Read Online Cut to the Bone by Joan Boswell - Free Book Online

Never. No police.” A shuddering sob. “No. Don’t do that.”
    Crystal might not know or admit that she knew whatever it was that her aunt was involved with, but she knew the police mustn’t be called.
    Whether she liked it or not, Hollis had a job: finding Mary Montour.

TEN
    Rhona and Ian finished the tenant interviews at seven thirty.
    â€œWhat have we got?” Ian asked as he swept the relevant documents into a pile on Hollis’s desk.
    â€œNot much. Those first interviews told us the most.”
    â€œNo one knew anything about Ms. Trepanier or her background. That has to be a priority. Her appointment book and her laptop may provide useful connections,” Ian said.
    â€œFirst we need to eat. Let’s walk over to Yonge Street and pick up a burger,” Rhona said, thinking that junk food was the police officer’s secret enemy.
    â€œGood idea. While we’re there I’ll tell you about the construction workers. One knew more about the fifth floor residents than he should have.”
    Leaving officers to monitor, to take the names of any tenants to whom they hadn’t spoken, and to caution them not to leave the area, the two detectives walked to Yonge Street and crossed to a pub.
    Inside the door a sound wave smacked them. The place was hopping and the decibel level approached the auditory danger mark.
    â€œWe can’t talk here. There’s a Tim Hortons down the block, but it isn’t conducive to quiet chatting. I wonder where else we can get a quick bite?” Rhona shouted.
    â€œA friend of mine lives near here. We often eat at Terroni. Good Italian food. It’s a block south of St. Clair.”
    A friend? Male or female? Rhona longed to ask, but Ian would sniff disdainfully and ask her why she wanted to know.
    Pedestrians thronged Yonge Street. People exited from the St. Clair Centre coming from the subway stop in the basement or from a thriving Goodlife Fitness Studio. Terroni proved quieter than the pub and they followed the hostess to a table that promised privacy.
    Rhona informed the server that they were in a hurry. After taking a minute to survey the large menus, they chose the day’s special, penne with a rose vodka sauce, and Verde salads. While they waited Rhona gave in to temptation and enjoyed the warm bread that she dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
    Ian refused the bread. As Rhona worked her way through the contents of the bread basket he said nothing, but she took his silence and raised eyebrows to reveal his contempt for her obvious lack of willpower.
    Munching happily, she chose to ignore his attitude. Instead she said, “What about the construction workers?”
    Ian sipped his water. “Most had no idea who lived in the building and only cared about doing the job.” He folded his hands in his lap. “But one young guy with dark hair and dark skin, maybe East Asian or Aboriginal, said he always looked in the apartments when they worked on the balconies. Didn’t seem the slightest bit embarrassed either.”
    â€œDid he admit that he knew any women on the fifth? According to Hollis, the owners replaced their balconies when they renovated the building a couple of years ago.”
    â€œSaid his boss worked on them but that was years before he was around.”
    â€œGet any background on him?” Rhona asked as she reached in her bag to make sure she’d switched on her cell phone.
    â€œHe’d only been here a couple of weeks. When I asked him what he did before this job, he said he’d worked on high steel construction.”
    The server delivered their meals. Both opted for freshly ground parmesan, and after the initial taste, agreed they’d chosen well and ate in silence for several minutes.
    Rhona took the opportunity to study Ian. Although they’d now worked together on several cases, she wasn’t any closer to knowing more than a few facts about him. Reticent didn’t