Deadly Deception (Deadly Series) Read Online Free

wood-paneled office. There were pictures of Carter everywhere, making the office seem like a shrine to her son. The smell was enough to unsettle Anne’s stomach. It was a mixture of musty air and sour fruit.
    Anne sat down in a stiff green wingback chair that sat across from her desk. She had a mountain of paper work, file folders and pink message sheets. Rita shut the door, walked over to Anne, and sat down opposite her. It appeared she had slept in her clothes. Her silk white blouse and tan slacks were wrinkled, she had a small snag on the foot of her stockings and her brown heels were cracked on the sides.
    “So what’s going on? You had something important to discuss with me?” Rita asked once more.
    Anne pulled out the envelope and handed it to her. Rita opened it with an inquisitive expression.
    “Are these from Carter’s camping trip?” Rita asked, shuffling through them.
    “Yes, they are. They were left in that envelope outside my office door sometime over the weekend. But that’s not the craziest part of it. Read the note.”
    Rita slowly opened the creased paper. Her hands trembled as she read those three words. Tears flooded her eyes.
    “And you said this was waiting for you this morning at your office?” Rita inquired.
    “Yeah, and there’s no return address. That’s Carter’s handwriting. He was the only one who called me that. Have you heard from him, Rita?”
    If looks could kill, Anne would have been dead on the spot.
    “NO! Do you think if I would have heard from him I would be sitting here so stunned by this?”
    “I’m sorry, Rita. I’m so confused and I—I don’t know what to do with this.”
    Anne swallowed hard, trying to keep her composure in check.
    “Did you take this to the police?”
    “Not yet. I wanted to come to you first. I thought maybe you knew something….”
    Rita shot up. Anne’s spine stiffened.
    “This is crazy! Carter has been gone for three years. I have had to accept the fact that my son is dead. This is some cruel joke!”
    She threw the note and pictures back at Anne, scattering them across her lap.
    “Rita, I’m not trying to hurt you. You know me better than that. I mourned him too. A lot of people did. I’m going to find out what happened that day. Something doesn’t seem right.” Anne raised the note into the air. “It looks like his handwriting and he was the only one who called me Anneliese!”
    Rita shook her head at Anne’s words and darted for the door.
    “You need to leave. I can’t do this right now.”
    Anne halted in front of Rita, whose face was cloaked with fierce red blotches.
    “Maybe someone forged this note, maybe Carter is dead, but why would they do this? Why now? Don’t you want to know?”
    Rita looked away as her pale lips quivered.
    “I just want my baby back,” s he sobbed.
    “And I just want the truth. I deserve that much.” Anne replied, choking back her emotion.
    Quickly she made her way back to her car, feeling defeated and weak. The winds were starting to pick up and there was a vicious chill in the air, matching the one she had just left behind. Anne questioned Rita’s sincerity and true knowledge of the contents that burned through that manila envelope.
    Getting back into her car , she sat for a moment peering toward the building. Rita’s silhouette stood hovering in the window. She is definitely hiding something , Anne thought. She took out her phone and saw that she had missed many calls from Adam. Inhaling deeply, she dialed his number, knowing he would be upset about her ditching their lunch date.
    “Anne!” Adam said in a tense tone.
    “I’m so sorry. I had an errand to run and I left my phone in the car.”
    “I called your office and Shelly said you left looking quite ill. When you didn’t answer your cell I was starting to get worried. Are you all right?”
    “Yeah, I’m heading back downtown now. No worries, I’m fine. I’m sorry about lunch. Are you still coming over after work?”
    “I