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

thought that all of her talk was just that . . . talk.”
    â€œI don’t know. It doesn’t really surprise me,” Suzette said. “I mean, think about it, Lena. It’s not that I dislike Gema, mind you—she can be really funny—but she was that . . . well, type. I mean, you wouldn’t trust her, really, with anything terribly important. And if I had a boyfriend or husband, well, quite frankly, I wouldn’t trust her in the room with him for five minutes! Lena, you know that I’m right. Okay, come on, really, think about it. When women have friends, they have good friends, people they trust. And then they have friends like Gema, who kind of move to their own tune. They can be friendly as hell, but you know that they don’t really have the same ethics or feelings, or whatever and . . . oh, quit staring at me like that! I know that you all know what I mean. She thought she could better herself by leaving, so she left. For her, it wasn’t a bad thing to do.”
    â€œBut not to even mention it?” Stephanie asked.
    Suzette shrugged.
    â€œWell, I’d like to know that she’s really all right,” Stephanie said.
    Arturo sniffed. “The closet is empty.”
    â€œLet’s take a look around anyway, just make sure that we don’t see anything funny, huh?” Stephanie said.
    â€œFunny?” Drew said, arching a brow. “Like what?”
    â€œLike blood on the floor,” Lena said.
    â€œMy God, no!” Suzette cried.
    â€œSuzette, we’re not going to find blood on the floor,” Stephanie said, but a strange unease filled her.
    Suzette let out another little squeal.
    â€œSuzette, really, we’re just looking for a note or something—” Stephanie began.
    â€œNo, no, it’s the roach again. Moving! There, on the wall!”
    Clay Barton strode across the room, picked up a tourist magazine from the dresser top, and whacked the roach.
    â€œUgh!” Suzette said.
    â€œHey, he just did the manly thing. The roach is dead,” Doug told her impatiently.
    â€œDead as a doorknob!” Drew added cheerfully.
    â€œYes, it’s still ugh!” Suzette said.
    Clay shook his head and walked into the bathroom, came back out with toilet paper, and picked up the insect’s remains.
    They heard a flush as he sent the tissue and mini-carcass down the toilet. When he walked back out, he told Stephanie, “I’ll look around downstairs.”
    â€œSuzette, you and Lena look around in here,” Stephanie told them.
    â€œIn the roach room! Hey, look, Clay was a manly man, all right, but there are still roach guts on the wall, even if he wiped it,” Suzette said.
    â€œWe don’t need to look at the wall,” Lena told her. “Come on, Suzette, let’s just check out the drawers and the bath . . . it will only take a minute.”
    â€œDrew, Doug, please take a look around outside, and I’ll head downstairs as well,” Stephanie told them.
    â€œAye, aye!” Doug said, saluting. Drew followed his example. They both stared at her, standing at attention.
    She forced a smile. That was what you got when you worked with improv players. “Cute, cute. Save it all for Friday night, huh?”
    She turned, and nearly walked into Arturo, he had been standing so close behind her.
    â€œWhat can I do?”
    â€œWhy don’t you go to the lobby, see if you can find the maid who did this room today, and ask her if Gema left a message, or if she found anything,” Stephanie suggested.
    â€œYes, yes . . . then we’ll all meet in the lobby bar . . . it’s just opposite the club. And the restaurant is behind—we can have a few drinks . . . have some dinner. You haven’t had a dinner here yet. Fantastico! ” he assured her.
    â€œThat will be great.”
    Arturo, pleased that he could help, started down the stairs. Stephanie glanced at Suzette and Lena. Suzette seemed