Read Online Hand of Fate by Lis Wiehl - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lis Wiehl
Tags: Fiction, General, LEGAL, Suspense, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Crime, Christian, Murder, Investigation, Female friendship, Women lawyers, Radio talk show hosts
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if it looked like a big story might break the next day, or she had an important meeting or an event after work and needed to look good--well, there were the pills to help. Over the phone, the doctor had mumbled something about how they could be addictive, but Cassidy decided it was better to have a little addiction and be well rested and alert. Better to be attractive than ugly and exhausted.
It wasn't long before she needed to take a pill every night. If sh e t ried to skip one, she found herself wide-awake. She would lie and watch the glowing green numbers on her alarm clock slowly move forward-3 a . M ., 4 a . M ., 5 a . M . Finally she would break down and take a pill, even if she only got an hour or two of sleep before her alarm sounded. And some nights she needed more than one.
What was supposed to be a monthly supply of Somulex was gone in under three weeks. When her doctor wouldn't renew her prescription early, Cassidy found a second doctor and had him call in her prescription to a different pharmacy.
The one thing her doctor had lectured her about was the danger of mixing Somulex with alcohol. "If you combine the two, they can depress the nervous system. Maybe even to the point of your body forgetting to breathe."
Cassidy had heeded his warning for a while. But she was working so hard. She needed to unwind. And only a glass or two of red wine allowed her to do that.
Someday she would quit. When her life calmed down.
Now Cassidy stood in the kitchen and felt herself shaking. She had defied death today, but she had also stood in a dead man's apartment and walked home in a dead man's shoes. Five minutes ago she had swallowed a dead man's pill.
And it was doing nothing for her. If only there were an off switch on the back of her head. She would reach around and flip it down and be wonderfully blank.
Instead she took another pill.
Cassidy had never been one to like baths. She was too type A to be anything but a shower girl. But now she remembered the candles Rick had bought her back when he was first wooing her, the expensiv e b ubble bath. In the bathroom, Cassidy ran the water until it nearly reached the edge of the tub, lit the candles, grabbed her glass of wine, and lowered herself into the water. A few minutes later, she began to feel the familiar melting sensation in her arms and legs. The Somulex was finally kicking in.
Chapter 12
Pierce Residence
Allison picked up the phone to call Child Protective Services, but instead of a dial tone, all she got was a fast busy signal. Again. The phone lines were still overwhelmed, even though the radio and TV stations were urging everyone to stay off the phone unless it was an emergency. She held Estella on her lap, the useless phone loose in her hand. "I guess she's ours to take care of, at least for now," she told Marshall.
He crouched down on his heels. "Well, that's not such a hardship, is it, sweetheart? Aren't you a pretty thing. And smart. I can tell just by looking at those bright eyes that you're smart."
Estella watched him, her face serious, her rosebud lips pressed together as if she were waiting for something.
"Maybe try something in Spanish," Allison said. "You know more than I do."
"Which is hardly anything," he said. Then he looked at Estella. "Hola. Me llamo Marshall," he said. He reached his hand toward her, fingertip extended.
To their surprise, she flinched, then turned her head and started to cry softly, a repetitive, exhausted sound. Allison pulled the little girl to her chest and patted her back.
"It's like she's afraid of me." Marshall stood up and took a couple of steps back.
"Oh, I don't think so," Allison said, but part of her worried he was right. Maybe not afraid of Marshall, but of another man. Some man in her life. The thought made her heart contract. Had anyone ever hurt Estella? Even uttered a harsh word to her? "I think she's had a terribly long day, and you're just one more stranger looming over her. We've had hours to get
It wasn't long before she needed to take a pill every night. If sh e t ried to skip one, she found herself wide-awake. She would lie and watch the glowing green numbers on her alarm clock slowly move forward-3 a . M ., 4 a . M ., 5 a . M . Finally she would break down and take a pill, even if she only got an hour or two of sleep before her alarm sounded. And some nights she needed more than one.
What was supposed to be a monthly supply of Somulex was gone in under three weeks. When her doctor wouldn't renew her prescription early, Cassidy found a second doctor and had him call in her prescription to a different pharmacy.
The one thing her doctor had lectured her about was the danger of mixing Somulex with alcohol. "If you combine the two, they can depress the nervous system. Maybe even to the point of your body forgetting to breathe."
Cassidy had heeded his warning for a while. But she was working so hard. She needed to unwind. And only a glass or two of red wine allowed her to do that.
Someday she would quit. When her life calmed down.
Now Cassidy stood in the kitchen and felt herself shaking. She had defied death today, but she had also stood in a dead man's apartment and walked home in a dead man's shoes. Five minutes ago she had swallowed a dead man's pill.
And it was doing nothing for her. If only there were an off switch on the back of her head. She would reach around and flip it down and be wonderfully blank.
Instead she took another pill.
Cassidy had never been one to like baths. She was too type A to be anything but a shower girl. But now she remembered the candles Rick had bought her back when he was first wooing her, the expensiv e b ubble bath. In the bathroom, Cassidy ran the water until it nearly reached the edge of the tub, lit the candles, grabbed her glass of wine, and lowered herself into the water. A few minutes later, she began to feel the familiar melting sensation in her arms and legs. The Somulex was finally kicking in.
Chapter 12
Pierce Residence
Allison picked up the phone to call Child Protective Services, but instead of a dial tone, all she got was a fast busy signal. Again. The phone lines were still overwhelmed, even though the radio and TV stations were urging everyone to stay off the phone unless it was an emergency. She held Estella on her lap, the useless phone loose in her hand. "I guess she's ours to take care of, at least for now," she told Marshall.
He crouched down on his heels. "Well, that's not such a hardship, is it, sweetheart? Aren't you a pretty thing. And smart. I can tell just by looking at those bright eyes that you're smart."
Estella watched him, her face serious, her rosebud lips pressed together as if she were waiting for something.
"Maybe try something in Spanish," Allison said. "You know more than I do."
"Which is hardly anything," he said. Then he looked at Estella. "Hola. Me llamo Marshall," he said. He reached his hand toward her, fingertip extended.
To their surprise, she flinched, then turned her head and started to cry softly, a repetitive, exhausted sound. Allison pulled the little girl to her chest and patted her back.
"It's like she's afraid of me." Marshall stood up and took a couple of steps back.
"Oh, I don't think so," Allison said, but part of her worried he was right. Maybe not afraid of Marshall, but of another man. Some man in her life. The thought made her heart contract. Had anyone ever hurt Estella? Even uttered a harsh word to her? "I think she's had a terribly long day, and you're just one more stranger looming over her. We've had hours to get
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