Read Online Devil's Deception by Doreen Owens Malek - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Doreen Owens Malek
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Devlin came to attention as he heard the click of the door opening into the room. He closed his eyes and listened intently, visualizing the layout of the furniture as he’d last seen it. Angela crossed the floor, and the heels of her shoes became audible as they left the rug and rapped the hardwood floor. She was standing at the desk. Devlin held his breath and tried to isolate the various sounds he heard, exhaling slowly as he realized that Angela was sliding open a drawer. The control for the safe must be inside the desk. No wonder he hadn’t found it.
Angela walked back in the direction of the door and stopped a few feet away from it. Devlin thought hard. There was nothing in the vicinity of the door; she was confronting a blank wall. Devlin sighed. He was going to go over that sucker with a fine tooth comb. He must have missed the seam in the wall. He listened to the sound of machinery as Angela unlocked the safe. The rustle of papers followed as she looked up the price of the broken piece, and then the door of the safe slammed shut. She redid the combination and left the room.
Devlin dropped the receiver in his drawer and pushed it closed with the palm of his hand. Then, as always, he locked it and pocketed the key. He now had a few clues about the location of the safe, but no way to get into it and no knowledge of its contents. He drummed his fingers restlessly on the shiny surface of the dresser. One thing at a time. He had to get back into that room.
But first, there was a call to make. He had delayed as long as he could. As soon as Angela was occupied he would do his duty.
His expression grim, he went into the hall and waited for Angela to return. She descended the staircase and faced him.
“Three thousand two hundred dollars,” she announced flatly.
“Three thousand two hundred dollars?” Devlin repeated, incredulous.
“That’s correct,” Angela said.
Devlin extended his arm. “You’d better take the first pint right now,” he said darkly.
Angela almost forgot she was mad at him and came close to smiling. But she controlled herself, refusing to relax at all. She kept her face impassive, waiting.
“I’ll have to pay it in installments,” Devlin added.
“I’m sure that will be fine with my uncle,” Angela replied. “I’ll tell him about it next time I speak to him.” She turned on her heel and left.
When Devlin was sure she had settled in to study, he went to the basement and detached the phone cable to the extension in Angela’s room. Then he positioned himself at the hall phone, where he could see her if she left her bedroom to come downstairs. As always when he had to steel himself to perform an odious task, he lit a cigarette. He dialed quickly.
“They’re beginning to wonder if my presence here is necessary,” he said tersely into the receiver. “Make another call to convince them.”
He took a long drag during the response from the other end.
“That’s right,” he replied. “At eight o’clock.” He dropped the phone into its cradle as if it had become hot in his hand, and headed back to the basement to reconnect Angela’s extension.
* * * *
Angela threw her notebook on the floor and chewed the tip of her pen. She couldn’t think about holographic wills. Devlin was downstairs and she couldn’t concentrate on anything but him.
What was going to happen now? He wanted her but had rebuffed her twice. Why? Now the tension between them was like a tightly strung connecting wire, sure to snap. Angela was so preoccupied with her relationship, or lack of it, with Devlin, that everything else in her life was relegated to the background.
She rolled over and stared unseeingly at the collection of framed film posters that covered her bedroom walls. What had Devlin’s previous life been like? What was Devlin’s life away from her? This assignment mandated that he be with Angela all the time, but she knew that he must have a social circle away from his work. She
Devlin came to attention as he heard the click of the door opening into the room. He closed his eyes and listened intently, visualizing the layout of the furniture as he’d last seen it. Angela crossed the floor, and the heels of her shoes became audible as they left the rug and rapped the hardwood floor. She was standing at the desk. Devlin held his breath and tried to isolate the various sounds he heard, exhaling slowly as he realized that Angela was sliding open a drawer. The control for the safe must be inside the desk. No wonder he hadn’t found it.
Angela walked back in the direction of the door and stopped a few feet away from it. Devlin thought hard. There was nothing in the vicinity of the door; she was confronting a blank wall. Devlin sighed. He was going to go over that sucker with a fine tooth comb. He must have missed the seam in the wall. He listened to the sound of machinery as Angela unlocked the safe. The rustle of papers followed as she looked up the price of the broken piece, and then the door of the safe slammed shut. She redid the combination and left the room.
Devlin dropped the receiver in his drawer and pushed it closed with the palm of his hand. Then, as always, he locked it and pocketed the key. He now had a few clues about the location of the safe, but no way to get into it and no knowledge of its contents. He drummed his fingers restlessly on the shiny surface of the dresser. One thing at a time. He had to get back into that room.
But first, there was a call to make. He had delayed as long as he could. As soon as Angela was occupied he would do his duty.
His expression grim, he went into the hall and waited for Angela to return. She descended the staircase and faced him.
“Three thousand two hundred dollars,” she announced flatly.
“Three thousand two hundred dollars?” Devlin repeated, incredulous.
“That’s correct,” Angela said.
Devlin extended his arm. “You’d better take the first pint right now,” he said darkly.
Angela almost forgot she was mad at him and came close to smiling. But she controlled herself, refusing to relax at all. She kept her face impassive, waiting.
“I’ll have to pay it in installments,” Devlin added.
“I’m sure that will be fine with my uncle,” Angela replied. “I’ll tell him about it next time I speak to him.” She turned on her heel and left.
When Devlin was sure she had settled in to study, he went to the basement and detached the phone cable to the extension in Angela’s room. Then he positioned himself at the hall phone, where he could see her if she left her bedroom to come downstairs. As always when he had to steel himself to perform an odious task, he lit a cigarette. He dialed quickly.
“They’re beginning to wonder if my presence here is necessary,” he said tersely into the receiver. “Make another call to convince them.”
He took a long drag during the response from the other end.
“That’s right,” he replied. “At eight o’clock.” He dropped the phone into its cradle as if it had become hot in his hand, and headed back to the basement to reconnect Angela’s extension.
* * * *
Angela threw her notebook on the floor and chewed the tip of her pen. She couldn’t think about holographic wills. Devlin was downstairs and she couldn’t concentrate on anything but him.
What was going to happen now? He wanted her but had rebuffed her twice. Why? Now the tension between them was like a tightly strung connecting wire, sure to snap. Angela was so preoccupied with her relationship, or lack of it, with Devlin, that everything else in her life was relegated to the background.
She rolled over and stared unseeingly at the collection of framed film posters that covered her bedroom walls. What had Devlin’s previous life been like? What was Devlin’s life away from her? This assignment mandated that he be with Angela all the time, but she knew that he must have a social circle away from his work. She
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