Read Online Shot on Location by Helen Nielsen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Helen Nielsen
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I hear. Look, he’s joining another party. I think we should go.”
“Now—with Koumaris watching? We’re going nowhere until we’ve had our dessert and coffee. Relax now. Smile. Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve. That kind of man is like an animal. If he senses fear, he’ll never let up.”
She did her best and it came off well. It was almost twenty minutes before they left the restaurant. The captain was still with his party in the rear of the restaurant, and there was no sign of police in the street. Katerina drove the small car back to the Hilton but refused Brad’s invitation to come in for a nightcap. The night was already far spent, she insisted, for a working girl, and she must drive straight home now or she would be in no condition to be charming for the customers on the morning tour. She seemed to be over her fright and so he let her go, after promising to watch for her on the morning tour.
Foregoing a solitary nightcap, he took the elevator up to his room. The balcony window was still open and the glow from the street below was enough to light the way to the bed. He was just able to make it across the room before exhaustion drained the last ounce of energy from his body. He seemed to melt into the mattress and was asleep before he could remove his shoes or his tie.
It was much later when he was aroused by a noise in the room. He felt at his throat. His tie was gone and his shirt was open at the neck. He wriggled his feet. His shoes were gone. He raised up on one elbow and tried to locate the sound that had awakened him. There was movement at the balcony windows. They were being closed by a woman in a flesh-coloured chiffon negligée.
The window latch clicked. Rhona Avery turned about and walked through a path of window light to the bed. The negligée was worn loosely over a film-like transparent gown, and her body was as lovely as it had ever been.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered huskily. “I didn’t mean to awaken you. I was chilly. Make room?”
She climbed into the bed beside him and snuggled close for warmth. He could feel her body trembling against his own.
“Don’t send me away,” she said. “I’ve got to talk to you, or go mad.”
Chapter Five
BRAD REACHED OVER to the bedside table and turned on the lamp.
“Please, turn it off,” Rhona begged.
He left it on just long enough to look at her face. She was pale and had been crying. She brushed a wisp of silver hair from her eyes and the light danced on a wide, diamond bracelet on her wrist. He switched off the light and she stopped trembling.
“How did you get out of your suite?” he asked.
“Peter went to his room and David went to sleep,” she said.
“What happened to the guards in the hall?”
“Have you any idea how little Greek policemen are paid?”
“So you bribed them. How did you get into my room?”
“I bribed the hall porter.”
“Money buys everything, I guess.”
“Not quite,” she said huskily. “Not quite everything.”
Brad’s awakening mind was trying to re-establish mental order. He had gone to bed filled with the remembrance of Katerina and awakened to find Rhona climbing into his bed. It was as if five years had never happened. But they had. The Parisian nightgown and the diamond bracelet were real, and they reminded him that this was Harry Avery’s wife. He needed time to adjust. He found his cigarettes on the night table and lit two, passing one to Rhona. It was a thing they used to do while watching the late show on TV: a scene Rhona had picked up from an old movie.
“Thanks,” she said. “I can use that.”
“I tried to call you after Draper’s news conference,” Brad said. “I was frozen out.”
“David doesn’t like you. He thinks your motive for coming here is strictly mercenary.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t care. I know what Harry did to you. It wasn’t playing the game. He might make it good if you fight him, but he won’t give anything away without a
“Now—with Koumaris watching? We’re going nowhere until we’ve had our dessert and coffee. Relax now. Smile. Don’t wear your heart on your sleeve. That kind of man is like an animal. If he senses fear, he’ll never let up.”
She did her best and it came off well. It was almost twenty minutes before they left the restaurant. The captain was still with his party in the rear of the restaurant, and there was no sign of police in the street. Katerina drove the small car back to the Hilton but refused Brad’s invitation to come in for a nightcap. The night was already far spent, she insisted, for a working girl, and she must drive straight home now or she would be in no condition to be charming for the customers on the morning tour. She seemed to be over her fright and so he let her go, after promising to watch for her on the morning tour.
Foregoing a solitary nightcap, he took the elevator up to his room. The balcony window was still open and the glow from the street below was enough to light the way to the bed. He was just able to make it across the room before exhaustion drained the last ounce of energy from his body. He seemed to melt into the mattress and was asleep before he could remove his shoes or his tie.
It was much later when he was aroused by a noise in the room. He felt at his throat. His tie was gone and his shirt was open at the neck. He wriggled his feet. His shoes were gone. He raised up on one elbow and tried to locate the sound that had awakened him. There was movement at the balcony windows. They were being closed by a woman in a flesh-coloured chiffon negligée.
The window latch clicked. Rhona Avery turned about and walked through a path of window light to the bed. The negligée was worn loosely over a film-like transparent gown, and her body was as lovely as it had ever been.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered huskily. “I didn’t mean to awaken you. I was chilly. Make room?”
She climbed into the bed beside him and snuggled close for warmth. He could feel her body trembling against his own.
“Don’t send me away,” she said. “I’ve got to talk to you, or go mad.”
Chapter Five
BRAD REACHED OVER to the bedside table and turned on the lamp.
“Please, turn it off,” Rhona begged.
He left it on just long enough to look at her face. She was pale and had been crying. She brushed a wisp of silver hair from her eyes and the light danced on a wide, diamond bracelet on her wrist. He switched off the light and she stopped trembling.
“How did you get out of your suite?” he asked.
“Peter went to his room and David went to sleep,” she said.
“What happened to the guards in the hall?”
“Have you any idea how little Greek policemen are paid?”
“So you bribed them. How did you get into my room?”
“I bribed the hall porter.”
“Money buys everything, I guess.”
“Not quite,” she said huskily. “Not quite everything.”
Brad’s awakening mind was trying to re-establish mental order. He had gone to bed filled with the remembrance of Katerina and awakened to find Rhona climbing into his bed. It was as if five years had never happened. But they had. The Parisian nightgown and the diamond bracelet were real, and they reminded him that this was Harry Avery’s wife. He needed time to adjust. He found his cigarettes on the night table and lit two, passing one to Rhona. It was a thing they used to do while watching the late show on TV: a scene Rhona had picked up from an old movie.
“Thanks,” she said. “I can use that.”
“I tried to call you after Draper’s news conference,” Brad said. “I was frozen out.”
“David doesn’t like you. He thinks your motive for coming here is strictly mercenary.”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t care. I know what Harry did to you. It wasn’t playing the game. He might make it good if you fight him, but he won’t give anything away without a
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