The Easy Sin Read Free Page B

did not crumble.
    â€œHave you been in touch with your husband lately?”
    â€œYes, over the past couple of months.”
    â€œShit!” said Kylie Doolan.
    Up till now neither woman had spoken to each other; indeed, Caroline Magee had hardly looked at Kylie Doolan. Malone, wiser than he played in the ways of women, had held off introducing the two till he saw how far the wife would undermine the girlfriend. He had learned a lot from an observant wife and two sharp-eyed daughters. A cop, he had also learned, could surround himself with less helpful company.
    Caroline Magee looked at Kylie. “And you are the girlfriend?” She made girlfriend sound like bimbo . The rounded vowels had spikes, like deep-sea mines.
    Paula Decker and John Kagal sat silent; they had seen this before, but it was always worth attention. Women at odds with each other are more interesting than men in the same situation. There is more subtlety; or there was in this case. These two had been in training, though neither had known of the other.
    â€œYes. We've been together quite a while. Here.” Kylie looked around, staking out her claim, even though the lease had been cancelled. In, it seemed, more ways than one. “He never mentioned you.”
    â€œThat'd be Errol. He always played things close to his flat little chest. Or has he put on weight?”
    â€œYou don't sound as if you've come back to—to take up with him again.” Kylie's tone also had spikes.
    â€œNo. He asked me to come back to help him.”
    â€œIn what way?” asked Kagal.
    â€œI'm a computer software specialist. I taught Errol all he knows.” She was sitting on an upright chair, her knees together, her hands holding her handbag on her lap. Yet there was no prim stiffness to her, she looked totally relaxed.
    â€œYou knew he was in trouble?” said Kagal.
    There was a slight hesitation. “Yes.”
    Kagal looked at Kylie Doolan. “You knew, too?”
    She had her hesitation. “Ye-es.”
    â€œWell, you have that in common.” Paula Decker had been silent up till now. She sounded as if she was unimpressed by both women. “And Errol, too, of course.”
    Caroline Magee looked at her. “My interest in my husband is purely business. Or was.”
    Kylie snorted, but Mrs. Magee just ignored her.
    Malone said, “Where are you staying? Or were you planning to stay here?”
    â€œNo, she is not staying here!” Kylie had sat up as if she had been bitten by a spider or something else less welcome than Mrs. Magee. “No, no!”
    â€œOf course not.” Caroline Magee's smile could have sliced rock. “I'm at the Ritz-Carlton, just up the road. Errol booked me in there,” she added. “He wanted me close by.”
    Malone could taste the sweet-and-sour. “Detective Kagal will escort you back there. You can tell Mrs. Magee how much Sydney has changed in the time she's been away, John.”
    â€œIt'll be a pleasure,” said Kagal, who was the only one to have caught Malone's wink.
    Caroline Magee stood up. “You truly don't know where Errol is?”
    â€œNo, we don't know,” said Malone. “I'm hoping he may call you at the Ritz-Carlton. You'll let us know, of course.”
    â€œOf course.” She had an elegance to her that Kylie Doolan, no matter how many designer labels she wore, would never have. She had come a long, long way from Coonabarabran. “Am I going to be under police surveillance?”
    Malone wondered what she knew about police surveillance. “Not unless you ask for it.”
    â€œNo, thank you.” She gave Kylie Doolan another false smile. “Nice meeting you, Miss Doolan. Pity it's all over.”
    She left with John Kagal. The PE team had moved out, the Crime Scene tapes were up, there were only two uniformed officers, Paula Decker and Malone left. And Kylie Doolan.
    â€œWhat a bitch!” said Kylie.
    â€œErrol