Read Online All Night Long by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
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Alexa and led the way purposefully toward the door.
Ryland paused at the entrance to look back at Irene. “I hope you will remember that you are first and foremost a friend of the family, Miss Stenson.”
“I will never forget that Pamela was once my best friend,” Irene said.
Uncertainty darkened Ryland’s expression. Luke could tell that he was not sure how to take that statement. But Hoyt Egan was on the move again, shepherding his boss through the doorway.
“I’ve never even heard of the
Glaston Cove Beacon
,” Hoyt said to Ryland. “Which means that it is very small-time. Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem, sir.”
The trio went down the steps and got into the limo.
Luke looked at Irene. “Congratulations, I think you just rattled the cage of a U.S.
senator.”
“For all the good it will do.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat.
“There isn’t going to b n investigation, is there, Sam?”
Sam stirred slightly, as though surprised to learn that anyone had even remembered he was in the room.
“Unless you’ve got something solid beyond that e-mail note from Pamela asking you to meet her here,
I have no reason to push for an investigation,” he said quietly.
She smiled coldly. “And every reason not to go there, right?”
Sam’s mouth tightened. “You think I’m backing off because I don’t want to take on Ryland Webb, don’t you?”
Irene winced. “I shouldn’t have implied that. But there’s no getting around the fact that Webb is a powerful man.”
“Webb may be powerful, but he’s still a father whose daughter just took her own life, either deliberately or by accident. Your dad once told me that families usually try to keep suicide very quiet. I’ve dealt wit couple in the past few years, and I can tell you that he was right. It’s amazing the lengths folks will g o in order to hush up that kind of thing.”
Irene sighed. “I know.”
“Far as I’m concerned,” Sam said, “unless there’s a good reason for thinking otherwise, a family i ntitled to keep its secrets.”
He looked to Luke, obviously seeking some backup.
Luke shrugged. “Depends on the secrets, I guess. But one thing’s for sure, every family’s got em.”
Seven
Forty minutes later, Sam escorted them out the door of the municipal building. Irene was still fuming, but a renewed sense of resolve was setting in. She reminded herself that she had known from the outset that the odds of convincing McPherson to conduct a full-scale investigation were less than zero.
“Give it some time, Irene,” Sam said. “I know it wasn’t easy, finding her like that.
But when the shock wears off, you’ll realize that it really was an overdose, not a murder.”
“Sure,” she said.
Luke said nothing, just took her arm and steered her down the steps to the SUV He opened the passenger-side door. Irene climbed in swiftly.
Luke got behind the wheel and drove out of the parking lot. Irene could see that every head in the Ventana View Cafe was turned in the direction of the SUV
“Pack of ghouls,” she whispered.
“Give em a break,” Luke said quietly. “This is a small town. The death of someone like Pamela Webb,
a senator’s daughter and former local bad girl, is bound to grab everyone’s attention.”
She gripped her shoulder bag very tightly in her lap. “They stared at me in exactly the same way at the funerals of my parents.”
He gave her a quick, sharp, searching look before returning his attention to the road.
“For what it’s worth,” he said after a while, “I think Me Pherson is right. Your friend’s death was eithe n accident or suicide.”
“I’m not buying it.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Give McPherson his due, though. He’s not cooperating in a cover-up. He laid out the facts for you. There’s nothing that warrants further investigation.”
“There’s still that e-mail note she sent to me. How can he ignore that?”
“He didn’t ignore it,” Luke
Ryland paused at the entrance to look back at Irene. “I hope you will remember that you are first and foremost a friend of the family, Miss Stenson.”
“I will never forget that Pamela was once my best friend,” Irene said.
Uncertainty darkened Ryland’s expression. Luke could tell that he was not sure how to take that statement. But Hoyt Egan was on the move again, shepherding his boss through the doorway.
“I’ve never even heard of the
Glaston Cove Beacon
,” Hoyt said to Ryland. “Which means that it is very small-time. Don’t worry, it won’t be a problem, sir.”
The trio went down the steps and got into the limo.
Luke looked at Irene. “Congratulations, I think you just rattled the cage of a U.S.
senator.”
“For all the good it will do.” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her coat.
“There isn’t going to b n investigation, is there, Sam?”
Sam stirred slightly, as though surprised to learn that anyone had even remembered he was in the room.
“Unless you’ve got something solid beyond that e-mail note from Pamela asking you to meet her here,
I have no reason to push for an investigation,” he said quietly.
She smiled coldly. “And every reason not to go there, right?”
Sam’s mouth tightened. “You think I’m backing off because I don’t want to take on Ryland Webb, don’t you?”
Irene winced. “I shouldn’t have implied that. But there’s no getting around the fact that Webb is a powerful man.”
“Webb may be powerful, but he’s still a father whose daughter just took her own life, either deliberately or by accident. Your dad once told me that families usually try to keep suicide very quiet. I’ve dealt wit couple in the past few years, and I can tell you that he was right. It’s amazing the lengths folks will g o in order to hush up that kind of thing.”
Irene sighed. “I know.”
“Far as I’m concerned,” Sam said, “unless there’s a good reason for thinking otherwise, a family i ntitled to keep its secrets.”
He looked to Luke, obviously seeking some backup.
Luke shrugged. “Depends on the secrets, I guess. But one thing’s for sure, every family’s got em.”
Seven
Forty minutes later, Sam escorted them out the door of the municipal building. Irene was still fuming, but a renewed sense of resolve was setting in. She reminded herself that she had known from the outset that the odds of convincing McPherson to conduct a full-scale investigation were less than zero.
“Give it some time, Irene,” Sam said. “I know it wasn’t easy, finding her like that.
But when the shock wears off, you’ll realize that it really was an overdose, not a murder.”
“Sure,” she said.
Luke said nothing, just took her arm and steered her down the steps to the SUV He opened the passenger-side door. Irene climbed in swiftly.
Luke got behind the wheel and drove out of the parking lot. Irene could see that every head in the Ventana View Cafe was turned in the direction of the SUV
“Pack of ghouls,” she whispered.
“Give em a break,” Luke said quietly. “This is a small town. The death of someone like Pamela Webb,
a senator’s daughter and former local bad girl, is bound to grab everyone’s attention.”
She gripped her shoulder bag very tightly in her lap. “They stared at me in exactly the same way at the funerals of my parents.”
He gave her a quick, sharp, searching look before returning his attention to the road.
“For what it’s worth,” he said after a while, “I think Me Pherson is right. Your friend’s death was eithe n accident or suicide.”
“I’m not buying it.”
“Yeah, I can see that. Give McPherson his due, though. He’s not cooperating in a cover-up. He laid out the facts for you. There’s nothing that warrants further investigation.”
“There’s still that e-mail note she sent to me. How can he ignore that?”
“He didn’t ignore it,” Luke
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