Read Online Buried Bones by Carolyn Haines - Free Book Online

smile acknowledged my hard shell. "I came because I heard about Mr. Ambrose. You discovered the body."
    Tiny little goose bumps trembled on my arms. "Yes, that's true."
    "The shock, it must have been severe."
    His eyes were a light hazel with golden flecks that seemed to shift in soft patterns. Perhaps it was just the effect of the blinking neon. "Yes." I lowered my gaze and waited.
    "The sheriff certainly believes it was an accident, right?"
    I shrugged, aware of his subtle implication that it might have been something other than an accident. "It would seem."
    "And just when he was about to complete the book about his life." A pause. "Such a shame that the project is ruined."
    "Is it ruined?" I asked. If Willem was pumping me, I decided to turn the tables.
    Willem leaned across the space and touched my hand. "Perhaps I misunderstood. Will Brianna continue with the book?"
    The touch of his hand distracted me with a flash of sensory neon, but something in his tone made me cautious. "I'm not certain what her plans are. Maybe you should ask her."
    Willem chuckled. "You know Brianna, always so secretive."
    I very slowly withdrew my hand. Willem had come to pump me, but I didn't understand why. He could get better answers from Brianna. "I do know Brianna. How well do you know her?"
    "Well enough. We parted friends."
    "How nice," I said, wondering exactly which one had pulled the plug on the relationship. As far as I could remember, Willem had been spared the tabloid treatment. There had been no public recriminations in print. Now, at least, I knew why he wasn't asking her questions.
    "This book, are you comfortable with Brianna writing the life of
Lawrence
?" He finished his drink and carefully put the glass on the table beside his chair.
    It was impossible to determine the underlying basis of his question. He and Brianna had been lovers. What were they now? Had she sent him over here? "I actually don't have an opinion. You knew them both, what do you think?"
    I watched his reaction and caught a flicker of something I couldn't define. "Brianna has connections in the publishing world, and perhaps the movies. I'm just not certain of her ability to get the facts straight. She has a very casual relationship with the truth."
    "How deftly put." Brianna was a liar and he knew it.
    "You didn't happen to see the manuscript in his home, did you?" Willem asked.
    I was beginning to see the motivation for his visit. Disappointment has a metallic taste. "I wasn't looking for it," I said as I poured him another drink. "What, exactly, is your interest in
Lawrence
's book?" It was time to fish or cut bait.
    He shrugged, that deliberate lifting of his shoulders that could mean almost anything. "I have my vices like all men. Curiosity is one of them. You left last night after
Lawrence
made his announcement." His smile was tinted with enjoyment. "Everyone was terrified of what he might put in that book. I suppose I've fallen victim to the desire to know the gossip."
    I didn't believe that for a second, but the art of interrogation required that I resist the impulse to point it out. "I believe
Lawrence
was playing with everyone," I said. "You know, having his fun at their expense." His eyes held only mild amusement at the thought. If he feared something in the book, he knew how to cover himself. "How long will you be staying in town?" I asked, sipping my drink.
    Onecornerof hismouthturneddown."Who knows? Once I finish my negotiations on behalf of my country, I may stay for a while. I'm a farmer as well as an artist, Sarah Booth. The desolation of the Delta appeals to me. The land speaks to me. Perhaps I'll paint here."
    I hadn't expected that response. "But your paintings are so political. I wouldn't expect you to find inspiration in a foreign land."
    "An artist must grow, Sarah Booth. Besides, I've found something else that interests me." He stared directly into my eyes, and I felt the force of his charisma. There was no doubt he was a predator,