Read Online Dead By Dusk by Heather Graham - Free Book Online Page A

stranger state than she had apparently considered him to be in when she left.
    Maybe the new woman wasn’t Steph.
    Bull. Had to be, if Reggie owned the place.
    But what the hell. Maybe she wouldn’t be around. And he couldn’t spend the next months refusing to go into town. Stephanie was going to have to believe whatever she chose.
    â€œGrant?” Carlo said. “Are you all right?”
    He wasn’t. A fierce pain had suddenly snaked throughout his limbs, gripping them with tension. Everything that had happened with Steph had been torture, just as it was a constant agony now to wonder just what the hell was wrong with him, why he was here, and why he had all but thrown away the person who had meant more than anything in the world to him. A woman who was beautiful, sensual, evocative, intelligent, fun, and richly talented.
    â€œGrant?”
    â€œYeah, sorry, daydreaming, I guess. About the bones, that’s all,” Grant said.
    Carlo shook his head with patient tolerance. “Grant, mio amico —if you must daydream, make it about living women, eh? So—we go?”
    â€œSure. Give me a few minutes.”
    Daydream about living women . . .
    Bizarre. There was something about the dig. He felt as if he could unearth the bones, an entire section of history, a moment in time. Patience here had been difficult. He couldn’t help that really strange feeling that if he really kept at it, searched and tore into the dirt, he’d have the answer he was so desperately seeking.
    Problem was, he didn’t even know the question.
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    â€œWhat, good God! What?” Stephanie cried, heading quickly for the stairs.
    There seemed to be a pounding from all around as the lot of them joined Suzette where she stood, just inside the doorway of Gema’s bedroom.
    â€œIt’s a roach the size of Texas! I didn’t know that they even got roaches in Italy!” Suzette said, horrified.
    Her words were greeted by silence as those around her stared at one another, not sure whether to laugh, strangle Suzette, or simply be relieved.
    â€œWhere?” Arturo said with quiet dignity at last. “Naturally, we have a great deal of foliage, we are by the seaside. We are very, very clean . . . but upon occasion, an insect will make its way inside.”
    â€œRoaches are survivors. Older than dinosaurs, I believe,” Clay said, a spark of amusement in his eyes. He was standing slightly in front of her. She could have sworn that he had been behind her as she came flying up the stairs.
    â€œSuzette, you dip!” Lena let out suddenly. “You scared us all to death! My heart is still racing a million miles an hour. I thought that you’d . . . that you’d . . .”
    â€œShe thought you’d found Gema—splat on the floor,” Drew said, grinning impishly.
    â€œDrew, that’s horrible!” Lena protested.
    â€œOh, come on!” Drew said. “It would be horrible if we had found Gema . . . hurt. Or worse,” Drew said. “But she’s not here. That much is evident.”
    Clay Barton went striding past them all to the closet. He swung the doors open.
    They were all silent again as they stared in.
    The closet was empty.
    Suzette let out a long breath. “Well . . . there you have it. She’s gone.”
    â€œBut . . . but . . . she just walked out!” Arturo exclaimed, incredulous and outraged.
    â€œApparently,” Drew said. “The bright lights of Rome and all, you know.”
    â€œI didn’t know her,” Stephanie said, looking at Arturo, and then the group. “Would she really have done such a thing?”
    â€œI have to admit, I didn’t think she would,” Doug said. He shrugged. “She talked a lot. She is good-looking, and she certainly has balls, if you know what I mean. She’s the type who intends to make it. But . . . well, we all knew where we were going when we took the job, so I really