Read Online Moonlight Becomes You by Mary Higgins Clark - Free Book Online

tone immediately apprehensive. “Oh, I hope he’s not going to say he can’t make it this weekend,” she murmured.
    Her husband waved her into silence. “The weather? Great. Couldn’t be better. I’m not taking the boat out of the water yet. You can get up Thursday? Wonderful. Your mother will be delighted. She’s grabbing the receiver. You know how impatient she is. Fine. I’ll call the club for a two o’clock tee-off.”
    Dolores got on the line and heard the amused voice of her only child. “Aren’t you impatient this morning,” he said.
    â€œI know. It’s just that it will be so good to see you. I’m so glad you’re able to come. And you will stay till Sunday, won’t you, Neil?”
    â€œOf course. Looking forward to it. Okay, gotta run. Tell Dad his ‘good morning’ sounded more like ‘go to hell.’ He still hasn’t finished that first cup of coffee, huh?”
    â€œYou got it. Bye, dear.”
    The parents of Neil Stephens looked at each other. Dolores sighed. “The one thing I miss about leaving New York is having Neil just drop by anytime,” she said.
    Her husband got up, went over to the stove, and refilled his cup. “Did Neil say I sounded grouchy when I answered?”
    â€œSomething like that.”
    Robert Stephens smiled reluctantly. “Well, I know I’m not all sunshine early in the morning, but just now I was afraid the call was from Laura Arlington. She’s all upset. Keeps calling me.”
    Dolores waited.
    â€œShe made some serious investments that haven’t worked out, and she thinks now that she’s getting a big run-around.”
    â€œIs she right?”
    â€œI think she is. It was one of those supposedly hot tips. The broker persuaded her to invest in a small high-tech company that was supposed to be bought out by Microsoft. She bought one hundred thousand shares of stock at five dollars a share, convinced she’d end up with a big profit.”
    â€œFive hundred thousand dollars! What’s it worth now?”
    â€œThe stock was just suspended from trading. As of yesterday, if you could sell it, you’d get eighty cents a share. Laura can’t afford to lose that kind of money. I wish to God she’d talked to me before she got into that one.”
    â€œIsn’t she thinking of going into the Latham Manor Residence?”
    â€œYes, and that was the money that was going to pay for it. It was just about all she had. Her children wanted her to get settled there, but this broker convinced her that with this investment she’d not only be able to live at Latham but have money to leave her kids as well.”
    â€œWas what he did illegal?”
    â€œI don’t think so, unfortunately. Unethical perhaps, but probably not illegal. Anyway, I’m going to talk it over with Neil. That’s why I’m especially glad he’s coming up.”
    Robert Stephens walked to the large window that overlooked Narragansett Bay. Like his son, he was a broad, athletic-looking man. At sixty-eight, his once-sandy hair was now white.
    The water in the bay was quiet, almost as still as a lake. The grass behind the house, sloping down to the water, was starting to lose its velvety green. The maples were already displaying clusters of orange, copper, and burgundy leaves.
    â€œBeautiful, peaceful,” he said, shaking his head. “Hard to believe that six miles from here, a woman was murdered in her own home.”
    He turned and looked at his wife, effortlessly pretty, her silver hair knotted at the top of her head, her features stilldelicate and soft. “Dolores,” he said, his tone suddenly stern, “when I’m out, I want you to keep the alarm system on at all times.”
    â€œFine,” she agreed amiably. In fact, she had not wanted her husband to realize just how deeply that murder had shaken her, or that when she had read the