Meant for Her Read Online Free Page B

knees almost buckled when her eyes had first locked with his.
    A knock at the door disrupted her reverie. “Come in.”
    Gwen handed her the phone.  “It’s Becky.”
    “Hey, what’s up?” said Julie.
    “I’m at your place. I came to feed Sammy like you asked, and Jules, someone’s been here.”
    “What do you mean?”
    “I mean, someone broke into your condo. It’s pretty bad. Your dresser drawers have all been dumped out onto the floor, and the kitchen cabinets are open and everything’s messed up.”
    “Someone broke into my condo?” She sat upright in bed. A cat meowed on the other end of the phone. “Is Sammy okay?”
    “Yeah, he’s fine. He was locked in a closet and none too happy about it. He’s okay now.”
    “Did they steal anything?” In her mind, Julie ran through a list of her valuables, most of them electronics, and most of them with her on this trip.
    “I don’t see your laptop or your iPod.”
    “They’re with me. Becky, do you think Greg…” Julie let her voice trail off, not wanting to say the words out loud.
    “I know, he was my first thought, too. Was he upset when you dumped him?”
    “He never called me back. I just figured he got the message and wanted to avoid the whole conversation.”
    “It looks like he was upset.”
    “Yeah. Looks like.” Julie realized Gwen was watching her, her eyes questioning. “Someone broke into my condo and trashed the place.” She choked on an unexpected sob as she said the words, covering her mouth with her hand.
    Gwen sat and touched her shoulder. “That officer said you might be in danger.”
    “It’s just some loser boyfriend I dumped last week, Gwen. Either that, or some neighborhood kids up to no good...”
    “I don’t think so, Julie.” Julie looked into Gwen’s eyes, and what she saw there sent a chill down her spine. Gwen had a sixth sense about some things, and Julie had learned long ago to listen when her aunt spoke with this quiet authority.
    “Uh, oh,” said Becky into Julie’s ear.
    “I feel a darkness. I don’t want to scare you, but there’s evil here.” She held Julie’s eyes as tightly as she held her hand, wishing to impart strength to her niece at this time. “Did the ex-boyfriend have a darkness about him?”
    “I wouldn’t say that,” said Julie.
    “Well, I would,” chimed Becky. “Tell Gwen that I would, Jules. Tell her.”
    “He gave Becky the creeps.”
    “So maybe it is the boyfriend, then. Or it might have something to do with your father’s murder.”
    That possibility was feeling very real to Julie.
    “Perhaps it’s time to call the Navy officer who came to see you in Boston. It will give you a chance to get a look at that encrypted message from the safe deposit box, too,” said Gwen.
    “I don’t want to see the message.”
    Gwen turned exasperated eyes to her niece. “Your father finally wrote you a letter after all these years, and you’re not even going to read it?”
     ~~~
    Jingle Bell Rock played on the car radio, but Hank wasn’t listening. A knot had settled in the valley between his shoulder blades, and he tried to stretch his arm across the steering wheel to release the tension. The lines on the pavement slid by in hypnotic straights and curves as his mind tried to make sense of the last several days.
    Johnson had hit it out of the park before Hank even realized something was wrong. Given what I know about this scene, I wouldn’t even know who to call, but the U.S. Navy is here, and I’m trying to figure out why.
    Hank didn’t like playing catch-up. Someone knew the body in the motel room was Commander McDowell before he was called to the scene like a puppet. Admiral Barstow had been the one to send Hank there, but that didn’t necessarily mean he was the one pulling the strings.
    Hank dialed his commanding officer.
    Formidable and unconcerned with niceties, the admiral exerted his influence skillfully over those under his command. Hank was one of the few who