. “You’re such a moron, Clark. You think Kate’s invulnerable?”
He took a chance and rolled over to slide his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her ear and whispered, “I think she can handle herself. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I’d like to handle you.”
She tried to shrug him off, and only managed to shrug off her clothes and into their bed. A while later he said, “Got some news.”
“Good or bad?” She raised her head to see if Katya was still out, and was reassured by the mound of little behind beneath the baby quilt
the
four aunties had made.
“Bad.”
She rolled up on an elbow. He was staring at the ceiling, his face set. She let her hand wander to afford some distraction from whatever it was that was making him unhappy.
“Cut that out,” he said without force.
“Tell me or I’ll quit.”
“All right, all right, Jesus! Some women.” He pulled her back down for a fierce kiss.
“Forget it,” she said, grabbing his hair and pulling. “Talk.”
“Ouch! Damn it! Jeez, you’re always beating up on me. You think you’d take it easier on a poor, helpless cripple with—”
She pulled harder. “Tell me.”
He sighed. “My brother’s coming.”
“Your
“Anything you can dig up on a Len Dreyer.”
“Got a Social Security number?”
“Nope.”
“Got a date of birth?”
“Nope.”
“Got a driver’s license number?”
“Nope.”
A brief pause. “Well, if it was easy, everybody^ be doing it.”
“Jim shipped the body to the ME yesterday. It was stuck in a glacier. His prints ought to be fairly well preserved.”
“Freeze-dried,” Brendan said respectfully. “Who do I call?”
Bobby nudged Kate to one side. “Brendan, this is Bobby.”
“No offense, Bobby, but I’d rather be talking to Kate.”
Bobby laughed. “You and me both, bubba. I’m on-line nowadays. When you get what she wants, email it to Bobby at parkair-dot-com. That way I can print it out for you,” he told Kate.
Kate, who liked computers, said, “Just like downtown.” She raised her voice. “Thanks, Brendan.”
His voice sank to a lecherous purr. “Come to town and you can thank me in person.”
Kate laughed. “I’ll be on the next plane.”
“You’re cutting into my action, McCord, I’m cutting you off,” Bobby said, and cleared to the sound of Brendan’s laughter. He cocked an eyebrow at Kate.
“Cut it out,” she said. “You’re starting to sound like Dolly Levi.”
“I didn’t say a word,” he said virtuously. “You working for Jim on this?”
She nodded, careful to keep her expression neutral. “Usual rates.”
She waited grimly for the ragging to start, but all he said was, “Hmmm. Didn’t you owe me some money?”
When the door closed behind her he checked on Katya, who had fallen asleep with her head beneath the coffee table, her little butt stuck up in the air, which inspired him to scoop his wife out of her chair and into his lap. The kiss that followed was long and enthusiastic. She squirmed halfheartedly before giving in.
He pulled back to look down at her flushed and smiling face. “Promise me you’ll never leave me.”
She laughed. “Where’s that coming from?”
He jerked his head at the door.
Her laugh faded. “You mean her and Jim?”
“Who else?”
“Ethan’s totally out of the picture?”
“What I hear, his wife’s got him on a leash so short he hardly ever gets off the homestead anymore.”
She was silent.
“What?”
“I don’t want Kate hurt,” she said.
“Hurt? Kate?” It was his turn to laugh.
She shoved herself off his lap and sat back down in front of the computer. Even the line of her spine looked angry, so he wasn’t surprised when her voice was curt. “You’re such a moron, Clark. You think Kate’s invulnerable?”
He took a chance and rolled over to slide his arms around her waist. He nuzzled her ear and whispered, “I think she can handle herself. Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I’d like to handle you.”
She tried to shrug him off, and only managed to shrug off her clothes and into their bed. A while later he said, “Got some news.”
“Good or bad?” She raised her head to see if Katya was still out, and was reassured by the mound of little behind beneath the baby quilt
the
four aunties had made.
“Bad.”
She rolled up on an elbow. He was staring at the ceiling, his face set. She let her hand wander to afford some distraction from whatever it was that was making him unhappy.
“Cut that out,” he said without force.
“Tell me or I’ll quit.”
“All right, all right, Jesus! Some women.” He pulled her back down for a fierce kiss.
“Forget it,” she said, grabbing his hair and pulling. “Talk.”
“Ouch! Damn it! Jeez, you’re always beating up on me. You think you’d take it easier on a poor, helpless cripple with—”
She pulled harder. “Tell me.”
He sighed. “My brother’s coming.”
“Your
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