Read Online Blood Red by Heather Graham - Free Book Online Page A

smile.
    â€œWhat’s the matter with you, Lauren?” Deanna asked. “You’re not usually like this. The guy is gorgeous and he seemed nice. What’s your problem?”
    Lauren arched a brow and shook her head. “I don’t know. I guess I was just nervous last night. And he was standing outside after we first got back last night, I’m certain. I saw him out on the street.”
    â€œHe’s staying here we are. He had to be on the street to get here,” Heidi pointed out, a smile curving her lips.
    â€œCute,” Lauren told her. “Then I found Deanna out by the pool—sleepwalking!”
    â€œYou were sleepwalking?” Heidi asked Deanna.
    â€œI guess. Luckily, Lauren found me before I drowned. Then again, the water might have woken me up. Who knows?”
    â€œWe probably shouldn’t have taken the red-eye.” Heidi said.
    â€œToday is going to be great,” Lauren assured her. “Turn here. That clothing shop you wanted to go to is down a few blocks on the right. I want to go to that gallery across the way. I’ll meet you guys in the place with the great hats in half an hour.”
    When they reached Heidi’s goal, she shooed them inside and walked on.

    New Orleans Police Lieutenant Sean Canady sat at his desk in the precinct, staring at the newspaper.
    Headless corpse.
    It was happening again. He groaned aloud.
    â€œHey, Lieutenant.”
    He looked up to see Bobby Munro standing in front of him.
    â€œHey, Bobby.” He didn’t ask his officer if he had seen the headline; he couldn’t have helped but see it.
    â€œThe Mississippi’s a big river. That body could have come from anywhere,” Bobby said. “And there have been plenty of perps who behead their victims. Get rid of the head, stall the identification.”
    Bobby was a damned good officer, Sean thought. Young and good-looking, he was nevertheless a fine cop. He’d seen a hell of a lot already, but he hadn’t become jaded. Bobby saw himself as one of the good guys, and he still believed he could create a better world.
    Sean leaned back at his desk, looking up at Bobby. He’d been around a lot longer himself, and while he wasn’t exactly jaded, he was weary. He came from this area. He knew he had the respect of his superiors, from the mayor up to the governor—hell, even up to the Feds. He was given a lot of leeway in his investigations. His word was considered good. So were his instincts.
    And he didn’t like this.
    â€œAn organized killer, trying to hide an ID, would almost certainly have cut off the hands, as well,” he said. “We’ve still got fingerprints, and I have a hunch we’ll have an ID on our vic soon enough.”
    â€œDrug deal gone bad?” Bobby suggested hopefully.
    Sean shrugged. “Keep an eye out,” he said.
    â€œRight. And you remember, Lieutenant. The Mississippi? A big, big river.”
    â€œYeah,” Sean said, smiling grimly. “But the corpse is in our morgue.”

    Lauren finished her shopping and arranged for the small piece of art she’d chosen to be delivered to the B and B, then stepped out onto Royal Street. The sun was bright. She shaded her eyes with one hand while she fumbled in her bag for her sunglasses with the other.
    One of the mule-drawn carriages drove by. She blinked, then squinted against the glare. She could have sworn Deanna was in it—on the front seat, right next to the driver, who was tall and dark, and wearing a top hat.
    The carriage kept going at a brisk pace.
    â€œDeanna?” she called, following after it. But there were cars on the street, as well, and she had to move quickly back to the sidewalk and maneuver around all the people there. The carriage was far beyond her before she finally gave up trying to follow it.
    Besides, itt couldn’t have been Deanna, she told herself. Deanna wouldn’t have taken a carriage ride by