Whole Lotta Trouble by Stephanie Bond

Author:Stephanie Bond [Bond, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Women Editors, Humorous, New York (N.Y.), Contemporary, General, Romance, Romantic Suspense Fiction, Female Friendship, Fiction
ISBN: 9780060565428
Google: YBG6dVT9FIcC
Amazon: 006056542X
Publisher: Avon
Published: 2004-09-27T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Felicia stepped off the elevator and rushed through the reception area, incredibly late for work. Her neck was raw from whisker burn, and her leg muscles were tight. Parting with Phil this morning had been so awkward, she couldn’t bear to think about it…what had she been thinking last night?

Heads turned when she walked in, and she noticed that everyone was standing around computers in clumps, heads together.

The photo, she realized with a rush of adrenaline, was making the rounds. But the hushed whispers were a far cry from the raucous laughter she’d expected. In fact, no one was laughing.

Tamara glanced up from her desk. Two interns standing behind her scampered on their way.

“What’s going on?” Felicia asked carefully.

“Um, well,” Tamara stammered, “a friend of mine forwarded this note to me this morning.” She rotated her monitor, and Felicia blinked.

Seeing the photo she’d taken of Jerry on a two-inch-by-two-inch cell phone screen was one thing, but seeing it on a seventeen-inch, high-resolution monitor was something else altogether. It was a glossy page out of an S&M magazine—from the strip of black leather tied around his eyes to the chains and buckles crisscrossing his torso. Below the note read the words, “Jerry, Jerry quite contrary”—Jané’s idea and handiwork. The man looked like a complete idiot.

“It’s Jerry Key,” Tamara whispered, her eyes wide.

“I gathered as much,” Felicia said. Triumph zigzagged through her, and she tried to hold back a smile. “Well, he’s certainly coming out of the closet in a big way.” She gave a little laugh.

Tamara stared. “You don’t know, do you?”

Felicia frowned. “Know what?”

“Felicia…Jerry’s…well, he’s…dead.”

Disbelief hit Felicia like a gong. Her mouth twitched down, then up in an incredulous smile. “No…you’re joking.”

But Tamara shook her head, her eyes pained. “I’m not. He was found murdered in a room at the Hills Hotel.”

Felicia’s knees buckled, and she leaned into Tamara’s desk. She couldn’t speak, couldn’t think. “Murdered?”

Her assistant nodded. “Stabbed…or so that’s the rumor going around.” Tamara pointed to the computer screen. “Apparently the murderer took this picture and sent it to a bunch of people before he killed Jerry. How godawful creepy is that?”

Felicia’s jaw loosened, and she felt the blood drain from her face. Horror rolled over her.

“Felicia,” Tamara said, standing and reaching out. “I’m so sorry. I know that you and Jerry used to…date.”

“Yes,” Felicia murmured. “A long…time ago.”

“This must be a terrible shock for you.”

Felicia nodded and staggered into her office, where she dropped into the nearest chair and covered her mouth with her hand.

Tamara hovered near the door. “I’ll get you some water.”

Felicia nodded and swallowed, tentatively. She was numb. White noise buzzed in her ears. Jerry couldn’t be dead…he simply couldn’t be. The phone rang, piercing the air and causing her nearly to jump out of her skin. She exhaled and pushed to her feet, realizing when she reached for the phone that she was still wearing her coat. “Yeah,” she croaked, business protocol going by the wayside.

“It’s Tallie,” a barely recognizable voice said on the other line.

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