Read Online Merciless by Diana Palmer - Free Book Online

out.”
    â€œThank you.”
    Another pause. “You made a mistake.”
    â€œDid I?”
    â€œYeah. You want to be careful. My family gets evenwith people who hurt it. Always. I’ll be seeing you, Agent Blackhawk.”
    He hung up.
    Jon stared at the receiver before he replaced it. “It takes all kinds,” he muttered.
    He was on his way out the door when Joceline called to him.
    â€œRick Marquez wants you to stop by his office while you’re out,” she told him. “He says it’s important.”
    â€œWhat is it about?” Jon asked, turning.
    She put a finger to her forehead and closed her eyes. “I see mountains. Trees. Birds flying.” She opened her eyes. “However, not being psychic, I have no idea.”
    â€œHe didn’t say?”
    â€œApparently not.” She smiled vacantly. She cocked her head. “Would you like to know what the new skirt length is out of the Milan fashion shows…? Sir, it’s not polite to turn your back on people who are talking to you!” she called after him.
    â€œOne day I’ll strangle her,” Jon muttered to Rick Marquez while they were sitting at the detective’s desk, drinking coffee. He’d just related Joceline’s latest verbal coup.
    Marquez chuckled. “You’d never replace her,” he commented. “I’ve seen paralegals come and go. Joceline is in a class all her own.”
    â€œI know.” The other man sighed. “I wouldn’t have half my cases solved without her. She can dig out information that I can’t get. I have no idea how she pulls it off, either.”
    â€œShe’s psychic,” Marquez said with big eyes.
    â€œShe is not. She’s just very good with a telephone, and she can talk people into telling her things that they don’t want to.”
    â€œShe’s a paralegal. Why isn’t she working for a judge or at least a firm of attorneys?” Marquez asked with a curious frown.
    â€œShe started out as legal secretary to a firm of attorneys. But the senior partner retired, several more attorneys joined the firm and she was doing the work of three paralegals with the pay of one,” Jon said. “We got her as a result. It was a good thing that Garon Grier didn’t have her put on the rack when he started work at the office,” he added thoughtfully.
    Marquez burst out laughing. “What?”
    â€œHe was used to female workers making coffee for him. Joceline doesn’t do menial tasks. Or what she considers menial tasks.”
    â€œOur administrative assistants make coffee,” Rick said smugly. “Good coffee,” he emphasized with a pointed look at Jon.
    Jon sighed. “None of us can make drinkable coffee. On a bright note, our potted palm seems to thrive on caffeine.”
    â€œExcuse me?”
    â€œEverybody dumps their coffee into it when we aren’t looking.” He chuckled.
    Marquez sighed. “Oh, the adventure of working at a federal office.”
    â€œAt least we have decent expense accounts,” he replied. “We don’t have to have a receipt for a cup of ice.”
    Marquez made a face. “It was a very hot day and our air conditioner wasn’t working.”
    â€œYou’re from Mexico originally, and you live in southern Texas. You should be used to the heat,” Jon commented.
    â€œYeah. Go figure.” Marquez wasn’t comfortable talking about his childhood. In fact, nobody except his adoptive mother, Barbara, in Jacobsville, even knew what his background was. And neither he nor Barbara knew the whole truth, but they were trying to find it. However, he had no plans to share that news with his visitor, even though he liked and respected the FBI agent.
    â€œI didn’t mean to offend,” Jon said, sensitive to the expression that flashed just briefly across the other man’s face. “I know about racial issues. You might have noticed