Read Online Tempting the Devil by Patricia; Potter - Free Book Online

stymied authorities. Had the killer been present yesterday?
    She arrived at the cottage and went inside. Daisy was, as she thought, standing in front of the fridge, the best background to appear neglected and abused.
    As Robin started to open a can of tuna to the accompaniment of some rather pitiable meows, the phone rang. She quickly shoveled the contents into a dish and ran for the phone.
    â€œSis,” her sister said, “I need your help. “Cal is suing for custody of the kids. I need you to testify for me. Next week.”
    â€œI can’t believe he would do that.”
    â€œWell, he has.”
    â€œOn what grounds?”
    â€œThat I’m careless.”
    â€œYou’ve never been careless with them.”
    A silence, then, “Hunter disappeared last week when I was shopping. I turned around and he was gone. He apparently saw a puppy when we went into the grocery store. When I turned around, he’d gone back to the parking lot to find the dog. He went several blocks looking for it, before the police found him. They called Cal when I reported him missing.”
    â€œThat could happen to—”
    â€œHe doesn’t want to pay the child support,” she said. “He never paid any attention to them when he was home, but now he’s found a woman who has some money and wants to be a stay-at-home wife.”
    Robin was stunned. She’d never particularly liked Lark’s husband. He was too good looking and knew it. He could never keep a job. He always felt that he was superior to any boss he had and eventually showed it. But she never thought he would try to take full custody of little Hunter and Kim.
    â€œI’ll do whatever you need,” she said.
    â€œThere will be depositions. You will have to come up here to do it.”
    â€œWhen?”
    â€œNext Tuesday.”
    That was seven days away. Robin hated to leave the story, to give it to someone for even a day or two, but her niece and nephew were more important. She knew how much Lark adored them.
    â€œI’ll be there. What about Star?”
    â€œShe’ll be there, too, if the baby doesn’t come before then.”
    â€œWe’ll have a mini-reunion.”
    â€œI wish it was under other circumstances. We haven’t been together since Mom died.”
    â€œNo one will take the kids away,” Robin said. “I feel like calling Cal right now and—”
    â€œIt won’t do any good. He’s convinced he’s right. It might dilute whatever you have to say at the hearing.”
    â€œWhatever you want. Are they with you now?”
    â€œYes. They’re in bed now. The house is so quiet. I wish you were here now.”
    â€œMe, too. I’m pretty sure I won’t have a problem getting the time off.”
    â€œCall me when you get a flight. I’ll pick you up.”
    Her sister hung up.
    Depressed, Robin turned on the television. It was about thirty minutes before the newscast. She would go from one to another to see which reporters were covering the story, and what they had. She prayed it wouldn’t be what she did not have, or she would hear about it in the morning.
    They didn’t. The news was mostly about the funerals on the following day. She didn’t see the man who had so intrigued her, but then she hadn’t really expected it.
    Daisy hopped up on the chair next to her and kneaded her claws into Robin’s slacks, meowing softly in a demand for attention.
    Robin scratched behind her ears, wishing with all her heart she could solve Lark’s problem as easily as she could placate Daisy, who now purred contentedly.
    And discover why it was that Sandy seemed so spooked by something.
    Once again, his strange behavior haunted her thoughts, as did his vague warnings. A sudden prickling ran down her spine as the faces of the slain officers flashed on the screen.
    It still seemed such an unfathomable crime.
    She tried to brush the disquiet away.