Spell Blind

Read Spell Blind for Free Online Page A

Book: Read Spell Blind for Free Online
Authors: David B. Coe
Tags: Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal, Urban
they’ll—” The man spotted me and stopped. “Who the hell are you? And how’d you get in here?”
    The woman turned and eyed me with obvious interest.
    “I’m Jay Fearsson. I’m here to see Detective Shaw.”
    The man narrowed his eyes, but then he began to nod. “Right. She said something about that. Forgive me, Mister Fearsson.” He walked down the path to where I stood, the woman following.
    “Howard Wriker,” he said, as I shook his hand. “I’m Senator Deegan’s chief of staff and a close friend of the family.” He indicated the woman. “This is Billie Castle.”
    “Miss Castle,” I said, shaking her hand as well.
    “Are you a police officer, Mister Fearsson?” she asked.
    I started to answer, but out of the corner of my eye caught a warning glance from Wriker.
    “I’m an investigator,” I said. Before she could ask me more, I faced Wriker again. “Where can I find Detective Shaw?”
    “In the house,” he told me. “I’ll join you in just a moment.”
    I nodded once to the woman and hurried to the door. I couldn’t say why, but I felt like I’d come through a shootout without being hit.
    Stepping into the house, I saw that it was as impressive on the inside as it had been from the courtyard. The front foyer opened onto a large living room with oak floors that made the wood in my office seem cheap and dull. Opposite the entry was a bank of windows offering views of the mountain and, in the distance, the buildings of downtown Phoenix. My first thought was that this place had to be spectacular at night, not that it was bad now. The room was decorated tastefully with Native American art: pottery from Acoma and Jemez set on tables and shelves, Navajo blankets hanging on the walls, Kachinas in glass cases—not the cheap dolls made for tourists by the Navajo, but the real things, carved from cottonwood by the Hopi. I knew enough about the Southwestern tribes to understand that the Deegans had one hell of a collection, one that would have been the envy of many museums.
    I was still admiring the Kachinas when I heard a footstep behind me. Turning, I saw Wriker close the door, a weary look on his face.
    “That was well done, Mister Fearsson. If you can avoid talking to Billie Castle you should. For your sake and the senator’s.”
    “Why? Who is she?”
    Wriker frowned. “You don’t know?”
    I shook my head.
    “You’ve never heard of ‘Castle’s Village’?”
    “No. Should I have?”
    “It’s a blog,” Wriker said, making “blog” sound like a dirty word. “A political one—probably the most popular of its kind in the Southwest. She has correspondents and opinion writers from all over Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Southern California, West Texas.” He shook his head. “Suffice it to say that few of them are fans of the senator.”
    “And yet you allowed her in the house.”
    Wriker crossed to a wet bar in the near corner of the room. “You want a drink?”
    “Water would be fine, thanks.”
    “You don’t mind if I have a Scotch, do you?”
    “Of course not. I’m sure this has been an awful day.”
    “You have no idea,” he said.
    “You and the Deegans have my deepest sympathies, sir,” I said. There are only so many ways to tell the family of a murder victim that you’re sorry for them, and over the years I’d used every one. But just because I’d said these words a thousand times that didn’t mean I wasn’t sincere. I’d never been a fan of Randolph Deegan; I’d never voted for him. But I wouldn’t have wished this tragedy on my worst enemy.
    “Thank you.” He plunked ice cubes into a pair of tumblers, filled one from the tap, and poured a good deal of scotch into the other. “To answer your question,” he said, handing me my drink, “yes, I let her into the house. Her readership is greater than the combined circulation of every newspaper in the state. And a little goodwill now might smooth things over for us later in the year.”
    I sipped my water.

Similar Books

True Nature

Neely Powell

Scarred Beauty

Sam Crescent

Roberto & Me

Dan Gutman

Birds and Prey

Lexi Johnson

Pack Animals

Peter Anghelides

Azuri Fae

India Drummond

Follow You Down

Hot Tree Editing, K. B. Webb