Read Online The Front by Patricia Cornwell - Free Book Online Page B

“I could throw her to the pavement, be gone with her pocketbook before you could blink. To her, that’d probably be the worst thing that’s ever happened in her life. To big shots like you, it’s not even reportable.”
    â€œClearly, you don’t know me.”
    â€œOh, I know plenty, because I know what you just did.” Her dark glasses look at him. “You’re worse than I thought. What’d you do? Ride around to local shelters until you found her so you could scare her to death?”
    â€œI told you. She initiated . . .”
    â€œMaybe she did. After you followed her around, terrifying her, taking advantage of her compromised mental state.” Stump’s antagonism is becoming less convincing.
    He’s not sure why, but he senses she’s putting on a performance and isn’t a particularly skilled actor.
    â€œWho is she?” he asks. “And what’s with the Raggedy Ann charade?”
    â€œIt’s who she needs to be. Maybe believes it, maybe she doesn’t. Who knows? Doesn’t matter.”
    â€œIt matters. There’s a difference between psychotic and eccentric.” He watches more shoppers return to their cars, not a GPS thief in sight.
    Stump says, “She claims you threatened her. Claims you told her if she didn’t meet you in the park this morning, you’d make sure she got locked up every time she stepped out her door.”
    â€œShe give you some plausible explanation for why I could threaten her?”
    â€œYou wanted sex.”
    â€œIf you believe that, maybe you’re the one who’s psychotic,” he says.
    â€œWhy? Because a guy like you could have anyone he wants, so why would he want an unattractive nobody like her?”
    â€œCome on, Stump. If you’ve checked me out as thoroughly as you say, you know damn well I don’t have that kind of reputation.”
    â€œSounds like you don’t know what people say about you, don’t know the speculations.”
    â€œPeople say all kinds of things about me. But what are you referring to, exactly?”
    â€œWhat really happened in Lamont’s bedroom that night.”
    He’s speechless, can’t believe she just said that.
    â€œHow do I know the truth?” Stump says.
    â€œDon’t push me too far.” He says it quietly.
    â€œJust telling you, the speculation’s out there. It’s everywhere. People—especially cops—who think you were already in Lamont’s house when the guy broke in. Specifically, already in her bedroom. Specifically, you could have protected her without killing him, but that might have resulted in people knowing your dirty little secret.”
    â€œTake me back to my car.”
    â€œI have a right to know if the two of you have ever had . . .”
    â€œYou don’t have a right to anything,” he says.
    â€œIf I’m going to have any respect for you . . .”
    â€œMaybe you should start worrying about my having any respect for you,” he says.
    â€œI need to know the truth.”
    â€œSo what if we did? How ’bout that? She’s single. I’m single. We’re both consenting adults.”
    â€œA confession. Thank you.” Coldly.
    â€œWhy is it so important to you?” he asks.
    â€œIt means you’re living a lie, you’re nothing but a con artist, a phony. That you sleep with the boss, and that leads directly to why she’s sent you to Watertown. Must be something in it for you. Especially if you’re still sleeping with her. And you probably are. I have no use for people like you.”
    â€œNo, I think the truth is you’re trying really hard to have no use for me,” Win says. “What? It reinforces your view of the universe if I’m garbage?”
    â€œNarcissist that you are, you would think that.”
    â€œWe didn’t,” he says. “There. Are you satisfied?”
    Silence, as she starts the