Read Online Southern Belle by Stuart Jaffe - Free Book Online Page A

symbol you draw so that —"
    "We've seen them." Max recalled the bizarre symbols all over Joshua Leed's house. Then he saw Sandra's shocked face and realized his mistake.
    Drummond raised an eyebrow. "When have you ever seen a ward symbol?"
    The silent tension around them grew thicker. Max's brain raced for a plausible answer as Drummond stared at him with that detective eye — the look of man who could spot a lie with minimal effort. Max opened his mouth, hoping to sound natural, when it hit him. He had seen a ward before. "Don't you remember the art forgery case?"
    Sandra shuddered. Max knew she hated any reminder of being chained in the basement of the Corkille home while that crazy family attempted their awful spells. Still, she understood Max's angle. "That's right," she said. "That Corkille bitch drew all sorts of stuff on the floor, and you couldn't get in to stop her."
    Drummond's face turned cold. "Well, we did find a way to stop her. And those symbols were not wards. She used blood to create that barrier."
    "The concept's the same, though. Right?" Max asked. "Use some sort of magic to keep a ghost out of a certain area."
    "I suppose. Anyway, Matt put a ward on one door in his house. I tried to go through the walls to get around it, but he must have wards on the inner walls of the room because I couldn't get in. Actually, that's not right. I could force my way in, but getting close to an active ward is like touching a hot stove. It burns hot and painful and that's what keeps you away. If I can handle the pain, I could go in."
    "No need, though. You open the outside door, I'll go in to the warded room, find the notebook, and we get out of there."
    "Like I said. Easy."
    Sandra cleared her throat in a melodramatic manner to get their attention. One look at her face, and Max knew he had messed up again. "What's the matter, Hon?"
    Sandra looked at the two men and shook her head. "You seem to have forgotten my part in all this."
    Like walking through a minefield, Max slowly said, "Okay. What's your part?"
    "That's my question to you. You didn't actually think I'd let you go running off tonight alone, did you? We're partners in this outfit. I'm not a secretary. If you think it's important to find this notebook, then I'm going with you."
    He couldn't help but smile — her fierce eyes and determined jaw made her even more beautiful than usual. "I'm sorry, but you can't come this time."
    "Excuse me?"
    Inching back from the desk, Max said, "Honey, I'm going to be committing a burglary on Ebert Road. That's not really an empty road. There's houses all around."
    "That's why you need my help."
    "If you come with me and we get caught, who's going to bail us out? Our friend, the ghost?"
    "You really think breaking into an empty house is somehow more dangerous than the other things we've faced?"
    "Of course not." Max felt his pizza lurch in his stomach. "I just —"
    "You just nothing. I told you when we decided to keep on working together that it had to be on equal terms. It's been easy to play at equality when nothing much has been challenging us, but this is your real moment of truth. This is the time when you prove you're worth your word. Are we equal or not?"
    Max swallowed hard. He looked to Drummond, but the detective stared at Sandra so shocked, he didn't realize he had slipped halfway through his chair.
    At length, Max tilted his head in a slight nod. "I said we'd be equal and we will."
    Drummond lifted a bit in the air. "Sugar, I've always liked you, but I swear, you make me wish I'd find a way to be alive again."
    With a flirting wink, Sandra said, "Now why would you want to do that? I'm a married woman."
    "Don't bother me with details. That's the whole point of a fantasy."
    "Hey, you two," Max said. "I'm right here."
    Sandra giggled and picked up the pizza box. "I'll take this downstairs. Otherwise, the place'll stink by morning."
    When she left, Max dropped his head. "Promise me, if something goes wrong, you won't let