Reaper's Stand by Joanna Wylde

Author:Joanna Wylde [Wylde, Joanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

LONDON

Thursday passed in a blur.

We started out with a quick trip by Target so I could grab something clean to wear. I’d rebuild my wardrobe down the line, but for now just having fresh panties and jeans that weren’t covered in dirt and soot was a huge improvement—not to mention a new bra. Reese seemed a little disappointed by that, but he’d get over it. The girls liked their support.

Then I met with the cops and the fire investigators. Reese made some phone calls, and a lawyer I didn’t know sat in on the meetings with me, which seemed a bit excessive. Then again, what did I know about exploding-house procedure? Not that it mattered. The suited assassin (seriously—this lawyer wore a black suit and looked exactly like a hit man) just listened with a blank face, occasionally cutting off a line of questioning for reasons I never quite figured out. The official types didn’t seem overly concerned by this, so I decided not to worry about it, either.

I was more worried about how I’d pay the guy but apparently it was a non-issue. According to Reese, “He’s on retainer with the club, babe. Part of his job. Don’t think about it.”

The sheriff—Bud Tyrell—and the fire investigator wanted to know about my history with the house (long), whether I’d ever had issues with the oven (occasionally), and if I had any large, outstanding debts (always).

The latter got the most attention from them, because despite the fact that business was thriving, I was always a step behind financially. It wasn’t that I blew money. Not at all. But there were six years of medical bills built up from Jessica’s ongoing surgeries and treatment, which added up fast even with insurance.

When they asked for specifics, I couldn’t tell them anything. All my records burned up in the fire. They’d see plenty if they pulled my credit report, though. Maybe I could use the insurance settlement to pay off my debts? Tempting …

That’s when I realized having a lawyer in the room might not be such a bad idea after all.

It’s all about motive, right?

Meeting with the insurance agent was easier. I’d never really paid attention to my coverage, but he’d been my mother’s agent for years and he’d known what he was doing when he set everything up. Not only did I have fantastic coverage to rebuild the house, but I had coverage for living expenses for the duration.

I could move out of Reese’s place any time I wanted.

The idea was less appealing than it should’ve been. I mentioned looking for an apartment and he shut me down, so I figured that was an argument I’d tackle tomorrow. The thought of one more night in his bed wasn’t exactly unappealing under normal circumstances—as things stood, I was more than happy to stay put for a couple of days.

Thursday night Reese took me and Melanie out to dinner, with the ever-present Painter tagging along for good measure. I glared at him every

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.