Read Online Hard Eight by Janet Evanovich - Free Book Online Page A

horse, only thing, she can’t gallop as fast as me.”
    Grandma moved to the front door, driven there by Burg radar. A good Burg housewife never missed anythinghappening on the street. A good Burg housewife could pick up street sounds not ordinarily heard by the human ear.
    “Look at this,” Grandma said, “Mabel’s got company. Somebody I never saw before.”
    My mother and I joined Grandma at the door.
    “Fancy car,” my mother said.
    It was a black Jaguar. Brand new. Not a splatter of mud or a speck of dust on it. A woman emerged from behind the wheel. She was dressed in black leather pants, high-heeled black leather boots, and a short form-fitting black leather jacket. I knew who she was. I’d run into her once before. She was the female equivalent of Ranger. My understanding was that, like Ranger, she did a variety of things including but not limited to bodyguarding, bounty hunting, and private investigating. Her name was Jeanne Ellen Burrows.

 
FOUR
     
     
     
     
    “Mabel’s visitor looks like Catwoman,” Grandma said. “Except she hasn’t got pointy cat ears and whiskers.”
    And the cat suit was by Donna Karan.
    “I know her,” I said. “Her name is Jeanne Ellen Burrows, and she’s probably connected to the child custody bond, somehow. I need to talk to her.”
    “Me, too,” Grandma said.
    “
No
. Not a good idea. Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
    Jeanne Ellen saw me approach and paused on the sidewalk. I extended my hand to her. “Stephanie Plum,” I said.
    She had a firm handshake. “I remember.”
    “I assume you’ve been hired by someone connected to the bond.”
    “Steven Soder.”
    “I’ve been hired by Mabel.”
    “I hope we won’t have an adversarial relationship.”
    “That would be my hope, too,” I said.
    “Would you like to share any information with me?”
    I took a beat to think about it and decided I didn’t have any information to share. “No.”
    Her mouth curved into a small, polite smile. “Well, then.”
    Mabel opened her door and peered out at us.
    “This is Jeanne Ellen Burrows,” I told Mabel. “She’s working for Steven Soder. She’d like to ask you some questions. I’d prefer you didn’t answer them.” I was getting strange vibes on Evelyn and Annie’s disappearance, and I didn’t want Annie given up to Steven until I heard Evelyn’s reason for leaving.
    “It would be in your best interest to talk to me,” Jeanne Ellen said to Mabel. “Your great-granddaughter could be in danger. I could help find her. I’m very good at finding people.”
    “Stephanie’s good at finding people, too,” Mabel said.
    Again, the small smile returned to Jeanne Ellen’s mouth. “I’m better,” she said.
    It was true. Jeanne Ellen was better at finding people. I relied more on dumb luck and blind persistence.
    “I don’t know,” Mabel said. “I don’t feel comfortable going against Stephanie. You look like a perfectly nice young woman, but I’d rather not talk to you about this.”
    Jeanne Ellen gave Mabel her card. “If you change you mind, you can reach me at one of these numbers.”
    Mabel and I watched Jeanne Ellen get into her car and drive off.
    “She reminds me of someone,” Mabel said. “I can’t put my finger on it.”
    “Catwoman,” I said.
    “
Yes!
That’s it, except for the ears.”
    I left Mabel, filled my mother and grandmother in on Jeanne Ellen, took a cookie for the road, and headed for home, making a fast stop at the office first.
    Lula pulled in behind me. “Wait until you see the boots I got. I got myself a pair of biker boots.” She tossed her bag and her jacket on the couch and opened the shoe box. “Look at this. Are these hot, or what?”
    They were black with a high stacked heel with an eagle stitched onto the side. Connie and I agreed. The boots were hot.
    “So what have you been up to?” Lula asked me. “I miss anything interesting?”
    “I ran into Jeanne Ellen Burrows,” I said.
    Connie and Lula did a