Read Online The Pleasures of Autumn by Evie Hunter - Free Book Online Page A

of thing. In the afternoon, Günter and I looked at the final proofs for the show catalogue and approved some of the souvenirs for the gift shop.’ She laughed. ‘Günter hates anything tacky.’
    ‘Go on,’ Niall prompted her.
    ‘Afterwards, I went home and painted the bathroom.’
    ‘That was it. No visitors? No phone calls or emails once you got home?’
    She shook her head. ‘I didn’t bother turning on the laptop.’
    ‘What about cameras in the lobby?’
    ‘I don’t think they work properly. We had a burglary a couple of weeks ago and the security system was damaged. The building manager is still waiting for the insurance company to settle the claim.’
    He sighed deeply. ‘So no one else saw you? There was no one in the lift? Or in the hallway?’
    Her stomach gave another little flip. This was serious. She had no alibi for the evening of the theft. ‘No one.’
    He moved back so he could see her face.
    ‘Did you steal the jewel?’
    The question blindsided her and she jerked away from him. ‘How can you ask me that?’
    ‘I am asking you that, and I won’t be the last. Answerthe bloody question.’ There was an edge to his voice that made her shiver and she wasn’t sure if it was fear, or a warped sense of excitement at his command.
    ‘I swear on my life that I didn’t take the stone.’
    ‘And is there anything else that you need to tell me before we meet your lawyer?’
    Sinead hesitated. Should she tell him about Lottie? If the case went to trial her past might be exposed.
Don’t be silly. That won’t happen. This is all just a horrible mistake
. Besides, what would Niall think of her if she told him the truth? Oh, he might enjoy watching Lottie dance on stage, but in real life no respectable businessman would want to be associated with an exotic dancer. And he would probably have to tell Uncle Tim. No. She couldn’t risk that. Her uncle would be furious if he discovered that she had put herself through college that way, rather than asking him for money. She couldn’t tell Niall about her past. Lottie would have to remain a secret.
    ‘Sinead,’ he prompted her for a response. ‘Is there anything else?’
    She forced a smile onto her face. ‘No. Nothing.’
    Satisfied, he pulled her back into his arms again. Despite the chill breeze from the lake she felt warm. She relaxed and burrowed deeper into his coat.
    ‘Comfortable?’ Niall’s voice rumbled against her ear.
    Mmm, I could get used to this.
She almost said the words out loud and stopped. What am I doing? Niall wasn’t her boyfriend. He was an investigator her uncle had sent to keep his one million franc investment safe. Niall was only doing his job. Nothing more. She was crazy to think that it was anything else.
    A light bulb went on inside her head.
Idiot.
Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner? He was the perfect solution to her problem. Niall was an investigator. He had contacts and he was used to dealing with all sorts of crimes and underworld characters. She couldn’t rely on the police to protect her and she didn’t know anyone else she could trust. She had some money, thanks to Lottie. It wouldn’t have to be a charity case. She could pay him.
    She reached for her bag. She didn’t have much cash on her, but she supposed she should give him something to retain his services. Sinead emptied the contents of her purse into her hand. One hundred and twelve francs and fifty-eight centimes.
    ‘There.’ She pressed the money into his hand. ‘It’s a retainer. I know that you cost lots more than that but I have money and I can pay you the rest when I get to a bank.’
    ‘Pay me for what?’
    ‘I want you to investigate my case.’



5
     
    She was so intense, clutching a handful of Swiss francs and looking at him so hopefully. Something inside Niall melted. It was totally irrational, but he couldn’t bring himself to believe that she was the thief. He had no idea how it would affect the two other cases he was dealing