Read Online Magic City by James W. Hall - Free Book Online

standing nearby, they shared another kiss—one so warm and eager, it might have been the prelude to another hour of love if the taxi driver hadn’t honked.
    Alex pulled free, opened the door, and waved that she was coming. She had on gray linen slacks and a pink sweater set. Somehow managing to look both feminine and tough.
    â€œOh, I almost forgot.” She gave him a wary smile, snagged her purse from the front table, dug through it, and produced a silver cell phone, flipped it open, and showed it to Thorn. “You ever use one of these?”
    â€œI’m more of a pay-phone kind of guy.”
    She smiled and shook her head.
    â€œYou’re such a Luddite, Thorn. Come on, join the new century.”
    â€œI was just warming up to the last one.”
    She demonstrated how to turn the cell phone on, use the speed dial to reach her own cell, then showed him the charging cord and where to plug it in.
    â€œWhy do I need this?”
    â€œDo me a favor, okay? One week, it won’t corrupt you. Leave it on in case I want to check in, hear your voice, see how Dad is doing. Just in case.”
    The cabbie honked again, and they embraced once more. Buck stood close by and pressed his head against the side of Thorn’s knee.
    Thorn carried her bag while Alex followed with Buck on the lead. The cabbie got out and popped the trunk. He was a young black man in a green guayabera. As Buck approached, he backed away, and though his English was spotty, he let it be known he didn’t want a dog in his cab.
    â€œIt’s a police canine,” Alexandra said, flipping open her department shield and showing it to the guy. “I’d be willing to bet this dog’s cleaner than most passengers you carry. Not to mention smarter.”
    The man seemed confused, so Thorn gave him a shorthand version in basic Creole. “Police work. You have to do it.”
    The man scowled at both of them and got back into the driver’s seat.
    â€œCreole?”
    â€œYears of fishing in the islands,” Thorn said.
    â€œMan of many talents.”
    They kissed again and Alex drew away and got in the back with Buck.
    â€œLeave the phone on, okay? Humor me.”
    â€œThe things I do for love.”
    â€œWhen I get back I’ll find a way to reward you.”
    â€œKick ass on the test. You, too, Buck. Sniff out the sneaky bastards.”
    The Lab wagged his tail and curled up beside Alex, resting his head in her lap.
    Â 
    After Thorn rinsed his dishes, he carried the extension ladder outside, clattered it out to its full length, and propped it against the roof edge. He set up his supplies, a roll of black felt paper, a box of roofing nails, and various tools. Toting the cordless drill and thermos, he climbed onto the roof to make his initial inspection.
    The pitch of the roof was slight enough that he could work without handholds or ropes. For a while he prowled the aluminum surface, checking for any obvious faults, but found nothing in the panels themselves.
    The water stains had recently appeared on the ceiling outside Lawton’s bathroom, but as with any roof leak, the problem could have been weeks or months in the making and originate nearly anywhere. Water was devious. It could penetrate the house thirty feet away and follow some gravity-assisted path that was impossible to predict. Given enough time, a steady trickle could rot away the roof timbers or march down the joists like a trail of ravenous termites, softening crucial beams along the way before it ever showed up as a dark patch of crumbling plaster inside the house. Like senility. Like a lot of things.
    So Thorn started with the obvious. One by one he pried off the rusty strips of flashing around the three vent pipes. But he discovered no sign of rot. While they clearly needed replacing, the problem just as clearly lay elsewhere.
    After half an hour of work, shirtless, wearing only khaki shorts and boat shoes, Thorn paused for a moment