The Rules of Silence by David Lindsey

Author:David Lindsey
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Criminals, Mystery & Detective, Kidnapping victims, Crime, Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Texas, FIC030000, Billionaires, General, Extortion, Espionage
ISBN: 9780446531634
Publisher: Hachette Digital, Inc.
Published: 2003-04-23T10:04:52.687924+00:00

Chapter 31

Titus was shaving, a towel wrapped around his waist. His neck was stiff despite the long shower he'd taken to try to loosen it up. A cup of coffee sat on the countertop by his shaving mug, along with a half-eaten piece of toast. The outside of his eyebrow was swollen, and the flesh around it was purple. He looked out the glass wall to the pool, feeling thickheaded. The four hours of sleep had felt exactly like four hours of sleep: not enough.

Nevertheless, he had to admit the conversation with García Burden in the small hours of the morning had been fascinating. Burden had made good points about Titus's concerns that he had done the wrong thing, but he hadn't really offered anything concrete. Titus still had that uneasy feeling that his decision to work with Burden was going to result in yet more tragedy. But, as with Burden, he couldn't come up with any specific, factual data to justify his anxiety.

He washed the lather off his face and walked into his closet to get his clothes. After dressing, he felt a little less fuzzy headed as he made his way along the atrium to the kitchen. Rita was again sitting at the island, nursing a glass of orange juice.

“You want anything besides that piece of toast? ”she asked. She, too, looked exhausted.

“No, I'm fine, ”he said, dumping his cold coffee down the sink. He turned around and leaned against the counter.

“How's your head feeling? ”Rita asked.

“Lousy.”

“Let me see. ”She got up from the bar stool and went over to him. He waited while she examined him. She was close, and he could see the blond fuzz along her temples, smell her shampoo.

“The swelling's going to be with you for a while, ”she said, returning to the island.

The front gate intercom buzzed behind him on the counter panel, and he reached over and pushed the button.

“Yes?”

“This is Deputy Seams with the Travis County Sheriff's Office. This Mr. Cain?”

“Yeah. Yes, it is.”

“Wonder if you could open the gate for me, Mr. Cain?”

“Uh, sure, ”Titus said, frowning and looking over at Rita as he hit the gate button.

Rita was motionless, her questioning eyes locked on him.

“I don't have any idea, ”he said, and headed for the door to the veranda. Rita followed him, and they both stood in the morning shade and watched the sheriff's car come slowly over the rise on the paved drive, seeming to take too long to curve around and approach the turn that brought him behind the high hedges. He pulled up behind Herrin's trucks and turned off the engine.

Oddly, the deputy took off his regulation summer western hat and laid it on the seat of the patrol car before he opened the door. As he got out, the scratch of radio transmissions came with him and then went silent as he closed the door. He looked around as he walked over to the veranda where Titus and Rita were waiting at the edge of the flagstones, under the morning glory vines.

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