The Devil You Know (Sarah Woods Mystery Book 15) Read Free Page B

somewhere, right? Don’t you have any friends you could fix her up with?”
    That last comment was a joke because I knew Carter didn’t have friends like most guys. First of all, he doesn’t care for sports. Secondly, he believes most guys are ego-centered idiots. Carter has acquaintances and, most of them, he keeps at arm’s length. Once in a while, he’ll go out for a beer with one of his old cop buddies but those meetings usually have some kind of ulterior motive; such as acquiring information for a job we are working on. Carter seems perfectly content spending most of his time with me: his lover, his friend and his business partner.
    “Jackie offered to help me pack but I should be able to handle this myself. Truth is, I can probably do it in a weekend.” I looked at the photograph of Josephine and her daughter. “Right now, I need to focus on this job. If I’m going to pretend to be Tina for a weekend, I have to get in character.”
     

Chapter 4
     
     
    Carter and I each packed a bag for our weekend getaway. Too bad we wouldn’t be spending it together. Carter would have to stay in the carriage house out of sight tending to the surveillance, while I pretended to be the daughter of a dead woman.
    Carter had spent the last few days installing the voice activated “bugs” in each room of the mansion. A program on his laptop keeps track of all of the recordings, allowing him to listen to conversations in real time, but also saves them in digital audio files.
    I worked on perfecting my acting skills, while giving myself a complete makeover. Even Carter hadn’t recognized me when I came home from the hair salon. Every time I looked in the mirror, I did a double take. Last time I had red hair was in high school, during an experimental phase. I had done it myself at home and it came out more orange than red. Not a good look for me but, this time, I sprang for a professional. The result, I had to admit, was not that bad. The finishing touch was the glasses but, instead of the horn-rimmed ones Tina wore in the picture, I decided to find an updated pair.
     
    When Carter and I arrived at the carriage house, George invited us in and smiled at me, gesturing to my new haircut. “You really didn’t have to change your looks, Sarah but, I have to say, you did a fine job. How did you get the color to match so well?”
    “I took Tina’s picture into the hairdresser’s and told the woman to match the color and style. She took a few inches off and, well, I was due for a dye job, anyway.”
    “Are those real prescription glasses?”
    I removed the glasses to show him. “No, the lenses are clear. These are called Fashion Fakes . Can’t tell the difference, can you?”
    “Not at all.” George stood back and gave me a once over. He seemed quite satisfied. “If the real Tina were standing beside you now, I bet you could pass for sisters.”
    I smiled in response to his praise. It had taken many hours to get the look right. “Even though your family hasn’t met her, I think it’s important to portray Tina’s likeness. Also it will help me stay in character.”
    George rested a hand on my shoulder and looked me in the eyes. “Now, I can’t predict how my family is going to react to you being here. I want you to prepare for the fact that they might not take kindly to your insinuations. I assume you have the means to protect yourself, just in case.”
    “I have pepper spray on me at all times and I’ll be sure to hold on to the banister before going down the stairs.”
    George’s face turned pale, and I immediately felt horrible for the remark. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean …”
    He shook his head and raised his hand. “Don’t worry about it. In fact, I’m glad you mentioned it because I had the stairs carpeted a few days ago. The next time someone accidentally trips and falls, there will be cushioning. I should have done that years ago.”
    Carter took my hand and kissed it. “Hey, I’ll miss you. Be