Read Online Out of Sight by Stella Cameron - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stella Cameron
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out right.
Poppy spread her arms along the flared back of the seat. “He’s trying to help me out with Ward.”
“Okay,” Liam said. “But I want you to stay away from Ward, Poppy.”
“Liam’s right,” Sykes said and rolled his eyes. Dumb comment.
“What have you got against Ward? Either of you. You don’t know him.”
“It could be moot anyway,” Liam said. “The police are moving fast and if they’ve got their man, Ward won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Liam!” Poppy leaned forward abruptly.
“It’s okay,” Sykes said. “We’re all off balance. Nat Archer should be here any moment.”
“Is it his case?” Liam said.
Sykes sat down close to Poppy. “I don’t know. But he’ll try to help us out if he can.”
“Why is it our business?” Liam said. He didn’t takehis eyes off his sister. “Let it go, Poppy. It was a bad idea to contact Nat Archer in the first place. It only draws attention to you—to all of us. You know they’re just looking for reasons to breathe down our necks again.”
“Ward is my friend.” Poppy’s fingertips dug into the leather chair.
“He’s a customer who wants you as a friend,” Liam said. “He wants you as more than a friend. I’ve been worried about him and so has Ethan. He’s big time and he’s not your kind.”
Sykes winced, waiting for Poppy’s comback.
It didn’t take long.
“What does that mean? The only people who should be interested in me are nobodies going nowhere? C’mon, Liam, explain.” She opened her eyes wider at Sykes. “Is that what Sykes is? Nobody? You were happy when you were jumping to conclusions about us.”
“You’re being difficult,” Liam said. “There’s a certain type of operator and Ward’s one of them. You’ve always liked real people.”
“I like Ward,” Poppy said. “He is not what you call an operator. He’s kind and he’s passionate about making important changes for Louisiana. When did that make him some sort of monster? Anyway, this will all shake down as a mistake. Wait and see.”
Nat Archer walked into the club, his fedora in one hand, the jacket of his suit slung over the oppositeshoulder. In front of him came the woman Sykes had kind of met in passing once, Wazoo from Toussaint, the apparent love of Nat’s life.
Sykes heard little bells tinkling somewhere, but couldn’t look away from Wazoo to find out where the noise was coming from.
“Hey,” Nat said. “Sorry we’re a bit late. Wazoo…we wanted to get something on the way.”
The “something” was a huge bunch of orange lilies, which Wazoo walked straight to Poppy to hand over. “They go real good with a day like this,” she said. Her voice, husky with the promise of a chuckle at any moment, riveted Sykes. So did the way she concentrated on Poppy.
“Thank you,” Poppy said. “I love them.”
“I just knew you would,” Wazoo said, bouncing on her toes. “Nat told me about you, and I could see you with day lilies. Bright flowers help when things aren’t so easy.”
“Put them on the table,” Liam said. “I’ll get one of the staff to bring a vase.”
Sykes realized the faint tinkle of bells was coming from somewhere on Wazoo’s person, although the source wasn’t obvious.
The two women looked at each other with perfect understanding. They were instantly comfortable together. Sykes let his consciousness sink away a little and opened another layer of his senses.
Just as he thought, Wazoo was no ordinary pet psychologist from Toussaint or whatever she was supposed to be. She was psychic, but tightly controlled. She was open to whatever might come her way. At the moment Wazoo seemed to be analyzing Poppy.
A small, very slim woman, Wazoo’s blue-black hair sprang past her shoulders in unruly curls that suited her exotic appearance. Very pale skin, thick-lashed eyes about as black as her hair, pointed features and a deft hand with dramatic makeup—the whole package was, Sykes supposed, appealing in a
Poppy spread her arms along the flared back of the seat. “He’s trying to help me out with Ward.”
“Okay,” Liam said. “But I want you to stay away from Ward, Poppy.”
“Liam’s right,” Sykes said and rolled his eyes. Dumb comment.
“What have you got against Ward? Either of you. You don’t know him.”
“It could be moot anyway,” Liam said. “The police are moving fast and if they’ve got their man, Ward won’t be a problem anymore.”
“Liam!” Poppy leaned forward abruptly.
“It’s okay,” Sykes said. “We’re all off balance. Nat Archer should be here any moment.”
“Is it his case?” Liam said.
Sykes sat down close to Poppy. “I don’t know. But he’ll try to help us out if he can.”
“Why is it our business?” Liam said. He didn’t takehis eyes off his sister. “Let it go, Poppy. It was a bad idea to contact Nat Archer in the first place. It only draws attention to you—to all of us. You know they’re just looking for reasons to breathe down our necks again.”
“Ward is my friend.” Poppy’s fingertips dug into the leather chair.
“He’s a customer who wants you as a friend,” Liam said. “He wants you as more than a friend. I’ve been worried about him and so has Ethan. He’s big time and he’s not your kind.”
Sykes winced, waiting for Poppy’s comback.
It didn’t take long.
“What does that mean? The only people who should be interested in me are nobodies going nowhere? C’mon, Liam, explain.” She opened her eyes wider at Sykes. “Is that what Sykes is? Nobody? You were happy when you were jumping to conclusions about us.”
“You’re being difficult,” Liam said. “There’s a certain type of operator and Ward’s one of them. You’ve always liked real people.”
“I like Ward,” Poppy said. “He is not what you call an operator. He’s kind and he’s passionate about making important changes for Louisiana. When did that make him some sort of monster? Anyway, this will all shake down as a mistake. Wait and see.”
Nat Archer walked into the club, his fedora in one hand, the jacket of his suit slung over the oppositeshoulder. In front of him came the woman Sykes had kind of met in passing once, Wazoo from Toussaint, the apparent love of Nat’s life.
Sykes heard little bells tinkling somewhere, but couldn’t look away from Wazoo to find out where the noise was coming from.
“Hey,” Nat said. “Sorry we’re a bit late. Wazoo…we wanted to get something on the way.”
The “something” was a huge bunch of orange lilies, which Wazoo walked straight to Poppy to hand over. “They go real good with a day like this,” she said. Her voice, husky with the promise of a chuckle at any moment, riveted Sykes. So did the way she concentrated on Poppy.
“Thank you,” Poppy said. “I love them.”
“I just knew you would,” Wazoo said, bouncing on her toes. “Nat told me about you, and I could see you with day lilies. Bright flowers help when things aren’t so easy.”
“Put them on the table,” Liam said. “I’ll get one of the staff to bring a vase.”
Sykes realized the faint tinkle of bells was coming from somewhere on Wazoo’s person, although the source wasn’t obvious.
The two women looked at each other with perfect understanding. They were instantly comfortable together. Sykes let his consciousness sink away a little and opened another layer of his senses.
Just as he thought, Wazoo was no ordinary pet psychologist from Toussaint or whatever she was supposed to be. She was psychic, but tightly controlled. She was open to whatever might come her way. At the moment Wazoo seemed to be analyzing Poppy.
A small, very slim woman, Wazoo’s blue-black hair sprang past her shoulders in unruly curls that suited her exotic appearance. Very pale skin, thick-lashed eyes about as black as her hair, pointed features and a deft hand with dramatic makeup—the whole package was, Sykes supposed, appealing in a
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