Bird of Paradise Read Free

girlfriend and gave a mental shudder. “I
wouldn’t think of it.”
    “Is that right?” Edgar asked, still
frowning. “You said that girl you lived with . . . Bethany . . .
Betty—”
    “Brittany.”
    “— left you, so why wouldn’t
you think of Sally? She’s got everything, a hell of a lot more that
that Brittany had. Sally is pretty and smart and goes at it like a
mink in heat.”
    “She also has an ex-boyfriend who is now my
employer,” Adam drawled, nudging the cat carrier out of reach of a
woman standing nearby.
    Edgar’s eyes narrowed as he studied Adam.
Tall, blue-eyed, dark haired, Adam looked exactly what he was—a
clean-cut man with few vices and a somewhat quirky take on life.
“Yeah, but you’re pretty good looking. For a guy.” he added. “Women
must like you.”
    Brittany’s parting words as she had stormed
out of his apartment still rang in Adam’s ears. He tried hard to
look suave and sophisticated and drop-dead sexy, and not at all
like a man whose twelve-year relationship had ended because his
significant other told him he was a lousy lover. “Regardless, the
only interest I have in Sally is purely professional. So relax,
I’ll call you later tonight, after I’ve had a chance to look over
the situation.”
    “Don’t forget to destroy the evidence,”
Edgar warned. “Oh, hell, there she is. I have to leave so she
doesn’t see me with you, but don’t you forget! Watch her but don’t
date her! And get me names! And pictures!”
    Adam nodded, rescued a small
tapestry-covered bag from the clutches of the gray arm extended
from the carrier, and watched as his childhood friend, now
employer, tried to make his huge self look invisible by skulking
off through the crowd. Then he glanced casually over his shoulder
to take note of where his quarry was, and was astounded to see her
storming up to him with murderous look on her face. Even though she
only reached his shoulder, he knew from the few times he’d met her
that her petite size was misleading. Extremely misleading. He
summoned a smile and tried to look as if he were not the possessor
of a brand-new private detective’s license.
    “Hi, Sally. Long time no see.”
    “You!” she said in a snarl as she pushed
past the people in line behind him to brandish a piece of paper
clutched in her hand. “Is this true?”
    Adam caught the name of a detective agency
on the letterhead as she waved the paper under his nose. “Is what
true?”
    “This bull! Is it true that Edgar hired you
to spy on me while I’m in the Caribbean? Is it? Did you agree to
this?”
    Adam blanched. She had a detective of her
own? Watching him? Why? “Er . . . “
    “Because if it is, you can just turn around
right now and go home,” Sally bellowed, crumpling up the paper in a
manner that made Adam suspect she was envisioning his neck between
her hands. Or worse. “It’s outrageous! It’s ridiculous! I won’t
have it, do you hear me?”
    “I think just about everyone her heard you,
Sally. Maybe we could talk about this—Jesus, no! Sorry, ma’am. It’s
my cat; he’s a bit bored being in the carrier. Here’s your magazine
back. It looks like he only tore off a little bit.”
    “Look, Fuller, I don’t give a damn what
Edgar hired you to do; you’re not doing it, OK? Now if you’ll
excuse me, I have a plane to catch. You can go home.”
    Adam grabbed the cat carrier and followed
Sally to the back of the line, where she stood seething with fury
and righteous indignation, “Sally, I don’t know how you found out
about Gar hiring me, but you have to give me a break. I’ve been on
unemployment for more than a year; this is the first paying job
I’ve had since the dot-com went under. I promise I won’t get in the
way. You won’t even know I’m there!”
    “I won’t know you’re there all right.” Sally
stared straight ahead, growling in a tone reminiscent of Jesus when
he was eating a particularly succulent piece of chicken. “Because
you