Read Online Fair Game by Doreen Owens Malek - Free Book Online
Authors: Doreen Owens Malek
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Fair replied. “These things are never a lot of fun, and it will help my daughter to have you along. I promise we’ll leave your tape recorder running so you won’t miss a syllable of our scintillating conversation, all right?”
“Okay,” Meg said, and rose from her chair. The two women moved toward the door.
“Lieutenant Martin is waiting for us in the hall,” Meg said to Ashley. “I saw him on my way in here.”
They slipped out into the hall as the others continued with the meeting.
Martin was leaning against the far wall, smoking. He straightened when he saw them.
“Hello, Lieutenant,” Ashley said. “I’ll be ready to go in a minute. I just want to pick up our coats inside.”
“Miss Drummond is coming with us?”
“Yes, is that all right?”
“Fine,” Martin said.
“I presume Sergeant Capo will be going with my father to the VFW hall at eleven?” Ashley asked.
Martin nodded.
Ashley went into her room and left Meg standing with the taciturn policeman.
“So,” Meg said after a protracted, uncomfortable silence, “how about those Phillies?”
Martin suppressed a grin, then chuckled.
“Gotcha,” Meg said, pleased with herself.
“I guess you did.”
“I knew you couldn’t be such a hard guy.”
“Don’t tell anyone else, okay?” Martin said soberly, playing along.
“My lips are sealed,” Meg replied solemnly.
Ashley emerged from her room wearing her raincoat and carrying Meg’s jacket over her arm. She glanced from one to the other.
“Here you go,” she said, handing Meg her blazer.
“Ladies, the car is waiting for us downstairs,” Martin informed them briskly.
They descended to the limo, and Martin got into the front as he had before, while Meg and Ashley rode in the back. The school was only a short distance away, and the principal welcomed them at the door and led them into an auditorium, where the student body was assembled to hear Ashley’s address. Flashbulbs popped as she took over the podium after the principal’s welcoming introduction. She talked to the kids about the importance of education and their role as the hope of the future, giving the standard “school speech,” and then posed for more pictures afterward. She was photographed with the principal, the assistant superintendent, and the President of the student body, an energetic redhead who told her that he hoped her father would “knock ‘em dead.” Martin and Meg stood on the sidelines, observing the scene, and it wasn’t until they were all heading back to the car, surrounded by reporters, that Ashley said in an aside to Meg, “What was that about when I went to get our coats?”
“What was what about?” Meg rejoined innocently.
“You know what I mean. When I got back, you and Martin were both grinning about something.”
“Oh, just a joke. Nothing major.”
“A joke?”
“Yeah. He’s not as dull as he’s trying to appear.”
“Somehow I guessed that,” Ashley replied dryly.
Martin came up behind them, and Ashley didn’t pursue it any further.
When they got back to the hotel, Meg went to make some arrangements with the desk clerk, and Ashley was left with Martin.
“Well, thank you, Lieutenant,” Ashley began, then staggered suddenly as she was walking, lurching forward erratically.
Martin was at her side instantly, taking her elbow and steadying her against him.
“Are you all right?” he asked worriedly.
“I... think so. I just got a little dizzy for a moment.”
“Sit down over here,” he said, leading her to a loveseat in the lobby. He sat next to her, leaning forward to watch her face.
“How do you feel now?”
“Better, thank you.”
“Do you want a glass of water or something?”
Ashley shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”
Martin examined her slight frame and had an inspiration. “Did you eat any breakfast this morning?”
Ashley bit her lip and didn’t answer, which was answer enough.
“How about last night?”
Ashley looked at the
“Okay,” Meg said, and rose from her chair. The two women moved toward the door.
“Lieutenant Martin is waiting for us in the hall,” Meg said to Ashley. “I saw him on my way in here.”
They slipped out into the hall as the others continued with the meeting.
Martin was leaning against the far wall, smoking. He straightened when he saw them.
“Hello, Lieutenant,” Ashley said. “I’ll be ready to go in a minute. I just want to pick up our coats inside.”
“Miss Drummond is coming with us?”
“Yes, is that all right?”
“Fine,” Martin said.
“I presume Sergeant Capo will be going with my father to the VFW hall at eleven?” Ashley asked.
Martin nodded.
Ashley went into her room and left Meg standing with the taciturn policeman.
“So,” Meg said after a protracted, uncomfortable silence, “how about those Phillies?”
Martin suppressed a grin, then chuckled.
“Gotcha,” Meg said, pleased with herself.
“I guess you did.”
“I knew you couldn’t be such a hard guy.”
“Don’t tell anyone else, okay?” Martin said soberly, playing along.
“My lips are sealed,” Meg replied solemnly.
Ashley emerged from her room wearing her raincoat and carrying Meg’s jacket over her arm. She glanced from one to the other.
“Here you go,” she said, handing Meg her blazer.
“Ladies, the car is waiting for us downstairs,” Martin informed them briskly.
They descended to the limo, and Martin got into the front as he had before, while Meg and Ashley rode in the back. The school was only a short distance away, and the principal welcomed them at the door and led them into an auditorium, where the student body was assembled to hear Ashley’s address. Flashbulbs popped as she took over the podium after the principal’s welcoming introduction. She talked to the kids about the importance of education and their role as the hope of the future, giving the standard “school speech,” and then posed for more pictures afterward. She was photographed with the principal, the assistant superintendent, and the President of the student body, an energetic redhead who told her that he hoped her father would “knock ‘em dead.” Martin and Meg stood on the sidelines, observing the scene, and it wasn’t until they were all heading back to the car, surrounded by reporters, that Ashley said in an aside to Meg, “What was that about when I went to get our coats?”
“What was what about?” Meg rejoined innocently.
“You know what I mean. When I got back, you and Martin were both grinning about something.”
“Oh, just a joke. Nothing major.”
“A joke?”
“Yeah. He’s not as dull as he’s trying to appear.”
“Somehow I guessed that,” Ashley replied dryly.
Martin came up behind them, and Ashley didn’t pursue it any further.
When they got back to the hotel, Meg went to make some arrangements with the desk clerk, and Ashley was left with Martin.
“Well, thank you, Lieutenant,” Ashley began, then staggered suddenly as she was walking, lurching forward erratically.
Martin was at her side instantly, taking her elbow and steadying her against him.
“Are you all right?” he asked worriedly.
“I... think so. I just got a little dizzy for a moment.”
“Sit down over here,” he said, leading her to a loveseat in the lobby. He sat next to her, leaning forward to watch her face.
“How do you feel now?”
“Better, thank you.”
“Do you want a glass of water or something?”
Ashley shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”
Martin examined her slight frame and had an inspiration. “Did you eat any breakfast this morning?”
Ashley bit her lip and didn’t answer, which was answer enough.
“How about last night?”
Ashley looked at the
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