A Dangerous Arrangement Read Free Page B

spot on a comfortable sofa, Dean watched the steady procession of guests from behind his newspaper. Progress reports continued to flow in from Sydney, relayed via Rask who’d stayed on the yacht to coordinate the investigation. According to the itinerary, Marina Wentworth was staying at this hotel prior to boarding a cruise ship in the morning.
    Dean glanced down at his silent phone. He had no idea what she looked like, but if he wanted to find Victor Yu, he needed to locate Marina Wentworth before she embarked on that ship.
    Eyes gritty from lack of sleep, Dean looked towards the concierge desk where a woman with an American accent, New Yorker maybe, was booking a water taxi for tomorrow morning. No prizes for guessing the reason for the concierge’s overattentive manner. The woman was striking. There was no other word for her. She wore a blue silky top and tight white jeans, a silver belt draped over her hips and sandals with a blue stone in the centre. Long, dark hair fell in loose waves to just above her waist.
    As if she sensed someone watching, the woman turned and scanned the people in the lobby. For a full second her eyes locked on his, and while Dean’s heart might have stopped, another organ lower down stood up and took notice. Every facial feature was a fraction overemphasised, from the arched brows to the large vivid eyes, from the cut-glass cheekbones to the slightly wide mouth and full lips.
    He smiled instinctively, but the woman had already turned back to the concierge.
    Dean looked away. It had been a long time since a woman had evoked such an immediate physical response, especially when she’d barely glanced at him. And now wasn’t the time to be distracted by a beautiful woman. He was here to find the teacher who’d leased out her second bedroom to Victor Yu, a week before he’d started work at the office.
    The Taiwanese citizen had proved elusive, while the woman had been easier to trace. Her car had been left at Sydney airport, though a neighbour charged with the job of caring for Wentworth’s cat insisted Marina was travelling throughout northern Australia.
    So, the violin teacher was a liar, as well as a possible accomplice.
    It was enough to set Dean’s teeth on edge.
    He lowered his newspaper as a flash of blue appeared in his peripheral vision. The American woman was walking towards the hotel entrance, shoulders straight, dark hair a striking contrast with her white jeans.
    And then the bellhop, who’d jumped at Dean’s inducement to point her out, opened the door with a flourish and looked directly at Dean.
    â€˜Enjoy your evening, Ms Wentworth.’
    Dean froze, though his heart kicked against his ribs so hard it almost robbed him of breath.
    No way!
    There had to be some mistake.
    He stood, flung aside the newspaper and with his eye on the bellhop, strode towards the entrance.
    With a faint nod the young man opened the door, and then Dean was on the street, punching in Rask’s speed-dial number.
    Rask had a theory: Yu and Wentworth had become lovers, the hacker had spent six months working his way through every security protocol in the office, and six months working his way into his landlady’s pants. Together, they’d formed an image of a lonely, middle-aged woman, maybe coerced into breaking the law by a lover she didn’t want to lose. But if this woman was Yu’s accomplice, he and Rask had failed miserably in their profiling. This woman could have any man she desired.
    Rask picked up after the fourth ring. ‘Yes, boss.’
    â€˜Where’s the photograph of Marina Wentworth?’ Dean spoke in a low voice, dodging around strolling tourists, eyes fixed on the woman up ahead.
    â€˜They’re still searching. Apart from the itinerary, there was nothing on the desktop computer except orchestral music. Why?’
    â€˜I might have found her, and she’s nothing like we imagined. She’s American. A looker, a