Read Online Passion's Law by Ruth Langan - Free Book Online

you? I don’t want you underfoot.”
    The woman fled.
    Patsy watched her go while her anger continuedto fester. This weather made her antsy. The isolation of this place was getting to her, closing in on her. She was sick of people tiptoeing around her. Tired of Inez always making Joe’s favorite meals. What about hers?
    Joe. Her frown deepened. She’d been so busy trying to locate Emily, she hadn’t been paying any attention to her plot to do away with Joe. Now there’d been another attempt on his life, and that detective was here, sniffing around. She hated him. Hated those long, probing looks. Like he already knew who and what she was and was just waiting for her to make one little mistake.
    He’d been asking all kinds of questions. And every time she answered one, he had two more.
    She knew his kind. He was trying to trip her up. She needed to get out of here. Away from Joe. He and Heather McGrath were constantly closeting themselves up in his office, completely shutting her out.
    She started to pace. How had Meredith been able to tolerate this for so many years?
    Meredith. The mere thought of her had Patsy pausing, a ghost of a smile on her lips. She was Meredith now and she would do whatever she pleased.
    She picked up a phone and made her plans, thenstalked toward Joe’s office. Without bothering to knock, she tore open the door and stared around.
    Heather was seated at the computer, her fingers flying over the keys. Joe was across the room, engaged in an animated conversation. From the few words she overheard, Patsy realized that he was on a conference call with several of the executives of Colton Enterprises.
    Joe looked up and seeing her, said softly, “Excuse me, gentlemen.” With a hand over the receiver he turned to his wife. “Is there a problem?”
    Patsy was actually disappointed to find Joe and Heather hard at work. It would have been such fun to find them looking a little too cozy with one another. She could have gotten a lot of mileage out of such a scene.
    Her tone was brittle. “I can’t stand being cooped up here. I’ve made an appointment at LaBelle.”
    Recognizing the name of one of the most exclusive spas in California, Joe uttered a sound of disgust. “That’s more than a hundred miles from here.”
    â€œEverything’s almost a hundred miles from here.” Her voice took on the whining tone that had become so familiar. “I don’t know when I’ll be back. I’ve decided I need a few days of pampering.”
    With a toss of her head she walked away, slamming the door. Minutes later her car roared down the drive.
    Â 
    Heather watched as her uncle returned to the phone. No tender kiss goodbye for these two, she thought. Or even a smile from across the room. Whatever had once brought them such joy was long ago lost and apparently forgotten.
    It made her sad. Joe Colton was such a good man, and there had been a time when she’d thought Meredith Colton was his perfect soul mate. Apparently there had been too many years and too many tears between them. The death of a son and the disappearance of a daughter had been difficult enough to bear. Now the rift seemed to widen with every passing day, until this second attempt on Joe’s life was just another burden heaped upon his shoulders.
    A short time later Joe’s frown was replaced by a smile when the sun suddenly burst through the clouds. When a knock sounded on the door, it opened to reveal Thad Law.
    â€œWell.” Joe beckoned him in. “Did you bring this sunshine with you?”
    â€œSorry. I wish I could claim the credit, but it’s not in my realm of expertise.”
    Thad glanced from Joe to Heather. He resented the fact that she’d been on his mind far too much these past days. Images of her riding Diablo or justwalking calmly across the lawn, intruded at the strangest times. When he was bogged down in paperwork. When he was