Read Lethal Bond: Jamie Bond Mysteries Book #3 for Free Online Page A

for a moment. "So instead of helping the police put away a—how did you put it?— known drug dealer , you were there to catch a cheating husband, and a mere criminal didn't merit blowing a simple infidelity case."
    Geeze. It wasn't as if I overlooked someone being murdered.
    His tone, the way he seemed to want to take every word I said and boil it down to some meaningless heap of dog doo was starting to tick me off. My hands curled. Not that I'd actually hit him, but I placed them on my hips, just the same. "That is my job."
    "And mine is on my desk, waiting for me to get back to it."
    I stood straighter, almost meeting him eye-to-eye. "So you're just going to let this known criminal in the next room hang out there because he doesn't merit delaying your mountain of paperwork? Wow, you really are all about justice," I said, turning the tables on him.
    His eyes hardened. I'd admit I was a bit gleeful that I'd hit a nerve.
    I didn't wait for him to respond. "Rocky walked in off the street, got on the elevator, walked through those doors, and into that office."
    "That's not possible."
    Was he calling me a liar? For a brief moment I wondered why he'd been so attractive to me before now.
    "The building doors are locked after six. No one can get in without a key."
    "Unless someone unlocked it on purpose so Rocky could get inside. Someone like…" I pointed to the DA's office.
    He took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. "The DA is vacationing in Hawaii with his wife for the week."
    My stomach sank. Oh. That didn't sound or look good. There went my credibility.
    "Fine, but I know what I saw. He entered the building, and—" I began again, in case all these hours at work were actually leeching brain cells and he needed another explanation.
    But he didn't let me finish. Instead he leaned forward and pushed the door fully open.
    I followed him inside as he flipped a switch, turning on an overhead. Light forced back the shadows. The office, aside from the usual furniture and a browning plant on a side table, was empty.
    What the hell?
    Another step in and I noticed two doors along the left wall. One was narrow, up by the back wall of windows, and shut. I assumed it was a closet. The other, however, was ajar, and it led to another office or a smaller hall. It was dark, and I couldn't make it out. Rocky must've gone through that door. He could be anywhere in the building.
    And now I felt stupid.
    I turned to Aiden, almost afraid to look at his expression.
    But he didn't seem mad or triumphant that he'd proved me wrong. Much. The tiny lines around his eyes were soft, and the corners of his mouth were down turned a bit. If anything, he looked tired. I hated that all the reasons I'd been unable to get him out of my mind came flooding back to me.
    "I don't know what to say. Obviously I was wrong about the DA, but I followed Rocky up to this floor. I don't know who he's here to see, but someone…"
    Sound came from the mysterious doorway. I turned back just in time to see Miranda walk through. She held a stack of papers and smiled at Aiden, completely ignoring me. As if a stranger in the office at night was a common occurrence.
    Hmm, was it?
    "Do have you a minute to go over these?" she asked him.
    "Of course." He glanced at me and lowered his voice. "I'm sure you know the way out."
    In other words, he didn't want to catch me snooping around anymore.
    I nodded. I had no intention of continuing my search. Tonight.
    Aiden stood by the main office door and waited for Miranda and me to step into the hall before he pushed in a button on the knob then firmly shut the door, locking me out. He knew me too well. Then he and Miranda took a right and headed down the hall.
    As I watched them discuss some legal matter, their shoulders brushing against one another with each in-sync step, I ran through what had just happened.
    Rocky went into the DA's office. I was sure of that. He must've left through that side door. The same door Miranda walked through a