Read Online Night Moves: Dream Man/After the Night by Linda Howard - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Howard
Ads: Link
curiosity. “What’s going on with Gray?”
“Nothing much. A personal matter he wanted to talk over with me.”
She was disappointed that he didn’t confide in her. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, everything will be all right.” He sighed, and rubbed his eyes. “Why don’t you go on to lunch, and bring me back a sandwich or something. I’m waiting for a call, so I can’t leave.”
“Okay. What do you want?”
He waved his hand. “Anything. You know what I like. Surprise me.”
She rambled around in the outer office for a few minutes, cutting off the computer he’d bought the year before, storing the disks, collecting her purse. After she’d gone, Alex waited a few minutes before going into the other room and locking the door. Then he sat down in her chair and turned on the computer, and swiftly began typing. “Damn you, Guy,” he whispered. “You son of a bitch.”
• • •
Gray parked the Corvette in front of the five wide steps leading up to the covered porch and double front doors, though Noelle frowned on that and preferred that the family’s cars be properly protected and out of sight in the attached garage behind. The front drive was for visitors, who shouldn’t be able to tell which family members were athome by the vehicles parked in front. That way, one felt no obligation to admit to being there, and thus forced to receive unwanted guests. Some of Noelle’s notions were positively Victorian; usually he indulged her, but today he had more important things on his mind, and was in a hurry.
He leaped up the steps with two strides, and pushed open the door. Monica had probably been watching from her bedroom window, because she was hurrying down the stairs, anxiety twisting her face. “Daddy still hasn’t come home!” she hissed, glancing toward the breakfast parlor, where Noelle was evidently lingering over a late breakfast. “Why did you break the window in his study, then light out of here like a cat with its tail on fire? And why did you park in front? Mother won’t like that.”
Guy didn’t answer, but strode rapidly down the hall to the study, his bootheels thudding on the parquet floor. Monica rushed after him, and slipped into the study as he began examining, one by one, the papers on Guy’s desk.
“I don’t believe Alex told the truth about the poker game,” she said, her lips trembling a little. “Call him again, Gray. Make him tell you where Daddy is.”
“In a minute,” Gray murmured, not sparing her a glance. None of the papers on top of the desk was a letter of proxy. He began opening drawers.
“Gray!” Her voice rose sharply. “Surely finding Daddy’s more important than looking through his desk!”
He stopped, took a deep breath, and straightened. “Monica, honey, sit down over there and hush,” he said in a kind tone that nevertheless was underlaid with steel. “I have to look for a very important paper that Dad may have left here. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
She opened her mouth to say something else, but he gave her a look that changed her mind. Silently, vague surprise on her face, she sat down, and Gray returned to his search.
Five minutes later, he sat back with the taste of defeat bitter in his mouth. There was no letter. It didn’t make sense. Why would Guy have gone to so much trouble to teach him everything, then leave without providing the proxies? As Alex had said, Guy was too smart not to have thought of it. If he intended to stay in charge himself, whyhad he bothered to give Gray such intense instruction? Maybe he had intended to turn over the reins to Gray, then changed his mind. That was the only other explanation there could be. In that case, they would be hearing from him again, within a few days at the most, because his financial dealings were too complicated to leave for longer than that.
But, as he’d told Alex, he couldn’t afford to assume things would be taken care of. He couldn’t imagine
“Nothing much. A personal matter he wanted to talk over with me.”
She was disappointed that he didn’t confide in her. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“No, everything will be all right.” He sighed, and rubbed his eyes. “Why don’t you go on to lunch, and bring me back a sandwich or something. I’m waiting for a call, so I can’t leave.”
“Okay. What do you want?”
He waved his hand. “Anything. You know what I like. Surprise me.”
She rambled around in the outer office for a few minutes, cutting off the computer he’d bought the year before, storing the disks, collecting her purse. After she’d gone, Alex waited a few minutes before going into the other room and locking the door. Then he sat down in her chair and turned on the computer, and swiftly began typing. “Damn you, Guy,” he whispered. “You son of a bitch.”
• • •
Gray parked the Corvette in front of the five wide steps leading up to the covered porch and double front doors, though Noelle frowned on that and preferred that the family’s cars be properly protected and out of sight in the attached garage behind. The front drive was for visitors, who shouldn’t be able to tell which family members were athome by the vehicles parked in front. That way, one felt no obligation to admit to being there, and thus forced to receive unwanted guests. Some of Noelle’s notions were positively Victorian; usually he indulged her, but today he had more important things on his mind, and was in a hurry.
He leaped up the steps with two strides, and pushed open the door. Monica had probably been watching from her bedroom window, because she was hurrying down the stairs, anxiety twisting her face. “Daddy still hasn’t come home!” she hissed, glancing toward the breakfast parlor, where Noelle was evidently lingering over a late breakfast. “Why did you break the window in his study, then light out of here like a cat with its tail on fire? And why did you park in front? Mother won’t like that.”
Guy didn’t answer, but strode rapidly down the hall to the study, his bootheels thudding on the parquet floor. Monica rushed after him, and slipped into the study as he began examining, one by one, the papers on Guy’s desk.
“I don’t believe Alex told the truth about the poker game,” she said, her lips trembling a little. “Call him again, Gray. Make him tell you where Daddy is.”
“In a minute,” Gray murmured, not sparing her a glance. None of the papers on top of the desk was a letter of proxy. He began opening drawers.
“Gray!” Her voice rose sharply. “Surely finding Daddy’s more important than looking through his desk!”
He stopped, took a deep breath, and straightened. “Monica, honey, sit down over there and hush,” he said in a kind tone that nevertheless was underlaid with steel. “I have to look for a very important paper that Dad may have left here. I’ll be with you in a minute.”
She opened her mouth to say something else, but he gave her a look that changed her mind. Silently, vague surprise on her face, she sat down, and Gray returned to his search.
Five minutes later, he sat back with the taste of defeat bitter in his mouth. There was no letter. It didn’t make sense. Why would Guy have gone to so much trouble to teach him everything, then leave without providing the proxies? As Alex had said, Guy was too smart not to have thought of it. If he intended to stay in charge himself, whyhad he bothered to give Gray such intense instruction? Maybe he had intended to turn over the reins to Gray, then changed his mind. That was the only other explanation there could be. In that case, they would be hearing from him again, within a few days at the most, because his financial dealings were too complicated to leave for longer than that.
But, as he’d told Alex, he couldn’t afford to assume things would be taken care of. He couldn’t imagine
Similar Books
