Read Online Hot Trick (A Detective Shelley Caldwell Novel) by Patricia Rosemoor - Free Book Online Page A

makeup now, but his eyes still had an unsettling effect on me.
    “Come in.”
    I passed him first and my own eyes widened as I checked out his place, a loft of tremendous proportions. The living area held a couch and four upholstered chairs grouped together around a low table, all crowded near the open kitchen.
    A chair and one end of the couch were occupied by a wine-glass-wielding couple, who seemed to be at odds. The tension between them was palpable, stretching across the room all the way to me. I’d seen them before. The man had introduced Sebastian and his escape. The woman, a stunning brunette with short, spiked hair and wearing a body-hugging red dress, had called him away from me earlier.
    “This is my producer/manager Conrad DeGroot and my publicity diva Tanya Janicek.”
    So the tension was probably work related, I thought.
    I nodded at them, then, allowing the barest inflection of a question in my voice, said, “It seems we’re interrupting.”
    “Just going over the performance and making plans for the next one,” DeGroot stated, his voice sharp.
    Norelli nodded. “If there is a next.”
    That brought Sebastian up short. But if disturbed by the intimation, he covered fast. “Please, sit. Can I get you a drink? Wine, perhaps?”
    “We don’t drink on the job,” Norelli informed him.
    He sat, but I let curiosity get to me. The rest of this floor was either a private museum or the workshop where Sebastian designed and practiced his escapes. I passed a desk and drawing board that held several neatly executed sketches. At the far end of the room trunks, coffins and cabinets stacked against the walls adjoining the windowed wall.
    For a moment, I thought I saw movement outside one of the windows, but when I blinked…nothing. Still, I moved closer to make sure. No balcony or fire escape. Either a bird had flown by in the dark, or my imagination was deceiving me.
    I turned and took in the props. Chains, handcuffs and leg shackles hung from the metal spiral staircase.
    Though Sebastian appeared amused at my interest, he didn’t act on it. “So, what’s the nature of your early morning visit, Detectives?”
    “Do you know a woman named Julie Martin?” Norelli asked, his tone level.
    “Never even heard the name before.”
    My gaze explored every corner of the room then up to the bedroom loft. A weird feeling seared me and I realized Sebastian was staring at me with open amusement. Feeling myself flush, I wandered back to the seating area and took the chair opposite Norelli. Sebastian remained on his feet, making us look up at him. On purpose, I was sure.
    “Julie Martin is dead, Mr. Cole,” Norelli said, his voice hardening. “Drowned in the Chicago River…tied up and stuffed in a trunk.”
    Tanya gasped and DeGroot nearly dropped his wine, catching it before the red liquid sloshed over the edge of the glass.
    Even Sebastian seemed unsettled by the news. “I beg your pardon?”
    I reminded myself that acting was part of his job. “The Martin woman died within an hour or so of your performance.”
    “You’re saying it’s some kind of copycat?”
    I nodded. “Looks like. The difference being she died of course, and her trunk was attached to a car.”
    “So what do you know about it?” Norelli asked, looking from Sebastian to the others.
    “Why would I know anything about a murder?” Sebastian asked.
    Either he was a good actor or he was telling the truth.
    “You people can’t make any kind of a connection just because the river was involved.” Sounding indignant, DeGroot set his wine glass on the table. “This is harassment.”
    “Well, we do have some coincidence,” I said. “Because Julie Martin was Judge Bobby Rafferty’s sister.”
    “Rafferty?” Sebastian echoed.
    DeGroot’s jaw clenched and Tanya avoided looking at me. At least they weren’t pretending not to get the connection.
    “Exactly.”
    Norelli pulled out his notepad and pen before asking, “Mr. Cole, where were you