The Silent Watcher (Vegas Shadows) by Methos Victor

Author:Methos, Victor [Methos, Victor]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2024-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

Lazarus arrived at Judge Dawson’s home in the evening and parked in the driveway. The setting sun cast a glint off the house, making it seem new. It was an elegant bit of architecture, but there were others like it all over the city. He wondered why she chose to stay here after her husband took a header off the balcony.

Getting out of the car, Lazarus heard the front door unlocking as he approached. He nodded once in gratitude to the camera above the entrance.

The house blended in with the desert. It had a large staircase, beige floors, and walls that looked like the red earth outside.

“In here,” she called from deep inside the house.

Lazarus took a few wrong turns before finding her in a room transformed into an art studio. She wore paint-splattered jeans and a white T-shirt. The space was filled with paintings, and the lighting was dim. She had her back to him, looking at a painting of a naked woman reaching up with both hands. The woman looked like a ghost, with the night sky visible through her body.

“I can’t stand that cologne,” she said without turning around. “I think it has pine trees on it if I’m not mistaken?”

“It reminds me of the woods.”

“I forget you’re a country boy.”

She made a small brushstroke and then stepped back for perspective.

“What are you painting?”

“Nyx devouring Helios while he devours her. What do you think?”

“I hate it.”

She grinned. “I can always rely on you to be honest.”

“Honesty’s easier.”

She reached toward the painting and darkened a small portion of Nyx’s breast, making it appear more in the flesh than the rest of the body.

“How’s Ms. Danes working out?”

“I like her fine. She’s smart.”

“Oddly optimistic all the time, isn’t she? Not a common trait in a guardian.”

He stood beside her, observing the painting.

“Why are you here, Lazarus?”

“I can’t figure out how he got into the house.”

“So? Why come here?”

“This is why we didn’t work. You got a heart like ice.”

“It’s not about heart. You’re here to discuss ideas and emotions and theories. That’s what you do with a spouse, or your partner. I am neither.”

She let out a sigh, placing her brush and paints down. “I’m sorry. The futility of it occasionally gets to me. Does it get to you?”

“No.”

She grinned again as she washed her hands in a sink and dried them with a white rag. “You have an amazing flair for self-deception. Just be careful, the easiest person to deceive is ourselves.”

He glanced up to the ceiling, where there were spatters of paint on the plaster. “I think that girl knows something. She gets ambushed and walks away with some cuts and scrapes? How?”

“Ah, and there it is. The real reason you’re here. The answer is no,” she said, beginning to rinse off her brushes.

“To what?”

“To giving you permission to interview her over her guardian’s objection.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“No, you’re not that stupid. You’ll make a subtle plea. Something that I might actually say yes to. And then later, when you do what you want, you’ll say that my instructions were vague.

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.