more than 16
years old, was coming down. It was a narrow stairway, but they
could have passed with barely touching. The dirty old goat feigned
an inability to maneuver around the girl and even copped a feel as
she passed. She seemed oblivious to it, but he was vilely
aroused.
Clear pulled back. “Kat isn’t a blond,
right?”
“ Um, no?”
“ Ughh…” she continued up
the stairs as if nothing had happened.
“ Well, what happened?”
Grant growled, obviously hating being left in the dark.
“ Not sure of its
relevance, if any. There is a dirty old man living in this
building. Let’s just leave it at that.” Clear finally made it to
the fifth floor, with Grant right behind her. She waited and let
him go first.
He approached a door on the left and
knocked. A petite brunette answered the door, but for a moment
Clear thought they must have had the wrong place, because this
woman did not look in the least bit distressed. She also did not
throw herself into Grant’s arms. Instead she glanced over Grant’s
shoulder and gave Clear a cold appraising look then turned on her
heel, leaving the front door open.
“ Good to see you too,
Laura,” Grant murmured and held the door open for Clear. Clear
entered the home and was amazed by how light, cheery and…
well, girly the
place was. All the furniture was in pastels and chocolate browns.
There were paintings of ballerinas in the foyer followed by photos
of Kat through the years in various ballerina costumes. The living
room had surprisingly high ceilings and floor to ceiling glass
windows and French doors leading onto a good-sized balcony. The
kitchen was to the left and had the most modern appliances. They
all were of burnished steel. The cabinets were a light wood, with
butterfly handles. The backsplash had a vineyard pattern covered
with purple butterflies. Clear just could not imagine Grant ever
living here.
“ So…” Laura turned
abruptly standing in the middle of the living room and once again
glaring at Clear. “This must be your consultant friend .” If words could shoot
daggers, Laura’s certainly did. The hostility coming from her was
potent. Clear could tell that even Grant could feel it. Clear
stepped forward tentatively.
“ Hello… I’m Clear Angel,”
she tried very hard not to stammer or shrink under that withering
gaze. She reached out a hand, but Laura blatantly ignored it. “I…
uh..” she glanced at Grant, really not sure what to do.
“ Stop being such a bitch,”
Grant muttered tersely.
Clear’s eyes went wide. She had heard
Grant swear pretty often, but he had never spoke so coldly or
cruelly to anyone in her presence. Ever. Clear pulled her hand back
and quickly asked if she could use the restroom. Laura pointed
sharply down the hall. “On the left,” Laura spit out.
Something about her presence had the
whole room on edge. Clear got the distinct impression that Grant
may not have told Laura about her. She quickly bolted for the
bathroom and intended to stay there long enough to give Grant a
chance to talk to Laura and maybe smooth things over.
As soon as the bathroom door closed,
Laura leapt into attack mode. “How dare you bring your… your…
strumpet into my home… when our daughter.. when…”
Grant came back strong and
unyielding. “How dare I bring someone who can help me find our daughter? Get
off your high horse and stop jumping to conclusions about things
you know nothing about. There is nothing going on between Clear and
I. She is.. was a
colleague on my last case and she was very helpful…”
“ Oh, I’ll bet!” Laura
rolled her eyes.
“ Laura I need you to treat
her with respect. She didn’t have to come here.”
“ Then why did she?!” Laura
yelled.
Grant grabbed her by the
arm and dragged her out onto the balcony. “Good Lord, woman! What
is wrong with you? Clear has a unique ability to see the
connections behind things. What she does is not strictly
professional… but it can… it will help us
years old, was coming down. It was a narrow stairway, but they
could have passed with barely touching. The dirty old goat feigned
an inability to maneuver around the girl and even copped a feel as
she passed. She seemed oblivious to it, but he was vilely
aroused.
Clear pulled back. “Kat isn’t a blond,
right?”
“ Um, no?”
“ Ughh…” she continued up
the stairs as if nothing had happened.
“ Well, what happened?”
Grant growled, obviously hating being left in the dark.
“ Not sure of its
relevance, if any. There is a dirty old man living in this
building. Let’s just leave it at that.” Clear finally made it to
the fifth floor, with Grant right behind her. She waited and let
him go first.
He approached a door on the left and
knocked. A petite brunette answered the door, but for a moment
Clear thought they must have had the wrong place, because this
woman did not look in the least bit distressed. She also did not
throw herself into Grant’s arms. Instead she glanced over Grant’s
shoulder and gave Clear a cold appraising look then turned on her
heel, leaving the front door open.
“ Good to see you too,
Laura,” Grant murmured and held the door open for Clear. Clear
entered the home and was amazed by how light, cheery and…
well, girly the
place was. All the furniture was in pastels and chocolate browns.
There were paintings of ballerinas in the foyer followed by photos
of Kat through the years in various ballerina costumes. The living
room had surprisingly high ceilings and floor to ceiling glass
windows and French doors leading onto a good-sized balcony. The
kitchen was to the left and had the most modern appliances. They
all were of burnished steel. The cabinets were a light wood, with
butterfly handles. The backsplash had a vineyard pattern covered
with purple butterflies. Clear just could not imagine Grant ever
living here.
“ So…” Laura turned
abruptly standing in the middle of the living room and once again
glaring at Clear. “This must be your consultant friend .” If words could shoot
daggers, Laura’s certainly did. The hostility coming from her was
potent. Clear could tell that even Grant could feel it. Clear
stepped forward tentatively.
“ Hello… I’m Clear Angel,”
she tried very hard not to stammer or shrink under that withering
gaze. She reached out a hand, but Laura blatantly ignored it. “I…
uh..” she glanced at Grant, really not sure what to do.
“ Stop being such a bitch,”
Grant muttered tersely.
Clear’s eyes went wide. She had heard
Grant swear pretty often, but he had never spoke so coldly or
cruelly to anyone in her presence. Ever. Clear pulled her hand back
and quickly asked if she could use the restroom. Laura pointed
sharply down the hall. “On the left,” Laura spit out.
Something about her presence had the
whole room on edge. Clear got the distinct impression that Grant
may not have told Laura about her. She quickly bolted for the
bathroom and intended to stay there long enough to give Grant a
chance to talk to Laura and maybe smooth things over.
As soon as the bathroom door closed,
Laura leapt into attack mode. “How dare you bring your… your…
strumpet into my home… when our daughter.. when…”
Grant came back strong and
unyielding. “How dare I bring someone who can help me find our daughter? Get
off your high horse and stop jumping to conclusions about things
you know nothing about. There is nothing going on between Clear and
I. She is.. was a
colleague on my last case and she was very helpful…”
“ Oh, I’ll bet!” Laura
rolled her eyes.
“ Laura I need you to treat
her with respect. She didn’t have to come here.”
“ Then why did she?!” Laura
yelled.
Grant grabbed her by the
arm and dragged her out onto the balcony. “Good Lord, woman! What
is wrong with you? Clear has a unique ability to see the
connections behind things. What she does is not strictly
professional… but it can… it will help us
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