Delecto - Games of Mastery (part 1) Read Free Page A

satisfaction.
    But a final
pertinent thought passed through my mind as I faded into
unconsciousness.
    Dying isn't
permitted. You haven’t suffered nearly enough yet.

Amanda
    I set off in my
white Honda Civic. It was a beautiful early September day, despite
the poignant sadness of the date.
    I expected my
journey to take forty minutes, traffic permitting.
    I turned on the
radio, quietly in the background, and relaxed as I headed out of
town on I-90, guided by my best friend on the road, my GPS. Sudbury
was accessible via a direct route on the interstate, but I liked to
listen to the instructions I was given. I found the droning,
repetitive voice soothing.
    Forty-three
minutes later I rolled along Park Drive and finally reached my
destination, ten minutes early. I turned and stopped at Sebastian
Shaw’s security gate, lowering my window next to the speaker box
and pressing the button.
    Something else
immediately captured my attention. The house beyond the gate. It
was a strange mixture of French chateau and Georgian architecture.
I’d never seen anything like it. It wasn’t particularly attractive,
more so an odd mismatch of irreconcilable styles that jarred the
eyes. I was so intent on staring, my mind so far away, that I
didn’t notice someone seemed to be speaking to me from somewhere. I
finally zoned into the “Hallo, hallo?” noise and where it was
coming from, the box adjacent to my position.
    “ Hello,”
I replied in the box’s direction.
    “ Can I
help you?” the man on the other end asked with a strong French
accent.
    “ Miss
Preston. I have a legal appointment with Mr. Shaw at
two.”
    “ Oh, Ms.
Preston? Of course. Come inside.”
    The wrought
iron gates swept open before me and I edged the car inside, along
his front driveway and through the expansive, shrub filled borders.
The house was set on a hillside overlooking some incredible
scenery. Billowing treetops and fields lay in the distance
beyond.
    The house may
be an eyesore but that view is sensational.
    I parked next
to his Jaguar sitting proudly outside. How I loved top-quality
cars. It wasn’t flashy like a typical sports car, but it screamed
class and style. A sleek black puppy with tires wider than the
state of Texas.
    Turning my
car’s engine off, I sat quietly and took a few deep breaths to calm
myself. Based on the size of this house—correction—this castle, and
his estate, Mr. Shaw was obviously very, very wealthy. A small
fortune may be an understatement. He had acres of land here. Multi
millionaire may be closer to the mark. I wished I'd taken the time
to investigate some little details about my client before I arrived
here. But I'd been so distracted and not myself yesterday. And
today was a complete write-off. My mind was in ruins. I wondered if
it was a good idea to be here on the unwelcome anniversary that I
would remember until I drew my last breath. Hopefully I’d function
on all cylinders when I got into the stride.
    I was in need
of something superficial and lighthearted to improve my mood before
I left the car. I gave myself a quick once-over in the vanity
mirror.
    There was
nothing more superficial than makeup. Except, perhaps, my
smile.
    I opened my
purse, took out my coral lipstick and applied it carefully with a
brush. Then I blotted on a tissue and reapplied. My eyelashes had a
quick top up with mascara, and I pinched my cheeks to raise some
color. I sighed at my appearance. I looked more than presentable
with my make up disguise. I had plastered quite a lot on. I was
very sleek, polished and professional. Very attractive to the
unsuspecting. But appearances could be deceptive. I knew that
underneath the makeup I looked pale, washed out, tired, and
haunted. My usual dead look. I ran my hands over my head,
flattening down the flyaway hairs, and retied my hair band,
securing my long, curly black hair in a low ponytail. I always wore
my hair tied back, off my face, for work. It was tidy and looked
smarter, much more so