Heaven's Fire by Sandra Balzo

Author:Sandra Balzo
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Thriller, Family Saga
ISBN: 9781475143003
Publisher: CreateSpace
Published: 2012-04-09T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Kathy looked up and sniffed when Simon came in. "Lordy, you smell like a smoked salmon." She got up and hugged him.

"Thanks," Simon said, flopping down in the chair next to her desk. "And is that ‘Eau d’ Pediatrician’ I smell emanating from you?"

"I think you had best mind your own business, Tex," she said, eyebrows raised. "Which reminds me, where did you spend last night?"

Simon turned red. "A friend’s house."

Simon? Blushing? "Must be a good friend," she said, but didn’t inquire further for now. She'd nail him on it later, when he was feeling better. It would be more sporting and just as much fun.

"Do you need somewhere to stay tonight?" she asked. "I’m sure Ned wouldn’t mind." She knew Ned would mind, but that was just too bad.

"No, I’m fine," Simon said, not sounding fine at all. And why should he? He'd just lost the only thing he loved. Well, almost the only thing.

"Is Irish okay?"

Kathy had helped Simon pick out the setter puppy as a gift for What's-her-name, as she liked to call his ex. Simon had kept Irish after the divorce, since the woman couldn't be bothered with a dog anymore than she could with a husband.

"Everybody's fine," Simon said. "The dog was outside when the fire started, fortunately for her."

"The luck of the Irish," Kathy offered automatically, but she was wondering who "everybody" was.

But Simon didn't explain, or even smile. He stood up. "You said the fire department called?"

She handed him the message. "Call this guy back, and Collins wants to see you."

"I figured." He tapped the binders he had carried in. "Can you get the auditors to go over these?"

Kathy nodded. "Looking for something in particular?"

"Anything irregular, funds diverted--you know the drill. And tell Collins I’ll be right in after I get out of these clothes."

Simon went into his office and closed the door behind him.

Kathy turned to her computer, typed in "depression +male" and clicked "Search."

*****

Simon took another shower and changed into his spare jeans and shirt. Stuffing his smoky sweats into a plastic grocery bag, he tied it shut and stashed it deep in the corner of the closet in his office. Even in the plastic bag, even with the door shut, he still could smell it. The smoke from the fire had seeped into his pores and permeated his nostrils, like a nauseating cologne you accidentally got on the tip of your nose. Simon knew from experience it would take hours, maybe days, for him to shake it, no matter how many showers he took.

Clean, if not exactly feeling fresh, Simon sat down to gather his thoughts before he went in to see Collins. As always, his desk was neat, probably because he spent very little time there. He was on the road nearly half the year. He kept a pad of yellow paper in the center of the desk and his in-and-out box in the upper right-hand corner. That was it.

He pulled the pad toward him. Then he sat and stared.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.