Dangerous Deception by Beverly Barton

Author:Beverly Barton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HQN Books
Published: 2006-11-19T16:00:00+00:00

DOM MET BAIN DESMOND and Mike Swain outside the Chicken Coop at seven-fifteen that evening. They took a back booth, ordered coffee and asked Lausanne to take her next break as soon as she could.

“It’ll be another fifteen minutes at least,” she told Dom. “Does Lieutenant Desmond have some new information?”

“He has photos of all Bedell, Inc. female employees under the age of thirty-five,” Dom said. “He wants you to take a look at them.”

Lausanne nodded, then scurried off to deliver chicken salad and iced tea to a customer.

Dom glanced at the laptop Mike Swain laid on the table in front of him.

“The employee photos are on a disc,” Desmond said.

“How many photos?” Dom asked.

“Out of seventy-six female employees, forty-two are under the age of thirty-five,” Swain said.

“You realize that with that many photos to look at, it’ll be easy for Lausanne to become confused,” Dom said. “She might not be able to ID the woman, especially considering the fact that the woman probably wore a wig and—”

“Making excuses for her just in case?” Desmond asked.

“Just stating a simple fact.”

“Well, the facts are these—I have a murder case on my hands as well as a missing person’s case. And until both cases are solved, Ms. Raney will remain a person of interest to the Chattanooga PD.”

“You don’t really think she’s capable of murder,” Dom said.

“Just because she’s a beautiful woman that any man would find desirable doesn’t mean she’s not capable of murder.” Desmond looked pointedly at Dom. “Believe me, I’d like to see her proven completely innocent, but I haven’t lost my objectivity.”

The way you have. Those four words hung silently between them.

“What if Audrey Perkins killed Bobby Jack and she’s on the run?” Dom tossed out a plausible scenario. “Knowing Cash’s body was bound to be found eventually, she arranged to have an impersonator lead police or private PI’s off her trail.”

“Why hire two impersonators?” Desmond asked.

“There could be numerous explanations.”

“Name one.”

Lausanne showed up that very minute, as if on cue, saving Dom from having to produce a reply when he had none. “Effie told me to go ahead and take my break since we’re not busy now that the car club customers just left.”

Dom scooted over to allow her to sit by him.

“So, where are the photographs you want me to look at?” Lausanne asked.

“They’re here.” Sergeant Swain patted the top of the closed laptop.

Lausanne glanced quizzically at the computer.

Swain flipped the laptop open and turned it around so that the screen faced Lausanne. “I have the disc loaded. All you have to do is hit Next when you’re ready to move from one photograph to the next.”

“Take your time,” Lt. Desmond told her.

She nodded.

“Do you need for me to show you how to do it?” Sergeant Swain asked.

“No, thanks, I know how to use a computer.”

Dom couldn’t help noticing the way both Desmond and Swain watched Lausanne with more than professional interest. Apparently both men found her attractive. But that was no big surprise. They weren’t blind.

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